Final Week of 2009 Meme

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Heather

It is funny how the month of December seems to fly by.  First it is Christmas cards that need to be mailed and decorations that need to go up, then it is get-togethers, and before you know it is the big day.  Then there are the after Christmas sales and finally we say good-bye to the old year.  But, as Ferris Bueller says:

Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

With the end of the year and the end of the decade (depending on which school of thought you belong too) around the corner, I’ve had that quote in my head quite a bit.  (Okay, I’ll confess, I recently heard it again in an episode of Good Eats, and it really did strike a chord with me).  So, in the reflection kind of mood, I came across a meme on Melissa’s blog The Daily Mel.  She got The Final Week of 2009 Meme from the Sunday Stealing blog.  And, I figured, it is the perfect meme for me to do today.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

I tried some new knitting techniques, learned to crochet, and tried to be a good mom to a toddler.  All new things for me this year.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I’ll talk about this over the next couple of days.  But, in a nut shell, I did pretty good on my 2009 goals and I have some planned for 2010.

3. How will you be spending New Year’s Eve?

I will be staying at home with my husband, a shrimp ring and a good movie. Baby Man will be sound asleep in the next room.I’m not really a fan of big parties, and we have a family get-together early on New Year’s Day.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, thankfully.

5. What countries did you visit?

We didn’t travel this year.  Baby Man isn’t quite ready for that.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

Well, I suppose I could say world peace and an end to hunger, but that is a given, right?  I would like to have more patience and more sleep.

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

That would be Baby Man’s first birthday.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I’m not really sure.  Maybe knitting an entire sweater jacket.  I never expected to be able to do that.  (Gosh, that sounds a little sad, doesn’t it?)

9. What was your biggest failure?

Losing my temper so often and not reaching my goal weight because I got lazy.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No, everyone was pretty healthy this year.  Baby Man did have roseola.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I think that I would have to say pre-ordering the Gaian Tarot deck.  And, actually, my husband bought that for me as my Christmas gift.  I have to wait until March to get it though. 🙁

12. Where did most of your money go?

Food and housing.  Okay, beyond that it went to yarn and cross stitch stash. Yikes.

13. What song will always remind you of 2009?

I’m not sure.  Maybe something from Glee like Last Name or Gold Digger.  (Yes, seriously.)

14. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Losing weight and teaching Baby Man things.

15. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Complaining and buying things I don’t need.

16. What was your favourite TV program?

Glee, Ugly Betty and Good Eats.

17. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Nope.

18. What was the best book you read?

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

19. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Glee?  Yeah, I don’t listen to a lot of music beyond our local classical radio station.

20. What was your favorite film of this year?

We only went to see one movie, so I guess I would have to say Star Trek.  And it was a pretty good movie.  Much, much better than I expected.

21. What did you do on your birthday?

Dinner and a movie with my husband while my parents watched Baby Man.  He also bought me a great purple leather jacket.

22. What kept you sane?

Knitting, crocheting and cross stitch.

23. Who did you miss?

The people who have moved away (Chris & Jane, Haun & Mey) and my grandparents (who all died many years ago).

24. Who was the best new person you met?

I haven’t met too many people this year, but I would have to say a couple of neighbours from down the hall.

25. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:

Sometimes you have to do things even if you don’t want to, but it really does make you a better person.  Oh, and your parents are right when they say you will understand things better when you are a parent yourself.

1 Comment | Posted in Memes & Collabs, My Life | Tagged

Unwrapped and Happy

Posted on December 26, 2009 by Heather

Christmas is over and the year is very quickly winding down.  I’m starting to think about my last few posts for this year where I plan to take a look at the goals I set for 2009 and set some new ones for 2010.  But, before I get into the serious end-of-the-year stuff, I thought I would take some time to share a little about my Christmas this year.

This was Baby Man’s second Christmas, and he was a little better able to understand what was going on.  Admittedly, he was more interested in running his big Mega Bloks truck into the presents under the tree, but by the time the gifts were just about all opened, he finally started to grok it.  When his 2nd birthday rolls around in just under a month, I think he will be opening all his gifts himself.

Baby Man was spoiled, of course, by Mom and Dad and by Grammy and Grampy.  He got lots of cars (which are his favourite things), including a little remote control car made just for little guys.

Baby Man and His Fire Truck

I was spoiled too.  My mom had the foresight to pick up some things for me back in June when my not-so-LNS in Hamilton closed.  So, I got three Victoria Sampler charts with the thread packs (M is for Mother, Harbour Village, and Heirloom Nativity, which also had fabric), two charts (Marjolein Bastin’s Watering Can and a Kat’s by Kelly chart) and a little ornament kit in my stocking along with a ball of that Mary Maxim sock yarn I like so much.  So, there is no way I will run out of things to stitch… well, ever, really. 🙂

My dad got me the weirdly cool AeroGarden 3, which I love.  It is set up in the kitchen, and its light is bright enough to light up nearly that whole room.  And my husband got me Alton Brown’s Good Eats: The Early Years, another favourite. (I’ve started a list of kitchen stuff I must now have.)

