It started out to be a tank top which was… well… a bad idea! :crazy: Then it was an afghan but, lordy! How many afghans does one household need? So then it was a skirt which looked okay, but I don’t wear that particular type of garment. Now it’s on it’s way to becoming a pull-over type sweater top. I used the 14″ diamond so it fits my ‘ampleness’ pretty well. I’ve figured out how to put it together so that it even has darts in the correct places. Now I’m working on sleeves. Yes, they are a must! 😦 I intended to use the 14″ square and put enough of them together to be able to cut the sleeves using a sewing pattern, but couldn’t find the loom :blush: but did find the 20″ square Randy made for me a couple years ago so used it instead. I should be able to show a photo of the finished sweater this weekend, if not today. I’ve got high hopes that this will be the last transformation of The Big Blue Diamond Thing! :laugh:

PS: Never mind. My brilliant idea did not work so the Big Blue diamond thing is back in a dark corner until the next inspirations strikes. 😦

…but since the P.O. was closed yesterday I had to go. So I went on into town and got the business started to fix my car where the power pole backed into me just before xmas. 🙄
And I bought groceries, mostly produce, since the local stores carry very little. Oh yes, I’m starting South Beach again. Officially. I didn’t gain back all I lost. 😛 But this means I’ll be going to town nearly once a week since that stuff don’t keep very long.
We’re supposed to get snow tonight and the snow level drops to 1500′ tomorrow so I’m not sure if Randy will make it home or not! :O
Hope you are staying warm and dry this January so far! 😀

This is the rug I wove for Sis’s xmas present. The rag was given me by a neighbor of hers in exchange for some rabbit hutches (of sis’s). She complained that it wasn’t a fair exchange! Really! 😎 So anyway, this is her share of the ‘take’! The next one will be for me… when ever that happens… :laugh:
Meantime, I have been working on the hat and bag book during these cold days. I wanted to have it done by now, but it’s slow going. Not just the projects, but the photographing and writing up the instruction… :confused: It’s already a year past my first optimistic estimation. sigh…
Well, If I keep plugging away it should be done by next winter at least, don’t you think?

The road was icy all they way but we followed the plow and blower up the Scott side, met Danny in the grader coming down… had to back up out of the way for that one! :O But we got over in the sunshine and home again. 😀 It’s nice to be here tho we really enjoyed our Christmas trip. Exchanged presents with Sis and Bro-in-law, too. Rosy liked her Rug and Rex his hat. Rosy knitted me a shoulder shrug out of cormo and silk and bought us both books. and I forgot to give her the calendar. I make a family ‘event’ calendar each year to help us keep track, with pictures. Oh well, I guess I’ll mail it after all! 😛
Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

This is the view up Coffee Creek road, featuring the Blue Spruce in the front yard, our real Christmas tree.
Like everyone else, we have been getting ready for the holidays, but had some sad news last evening. Randy’s dad passed away. It was not unexpected but casts a shadow over the season. His Mom & his grandfather both also died just before Christmas.
We are going to be out of town for a few days.
Hope your Christmas is brighter.
Drive carefully and stay warm!

I made this hat for my bro-in-law. He works for an exterminator so I made a yellow jacket to sit on his head! :laugh: He also spends some winter days in the high desert in eastern OR. so I also used the extra yellow cormo to knit a thick ribbing to roll down and keep his ears from freezing over there. Yellow is a company color and also should help brighten up a winter day, don’t you think? I used my precious handspun cormo wool and suri apaca to keep his (formally) red head warm! There’s a close up of the Yellow Jacket on http://hazelsyarns.blogspot.com/ if you’d like to see.
I hope he likes it.

… but those of you who have the looms know that it’s much easier if you decide you don’t like it before you take it off the loom! :O This is some homespun and I don’t have enough of it to just shrug it off and start again. I have to reclaim this. It’s slow going but I have it done now and am reweaving. It looks much better. I should have checked my own web page for instructions! :laugh:
I think I can get it done in time fro Christmas. I wanted it to be all yellow but I didn’t plan well and it’s too late now. Well, I’m sure it will look okay this time. Oh yes… it’s a hat for my bro-in-law. It gets a little yellow jacket (the stinging kind)on there somewhere if I can figure out how to crochet one.
Hope you’re all having better luck with your last minute projects! 😛

Yes, that’s Randy cooking! It used to happen a couple times a year but it’s been many of those since he got inspired the last time. But we now have enough stew to feed Coffee Creek! It’s good but I’m going to have to freeze some. He’s going to have to learn how to modify his recipe now that there are only two of us! :laugh:
Like everyone else this time of year, I’ve been working on Christmas presents and it’s been raining, raining, raining, sometimes taking a break to snow or slush awhile. They are predicting snow for late tonight again. Only a few more days until the sun starts coming back, tho, so there is a bright side. Well, there will be if it clears up enough to see it! 😛
Hope you are all having one of those Decembers with cookies baking, and kids, and presents, and lots of family. Randy and I will be thinking of you all. 🙂

My cousin has been knitting and felting purses of wool and novelty yarns. They are everyone unique and, well, just delightful! She has done a wonderful job with them They are all lined and have handy pockets inside as well. She took them all (I think she said she knitted 60 of them!) to the fabric store and picked out the fabric for the linings individually so they’d be sure to match. There’s nothing generic about Kathy’s purses! She worked on some of them when they were up and I intended to get a photo of her and all the bags, but time just flew by and next thing I knew everything was packed and we were saying goodbye!
Well, if you are anywhere near Oakland, CA this coming weekend, do go see for yourself … and tell Kathy I sent you! Kathy and her purses are not to miss and the Terrace is also worth the trip. 🙂

I found myself without a present for the Red Hat Christmas party so I took inspiration from Kathy and got out the 12″ square and the novelty yarns. Weaving with that eyelash stuff isn’t what I’d exactly call fun, but I got it done. I used a carry of purple wool and switched from the eyelash to another yarn with some colors, some mohair, and some metallic stuff for flash. Tossed it into the washer then folded and sewed ‘diaper’ style. It’s lined with burgundy taffeta and even has a little pocket. I made a rope strap and the button hole is just cut though the felted fabric. It turned out to be a big hit and I was even asked by several if I was making them to sell! I offered to sell them a loom so they could make their own! :laugh: