...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!

BORING...

Today is officially the first day of anything remotely akin to fall, which happens to be my favorite season. Maybe a little cool snap was what the doctor ordered. I was cleaning up my "knitting station", which basically amounts to my favorite chair with table holding everything I could possibly need close at hand, when I came across the sad beginnings of a Clementine Shawlette. I had to be honest with myself and admit I was never going to finish the shawlette, and who needs a shawlette anyway...so, there I was with three skeins of really pretty Alpaca Silk - what to do???? Frog the shawlette and cast on a Falling Water Scarf. I was plugging along half-heartedly, and then I got an e-mail from WEBS - what, a close out on Noro Silk Garden????? I had been carrying around a tattered piece of scrap paper with the pattern for a "manly scarf" written on it and it calls for, you guessed it, Noro Silk Garden! Call it luck, call it fate. The yarn came in and I cast on - and am halfway through! One reason I love Noro yarns is you never quite know what you are going to get. I love watching the colors come out of the skein and this scarf is the perfect vehicle. I am already thinking about other color combinations and stitch patterns. Yippee Skippee...maybe my groove was looking for something mindless yet interesting. I do intend to finish the Falling Water Scarf...so hold your breath!

Progress...

Well, I don't know if the funk is over, but I can tell you that I am feeling a little better since I actually finished a project. I started a second Espresso Scarf, pink, last year in the hopes that it would be finished by time for a breast cancer fundraiser...needless to say, one year later, it was finished. I would love to post a photo by the home computer is still down so it will have to wait. The scarf was donated as a door prize for our second annual "Pretty in Pank" fundraiser. The PIPS, or "Pretty in Pank Sistas", yours truly included, put on a variety show, showcasing local talent, with all proceeds going to a local cancer support group, with the monies earmarked for breast cancer patients. Last year 98 tickets were sold...this year, 240! It was a great time, and the monies are used to help pay for gas to travel for treatment, for wigs, to pay the electric bill for a struggling family. What a great cause and what a fun time for all. In the spirit of the month of October and breast cancer awareness, I feel motivated to knit these socks . (Of course, this is really just an excuse to purchase pink sock yarn!)

I WON!!!

I entered Knittingdaily.com's magnetic poetry contest a while back and lo and behold, I WON 1st place! I could hardly believe it. The prize is my poem knit into a pair of mittens - how cool is that? I have been told they will be ready in a few weeks and I cannot wait to see them. I have always liked poetry and writing but have not actually done any real writing in quite a while. I find a lot of comfort in words and the way they are put together. I tend to like songs more for the lyrics than the melody. I like little snippets that are witty and advertising that is clever.

The Square Cake bag was a hit and I hope it raised a little money for our local Chamber of Commerce. So, before I go, here's a photo of the Square Cake bag and my winning poem...

"smitten for the rhythm of a knit stitch and skein..."

SORRY FOR THE DELAY...

Wow! It's MAY! I must apologize for being so delinquent in my posts. I have slowed down some on my knitting, for various reasons, one being the Onion Festival . I finished the Kohl Mexicana but have not yet photographed it for posting. I also finished another baby kimono and made a pair of baby Monkey socks as a gift. Yes, I still have the Chevron Scarf and THE Sock on the needles (sad, isn't it?) I am almost done with the Square Cake bag, which I am donating for auction. I will post a photograph as soon as it is finished. Really, not much exciting on the knitting front here at home. I do have some exciting and fun knitting news to share, but not just yet....stay tuned!

I NEED SOME KNITALIN!

I am so ADD right now I can't stand it! My theory is that after the pressure of compelteing projects for the holidays, I have completely lost my focus. I was thrilled at the thought of no pressure - just knitting whatever I wanted, or not. So far, I have five (5), yes, five (5) projects on the needles. This is way above my two-project limit. I was loving my chevron scarf, and it is about halfway finished...then I decided to work on THE SOCK, because the sole sock kept staring at me and my hubby said he had a sock that had a hole in it...so I am half through the leg on it...then I saw the Square Cake purse at Knitty so I bought the yarn and can't wait to cast on...and then, there is was, in the LYS, the Kohl Mexicana wrap from Louisa Harding...I bought the yarn - you get to use 5 different yarns :-) and cast on -- I love it and can't wait for it to be finished...it is half done...So, by now you can see, I am having a hard time keeping my knitting focus...bear with me...I figure at this rate, it will all be done at the same time and I'll be in the same pickle once again.

