Back from oblivion and just in time for the Holidays!

So many things have happened! so many crazy things! HOW ARE YOU PEEPS?????

I've been so crazy busy that for the first time in about two weeks, I'm gonna be able to go read your blogs. You can't imagine how I've missed you! All sort of things have gone out of whack. First, my BlackBerry just went off.  Died. Went were all good smartphones go. I had not realized how depending I had become in this little gadget, but it was as if suddenly I was stranded in a semi-desert  island, with no way to know how you guys were doing or share with you what I was up to.

And then came a series of small crisis. Our computer system at work broke down. Mom had to go have two small tumors extirpated and was sent home for three days to put up her legs, and she could only stay in bed for about four hours and after that she started going about the house fixing stuff up (the tumors turned out to be benign, thank God!). My  dad's partner asked him to buy out his share of the farm because his kids are now at the University and needs the money. One of my workers just told me last weekend that she is resigning because she is pregnant and her husband wants her to stay at home during the pregnancy, so she's working with us only until New Year. All of this, in the last two weeks.

But not everything was bad. My daughters had their school Xmas festival and the choir I'm directing also made it's debut there :D.

Judy was  Yellow in a mexican carol where the colors all go to the manger to paint everything pretty for Jesus. Tete was Rudolph! (I made her costume)

Also, I had a very crafty fortnight!

Remember I showed you something I had just casted on right before I dropped from the face of the blogosphere? well, this is what came out of it:

This turned out so nice that I'm making one for myself, of a muted orange and olive green stripes!

These cheeky little puppies climbed all over themselves to be in the photo! they just need a nice ribbon collar and they are ready to go to their homes!

I love how the cute little faces came out!

I also made this scarf, which doesn't look as long as it is in this photo! I'm 5'1 and when hanging by the middle from my neck, it reaches to my ankles! it is wide too. I love the chunky yarn and the colors that this photo doesn't do justice to! It looks like a shot of a frosty morning, and it is so soft and warm!

I'm doing this scarf in the same chunky yarn, in a seed stitch pattern. I might just keep this one for myself!

And yet another WIP is this lovely shells in relief pattern scarf, in a deep crimson! I think it looks like dragon scales so I'm loving it, although being of a sport weight yarn it is taking LOOONG to crochet, and so far it's eaten up THREE skeins of Vanna's Choice. I hope to have it ready for the 24th so I can wear it on our first Christmas Mass as a choir.

Well, this is what I've been up to so far. I miss you all, and I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas, just in case I'm sucked by the season's rush of parties and presents yet to be finished. From all of our family, sending you warm  hugs and our best wishes.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Oh oh oh! I'm so nervous!

Really like... freaking out! There, said like a true teenager. Cause I feel like a teenager. Trying to feign being wordly and knowing, and wise and mature... but I'm sure I'm no more than 13 years old today.

I put up my first three items in my Etsy shop.

:D and I can't stop smiling from the excitement, and I cannot ignore the butterflies in my tummy that come when I think NOBODY will be interested, and I cannot ignore the dizziness in my head when I realize I have put out to the world three very simple, very humble things that I made...

WOW. Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions. I cannot imagine what I will feel when (if) my daugthers go to college, if I feel this way about three little things.

I think I'm gonna go and drink a very large cup of chamomille tea. See you!

Been a bussy leetle bee!

Sorry folks for that self praise, but I am so proud of myself! :) I have recently developed an addiction to knitting and crocheting, and since I can carry my projects along (unlike my beloved quilting... I believe I will have to start hand piecing and quilting! :( ) I've managed to make quite some progress.. that is, keeping in mind that I am jsut learning.

I'll show you some photos...

First, a scarf I made for my husband. He asked that it be in earthy tones, no fancy do-dads, thick and long (he is a tall guy) so here it is:
St. Francis is patiently modeling it. I HAD to add some interest because I would probably bore myself to death if I just purled one, knit one all the way through such a long scarf! it is longer than I am tall (well, that is not much so... it is about 5' 6") so I added three simple left slanting cables all along the scarf. Can you see them? I loved the colors he chose, and as soon as I wove in the ends he practically snatched it and started wearing it! Score!

Believe it or not, I've started my Christmas presents! this Shaped Ascot is for Mom. (shhh! don't tell her) Since she admired it I knew I just HAD to push myself out of my comfort zone and give those circular needles a try. I got a bamboo set, and boy am I glad I did! I'm loving it!

I think the problem with the other set I had tried before is that the nylon-plastic thingie that joins them (yes, it is a highly technicall term! nylon-plastic thingie) was too stiff and it kept coiling with my work already on them, and it was hard to untwist it! this on the other hand is very soft. I took this photo the day before yesterday, and I am already almost finished! I also tried Vanna's Choice for the first time, and I really like it! I'm trying to get hold of some bamboo thread but it is hard to get in Mexico :( . Mom admired a sweater that she saw in Custom Knits and I would really like to give it to her.

AND... I have no photos yet, but I also had my first try at knitting with DPN's!!!! I finished a wrist warmer in about two hours, from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders, and it looks so nice! it was easy too!

Plus I finished my multidirectional scarf... Phew!

See why I'm proud? :)

My kind of thing!

Guess what I found?!?!?!?! Heather, you are going to love this one if you have not yet found it on your own...

A blog. Dedicated to Anne of Green Gables.

Wait, that's not all. A READ and KNIT along blog. An Anne of Green Gables knit and read along blog!!!!!!!!...

(dances around her laptop while her daughters laugh at her a wee nerviously... poor things, I think I scare them sometimes)

HORAAAAY! more kindred spirits!

