I made this monster for Bip:

I started him 2 years ago when I was newly pregnant with Pipsqueak.  The only problem was that I get this Super Sensitive Smelling Power when I’m pregnant.  I can smell chocolate, through the packaging, while just walking by a display of Easter candy. Sounds cooler than it actually is because smells become so strong that I get nauseated.  Well, this little monster is made out of wool, which has a faint smell.  And when I was pregnant – wow! – I was totally overwhelmed with it.  I tried to carry on, but I just couldn’t.  I put it away, hoping to pick it back up before the end of the year.

One thing I forgot was that the memory of certain smells would still make me nauseated for a while after the baby arrived.  And even the memory of being nauseated doing what I was doing at the time would make me nauseated.  It was a very long time before I could even pick up the project bag containing my half-finished monster.  Then one day last week I saw it, picked up and buried my nose deep in the yarn and breathed in. Nothing but the faintest of wool smell!  No nausea at all.

So I finished up that monster and presented him to Bip.

This  project made me feel particularly good to finish because Bip was a good sport when I told him I could no longer work on it, but I would get back to it as soon as I could.  Nothing like the smile on your child’s face when you fulfill a promise.

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As part of my Year of Finished Projects, I actually started a major knitting project.  I’m a slow knitter at the best of times and with a my hands full of Pipsqueak all day, things don’t get done very quickly.  So starting a project during the year that I’m focusing on finishing those long overdue things seems sort of counter productive.

But as I was looking over my friend Sandy’s queue of knitting that she will never even start, I was reminded that my own list had stalled out.  I have a ton of little things that I can accomplish easily – a toy monster in a bulky weight yarn that will take no time, lots and lots of socks that are surprisingly easy and some hats that I can do in my sleep.  But I thought I’d like to get a Major Project (perhaps even a Lieutenant Colonel Project) (ha! Army humor!) started.  I thought it would feel good to finish the “getting around to it” phase and actually cast on something out of my queue.

I picked Hanami.  Please click on this link.  There is a whole story behind this shawl I chose to knit that really adds to the appeal.  Plus the link has pictures!  Always a good thing.  You clicking the link will let me *not* steal those pictures and paste them in here.

I have to admit that I am not a good lace knitter.  I’ve only done one real lace project and I didn’t enjoy it. But I am drawn to all the beautiful lace.  I’m not really up for the challenge, but I want that shawl.  So I’ll persevere. Fortunately my friend in crafting-crime, Shanti, decided to knit along with me.  She’s got a ton more lace experience than I, so she’s already passed me up.  I’m not going to compare my progress to hers (ok, that’s totally untrue), but I am going to be inspired to keep going and actually finish this shawl in a timely manner.

And then I will have another finished project to share with you!

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Three years ago, I wrote about the Mother Bear Project and showed you my first bear.

You know where all my good intentions are?  Oh yes, still sitting in my craft room.  I don’t know why I didn’t mail that first bear.  I just didn’t.

A year and a half ago, I started another bear.  Guess where that one is?  Yep, still here.  At least I’m consistent.

Well, after I declared this to be the Year of Finished Projects, I found that second bear and embroidered her face.  It didn’t take too long, even with Pipsqueak hanging on my arm.  I took her picture for posterity and she and her buddy are going in the mail.  Hopefully it won’t be too long before they each off to bring a little love to a child affected by HIV/AIDS.

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…of How I Won Yarn.

Perhaps I should call it a yarn, not a tale.  Either way, it’s pretty convoluted, so stick with me.

I happen to have a fondness for variegated yarns.  Lorna’s Laces, in particular.  I may or may not have quite the stash of their sock yarn.  I’m admitting nothing.  And this little yarn store called Jimmy Bean’s Wool happily keeps me supplied in all the Lorna’s Laces I can use or stash. Jimmy Beans Wool (JBW) also has a Limited Edition of Lorna’s Laces dyed just for them every month.  It should come as no shock to you that I am a member for the JBW Lorna’s Laces Limited Edition Fan Club.

Way back in October they announced a little contest on their Facebook page to name their upcoming December yarn.  I was one of the first ten people to suggest a name, and the first person to come up with “Ribbon Candy.”  A few hours later someone else suggested the same name.  Six *days* later, yet a third person also suggested it.

The deadline for name suggestions passed and they announced their top three choices which would be put to the vote.  Choice B was “Lisa’s: Ribbon Candy”.  WHAT?  Lisa?  Who’s Lisa?  I’ve been called “Laura” before, and I’ve had my named misspelled more often than not, but no one has ever mistaken me for a “Lisa.”

