Goodbye 2018

It's the last post of 2018, and I have to say I'm happy to see the end of this year.  Let's just say 2018 has not been a good year.

I can now show the secret knitting since Christmas is over.  I knitted a replacement Mawson hat for the father type -- the first one I knitted for him is somewhere in the subways and trains of the city, lost forever.  Father type requested another, so that was his Christmas present for this year.

This is the first year I have actually purposefully knitted Christmas presents for everyone.  The Little Burr hat was for DS (although this pic shows it on father type).  It has a double brim and cables, which should make it nice and warm for Buffalo winters.

I knitted DD the Pine Bough cowl, which she really likes.  Stupidly, I didn't get a picture of her wearing it.

So that's it for Christmas knitting.  To continue on with finished objects, I finished the Galloway hat by Jared Flood using Peerie yarn.  Sadly, it came out a little on the short side.  I  will have to tackle it at some point and make it a tad longer.

I also finished my Advent project, which was a kit/advent calendar from Jimmy Beans Wool.  It's the Get Together Wrap by Joji Locatelli in the Sugar Plum Fairy color way.  Sadly, they decided to give me 4 different dye lots of the main grey color, which meant I ended up having to rip back twice (not realizing the dye lot problem).  I have discovered that super wash and garter/lace shawls like this aren't my thing, but I'm glad to have finished the project.

I'm currently knitting the Le Massif Scarf by Dianna Walla, which is part of the Chalet Collection put out by Espace Tricot.  Yes, I'm back to color work, which seems to be my happy place.  I'm using the called for Kelbourne Woolens Scout yarn in the called for colors.

I'm to the middle "lice" section of the scarf -- which is the boring part.  Hopefully I'll manage to plow through.  I do love how the scarf is essentially a very long, fat sleeve with two ribbed cuffs.  Fantastic!

We had a good Christmas, which was too short -- poor DS had to travel back to Buffalo the day after Christmas so he could go back to work.  But it was wonderful having both kids at home for Christmas, even if it was just for a few days. 

We made dumplings on Christmas Eve Eve since DS won't be home for New Years (and neither will DD, I believe).

We made the usual Christmas cookies on Christmas Eve as well.

This year, we had our first artificial tree.  The kids don't like artificial trees, but this year they let me have my way.  I compromised by getting a little tree, just 4 1/2 feet tall.  I love it!  Unlike Carol of Stitching Dreams, who went all out to make sure everything was perfect and decorated for having all her kids home for the holidays, I went easy and went small on the decorating.  lol!

The kids on Christmas morning.

Mia, in her usual spot, being disgruntled, on Christmas morning.  lol!  She doesn't like interruptions to her routine!

Christmas dinner.  We had ham, mac and cheese, biscuits, and a throwback from my childhood, green bean casserole (with cream of mushroom soup and French's onions!).  And apple pie for dessert!

I did manage to get a picture of DS in his Little Burr hat, building one of his Lego kits.

I hope everyone who celebrates had or is having a wonderful holiday.  All the best for a happy, healthy, wonderful New Year.

Oops. Missed November.....

Somehow it became December and I didn't post during November.  Whoops!  Anyway, I have various finishes, one of which I won't show cause it's a Christmas present and a certain someone (I think) reads this blog.  So just in case, I won't show that item.

First, the last thing I finished -- it just came off the needles.  It's the Forest Tam by Marie Wallin. 

I used Marie Wallin's new yarn called British Breeds.  The colors are so wonderful!  Sadly, the picture doesn't convey how perfect the colors are.  This pattern came in the British Breeds box of yarn -- a skein of each color, plus the pattern booklet.  I hope to make the cowl from the booklet as well.

Next is the Kukka Cowl from the latest issue (17) of Amirisu magazine.

I used the called for Ram Jam yarn from Daughter of a Shepherd.  I only needed one skein of each color, not two as the pattern says.

I also finished the Little Burr hat by Sarah Solomon.

I used the lovely Myak Baby Yak Medium for the hat -- such a treat!

And yes, I did finish my Jaycee cardigan by Isabell Kraemer.

I even found some buttons for it -- took a while for them to arrive.  Now I need to sew them on.  Problem is I keep wearing the cardigan -- hard to sew on buttons while I'm wearing it!

Lots of things happened since I last posted.  I had a wonderful time in the city when Loop London had its pop up event at the Here Now Space run by Myak.  I was so happy to meet up with Tanya, Lucy and Nancy, who came all the way up from Virginia for the weekend, and the event.  (Tanya is bzmama, Lucy is lucysyarnpocket, and Nancy is nancydaniels92 on instagram.)   We met up at Katz's Deli for lunch.

We visited Purl Soho afterwards and then went to the lovely pop up shop.  Such fun!  Thanks, ladies, for a fun day!

Then of course there was Thanksgiving.  Got to have my kid-lings home for a few days.  Yay!

It went by way too quickly, but it was so good to hug my babies. 

