A Case of the Blues

For anyone who might be peeking over my shoulder these days, it may look as though I've got a real case of the

Blues

Everything that everyone wants me to make is

Blue

So.... I guess this is My Blue Show & Tell Day

First thing you can see is that I have crocheted another one of the

Addictive

&

Too ~ Darn ~ Cute!

Granny Stockings

This one is for my daughter Chelsea's stepson, Drew

And for those of you who struggle with pom~pom making I use these lovely, handy~dandy items from Clover and love them!

The other blue project I am working on in between all else is another

Half Granny Square Shawl

Using this wonderful new yarn

It is 40% Superwash Merino Wool & 60% Acrylic

And Oh~So~Yummy to work with!

Very soft

Each 100g {3.5 oz.} ball has 213 yds {195m}

Cost is $8.00 per skein.

It will take 3 of them for a shawl.

This one will hang on display in my Local Yarn Shop.

Every now and then they ask me to crochet something up for them.

The best part ......

they pay me in

YARN :)))

As I sat with my feet propped up yesterday afternoon working a few rows on this I got a phone call from Hubby's boss who needs a baby shower gift for this Sunday.

You guessed it ~

A Baby Boy

More

Blue

So I put down the crochet hook and grabbed up the knitting needles

and

VOILA'!

Hubby had a teeny~tiny little hat in hand when he went to work this morning.

{And Mrs. Boss thought I couldn't get it done by Sunday. tee~hee!}

Now for today?

It's back to my comfy chair and the shawl that awaits me there.

And if anyone needs anything else out of me

Well.....

.....As soon as I finish this row....

Cousin Kathy's Creativity

The very first thing I have to say is this ~

I did NOT make this.

All the credit for this absolutely 

ADORABLE

crocheted

 MONKEY HAT

 goes to my cousin Kathy.

Is it not just about THE CUTEST THING EVER?!!

She brought it for Show & Tell last night to Knit Night.

That's my favorite part of having a creative gathering here.

I LOVE

Show & Tell

{Well... then there's all the tea & cookies & chit ~ chat & laughter too :) }

Guess I LOVE IT ALL!

And Sweet Little Kathy was like Mary Poppins last night.

She just kept pulling stuff out of her bag to delight us.

She knitted these festive SANTA HATS for her Hubby and her Grandson.

The Hubby gets to wear his to play Santa for the Little Guy who is only 8 months old.

And the Little Guy already wore his when he went to have his picture taken with Santa.

{Shhh......we won't tell him that other dude isn't the Real Santa. He'll like Grandpa much better!}

Cookies & Crochet

Although we are still 2 days away from Thanksgiving, like a child I am feeling the magical  pull of the Christmas Spirit already.

On Saturday I rummaged around the basement and found just these few trees for my dining room table. I haven't put the Big Tree up yet..... but ...... soon :)))

Then for Knit Night last night I just couldn't resist baking my favorite sugar cookies.

They made the house smell so

Wonderful

so

Homey

so

CHRISTMAS~Y

Upon eating one, Erin said,

"Now I feel like I've had my first official Christmas Cookie of the year."

Well.... I like that.

Happy to oblige.

You may also notice the little tidbits of Christmas crochet nestled amongst the trees and cookies.

The golden ~ yellow bit is a

 Granny Star
Just click on the link and you will find the free pattern compliments of
The Royal Sisters.
{Love their Stuff!}
Then there's the cute mini stocking.
I actually happened upon that when I was visiting one of my favorite places the other day
INSOMNIAC with A Hook
If you don't already follow Neicee's blog then you need to give her a visit.
She's quite lovely
and
her
Crochet Work
is
GORGEOUS
She had the link for these
 Mini Stockings
Thanks Neicee!
Also, thanks to Neicee, I found myself right back at
The Royal Sisters Etsy Shop
where I purchased the pattern for this darling
Granny Christmas Stocking

 I made this one for my granddaughter over the weekend and now have another one started.
Love, love, love the Granny ~ Goodness of it!
Looks like a genuine
Old ~ Fashioned
CHRISTMAS

 The Pom~Pom's add the final touch.

I'm excited to give it to Gabby for Christmas!
 

Norwegian Sugar Cookies

 

CREAM TOGETHER:                                                                

1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter {softened}
1 cup oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
 

SIFT TOGETHER:
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
 

Blend dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Roll into walnut sized balls and roll in sugar.

Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten each ball with a cut glass. Sprinkle with extra sugar if desired. A coarser, decorative sugar is very pretty.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 ~ 12 minutes.

Makes 5 dozen {it really does!}

Enjoy!

This is the cut glass sugar bowl I use to flatten my cookies with.

The design on the bottom is the same as on the front.

I picked it up at an Antique Shop years ago.

Happy Baking.....

And

Happy Thanksgiving

To All of You.

Raspberries & Roses

Last night was Knit Night again here in my cozy cottage.

Once again we snugged around my dining room table,

chattered like magpies,

laughed our silly heads off,

clicked our knitting needles,

weilded our crochet hooks,

solved many a world problems

and ate scrumptously divine confections like

RASPBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

baked by my lovely sister

~BRIDGET~

{Thanks again ~ they truly were to die for!}

Baby Sister has her own cupcake business and makes up all her own recipes.

She even has a cookbook soon to be published.

WAY TO GO SIS! :)))

And, of course, one indulgence just wouldn't do so...

our sweet little

~MISS AMELIA~

baked these Heavenly

ROSE COTTAGE SCONES

Complete with Strawberry Jam

And Oh My Goodness Gracious!

They were a pure delight to the senses.

Not only did they melt in the mouth,

they smelled like

ROSES

Mmmmmmm............AAAhhhhhhh........

Divine :)

You Girls spoil me {and attempt to fatten me up perhaps!}

But I must say I LOVE YOU FOR IT!

Oh! And there was some Yarn Play involved as usual.

I can prove it.

Well, I guess this basket just sitting there doesn't actually prove anything.

Other than I do have a current work in progress.

And, admittedly, I was a might busy with the goodies and tea drinking end of the evening.

But.....

well....

you'll just have to trust me ;)

Roses Abound

No matter how hard I try I just can't stop myself from making

ROSES

They always turn up in my work eventually.

I am drawn to anything with a rose already in the pattern or something that I can adorn with a rose.

They're just so

feminine

I purchased the pattern for this gorgeous cowl

from an etsy shop called the

Frayed Knot

I crocheted it using Debbie Bliss Fez, which is 85% Extrafine Merino Wool and 15% Camel.

It took 2 balls {100m/50g each}

I love this yarn!

I am going back for more today in a soft shade of purple for a custom order.

While I was in rose~ making~ mode, I got a call from a customer who needed a baby girl gift.

So I whipped up my favorite little knitted umbrella stitch hat that is always so much prettier with a little

rose

The hat is made from

Knit Picks Andean Treasure

100% Baby Alpaca

in

Wild Rose

One skein will make two of these hats.

The rose is a soft, fluffy wool angora blend.

And this big crocheted rose?

Well....

it's for a work in progress...

a Christmas Surprise....

Shhhhhh.....

I will show it when I can ;)

I love the

BIG

FLUFFY

RUFFLY ~ NESS

of

CROCHETED ROSES!

Oh ~

And where roses abound, sometimes a little help is needed.

 Afterall, Santa has his Elves.

 

Crochet Bug Bite

Oh My Goodness!

Here I go AGAIN!

I now have 3 knitted Left fingerless mitts lying about and what happens?

A little

Crochet Bug

 came along and bit me!

Well, really it's Mary Ann's fault.

She just had to whip out this scarf she was working on while she was here for Knit Night on Monday evening ~ and those girls know I can't resist a new pattern!

So ....

I got to digging around in my yarn stash first thing Tuesday  morning and

VOILA'!

I just happened to have some lovely

Imagination

Yarn

by

Knit Picks

that I thought would be perfect for this fun scarf!

Such pretty colors!

Mermaid Lagoon is the name of the colorway.

And the pattern sort of resembles swimming fish.

My Mom says they look like cornucopias ~

She's right, they do.

It's hard to tell now but when the scarf is completed it is just gorgeous all wrapped around a neck and cascading down. It flows beautifully.

The pattern is from

The Best of Interweave Crochet

by

Kathy Merrick

and is called the

Boteh Scarf

Methinks it will make some lovely Christmas presents!

{Along with at least 3 more fingerless mitts!}

*Oh! And I'd like to state for the record ~

I did NOT sneak off to the yarn shop again.

Remember....

This was in my stash :)