Have you read the books? was anyone else in love with either Gilbert or Walter Blythe? sigh! don't tell my husband! lol!

Anyhow.... it made me itch to start a knit and read along... or a sew and read along...

HERE'S THE THING

I would like you to suggest a book or books you would like to read and a project. Then I'll put up one of those "vote" thingamagigs and we will decide which book and which project we'll start. I do think it will be fun, because here's the catch: Needles and Thimbles will have to do the same thing. Like, if a scarf is the item chosen, then those who knit (Needles) will knit a scarf and those who favour sewing (Thimbles) will have to make a scarf... wether in patchwork or any other means. That means that if we choose to do say... a bedspread, Thimbles will sew it but Needles will have to work double knitting it, in a smaller scale if you like... how do you like it? it is open to suggestions. :)

I would like to read " A Tangled Web". And I ache to start a knitted beret from "Custom Knits"

One of the things I've been up to...

Is knitting this scarf. For my brother. My FIRST atempt at instarcia. LOVE the thing! ssh! don't tell him! it is for Xmas!!!!

hehehe! the thing is already over 5 feet long... love the colors, love the lenght, love the way it is comming out...... but my wee hands are TIRED! LOL!

On its way!!!!!

From skein...

To WIP...



To finished scarf...

To pretty little package!

The scarf is finally finished... And tonight, it changes owner. The recepient is my 9 years old niece. She is a very ladylike little girl, and I hope I can pass on to her the knitting/sewing/quilting bug!

Happy Birthday Fanny!

This keeps untangling!!!!!

The little ball of yarn keeps making an escape to freedom. Too bad. It is it's destiny to end up in knots. This is her sister, awaiting her turn as well....

A new stash!

My husband is a bit wary now when I ask if I can come along when he does his errands in a city two hours away...

That usually means he'll end up spending HALF the day on MY errands, that will most likely be scavenger hunts for fabric, needles and yarn. Such was the way on Thursday. I am getting quite annoyed at the fact that yarn here is scarce, expensive and you cannot get natural fibers if your life depended on it, other than cotton. No wool, no alpaca, forget about any other more fancy stuff. And if you want to get circular needles, there's only ONE size. #6. 32". That's it. No dpn's, either

So I got my acrylic, poliester and cotton yarn, a new set of bamboo needles and some beads and started a scarf for my niece in pretty girly colors (beige, lavender, pink and peony) with pink beads that is comming out quite nice. The little lace gloves I was dreaming of will have to wait until I find a way to get needles from US, and maybe someday I'll be able to knit something soft, an alpaca sweater or something. One can always dream, right?

Meanwhile, I am drooling with the new books I got from amazon. Wanna know which ones?

Well, the latest shipment included:

Items:

1 of: Crafting Cloth Dolls Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC 1 of: The Quilter's Kitchen: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel with Recipes Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC 1 of: Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC 1 of: Aranzi Cute Stuff Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC 1 of: Aranzi Aronzo Cute Dolls (Let's Make Cute Stuff) Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC 1 of: The Winding Ways Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts Series #12) Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC

---

But they won't send needles to México!!! sob! sob!!!

I think I will start making a dent in my fabric stash, for birthdays and Christmas presents have to be made, regardless of dpn's and yarn (and time!) shortage.

It was sew good to let this out of my system!!!! see you around!

Enough is enough!!!!!

Do you like my lace?

I only started it oh... say... twenty times...

Actually, about twelve times. Seriously. In three different yarns and needle sizes. I started and frogged them. ALL of them.

Maybe the yarn is wrong.... nope, not the yarn. Tried different materials as well as different weights.

And then, when I was frogging it for the twelft time, it struck me.

It is not the yarn. It is not the needles. It is not even the pattern.


It is the people!!!!!! all day long, people have engaged me in conversation when i am halfway the first repetition of the pattern, causing me to be distracted and lose my focus... The needless int

Sorry, it happened again while I was

AND AGAIN!!!!!


I had never realized how many times

I'm making this experiment of stopping writting as soon as someone

AAARGGH!!!!!!

Maybe tonight I can make that lace. I'll finish this post BEFORE anyone else

there you go.

I give up.

It ended up becoming a vest...

For my first knit item, it turned out quite nice! I coldn't wait to show it ot you, so I put it on to model it... good thing this things stretch! I now have to block it (I know, I should have done that prior to joining the pieces, but it was not doable where I was today (I finished the "sleeve" this afternoon") so I went for it and sewed it together... it still needs a little something... perhaps some ribbon going up the "lace" in the middle (it sounds funny to call that lace when the thread is so thick!)

Anyway... I am about to start another, more ambitious project. If it turns out well, I'll post it , and if it doesnt... well, my kids need another washcloth!

Mommy wants!

I just met this gorgeous bag! it is by Jordana Paige, and it is not only beautiful but functional!!! (yeah, like I need to convince myself I want it!)

Now, about my absense... my girls have been quite ill lately, so I have not had the chance to log on, nor wake up early enough to proceed with my UFOs. I cannot do it when I (and their daddy) spend the nigth awake... so, needing an outlet to my creativity, I've taken to


Knitting


Boy, was that a mistake. It is addictive. My grandmother (may she rest in peace) once tried to teach me, but I was little... so I had to dig up from my memory what little I learned then. I'm making a sweater for myself, which is rather a sampler, a place to practice all the stitches I can remember before I tackle anything too serious, or for others... hehehehe! I'll show you a photo when I am done...


That's my Judy calling... see you around!