Our Wednesday road trip to Alabama went really well – we made good time, and got to my aunt and uncle’s house in about 12 hours. As Kris drove through Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and finally Alabama, I sat beside knitting away on Kris’s sweater. Yeah, you heard right – I did not finish Kris’s sweater in time for his birthday last Monday – but it is coming along quite well.

I finished the body, and am now working on the sleeves; after finishing those, I have to join together for the yoke, and then install the zipper – that’s a cinch, right?

Just for a little variety, and to close up some loose ends (no better time to work on lingering 2005 knits than on the Eve of 2006, huh?) I brought my socks along. Second Sock Syndrome hit me pretty hard… but I am trying my darndest to eradicate that now…

I finished the first Diagonal pattern sock during Socktoberfest, and not did not start the second one until December. I am using Cascade Fixation, which is quite fun to work with – the cotton / elastic blend makes a nice fabric that stretches. Next time I work with this yarn, I am planning to go down a needle size (I am currently using US 3s, but I think the US 2s would suit my knitting and my foot size a little better).

I love this sock. This is the Dublin Bay pattern from Mossy Cottage Knits. The yarn is one of the best I have worked with (Tess Designer Yarns; Heather bought this for me at Stitches East 2005) and the slight color variations make such a lovely fabric. I worked this one up on US 1s, so it is a very small thick fabric – just perfect for a sock. The small gauge and tight knitting did a number on my double pointed needles, though! I finished this sock the day after Christmas, and will be starting sock 2 very soon. Can’t wait to have a finished pair and show these lovelies off.

My aunt and I have scouted out several thrift shops in Alabama – I picked up several sweaters to unravel (among them a wool/angora in carnation pink, an aquamarine chunky wool turtleneck, and wool/cotton variegated funnel neck – pictures to come when I get back home!) We have also been knitting quite a bit too. It is so much fun being able to share this knitting hobby (obsession?) with my family.

My mom finished her first scarf – she knit it up in a nice stockinette with garter edges to lay flat. She already gave it away to a friend for Christmas! I wish my first scarf had turned out this nicely!

Right after giving my sister, Sarah, some new needles and yarn for Christmas, she cast on for a scarf – and the word on the street is that she is already finished with it! Haven’t seen it with my own eyes yet, though

Kris and I will be back in Maryland on the 3rd, so expect some fun Alabama pictures, thrift store finds, and maybe, just maybe, a finished pair of socks.

My first post today showed the intangible gifts…
Second post today: all about the tangibles!

Lolly got lucky this year with some really great gifts!

Here are the *knitty* gifts I got from my family. (I also got some great non-knitty things – next entry!) I have been dropping some serious hints to Mr. Kris about AlterKnits. So glad he listened! From mom and dad, I got the Knitting Pattern-a-Day calendar (so many patterns!), the Cool Girls Guide to Knitting (does this mean I am officially "cool" now that I have the book?), five balls of the fun Gedifra Chapello (perfect for a shawl or capelet – love the colors), and the coolest antique knitting needles! My mom found them at an antique shop – they are solid wood, and really beautiful. They are very large – one pair is approximately a size US 50, and the others are US 19s. Perfect for afghans and chunky scarves. I almost want to just use them as decoration because they are so pretty!

My in-laws put a fun package together for me with some very useful notions (stitch holders, cable needles) and then got some pink/brown cotton for me. This is perfect for another market bag like the one I made last summer. Plus, pink and brown are one of my favorite color combos.

With the explosion of knitting books published in the past few years, there were bound to be a few I missed – so glad mom found this one for me! It is a British publication, the writing style is geared toward teenagers/twentysomethings, but this book has some great things for all ages. It has some great how-to photographs in the introduction, and several beginner patterns, as well as a few intermediate ones.

I am quite fond of this Rosebud tank. Capped sleeves with a simple crochet edging and then the simple ribbon embroidered roses around the neckline – perfect little touches. The other simple yet unique pattern is the seed stich pouch, with a grosgain ribbon strap, and an assortment of buttons sewed to the front. The little accessory additions really appeal to me!

In the same vein, the Alterknits book, given to me by Kris, has these simple little additions to plain and classic styles.

This book has gotten some face time on several blogs, and it is well-deserved. It is another beautiful photograph book, and it offers some innovative designs. The knit screen door probably takes the first prize, but I am also quite fond of the corset-laced tank, the various home knits (the cushions, the paper lanterns!).

Simple knits with a little something special: in this case, the simple raglan (reminiscent of Hourglass sweater, with the velvet neckline and cuffs – and keyhole closure in the back) and the simple wool wristwarmers detailed with a delicate satin ribbon. Beautiful!

