When I was 6, our dog spot chewed a Christmas early package under the tree. So, in my 6 year old mind, the perfect crime of peeking could be pulled off without detection. So I chewed through an Avon package of gingerbread shaped soap with an accompanying cookie cutter. My aunt who lived with us found the forensics conflicting, so I was foiled in my peeking Christmas caper. I've since matured. But it's still exciting to wonder what's behind the beautiful wrapping. Charcoal can take the oder away from fabric.
I have dark denim items that smells sulfury and i store them in my wardrobe with sachets on the hangers filled with bicarbonate soda and dried lavender and it helps a lot
I'm a wet felter, so typical use wool roving to make my things, but I find that sometimes I have to add extra soap to get difficult wools to felt. Maybe try making your slippers extra soapy in the next round, if you try again? The color is so gorgeous! ❤
I ordered an Advent yarn kit, but it’s been delayed in the mail. So I caked up a mini set and I’m going to knit the ADVENTuring Cowl and participate in Ambah O’Brien’s Festive KAL. I know very few knit worthy people, so I often make pet blanket for my local animal shelter. I have never heard any complaints from the cats there. 😊 Happy December!
I feel the same as you about gift knitting. I do love your idea about the basket of knits for your visiting friends & family! That way they pick what they like! Love listening to you talk about life & family. Been a long time lurker… but I thought I’d finally say hello & thank you. Hoping you have a joyous, healthy & happy holiday.
A joy to spend Sunday afternoon with you! I would definitely rip out those slippers to save that gorgeous green wool. Dorset is notoriously difficult to felt and I fear they would end up in the "slightly felted but not enough to shrink and too much to frog " category.
That for talking about knitting for yourself or other people. I'm part of a spinning and weaving guild and while they are all lovely they expect everything to be done with handspun in a certain way. I prefer free flow and often feel as though my creations are less than worthy. I need to remember to do things that make ME happy.
I'm on the wait list for Book 2 of the Thursday Murder Club from my library. I think I'm still 4 months out😅. And I'm totally with you on pressing seams open. It's the worst. In fact, as I was watching, I was pressing the final seams on a quilt top. I pressed about 8 inches of seam open. It got fiddly. I have up. Pressed all row seams in one direction. Future me probably won't appreciate that when I go to quilt it in about a year's time. 😂
Briggs and Little is an awesome yarn! Last weekend I drove 2 hours up to Canada to see a concert (Harry Manx), and went in the little grocery store the next day. There was an entire island display of Briggs and Little yarn! What a delight! I bought two skeins (that hunter orange color you wear in the woods during hunting season)…and with the exchange rate they ended up costing, like, $3.39 each. Canada for the win! BTW, I’ll make a couple of hats out of the yarn.
Everytime I go grocery shopping I have to rush by the Briggs and little displays and remind myself I'm 2.5 hrs away from the mill so I can go there whenever
I’ve been doing a puzzle subscription called Completing The Puzzle, I wishlist puzzles, they send me one from my list and when I am done I send it back! The only complaint is that the shipping is slow enough I wish they would send me two at a time so I spent less time shipping and more time puzzleing. I do like that everything is very minimal, you send it back in the same bag they shipped it in and the puzzle comes in a heavy ziplock style bag with a laminated picture for reference. It’s so much fun and I don’t have to worry about adding to my puzzle pile!
"Shenanigans of the mind." I'm stealing that phrase. :D I hope your offspring is doing well their first time living away from home. That first semester for me was HARD. I have one kid that's a total rule-follower and would NEVER open a whole count-down calendar in one shot. That second kid, though ... LOL
Nobody appreciates my knitting as much as I do!😂 I open my advent when I get it, a bit at a time for a mental health boost as needed, and wind the yarn very meditatively. (Is that a word?) Anyway, then I knit in December after deciding what I want based on the colors. It’s like a joyful bowl of colorful hugs during the holidays-which can be stressful. I need that control during a season of chaos.😊
I have never done an Advent. And yarn Advents, I just can't afford it. BUT....I got the Freckled Whimsy Advent socks for this year. I am excited. Its the first time. I did just open it an hour ish ago. I had to wind up the yarn. I go to a craft group at the library first thing tomorrow, so I want to be ready to cast on. And we have a Christmas puzzle to work again this year
I've had luck hand felting with the hot/cold shock, and it took much less time then I imagined. Good luck! Also, I totally knew what slipprs you were talking about before you said which ones, that photo totally gets me, too. All of her photos make me want to knit all her stuff!
I opened one of my weekly sock set calendars when it came in, but I had just gotten home from having a tooth pulled. I still have 2 other weekly calendars and 4 daily calendars. I didn't grow up with the advent tradition, so it's difficult not to rip everything open as soon as it comes in.
Currently rewatching MM in preparation for season 24 to premier (Dec 4th or 5th) on Acorn. I knew they were based on a book series but as much as I love watching them I've never been able to get into the books themselves, maybe I need to give it another try. If you love British authors then you likely already have read the Terry Pratchett books? If not, they are definitely worth the time.
Can I recommend Slippers with Stars pattern. I have made three pairs with lettlopi. They wear very well. The needle is size 5. One of my favorite patterns.
I often get a similar question - "So who are you making that for...?" Yep... so here's to a happy season of making... WHOMEVER it's for! 🧶🪡💓 Thanks for the company, I enjoy your missives!
The little parenting wins. I took my offspring out for dinner last night, to celebrate the oldest’s 23rd year (How the flip did that happen?) Anyway…we were just conversing and life skills came up. My 6th graders were gendering household chores. My spawn were not raised with the belief that chores belong to genders. My oldest has a group of close friends. His closest male, friend that he calls ‘brother’, doesn’t know how to cook. My miracle child was so appalled by this. The younger chimed in with…”How?” Apparently, the girlfriend does all the cooking and cleaning. I mean that’s fine if it’s an agreement…but not having the ability stunned them to the core. 😂🤣😂 It’s the small things.
I find folks really dont value my handknitting. I once gave a friend a pair of handknit socks. She thought I shoulf try to sell them. I asked her how much did she think I could sell them for and she said about $8.00! BTW she no longer gets anything handknitted.
Crafting for other people is way more stressful than crafting for oneself. We don't need that stress. And. I have two words for your cold feet. Glerups slippers worn with hand knit wool socks. That's way more than two words but hey. Your feet will become toasty addicts in nothing flat.
Firstly - Hello!?! You literally sew for EVERYBODY. Secondly - The vital question isn't 'who is it for?' but 'Oooo what is it? Tell me about it!'. So if anyone asks the former, ignore their clumsiness and answer what they truly must have intended, the latter🥰
Excuse me, Amy Beth. But… “Pensioner” is part of the abbreviation of “OAP” = Old Age Pensioner. In the days before the current meltdown in British politics, this meant that at 60 for women and 65 for men, you got a proper State Pension to live on. “Blouse” is a perfectly acceptable word - “shirts” are something that men wear under suits, unless the word has a suffix such as ‘flannel-shirt” or “T-shirt”. Blouses are specifically for women and are not ever buttoned up to the neck. Take it from a 63 year old Brit! Re the green slippers: 2 of my adult sons have US size 16 feet. If you want the slippers to felt, either of them will put them in the washing machine, on a cold wash, in a laundry bag, with gentle wool wash et voila, they will come out the size that a toddler needs. They manage to do that with anything woollen I give them to wash 😂 Enjoy Advent season. Jinny
