Gearing up for the Holiday Season

I have been feverishly working on gifts for Christmas, it is a favorite tradition of mine to send out hand made gifts to some of the loved ones who have a place in my heart. Some of my family never read blogs, so I can show a few of the ones I have done. This is for my wonderful DIL, she is a "purry" type and I know she will love the french look to this. Pink is her signature color.

This one has some memories in it, my mother's blouse, and my grandmother's fabric. It is for my nephew's family, they just bought a new home outside of Chicago, so this fits.

This is for a perfect friend, she and I have been best of friends since we were 13,,,and I'm not going to count how many years that is!!

This is a rag rug for my neice, she loves the bags I made, and hinted that she'd love a rug, too. I love the controlled ragginess in this one.


And, another UFO of the yarn brand. I had a few granny suares, so I put them together and kept going, this one is a Linus Project blanket. I am still bogged down with yarn, after 6 of these are done, I have to admit to at least 5 more boxes of yarn...is that a bad thing? or do I get bonus points for using the skeins up? tee hee

As for Mr. Wonderful, he is getting physical therapy on his shoulder, his insulin has been readjusted and they added another fast acting insulin, he has had an MRI on his knee, and will most likely have to have surgery, his back has been getting worse(worse than BEFORE his back surgery!), and they will re-evaluate in January. His stomach is better, with the help of Reglan, his foot problem is something called Charcot Foot, and is caused by his diabetes, and he has an appointment with a foot surgeon for that one. We only have one Dr. appt this week,,,,hip hip hooray!! one more thing to be thankful about! His pains are easing, one by one, and he is, once more, the wonderful husband I love.

I just want all of you to know how thankful I am, to have found a whole world of women to share and laugh and learn with. In these blogs, we spill our hearts, not just our stitches, and you have all been so wonderful!

I am thankful for you!

hope all your hearts are thankful!

lyn

I'm a quilting flunky

I have not done any real-quilting around here, I should get going! I have to get caught up for Christmas,,,, but I have been stitching, the crochet kind of stitches,,,

I have dozens and dozens of skeins and balls of yarn, along with UFO's of the afghan variety, and they are taking up room in my "fabric area." So, I pulled a bunch of them out, put them in piles that kinda matched, and started crocheting again,,, these three are for the Linus Project in our county.

Hopefully, Donna can pick them up and they will be keeping a child warm by Christmas...???

All of the patterns are mindless patterns, no real complicated stitches here, which I find comforting in my old age, the older I get, the less complicated I like my life (and stitching) to be. I don't have to consult a pattern book every five stitches, I don't have to count higher than 10, and I can mix two reds together without feeling like a yarn-idiot. So, I have two reds in the same blanket,,,do you think a six year old will notice?

My wonderful friend, Brenda, was over for dinner last night, and we both agree,---- simple is the new fun---- She has crocheted, but only granny squares, and I tried to tell her how easy these patterns are, once you are done stitching, you're done...no sewing the squares together, the ends are already tucked in, just zip-zap-done. Perfect, Simple, Forgiving, and Old Fashioned....just like me!!!

Hope all your patterns are getting easier!

lyn

Monster Balls!

I was invited to a Ball! So I grabbed my rattiest black cape, my droopiest black hat, and I cackled all the way there!!!

The croud was eerie at the school!!! Witches and Vampires! Woopies and Faries!!! You know a family is kookie when the adults are just as dressed up as the kids!! And we were not out numbered!!Sitting pretty, these witches were waiting for their turn in the Costume Prominade....this was the only time they sat down, they danced all night!!And I had a dance with a Vampire,,,shhhhhhh.....don't tell Mr. Wonderful!! "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!"

After the festivities, the kids all came to Granny and Papa's house to rest (yeah, right)


Elly learned to crochet, and crochet she did !!! We have 6 foot chains, in red, purple, pink, and blue. Anybody need a 6 foot chain? We have an abundance of them! But just look at the determination in her face!!!!

She got it down pretty quick!! Papa kept asking "Why don't you show her how to do the next row?" But he never learned how to crochet, he has no idea how much practice it takes to regulate the tension, or get into the rhythm of moving both hands full of fingers all at once. She wasn't ready to go on to the next row,,,,believe me! But the girl can chain!! boy howdie, can she chain!! I learned to finger crochet when I was little...anybody remember that? But I stuck a hook in her hands, and I think she's going to be a natural. Of course, all my grandchildren are especially talented,,,don't you know. tee hee

Then we tested Norma's recipe for these treats, and boy, she was right, perfect for wee ones to help on, and they are scrumptious!! no left overs after this tea party! Even Papa had tea with us!!

Hope all your chains are pretty chains!

lyn