Everyone seemed happy with the knitted gifts I gave them.  Of course, I forgot to take pictures of most them.  Isn’t that always the way?  You forget to take pictures before the gifts are wrapped, and then forget to take pictures of them when they’ve been opened.  My mom did ask me to remove the ruffle I put on her Pfieffer Falls hooded scarf by Crafty Diversion, and I totally agreed with her.  Here is a bad picture of it with ruffle still on.

Pfieffer Falls by Crafty Diversion

Anyway, enough rambling about gifts.  I’m just happy that everyone seemed so happy with what they gave and received.  It was a good Christmas, and we all enjoyed the company so much.  It was especially nice because Baby Man is just so happy about everything.

As for the turkey dinner, well, we eventually ate at about 9:30.  Next year I am seriously considering Chinese take-out.

I do hope that every one of you had a wonderful Christmas, or just a wonderful day if you don’t celebrate it.  I read over 50 cross stitch blogs, and about another 15 knitting blogs.  I hardly ever post comments because, honestly, I don’t know what to say (even to the people I have actually met!).  But, I love reading about all of your projects and your families and pets and vacations and retreats and classes and whatever you choose to write about.  One of my goals in 2010 is to comment more to let you all know. 🙂

I hope you will all get a chance to put your feet up and cross stitch or knit or sew or whatever before the year ends.

2 Comments | Posted in My Life |

Merry Christmas

Posted on December 24, 2009 by Heather

Merry Christmas from all of us!

2 Comments | Posted in My Life |

Happy (Prehistoric) Yule!

Posted on December 22, 2009 by Heather

Happy Yule! Happy Winter Solstice! Welcome back Sun!  (Yes, I’m a day late again.  Imagine that.)

I was able to finish up Baby Man’s Yule gift in time.  It is Planet June’s Stegosaurus.  (FYI: She is having a sale until December 24th.) I used Bernat Satin, and made a few changes because my gauge is a wee bit tighter than June’s, even when  using one size large hook.

Stegosaurus by Planet June

Stegosaurus by Planet June

It was better received by Baby Man than I expected.  He doesn’t really care for soft toys, but he has given this one a couple of hugs and driven it around in the bulldozer he got as a gift on Saturday from my cousin and his wife.  I’m hoping to crochet Planet June’s Tortoise for him for his birthday.

I also finished up my first Pyroclastic Sock (by Marlowe Crawford, in Winter 2009 Knitty).  It turned out quite well, even though I had to take a few guesses as to how the patten on the top of the foot was supposed to change.  It is a bit different than the standard sock architecture, being based on Elizabeth Zimmerman/Meg Swanson’s Arch-Shaped Stockings.  I love how the bottom of the sock hugs my foot, and I am so looking forward to wearing these.  I’ve already cast on the second sock.

Pyroclastic Sock - Front View

Pyroclastic Sock - Side View

Pyroclastic Sock - Side View

Christmas knitting is done, as is all the holiday crocheting.  The gifts have been washed and the last one is is almost done drying.  One thing needs to have the sweater lint remover thing run over it, but it still looks pretty good.  I’m hoping to tackle my wrapping tomorrow, and then relax until it is time to put the turkey in on Christmas Day.  After that, well, stitching again! And who knows what else.

3 Comments | Posted in Knitting | Tagged , , , ,

SALsuffit – December 2009

Posted on December 18, 2009 by Heather

Since we are just about to head into the Christmas rush, I thought I would get another SAL post out of the way.  Today it is Anna‘s SALsuffit.  The goal of this SAL, if you don’t recall, is to finish all of those pieces we have hanging around using what we already have in our stash.  Not everything I finished into ornaments this month counts, since some of them were bought after I started the SALsuffit in September.  However, I do have two projects that count for this month.

First, the Sampler de Noel 2009.  It is done and framed! I’m so pleased.  I stitched it over one on a very uneven fabric, so it doesn’t look quite as nice as I would like.  But, it has a sort of shabby antique look that isn’t too bad. The frame, pins and foamcore were all in my stash.

Sampler de Noel

Sampler de Noel

And the second piece is Baby Man’s stocking!  I got up the courage to sew it together on Wednesday afternoon.  I added a lining to it because the felt that it came with for the backing is awfully thin.  It turned out pretty good, I think.  Although, the toe is a wee bit wonky.

