...and there's more!

This past fall was CRAZY! We moved, we hosted family for Thanksgiving, we had family the week after Thanksgiving, and before I knew it, Christmas was here and gone. Every year I say "I'm going to start early so I can relax and enjoy the holidays." Yeah, right. How's that working out for ya? I will say, as I was mentally counting down days and hours, I did manage to make several gifts. I have always loved making gifts for others. Even as a child, I was always thrilled to create something from paper, beads, clay, whatever was handy, to give away. I still love it. As a matter of fact, someone asked me what happens to the majority of my knitted goods. Well, the majority of them find homes with people I love and who I know will appreciate a hand-made gift. That is really how the name of this blog came into being. Historically, when I would make a gift, I would write on the tag "Hand made by happy hands". Creating things makes my hands happy. My sister surprised me with custom tags that say "Hand Knit by Happy Hands"..thus Happy Hands Hand Knits. My hands are very happy to be back in creative mode and hope to stay that way. So, the final count for Christmas was...1 pair of felted slippers, two ear-flap hats, three bracelets, four no-sew fleece blankets, one knitting needle case, two stitch markers, two ruffle scarves (well, one was officially a birthday gift), four Christmas ornaments, and a partridge in a pear tree (not really)! So, all in all, it was a very Happy Holiday for Happy Hands! Here are a few photos of the goods.

WHAT? A NEW YEAR???

Okay, I cannot believe it has been a year since my last post. I have really good excuses...Facebook, Ravelry, Pinterest.....ok, not the best excuses, but great ways to waste time! I have been knitting, believe it or not, and it feels great. Today I took a little break and tried my hand at some crochet. I learned to crochet when I was young. Nothing fancy, but the basic stitches seemed to stick. There is a distinctive look to crochet, which you cannot replicate with knitting needles. I am playing around with some accent pieces to add to my knitting. I think it may be fun. I can say that I am a knitter at heart and I don't think that is going to change. I will leave you with a few photos of some finished objects from 2011 to present. I hope it is not another year before you hear from me again!

Hello, 2011!

Happy New Year! I am not one to make resolutions. I don't think you should limit your resolve to one day a year. That said, I do have some personal goals for the year, one of which is to be a more dedicated blogger. Heck, I don't even know if anyone reads this blog, but at least I can give those who do a few more posts! I have been knitting pretty regularly these days. One of my non-resolutions is to pull a few patterns at a time and make it a goal to actually knit them each. No deadline, no pressure. To start, I have pulled a cowl , some cabled mitts, and French Press Felted Slippers. I like the idea of having a plan, one item at a time, instead of staring at my stash and scratching my head. I did do some holiday knitting. Not a lot, but a few items, the cowl and baby hat shown. I am currently working on a striped stocking cap, which is fairly mindless TV watching knitting. I have a lot of hope for 2011 and am looking forward to what each day will bring. Keep checking in on me to check my progress!

Thinking PANK!

Ahhhh...October...while the month normally makes me think about pumpkins, turning leaves, and the possibility of less than 100 degree temps, what I have been thinking about is PANK (Pink for those of you above the Mason-Dixon Line). October is breast cancer awareness month and it seems everywhere you turn there is something pink...pro football players sporting pink, golfers sporting pink, pink appliances, pink, pink, pink. I think it is wonderful! For the past several years I have been fortunate to be part of an extraordinary group, Pretty In Pank, raising money for local breast cancer awareness and to assist those facing the disease. We hold a variety show as our major fundraiser and I must say that this year's show was absolutely the "breast"! The show had a 70's theme and from start to finish it was an evening of laughter and love for the cause. The local talent outdid themselves and I have a feeling folks will be talking about this one for quite a while! I fell very blessed to live in such a generous and caring community. Thank you to all who came out to support the cause, to all who donned a wig or ridiculous costume, and to all the volunteers who gave so selflessly of their time and talents. So, when next October rolls around, plan to join us in the fight and THINK PANK! I leave you with the Happy Hands Hand Knits door prize...I hope it will be cool enough soon for the recipient to wear the stinkin' thing!

Believe it or not!

What? A finished object? Yes, indeed! I have been wanting to make these booties for a while now but just never did take the time to dig through the stash to find the right yarn. I wanted to make a baby gift for a friend and thought mary jane booties would be perfect. I started with another pattern but did not like the result. Sooooo...I dug out the yarn, found two balls of Rowan Cashsoft DK, and voila, a really cute pair of booties. I will say the first one took a little longer than it should have, but I breezed right through the second one once I figured out the construction. I didn't even mind the seaming. I think they are really cute and I am thinking about other color combinations. Mostly, I feel good about actually finishing a project! I have my really large bag all seamed and ready to felt. I hope to get it finished soon but it's hard to get excited about felting wool in steaming hot water - in June - in South Georgia...

Has it been a year???

I have been absent for what seems an eternity from my blog. I was never really a daily blogger, nor was the blog a vehicle for anything more than sharing my knitting escapades, but I liked the idea of having a place to share my projects, photos, and a random thought or two. Ravelry kind of took over and gave my knitting projects a gallery, so the blog sort of went by the wayside. I should probably regroup and start over, give the 'ol blog a facelift so to speak. So, while I am thinking about spring cleaning, I'll give some thought to giving the blog a fresh face. As far as projects go, I don't have much to show on the knitting front, but I will share my most precious project...he just turned one and he is a true joy!

The Answer

Blue! A bouncing baby boy born March 26th...he's a true joy and the reason I have been absent from the blog...and knitting....and sleeping in, etc...I did manage to knit two pair of angora booties to take to the hospital, as well as a little hat, but other than that the needles have been very quiet. Now that we (mom, dad and baby) are in a groove, I have actually picked up the knitting needles again. I have had Campfire socks in a basket for quite some time and felt like socks were just what I needed. I still have THE Sock on the needles, but it is not quite the "mindless" knitting I was looking for right now. So, hopefully I will actually finish the Campfire socks before sock season arrives.