knitting is as addictive as tattoos

i was gifted this awesome little number this month from a RAK who happens to live close by. i was thrilled to take her home. it came from Czechoslovakia (like my grandmother's family). It left Czechoslovakia in 1945 to avoid the communist takeover. it was then acquired in Germany in 1984. It is now in my home in New Jersey being loved. I also got this awesome drop spindle with some of my Xmas gift money. and the fiber was a gift from my mom. i really need to work on my consistency but it has been a good long while since i've spun so i guess practice makes perfect. i brought the drop spindle to work today, but i have all day tomorrow to have fun!

i actually started knitting some christmas gifts early this year. earlier than ever before! a few of them even got finished! this was my first dish cloth ever: then two of these were made! much more fun and even: these were for my mother and MIL. i even finished a shawl/scarf for myself - my Grinchmas shawl - Grinchmas yarn colorway from Hypnotic yarn and the "Closer to You" shawl pattern on Ravelry. there were a few bits of knitting that didn't get done, my gnomes, the ornaments for my daughter and two scarves. but hey, i got more done that ever! oh - i'm already planning for next year! maybe i'll even start NOW!

For a long time I always wanted to craft for a living. some form of craft, be it quilting, home decorations, cross stitch, knitting, spinning, drawing...anything. I had a dream of opening up a knitting store/cafe in New Hope PA where I lived and I would sit and knit all day while people shopped and knit with us. Maybe someday I can do that, but I am still doing things I love. I am an EMT and I love being on the ambulance, helping folks at often the worst time of their lives. On the plus side, I do get some down time at work to knit! It's holiday season and I am knitting away at several gifts I'm hoping to finish. This one is the hat my grandson Miles wants. He wanted "all the colors" and that's what he got! When I'm done with this one, it's on to his brother's hat!

Friday the 30th was a fun day for my husband and me. We spent the day with our moms visiting thrift stores - a thing my mom and i do a lot, but that his mom now that she is retired wanted to try! we hit several stores and found some very nice things for a lot of folks in the family for general purposes and holiday gifts, some holiday decorations for my husband and my new house and one very special item i could NOT pass up. i saw it wrapped around the shoulders of a dress hanging on a door. the dress was black and it was white...it popped beautifully and had nice drape...i reached up to feel it...mohair! i love mohair! it felt...no, it couldn't be! on closer inspection i knew it was a hand knit shawl and a beauty at that! i took it down knowing i was buying it and wondering who i might have to convince to lend me money if i couldn't afford it. this is such a beautiful pattern! i read the tag...3.99!!! i could afford this all on my own and afford it i did! it ...

A lot has happened since my last post. Michael and I were married last year - our one year anniversary is in three days! we moved to Beverly. i still have yarn tucked away in boxes somewhere in the new house which is way larger than our old space. i'm slowly gathering my fiber arts together and trying to create a space for them. I made tiny stockings for xmas gifts last year that i didn't take pictures of...but I am also ALREADY starting on Yule gifts and that is way ahead of my usual timing! i'm trying to be better at creating projects for everything i make and to keep track of how long it takes me to finish. I try to get some accountability by using Ravelry and keeping track there (and also pictures). hopefully i can keep up longer than a few days this time!!!! Tis the season!