Naughty or Nice stocking by Dimensions

Naughty or Nice stocking by Dimensions

And here is Baby Man hanging his stocking on a bookcase.

hangingstocking

I’m still searching for the right stocking for me.  I think that in 2010, I will work on the stocking for my mom, and just hope that something eventually catches my eye for me.

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TUSAL – December 2009

Posted on December 17, 2009 by Heather

Surprise! I’m a day late again. Would you believe that I used to be a very organized person? No, I wouldn’t either.

Anyway, it is time for the December sharing of my TUSAL jar. This is the last time for this year, and my jar is stuffed full. I’ve had a pretty busy year, finishing over 35 cross stitch projects (none large, but several medium size). I also crocheted a little bit, and knit up a storm, including one jacket and nine pairs of socks. Not bad for someone who spends their days chasing around a toddler, eh?

Here is what my jar looks like today. There is lots of yarn from the Christmas gifts I’ve been finishing up, and thread from the ornaments I’ve been stitching.

tusal-december 2009

tusal-december 2009 - 2

I’ll be taking part in the 2010 TUSAL, starting my jar fresh on January 1st. If you’d like to join in, head over to Yoyo’s blog, Dragon My Needle, and sign up on this post.  I don’t  know if Yoyo will be offering prizes for the 2010 TUSAL, but she did for the 2009 one, and guess who won.  Yes, me! I won one of the five prizes she drew for, and I am very excited.  I will of course share it with you all when it arrives.

Now, on to other things.  I haven’t been stitching this week because I hurt my stitching finger again.  (I have a problem with calluses coming off.  It is yuck and TMI.)  So, I’ve been working on crocheting a gift for Baby Man, which doesn’t look like anything yet, and on knitting a pair of socks for me.  They are Pyroclastic from the Winter 2009 Knitty.  I’m already working on the foot of the first sock.  I’m moving along so quickly because I like short socks.  Instead of the six repeats of the leg pattern called for, I only did three.  So many socks have such long legs, so I’m starting to feel like I’m the only one who likes shorter socks.

I’m knitting the sock using Panda Cotton in colourway Minty Greens.  I used this yarn back in April to knit my Show-Off Stranded Socks.  It is a pain to knit with since it isn’t plied very tightly, but it makes a lovely fabric and wears very well.  Here’s what it looked like before lunch this today.

Pyroclastic

Pyroclastic

And last night I put together my first gingerbread house. It looks  a little… amateurish, I guess I would say, but I like it anyway.  On second thought, if I want a gingerbread house, maybe I should look again at the one offered by Victoria Sampler.

My 1st Gingerbread House

My 1st Gingerbread House

And if anyone out there happens to be looking for a gift for their favourite stitcher (me!), I am in love with Mirabilia’s new piece Sabrina.  And, conveniently, Stitching Bits and Bobs has it and the embellishment pack on sale!  And if you aren’t looking to send me a gift, you can at least agree with me that it is a lovely piece.

1 Comment | Posted in Cross Stitch, Knitting | Tagged , , ,

Christmas Ornaments – Done!

Posted on December 14, 2009 by Heather

With Christmas just 11 days away, I am thankfully in the home stretch.  Okay, the tree isn’t up yet, and nothing is wrapped.  But I’m fine with that.  The tree will go up on the 17th so that there are fewer days to worry about Baby Man tearing it down.  And if the gifts aren’t wrapped until Christmas Eve, then so be it.

(Please pardon the pictures.  It is dreadfully dull here today. In fact, it is actually raining. The nerve!)

I have finished up some more ornaments for the tree.  The first is Mill Hill’s Snowflake from this year’s Tiny Treasured Diamond’s collection.  It was done as per the kit, on 28ct white evenweave.

Snowflake by Mill Hill

Snowflake by Mill Hill

Almost done is a freebie from Prairie Schooler, which I got as a kit from my LNS’s Christmas open house. (If you recall, I posted about the lovely gift package they gave out to everyone, full of freebies and this kit.)  It is stitched over one on 20ct Lugana white/silver with 2 strands of floss (the chart suggested 3, but I think that looked too heavy).  The threads are Anchor (which I almost never use) and DMC Colour Variations, and are different than the ones called for in the original chart.  (If you are interested, you can download the original design here.)

Snowman by Prairie Schooler

Snowman by Prairie Schooler

And I’ve managed to crochet all five of those Planet June Christmas Puddings.  One is for me, and the rest are gifts. The gift boxes are from a punch-out book I bought a few years ago.

Christmas Pudding by Planet June

Christmas Pudding by Planet June

I still have a Yule gift to crochet for Baby Man.  I’d also love to crochet him another Christmas gift, but I think it will end up being a birthday gift (which is not that far away).  I’m just about ready to declare myself done and cast on a pair of socks for me!  (Ummm.. well, the new Knitty just came out and I may have cast on these socks using Panda Cotton in colourway Misty Greens, maybe.)

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