Too Cute for Words

Like many of us, I have been busy making my house look too cute for words for Christmas.  Here's a picture of our fireplace with some of the stockings I have knit over the years:

                                                                         



And here are the mini Christmas stockings I have been knitting:

         

They are knit flat and those two bumps on either side are the heels:

                                                                   

This is from the pattern that Julie Williams so generously offers for free on her website Little Cotton Rabbits.   I think I've done enough red ones; now on to a few other colors.

Speaking of things that are too dang cute, what about this knitted chicken doorstop.  I have just got to make this:

                                                                             


 This is from Lucinda Guy's new book,  Northern Knits Gifts  and there are some other really nice projects in there, all relating to Scandinavian folk designs.  Lucinda was kind enough to let me post this and here is a picture of her book:

This is available as an eBook as well as paperback.

One more cute thing:  bought this necklace at a craft fair several years ago, and I always get lots of compliments:

                                         

                                                                 


Now to head out for more Christmas shopping!


                                                                                                                                                

Little Christmas Stockings

I'm not much for doing knitted presents for Christmas, but these darling little Christmas stockings are so much fun to make and can be done so quickly that I always have time for them and I think would make unique hostess gifts if you are going to a party.  We are  traveling to Denver to spend Christmas with my daughter's family and I am making a couple of them for her tree.  I got this pattern from a wonderful blog called Little Cotton Rabbit and this is her free pattern for mini Christmas stockings.

Here is  a picture from her blog:

                                                                         


I'm planning on doing some in other colors as well like blue and white, green, purple (my grandaughter's favorite color!) and a few for my own tree in leftover sock yarns, which should be fun.

Little Cotton Rabbits is a really nice web site to visit; there are always some charming and cute projects there and they are all displayed beautifully.  Right now she has an array of adorable knitted bunnies and other animals dressed in the cutest little clothes!  Her patterns are for sale on her site for anyone interested.   I'll post pictures later this week of those that I finish.





                                                                               

A Few FO's

The weather around here is cold and damp (okay, cold for California - 60 degrees!) and my Chalice Pullover was finished in time for me to wear in braving the elements here:

                                                                                 

                                                              Very warm and cozy!

This is the Alexandra swing coat by designer Jenny Watson.  This was done with Araucania's Azapa which is Alpaca, merino and silk.  So soft and warm and finished in time for winter weather!  Somehow in taking these pictures, the color got intensified; the coat is actually a  paler color.

                                                                              

                                                                               

Happy Fiber Arts Friday everybody!

The Lizard Ridge Afghan and more Quince and Co.

It's Christmas time, when children are sleeping with "visions of Sugarplums dancing through their heads";  me, I'm  dreaming of  new knitting projects.   There's the Meris cardigan by Elizabeth Doherty and the yarn has just arrived from Quince and Co:

                                                                           

Here's a better picture than the one I posted last time:

                                                                     

This yarn is incredible!  So very soft and the color is beautiful.  I always worry about buying yarn that I have not had a chance to see first hand, but I had heard many good things about Quince and, from what I can see, it' all true!  Also, the yarn is manufactured in New England and that's always a good thing to be able to support American companies. This is their fingering weight yarn called Finch and the composition is 100% wool.

I have also had dreams of knitting the fabulous Lizard Ridge afghan by Laura Aylor  and my Noro Kureyon that I bought for this project  has been languishing in a stash bin waiting to be set free.  I figure this is as good a time as any to get started and use up some of my growing stash, because you know in January I will be swearing to do this anyway!

             

                                                                     

Met up with some friends for coffee and knitting and Mary, known as KnitAdmin on Ravelry, showed us these beautiful Lithuanian Wristers:

                                                                       

                                                      

Have a good day and stay dry!

       

                                                                               


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