a few more

My thoughts still wander quite a bit to this special little trip to Germany.

Just a few more pictures before we get back to regular business, okay?

The actual birthday party was great.

For some weird reason my outfit matched the table decor. And no, I have no clue what I was talking about when my brother snapped this picture.

The food was delicious, from appetizer to dessert.

It was really cold, so mom had no excuse and wore all her new hand knits when we went for a little walk!

We met my brother to get her actual gift - a new bicycle. When it is not pouring or freezing she runs all her errands by bike!

Wyatt and the kids sent flowers.

Of course I visited my local yarn store and shopped just a teeny bit. I made four cowls in two days, two of which I ended up giving to my nieces because they liked them so much, one I kept for myself and one will be a birthday gift for a friend - modeled here by mom.

It was all good.

Don't you agree, she looks fantastic and not her age at all!

perfect

All went well, we had a great time, my mom did not have a heart attack, kids and husband survived without me.

It's good to be back home.

happy day

I have been plotting.

My mom's 70th birthday is coming up and I will surprise her!

I'll fly over to Germany for a week to celebrate with her and I am very grateful that my family agreed to work things out without me here at home!

A special birthday requires special gifts and since she does not use the internet I can show you what I created. I was real lucky since both my kids agreed to model!

Even though she hardly ever wears hats, she will love this one, knitted from my favorite super soft alpaca yarn (Baby Alpaca Grande Paint, Plymouth Yarn).

Goofball.

Of course my mother needs a pair of fingerless gloves, after all I am the queen of fingerless gloves! I cannot count how many pairs I have made!

Please note the neat zigzag edge at the wrist - special touch just for hers.

One last shot before I closed the gift box, this shows the color of the hat much better.

Still in progress (but almost done) is my very first Clapotis scarf. It should count as finishing a UFO, because I have wanted to make one of these for years!

I slightly altered the pattern, it is not quite as wide as the original, but it will be long enough to go twice around the neck and still be tied in the front.

The yarn is creme de la creme - Manos del Uruguay, hand dyed extrafine merino silk blend. Fantastic to work with and gorgeous color way that will suit my mom perfectly!

But pssst, let's keep this a secret for now until Saturday, okay?!

still counting

Not much has happened in regards to my optimistic UFO plans, but we do wanna start the new year with a good laugh, right? So here is one that definitely belongs in the category what-was-I-thinking.

Beautiful super soft yarn, though...

It sits next to the couch ready to be frogged.

This dress top for the girlie in my favorite orange is done, ends woven in, straps attached.

Skirt fabric is picked (the one on the right), still needs to be attached. You see my good excuse why I could not get to work on that - ironing board occupied!

This vest should have never ended up in a box. But it did. I finished it in two hours. TWO!

It is awesome, long, fuzzy and soft.

Comes with the perfect vintage button, too.

Last but not least these coasters, that are meant to be a gift for a friend. Not really UFOs since I have not been working on them for long.

I had originally meant to use leftover noodles, but in the end that did not work. My selection did not have enough variety, and some of the colors I stripped specifically for this.

For twenty-twelve I wish all of you lots of time with color, fabric, string or whatever makes you tick, for creativity, with your art.

And I wish you love in your lives, lots of it!

counting...kinda

My friend Cathy recently told me about a challenge that her sewing guild put out: to finish or repurpose your ufos (unfinished objects/projects) in 2012.

I really like the idea.

Since then I am walking through the house with a different perspective. I open closets and don't just get something, but I see ufos. Everywhere. The more I look the more I see and I am not even searching!

Closet in the hall...six on 2 of eight shelves.

So I am on it and I have started to pull them out. I am making decisions.

Some of them I don't remember why I never finished them, some I don't remember why I started them in the first place.

Take this Boteh scarf.

A clever and beautiful crochet pattern. I adore the yarn, my colors, super soft angora. Nice, right? But now that I turned on my honest inner ufo scanner... I'd never wear the darn thing!

One foot worth of Boteh undone, back into two balls of gorgeous angora yarn.

Since I did this, I have been onto two more projects, both of them almost finished by now.

Pictures and stories will come.

A great start into the coming year! It feels good, it feels sooo good!

seasonal

We have officially started the holiday season - school's out, yep.

Teachers gifts have been made, given and were happily received as well as liked, purpose done.

I gave several custom made pouches - how did you guess? Only one ended up photographed, the one for the turtle loving 4th grade teacher.

And I am knitting. Trying to finish two hats and one pair of socks. Hhmm, the thought of those socks already gives me a headache.

Another earflap hat in a larger size - more realistic!

This one I just listed in my Etsy shop.

While it is still snowing here in beautiful Albuquerque we have a fire going and our Ike naps on his favorite spot these days.

May your holiday season include many happy moments for you and your loved ones, too.

Never too many

Following up on my last post I have to share this one pic, taken in the hotel room on our Thanksgiving trip to Colorado Springs.

Eight. Not counting the two in my purse. Just saying.

The biggest is the one with the yarn, I would not have it any other way.