Warm and Cozy

My sister's Christmas present to us this year was a wonderful afghan that she crocheted. I especially like the little ruffled edge. It's a perfect cover during our cold and wet Northwest winters. The lamb likes it too.

Leftovers

The yarn is left over, that is, from a vest I made for my husband. I had two full balls and most of a third ball. Thanks to the resources of Ravelry, I decided on the Irish Hiking Scarf.

The details:

• Yarn: K1C2 Paint Box in color #12, Tandoor, approximately 130 grams, 260 yards
  
• Needles: 4mm
• Finished size: 8 inches wide x 50 inches long

Happy Holidays!

Blogger tells me this is my 101st post. That seems like a good way to celebrate the holidays — any and all of them — and look to the new year. Even though it is raining buckets here in the Pacific Northwest, I can celebrate with:

Blooms of paperwhite narcissus and Christmas cactus.

A Downy (or Hairy?) woodpecker enjoying Christmas suet.

Winter solstice at sunset on Hood Canal.

Knitting in Japanese

My first attempt at knitting a Japanese pattern was fairly successful. This is design #7 from "Knitted Lace Designs of the 'Modern' Mode" by Kazuko Ichida, also known among doily knitters as "the blue book." The knitting was straightforward doily knitting with familiar symbols and none of the hieroglyphic, twisted, upside-down-and-backwards Japanese knitting symbols.

The details:

• Thread: Cebelia size 30 in a cream color. I think this is an older thread because the label is different than today's label. I used one whole skein and part of another. The
  finished piece weighs 66 grams, which amounts to about 750 yards.
• Needles: 2.25mm, although I usually do the first six rounds or so in a size smaller needle.
• Finished size: 30 inches in diameter.

Pearl Knot, Not Knit Purl

I decided to expand my repertoire of craft skills with a pearl knotting class at The Bead Factory. I had some beads that needed to be re-strung and decided I could learn to do this myself. This became even more imperative when I learned that a local high-end jewelry store charges $5 a knot to string pearls. The class project was a string of glass pearls, hanging from my fig tree, right. We learned how to knot on silk and on nylon. I'm a silk girl.

With some remedial training — The Bead Factory employees are most helpful and patient — I my broken necklace, below, is now wearable again.



Then I wanted to re-do this jade or jadeite bracelet that I got in Thailand to make it longer. The holes in the beads were too big for knotting, so The Bead Factory employee suggested putting spacers between the beads. Perfect!



Jewelry-making can become as addictive as knitting. If you think you can spend some money in a yarn store, just walk into a bead store.

Paying It Forward

I recently signed up for Paying It Forward from Nurhanne's blog. I usually don't participate in chains or king-alongs or exchanges, but this one sounded fun. Here's the deal:

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Pretty simple, yes?