Gifts Galore

As usual, I didn't make all of the gifts I'd wanted to give before the holidays were over, but I did get a few things done. Above are the felted slippers I made way ahead of time for Meital. It was nice to have those ready early. She loves them, too - didn't even want to take them off to go to bed the first night!


I made a hat for a wonderful friend out of some Spud & Chloe Sweater (wonderful yarn, soft and a pleasure to knit with, by the way) that was given to me in a swap on Ravelry.


And I also made a few ornaments for friends. A fun, quick (and free) pattern that I found on Ravelry. I'm thinking next year I'll make miniature stocking ornaments. Better get an earlier start, though!

Then there are the belated gifts...A pair of hats is on the way to Turkey for a very special couple. Another hat on my needles is almost done, and I'm thinking I'll make one last gift hat, to send with that one. And what about Liat? Well, her hoodie is nearly done (but I've been distracted by hats!) and I hope to be able to show it to you soon. I know she is eager to wear it, so I really need to get a move on.

I also have some plans for community service knitting, which I am anxious to get back to. Amazing how much I have missed it, much though I love making things for people I know.

Wishing everyone a joyous and healthy 2012!

Chill Factor

After you've lived in Israel awhile, anything below about 50 degrees Farenheit starts to seem downright chilly. And if you live in Israel but travel frequently to Europe during the winter months, it's a good idea to bring along some woolies.

Or possibly an alpaca/merino wool blend.

I made the scarf shown above out of a yarn called Alpaca Sox, by the Classic Elite Yarns company. It worked up into a warm, soft fabric with a soft halo from the alpaca fiber. It was a birthday gift for a friend who, well, travels frequently to Europe during the winter months.

May he wear it in good health!

For the Littlest Ones

This is the preemie blanket I made for the NICU at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, California. I won't be able to color in a new state on my map, but I will be able to warm up one of the very littlest humans. The blanket makes me think of a doll blanket, though I tried to make it to the specifications suggested. Hoping to get it in the mail tomorrow.

If this purple yarn looks familiar, that's because I bought a whole, huge bunch of it thinking I would use it for an afghan for Liat. In the end, she and I decided not to use this yarn for that project. So far the skeins I purchased have become a sweater for her, a hat for a friend of hers, this blanket, and I don't remember what else! And I still have plenty left. Sigh. I am doing the best I can to use it up, so expect to see more purple knits in the next year.

A goal I've set for myself over the next year is to knit up all of the 100% acrylic yarn I've got in my stash. Yes, the colors and great, yes it's easy care, yes it's affordable, and yes it's soft. But whenever I knit with 100% wool (either superwash or not) I realize how much more enjoyment I get out of the knitting process. So I've decided to use up my acrylic and try very hard not to replace it with more of the same. I really like some of the acrylic/wool blends out there, like Plymouth Encore, and will continue to buy them. But no more 100% acrylic. I'm just not feeling the love anymore.

I want to send a big thank you!!! to my friend Joansie who wrote such a nice post about me on her blog (not going to link it because that would be pretty egotistical, I think). She is a sweet and lovely friend and I am very lucky to have her in my life. Some other time (once she's added another post or two to her blog) I will link so you can see what a great blog - and what lovely projects - she has.

Catching Up

Gibbs: "What's put you in such a fine mood?"
Jack: "We're catching up."
~ ~ ~ Pirates of the Caribbean, The Curse of the Black Pearl


I don't know how the time always manages to get away from me. But I'll try to catch you up with the things I've been doing for the last few weeks. Above is a photo of some toys I made over the weekend. They're called Squishies, and they're from a book I bought this past summer called Itty Bitty Toys, by Susan B. Anderson. What a fabulous book, full of adorable and easy-to-make toys. I have heard (and saw for myself last night) that these simple, squishy balls are fun for kids of all ages. I used worsted weight cotton yarn to make them. I gave two away last night but have two left in my toy stash for the next time I have visitors.


The picture here shows the second hat I made to go with the hat I showed you in my last post. This is also a free pattern from Susan B. Anderson and is available on the same blog I linked to last time. This is called the Watermelon Hat, but since I didn't have enough pink, I reversed the colors and called it a Not-er-melon Hat. Both hats have long since arrived in New Jersey and will be delivered to the children's hospital there.

And just today I finished up a preemie blanket that will be going to a hospital in California. Yes, I have already sent items to California, but since it is my home state I feel a special attachment. I'll show you the blanket the next time I post (don't want to show you everything I have all at once, that wouldn't do at all!).

Cuteness Alert

Here is the hat I told you about in my last post. Isn't the pattern adorable?! I can't wait to start on another hat, and I already know it will be another pattern by Susan B. Anderson...the hard part will be deciding which pattern! The toddler-sized hats will be on their way to the Bristol Meyers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (say that three times fast!).

Meital just got back from mailing off those two gray hats to the Humble Stitch Project. She really is such a big help to me with all the mailing of packages. I like how she and I feel like partners in this project.

You may remember that a while back I sent off five pairs of baby and toddler socks to Hannah's Socks in Ohio. Today I got the most wonderful, personal note from Hannah's father, Vic Turner (follow the link to read about Hannah, her family, and her wonderful efforts on behalf of others). It made my day to know the socks had reached them and that they like them!

Mad Hatter

Yep, finished up two more hats this month and started another, an adorable toddler-sized Camp Hoodie Swatch Hat (that's a Ravelry link; if you're not on Ravelry, go directly to designer Susan B. Anderson's Spud & Chloe blog) that I might just finish before the end of the month, too! I made both of the hats shown above from one 100 gram skein of yarn, and even had a little left over (but not much). They will soon be on their way to the Humble Stitch Project, which, as it says on their website, is "a community effort to show kindness to our homeless neighbors" in South Florida.

After those two dark gray hats, it's a lot of fun to work up the little Camp Hoodie Swatch Hat in pastel colors. I hope to make at least one additional baby/toddler/child's hat before the end of the month, and send those off to a children's hospital in New Jersey. Ravelry has been such a great place for learning of organizations and communities that need and want knitted items!

Other news includes the fact that after more than a week off, both girls have returned to their regular routines of army and junior high, and that of course means I am back to waking up at about 6, knitting for a bit and chatting with Liat before she leaves, waking up Meital and getting her lunch ready, then taking a walk around the neighborhood with Avi after Meital has set off for school. We all really enjoyed our time off, with plenty of baking, shopping, basketball, reading, and just hanging out. I hope you're having a good month, too.

One Cap, Hold the Bill

Yesterday I told you about the Cabled Chapeau I was making for Meital. As I mentioned, the hat works up very quickly, and I finished it yesterday evening. But Meital decided she'd rather have a regular watch cap, and didn't want the bill added to the hat after all. It's a cute, easy pattern knit in the round (those cables are a lot easier than they look). Now, of course, Liat wants the same hat but definitely with the bill. Not a problem, but I think I'll get a few other things done first.

Really, hats are the perfect project: fast, useful, they can be knit in the round with no sewing up, so many options and variations are possible, and you only need to make one!

In other news, we spent much of the day working. Lots of little projects on our desk right now; I really appreciate the variety. We have civil engineering, finances, a soccer stadium, and history - isn't that great? I would hate to do the same thing all the time. And, of course, every couple of days at least there will be - my favorite - basketball! Good stuff.

Other good stuff: Meital is learning some new jazz songs for the piano, and it's such a pleasure to listen to her practice. And Liat is baking some heavenly chocolate and halvah cookies that have the whole house smelling divine.