Santa's Workshop

Well, here it is, the middle of NOVEMBER! Can you believe it? I have been steadily knitting to fill some of Santa's orders. As you can see, I've had lots of help from the "elves". I mean, how can you knit when there's a kitten on your knittin'? Christmas will be here soon and although my personal list of gifts to knit is short, several folks will be receiving hand-knit gifts because someone was thinking of them. My goal is to make the world cozy, so I hope that each gift brings a smile and some warmth to the recipient. My gift to myself is some personal knitting time after the holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Home again, home again...

It's October 17th and it seems like it should be fall - cool air, leaves turning, pumpkins on porches - not so here in the South. Fall is my favorite season. I don't know why, but it reminds me of growing up in the Midwest with piles of leaves and back to school knee highs and trick or treating with a coat over your costume. I guess that's why I have had the urge to knit bags in wonderful fall colors. I love the browns and greens and oranges. Fall also reminds me of football games and homecoming mums...speaking of homecoming, I will be out of pocket for a few days. The husband and I are headed home for my, ahem, 20-year class reunion. There has been a lot of anxiety around here... I mean, what do you wear to face your prom date after 20 years? Anyhoo, I'll let you know how it goes. I have already packed my bag and selected my travel knitting (I love to knit on planes) I promised a friend some toddler socks, so that is the plan...and if I get bored with those, I have a bright red Odessa hat on the needles. So, I'll leave you with some pics of my fall bags (maybe it will actually drop below 80 degrees soon!)

PROGRESS?

Well, I'm not sure it counts as progress, but here are the two skeins of Socks That Rock all wound and ready to go...the Chevron Scarf has been on the backburner, although in the forefront of my thoughts, mainly due to a little endeavor my friends like to call a "home show". I have a friend who makes really yummy candles and really pretty jewelry, as well as a friend who makes wonderful natural soaps. We had a lot of people asking to see the goods, so instead of waiting for some sort of festival or bazaar, we decided to take the goods to the people, in their own home. It kind of works like all those kitchen goods, children's clothing parties I am sure everyone has attended. So, there is felting going on at my house....lots and lots of felting...fall bags, holiday bags, bags and bags and bags...and sadly, no Chevron Scarf...soon, though, soon...

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

There it was, sitting there all unsuspecting...two skeins of Socks That Rock...my very first skeins. I bought them to make the Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I can hardly wait to cast on! The colors are Terra Firma and Mesa...as you can see, Karma has already approved the yarn.

Oh, I got so excited about my yarn, that I almost forgot about the WIP...the Espresso Scarf. It is going fairly quickly and is a beautiful stitch pattern. The Cashmerino Aran is a lovely yarn to work with and I think it is going to make a very pretty scarf. I do think it would be even prettier in a lighter color so you could really see the stitch pattern.

Lil' Hat

A while back I came to the realization that baby socks were a much better gift idea than say blankets or sweaters. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I won't ever make sweaters or blankets, but given the time and monetary constraints, socks seem like a more practical idea. At first, I thought several pairs of socks would make a good gift...maybe even a pair for each day of the week....I then decided that what I needed was a hat/sock combo pack...thus the lil' hat. It is a pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Isn't it cute? The pattern calls for Mission Falls 1824 Cotton, but I decided to try some really yummy Manos del Uruguay Stria. Once again, I am not a fan of 100% cotton yarn...don't know what it is, but it is just a little fussy to work with. I did buy some Mission Falls Cotton as well, so maybe it will change my mind...

SOCKS ON A PLANE

Well, it's Labor Day, September 3rd, also my birthday...ahem...we won't be blogging about THAT! I spent the long weekend with family and yes, there was yarn involved...a birthday cake in the shape of a basket of yarn (complete w/ real needles!), yarn as gifts, and a trip to a LYS...there was knitting in public, and what I am calling "socks on a plane", a reference to this, which made me laugh out loud. I finished the colorful pair on the trip out, and made it through the gusset decreases of the purple pair on the return flight...there was a needle lost in the process - a size 0 dpn floating around somewhere on an AA Regional Jet...oh well, I did just fine w/ the 4 remaining needles...so, the sock saga continues. I am planning on gearing up on bags and maybe a scarf or two...the holidays will be here before you know it...

Little Feet

Alas, another FO. I thoroughly enjoyed knitting these little socks. It just seems too hot to knit the campfire socks...even the name is hot...BUT, I promised my sister a pair of booties as a baby gift. Instead, I decided on little socks. These are the infant size. I don't own Size 0 DPNs (probably for a good reason) so I did not make the newborn socks. These are knit in Artyarns Supermerino 4, I'm not certain, but I believe it is Color 122...very nice. I actually purchased two skeins of this yarn. Tragedy struck while attempting to wind it...looong story. Anyway, it is perfect for this project because at 191 yards a skein, an adult sock from one skein is dicey at best. The color is not as neutral as I had hoped for, but as quickly as these knit up, I will definitely make several more pairs.