I pondered this situation for a while.  I might have let it go (ok, not really) except that there was actual yarn on the line.  The winner of the naming contest would get the yarn as a prize.  So I sent JBW a very nice email, pointing out that I had actually suggested Ribbon Candy about 5 hours earlier than Lisa did.  I heard back from them right away.  They apologized and acknowledged that I was indeed the person who first submitted the name Ribbon Candy.  They were unable to amend the post, but in the comments they corrected themselves. They assured me that if my name won, they would address the confusion again and I would be the winner.

So…voting closed and they left us hanging until December 1st.  Ribbon Candy was the winner!  Yippee!  So I just sat back and waited for my prize.  Later in the day the JBW December Newsletter arrived, announcing the new limited edition yarn.  Imagine how far my jaw dropped when I read this line:

Why thank you very  much.  But stop calling me Shirley.

Shirley? Shirley?!? Surely you jest.  What in the world was this all about? To quote Charlie Brown’s little sister Salley, “All I want is what I… I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.”

Turns out that Shirley was the person who suggested the name 6 days after both Lisa and I did.

After I got over my sputtering indignation I sent another email to JBW.  It took them a few hours to respond this time.  Meanwhile on their Facebook page, they’d already mentioned that someone would be getting their December yarn prize that day.  Then the email came that said my prize yarn was on its way, one hank of each weight.  I got a shipping notice shortly afterwards.

I’m guessing that Shirley got a huge surprise on December 1 because my yarn just arrived yesterday.  I’m thinking that poor Lisa got nothing.

So I named a yarn and got no credit, but I did get my yarn.  Here it is, the December Lorna’s Laces Limited Edition color: Ribbon Candy.

  You can get some for yourself, before it runs out,here: Ribbon Candy.

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This assignment was to add a decorative border around the subject of your choice.

The picture and video demonstration were provided for a different assignment. I didn’t use the swan picture, but I wanted to try the technique of painting something white and painting water, so I just did it in the empty corner of the ladybug page.

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Another one working from a photo. Our assignment was to add a background and a border. This is one of my favorites because it reminds me of Susan Branch, one of my watercolor inspirations!

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Here’s another from my watercolor class. Once again, we were working off a photo. In this assignment we were working on showing roundness and on the shadows. I will refrain from telling you all things that I see are wrong with this! It was a challenge, but I like the results well enough not to go back and mess with it. Go ahead and click the picture to see it larger.

By the way, if you’re interested in taking some online watercolor classes, the new ones are posted here: Imaginary Journeys.

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I signed up for an online watercolor journaling class which started last week. It’s perfect for me because I don’t have the time to attend a workshop outside the house. We get our assignments through PDFs and videos, which is also cool because I can watch the videos while I paint and stop, rewind and replay anything I need to.

I’m going to be brave and share my assignments.

Both paintings are from photographs.

Find out more about my watercolor class and others that are offered here: Imaginary Trips

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Hat! Soccer hat, specifically.

I have actually managed to squeeze in a little knitting here and there. It took me 2 weeks, but I made a hat for Boo that matches his soccer uniform. He plays in a club that has the same uniforms every year, so no need to make him a new one every season.

Spring soccer in Colorado is a chilly affair. As I type it is 52 degrees and falling, and soccer practice is still an hour away. Last year we had a game canceled because the snow from earlier in the week had made the field too wet. I think that was in April.

I send the boys to their games and practices with hats, sweatshirts, and even gloves. I keep telling them that suffering breeds character.

This is another hat from The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns. Just a basic K2P2 rib for 2 inches, knit until it fits, decrease evenly and finish. I like to reference the book for the exact numbers to cast on based on the yarn I’m using, the needles I have available and my gauge.

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While the baby is busy enjoying his limited days in my belly (he’s on 30 days notice to vacate), I wrapped up some final projects for him.

Here’s a little hat from Ann Budd’s Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns.

It’s a great book if you like to pick your yarn with only a vague notion of the sort of project you want to use. Or if know what you want to make and the yarn you want to use, but don’t want to do the math to figure out how to make it all work out. An any gauge, any yarn, any needle, any size book. Love it!

Also, love the yarn. Usually, all the different colors and patterns would be achieved with different yarns and complicated charts, but this is self-patterning yarn. So the simpler the pattern, the better, which totally works for me.

And matching socks, just because.

I’ve got one more hat in mind to make for him and then I’m ready for him to arrive.

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