Merry X-Mas and all that...

We had a great holiday here at our house, Mike's mom just left this morning to go back to Philly. I have been kitting like a mad-woman for the past 2 weeks, trying to get everything ready for x-mas. Thankfully, i finished with a few hours to spare, even managed to knit a little for myself.


Here is the finished purse with pretty lining that I felted for my step-mom. I think she was surprised when she opened it!



My first attempt at the Sheldon turtle from this season's Knitty. I knit it on size 10 1/2 dpns, so it is gigantic! Perfect for my knit undersea display in my classroom.



Since the big green one turned out ok, I decided (last thursday) to make a smaller one for the tot in our family, Ridgely. He is Mike's nephew. That gave me 4 days to get the whole thing done. I finished assembly on x-mas eve around 10 pm. argh, what a relief to get that off the needles. This one was done with worsted weight yarn and size 4 needles. I love how cute this patern is! Also, kudos to the author, since it is so readable and very easy to understand. If you are looking for a challenging but do-able double-pointed project, try Sheldon. Trust me! I have a purple one on the needles now, with a pink shell. My friend Leslie in Chicago is having a baby in March. Plenty of time!!!!!

No sure when my next class will be. We need to put on our thinking caps and come up with something fun to teach. Any suggestions? Call Yarn Garden or email me.

School is out for another 2 weeks, hopefully the kids are home knitting their fingers off. They have a design project due the first day back from break, along with a pattern that they wrote. Then, the final! A baby sweater and beanie. The more advanced kids will probably want to add a pair of booties as well. These kids are unbelievable! We have 3 weeks left in the semester. I'll post picks of their work as it comes in.

Have a safe and happy new year!

:)

Another week, another purse!

This is the zig-zag felted purse from the Felted Handbag workshop. Very cool purse patterns available at Diane's website. I changed it a little to fit my needs. You can see my soap of choice is Ajax dishwashing soap. Very nice. This one is a gift for x-mas. I am adding leather straps tomorrow (recycling a really long belt). I'll post pics once it is finished.



My next project, starting tomorrow, will be Sheldon, from the latest issue of Knitty. SO CUTE and the perfect addition to my marine biology corral of animals. My favorite part of the pattern is that the shell is made like a little sweater that he wears. Adorable.



Tonight I worked on X-mas gifts for people at work. Here they are. Cucumber-melon candles in vintage china, with really awesome bows on the handles. My favorite part is the perfect little box of matches. These were so much fun to make!


This week I took my Marine Biology kids to the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium for a day of fun and adventure. We had so much fun! The pier aquarium is located underneath the pier. Go check it out! They just had a huge remodel, and are re-open for business. I think it is just a few dollars to get in. Very kid-friendly and lots of volunteers to explain stuff. Here are my students modeling our new binoculars that were donated by the Pali High Booster Club. Thanks, Boosters!


Here is the latest pic of our boy. He is feeling under the weather today, moping around and looking sad. Sad dog = good photo opportunities. :)

December Already?

Wednesday we had a great knitting club meeting at lunch. Over 40 kids showed up. We distributed some of the yarn donated by Fayanne and The Gilmore Girls. Let me tell you, the kids were exstatic! They couldn't believe I was handing out so much yarn! I am eagerly awaiting the scarves, hats and sweaters they are going to make. Thanks again to everyone who has donated yarn this year!


Thursday, our Knitting class got a treat, when expert knitter and knitting book author Maureen Lasher (The Teen Knit Club) came and spoke to our class. She brought tons of cool items that she has knit, and the kids asked lots of questions about her knitting history. As a class, we are putting together a book of patterns and family stories. At the end of the semester, each student will get a copy.

This is what I am currently working on. It is the zig zag bag from the Felted Handbag Workshop. I am starting the center diamonds. Wish me luck. I am going to felt the whole thing and have leather strips added for handles. Fingers crossed that it will be finished in time for X-mas, so I can give it to my step-mom. She was admiring it at Thanksgiving as a work in progress.