By the way, I lied when I said I did not have anything else on the needles. I am working on the Clementine Shawlette in yummy Blue Sky Alpaca Silk...It is the second time around for me and this pattern so it is not quite as novel as the first time around. I did not get photos of the first one so I hope to finish this one for the record books!

Project: Bbay to Toddler Sized Socks by Miriam Felton

Yarn: Artyarns 100% Merino 4 fingering weight, Color 122

Needles: Size 1 DPNS

Modifications: None

AS PROMISED...

Here it is, Friday...I promised you pics of the recent FOs so, without further adieu, here they are...First the Sachiko Kimono Sweater by Erika Flory. How cute is this sweater? While I am not a fan of cotton yarn in general, I knit this in Lion Cotton Ease and found it to be just fine to work with. It is a 50/50 cotton acrylic blend so the hand and drape are very nice. Next, the Hedera socks. I love this pattern and I found it to be the perfect vehicle for solid yarn. I don't know about you, but I tend to get bored with solid sock yarns...So, as it stands, I only have one project on the needles, the Campfire socks...hard to believe. However, when I started knitting, I told myself that barring the occasional emergency (gifts or gotta knit now yarn), I would have no more than two projects going at one time. This was to self-police. One, to make sure I did not get bored, and two, so I would have incentive to finish something in order to start something new, and third to keep the house from being overrun by UFOs (unfinished objects). Now I getto decide on the next project. I am leaning toward felted bags - after all, I burned out the transmission on my wash machine and had to replace it...nothing like a little felting to break in a new machine!

Pattern: Sachiko Kimono Sweater (Infant size 6 mos.), by Erika Flory

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Lime

Needles: Size 7 straight

Pattern: Hedera, by Cookie A.

Yarn: Lorna's Laces in Denim

Needles: Sz 1 DPNs

Alterations: Picot trim cuff

IT'S BEEN A WHILE...

I know, I know, I'm a bad blogger! I can't believe it has been almost a month since my last post. I don't have a really good excuse, but I did do some traveling, which included a trip to The Yarn Barn in Lawrence, Kansas (didn't buy a thing !!!!)....does that count???? I did do some KIP (knitting in public) in the airport and on the plane (which should make up for it). I also have a couple of FOs to show you, but alas, the digital camera is in New Mexico with my hubby, so you will just have to wait to get a look at them. This afternoon, my knit buddy, KS came by (bearing yummy banana nut bread) and we both decided to cast on for a pair of socks in Cherry Tree Hill DK weight...I am working on the Campfire Socks in Foxy Lady, which is mostly a red colorway (I Love RED) so I think they will be great for this winter/Christmas season...I was having a hard time deciding on my next project...it has been 100 degrees here for a week so that may be part of the problem..but I also have a lot of sock yarn just screaming to be picked up and knit, and they are all yelling "my turn, my turn"....so that is the other problem...decisions, decisions...I promise, this week I will post the FO pics...

DREAMING IN TECHNICOLOR SOCK YARN

My friend, KS and I have had several conversations about knitting patterns and pattern books. It seems that most, although pretty to look at and ooh and ahhhh over, contain few items that we will actually knit. It's sad to say, but true. So, we decided that it might be best if we work on a "single-pattern-as-needed-basis". Then I found this book and all that went out the window! What a wonderful collection of beautiful sock patterns. I keep turning pages and marking pages and dreaming about yarn and yarn and yarn. Today, dreams became reality....I ordered 5 skeins (yes, 5 skeins) of sock yarn from The Loopy Ewe...Yippee Skippee, I can hardly wait! So, as the I start to turn the heel on the mate to the Hedera, I am close to turning dreams into reality (or really pretty socks). Place your orders now...Christmas is only five months away!

ONE DOWN...

I finished one Hedera and I LOVE this sock. Want to know why???? because it is the best fitting sock I have made to date. Now, I know that the beauty of hand knit socks is that you can make them to fit. Well, darn it, so far I haven't really felt like doing the math! So, believe me when I say I love this sock. I think I have discovered the secret...size one needles. I am on to the second one - round two with the picot edge...

Pattern: Hedera by Cookie A.

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Denim on Size 1 DPNs

Modifications: 5-row Picot Trim at cuff

I also began my foray into the world of sock pattern design...I was into the second repeat when I snapped a Lantern Moon needle...so the project is on hold until I can get my hands on another set of needles...stay tuned!