Kris and I are driving down to Alabama tomorrow morning (early!) to visit my grandfather, aunt, uncle and cousins. We have a long drive (about 13 hours) which will give me plenty of knitting time! We will be back right after New Years – I hope to continue blogging while we are away – dial-up style! I will miss reading your blogs, but I promise to catch up when I get back.

Right under the deadline for Carola’s contest: here are two crazy wacky Christmas decorations I saw this Christmas!

Santa on a motorcycle, and a very festive taxidermy!

You still have a little time to get yours in to her too – by New Year’s Eve!

We had a beautiful Christmas celebration with our families this year. We celebrated with Kris’s family on the 23rd, mine on the 24th, and then we traveled to Pennsylvania to see Kris’s grandmothers, aunts, and uncles, and lots of cousins.

This year has brought many changes for both of our families, and those changes were reflected on this year as we celebrated these special holidays. Kris lost both of his grandfathers within a few weeks of each other last May. We remembered them fondly, and talked about the memories of them over the Christmas dinner table. In my family, we have had additions: when Mimi got married to Daniel in June, I got a brother!

My family has always been very close, so it was hard to celebrate without Mimi this year. I am so grateful that Kris and I were able to visit her in October though. My parents are visiting her next month, and I know a family visit will mean so much to her.

Daniel was deployed on Christmas night, and he will not be back for six months; hopefully in time to be with Mimi for their one-year anniversary. Please send a thought to my sister and brother-in-law, and all of the families in the service who have to spend such long periods apart.

I am so grateful for my family: I have loving parents on both sides who are supportive of our decisions; I have two lovely sisters who I can also call my closest friends, and three brothers (in-law) that are so fun and sweet (even though they are all big jokesters!); two beautiful nieces who bring me so much joy; and the most wonderful partner who I am so happy to share my life with.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from Kris and Lolly!

We are hitting the road early Christmas morning to visit Kris’s extended family in Pennsylvania. I am taking this little darling with me – socks are perfect for knitting on road, right? I hope to finish this one and force myself to start sock two!

We wish you all a safe and peaceful holiday!

Fun Fur and various other eyelash yarns. These little synthetic yarns can elicit strong opinions and emotions from many knitters – I have read many a blog tirade on this very subject. Me? I am of the "ilk" that there is a time and a place for everything; yes, even furry yarns.

Last week, I was browsing my Bloglines list, and was really taken by CraftyModster Anjo’s holiday decorations. She is so talented (scroll down to see her finished Josephine Knitty cardigan!) Her adorable knit trees, decorated with metallic sequins really caught my eye. What a novel idea! Perfect for ornaments, or a holiday centerpiece. I told her she should win the best use of fur yarn award!

With Anjo’s generous assistance, I made my very own trees. I like Anjo’s models better – they are more whimsical and even a little reminiscent of Dr. Seuss, while mine are like furry cone hats. Practice makes perfect, however!

I used Lion Brand Chenille Thick and Quick, held together with Fun Fur for the tall one, and the smaller one was Lion Brand Homespun held together with the same Fur Fur. I knit the tall tree with size 13 DPNs, and the small one with 10.5 DPNs. The taller one took about 2 hours, and the small one was done after 45 minutes – you could definitely fit this in before Christmas!

**Make sure to check Anjo’s blog – she posted the pattern and shows off some more trees. Also see Maryse’s tree! So cute!

Polyfil (the pillow stuffing from the craft store) fills out the form of the tree, and completes the wintery snow scene above. Another little tree is in the works – and I am planning a few decorations for that one.

I have had experience with furry yarns in the past (my Boa hat - I love it and wear it often; a Trendsetter scarf for my sis; a headband/neckwarmer and even a Cha Cha cardi for my niece) and while it was not always pleasant to work with because of the loose threads everywhere, the final results were cute and fun; especially for kids, and for little accent pieces.

Not all fun fur sucks; it just needs to be used correctly, and in moderation! I am all for more people getting involved in "the craft", even if it takes fun furs to bring them in! So, why all the vitriol?

Knitting is not the only Christmas craft happening at the Lolly haus. Thanks to Myra’s crafty inspiration, and Megan’s gift of origami papers, I have been a paper folding maniac!

Christmas Origami: Holly leaves, Santa, and Poinsetta

The reindeer I made a few weeks ago was fun, but it was done with the wrong kind of paper. Thanks to Megan for sending the right kind! It really made a difference!

I also got some beautiful new Christmas ornaments from my parents; and they are pomegranates! Kris and I did not put up a tree this year. We are planning to get a new one after the holidays; our old one is quite ugly, and has been used and abused by some little cats. So, the lovely ornaments are now serving as a table centerpiece. Thank you mom and dad!