Of course, we see DD much more often than DS since she lives in the city.  This past Thursday, I got to go to see Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald with her in the city (#protectthesecrets). After, we met up with the father type and had dinner at the Grey Dog, and dessert at Max Brenners.  OMG.  Chocolate.  (I had fish tacos at the Grey Dog.  Yum!)

I need more chocolate.  lol!  I neglected to take a picture of DD.  Silly me!

Mia, needless to say, hasn't been appreciative of extra people in the house, of me disappearing for the day, or of the disruption of her schedule.  She also doesn't appreciate the cold.  But she survives.

Happy Advent!  Happy holidays!

Another month ending....

It's happened again -- we're coming to the end of another month.  How can it be?  I guess I'm just old.  lol!

I finished the Brora shawl, and got it all blocked too.  I do love how it came out.  But I don't wear shawls.  Perhaps it will be a Christmas present.  This is by Gudrun Johnston.  I used Brooklyn Tweed Vale yarn.

I'm now working on the Jaycee cardigan by Isabel Kraemer.  I'm using Tukuwool Fingering yarn in the Lehto (I think) colorway.  (The color is off in the picture.)

I need a cardigan -- somehow I've only knitted color work cardigans so far, and only two at that.

The father type and I had a fun day in the city on Wednesday last.  We went to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway with the original London cast (the cast and crew that originated the parts and the theater magic).  What an amazing piece of theater! 

The play is actually in two parts, two full length plays really.  So we saw part one in the afternoon, then went for an early dinner at Haru Sushi.  Yum!

Then back to the theater in the evening for part two.

I'm so glad to have seen the play with the original London cast.  Having followed all the hullaballoo about the play from the beginning, I was used to seeing these cast members online.  It was great to see them do their stuff.

Mia was happy to see us when we got home very late that night.  She hates when I'm out of the house for too long.

Eek!

How did it get to be the end of September?  It doesn't help that I haven't been able to really settle down into my knitting.  I've had gauge issues on sweaters, and so have stuck to smaller projects.  Makes for more finished objects, I guess.

So I started and finished another pair of socks -- top down this time with a heel flap and gusset.  They are the Cyril Socks by Little Bobbins knits, Danielle Jorge.

I love them, and I think they are a better fit.  I used the Retrosaria Mondim sock yarn. 

Next, I started and finished the Pine Bough Cowl by Dianna Walla of Paper Tiger.

I used the called for yarn -- Hikoo by Skacel Kenzie.

And now I've started the Brora Shawl by Gudrun Johnston.

I'm using Brooklyn Tweed Vale yarn.  I've now remembered why shawl knitting is not my thing -- it gets so boring.  lol!  There will be more interesting things in future, but right now it's the slog with the rows getting longer and longer and the same patterning over and over.  Ah well.  My mind is wandering to other knitting -- not a good sign.

Not much else to tell.  Mia is my season signpost -- she has switched to her winter bed with the cooler temperatures.  A sure sign that Autumn has arrived.  Although I do see a few warmer days in the forecast too. 

Hope everyone is enjoying the change of seasons.

My love

Happy birthday to my darling father type.

I am so lucky to have you as my husband, as the father to my children, as my everything.  Yes, we have aged and changed through the years, but our love is still there and always will be.  I love you with all my heart.  Have a wonderful day celebrating another year of life spent well.  Love you.

September???

I seem to have missed posting any knitting updates in August.  Whoops!  Well, I did finish a couple of things.  Here is my Like a Cloud.

I used the called for Shibui Cima and Silk Cloud held together.

And here is the Lucerne hat, which I finished while on vacation.  I used the new Brooklyn Tweed Peerie yarn from a kit they sell online.

Both kids tried it on, but the girl child claimed it in the end.

Vacation is my excuse for missing an August knitting post.  It was wonderful to be all together again with both kids, up in our favorite place to be, Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

While there, I started and finished one sock of my Basecamp Socks -- my first ever socks.

I'm using Mondim by Retrosaria Pomar, a non super wash yarn.  I'm really enjoying the knit.  I'm on the leg of the second sock (the pattern is toe up).  Not much farther to go till the socks are finished!  Then I want to knit more socks.  And get back to sweater knitting too.

Here are a few pictures from our vacation.  We had at least three days where it was unusually hot and humid.  But it definitely wasn't as hot as it was back in New York.  It was interesting to notice how even a lot of businesses and restaurants didn't have air conditioning.  They aren't used to this unusual weather everyone has been having this summer.  Anyway, here are some pics.

And here is Mia, very happy that we are home, checking out my Mason Dixon Knitting tote.

Girl Child was back to the city by Saturday, but we had our boy child for another day before he had to leave for his life upstate today (Monday).  Mia was quite mad at him for having abandoned him for so long, but grudgingly cuddled with him anyway.

I'm sad that vacation is over.

I've been enjoying watching the US Open when I can.  It's fun to see the new Louis Armstrong stadium.

I hope everyone in the States has a great Labor Day.  Come on Autumn!  (Did I mention it's hot and humid again?)

ETA:  I finished my socks!  First pair of socks est fini!