Marie Grace Designs

One holiday down...

one to go.

All the new loot has been put in its proper place and the kids have been so enamored with it all that I’ve hardly heard a peep out of them.

I gotta tell ya I can’t believe another year has just flown by. My oldest is now my first teenager, my baby is no longer a baby and Mac Daddy has managed to live with me for another year and not get stabbed with a knitting needle (not that there haven’t been some close calls).

I’ve been given some fabulous knitting opportunities and met some terrific people. I am very thankful for every one of you who stops by here to read and leave comments and even email me. You see, I’m a total pessimist so a little feedback goes a long way.

There are already some really exciting things marked on the ‘07 calendar. Goals have been discussed and the yarn cabinet is well stocked.

I’m not one to make new years resolutions but if I had to come up with something I’d like to do differently this year I’d have to say I need to learn to manage my time a bit better. No matter what I do we will always be in a state of controlled chaos around here but really I just need to slow down a little. I want to take more time to blog, visit other blogs, return emails and spend time planning the kind of knitting I really want to do. I tend to hurry and worry and really it takes half the fun out of all the fun stuff.

Since we’ve been on holiday vacation (read that: there hasn’t been any algebra this week) I’ve been working on some things like this:

I just can’t get enough of this stuff. Natural fibers, calm designs and smooth finishes. Are you ready for some grosgrain ribbon, snap tape and sewn button loops?

BTW...I have this thing for log cabin quilts, blue is my favorite color and I love stars. Girls usually doodle little hearts on everything....I doodle stars. My sister is a quilter and here is her gift to me this year...

The day before...

So depending on who you are and how you feel and what you believe its either Christmas Eve or just another Sunday.

Around here all the talk is about Santa and making sure we’re all asleep on time and do you think we’ll be able to see him on Google Earth?

This year is the first that Tater is old enough to really get in on the action and know what’s going on. She’s so excited but the poor girl has no sense of time so the day is gonna be a long one.

I still have wrapping to do and baking to do and Mac Daddy still has a train table to put together. It still amazes me that I am old enough and mom enough to be the one doing the buying and the wrapping and the story telling. I so very clearly remember going to bed Christmas Eve and holding my breath wishing myself to sleep. It was my biggest fear that I would still be awake when he arrived.

Truth is, the older kids don’t believe anymore and the only reason they’re even talking about it is because of Tater. I’ve figured out that if I’m quiet I can overhear some older sibling advice...

“and we have to hang our stockings yet...”

“when you wake up in the morning you have to go look under the tree right away...”

“and we’ll leave some cookies on the table...”

Its weird now that I’m the grown up. Part of me could go entirely overboard and part of me really just wants to put the house back in order. There are things in my closet and things under my bed and have you seen the price of Egg Nog?!?

So, enjoy your day no matter what you call it. Slow down at some point and put your feet up. Enjoy your family or your friends or your quiet time. Have a cookie...or 2 or 3.

On knitting...

That white wooly pullover is done and has a matching hat but we’ll save it til the holiday craziness slows down a bit.

Oh, the weather outside...

I’d like to say its cold and snowy and blustery and all those other cold weather words that make you shiver and get up to go look out the window. Truth is we set a record high temperature yesterday and the kids are running around in jeans and T-shirts and the ground is as bare as can be.

Normally I’d be relieved that the weather has been so mild and I guess part of me is. I’ve never really been a fan of snow and slush and kids with cold wet feet but this warm sunny week before the holidays just has me a bit unsettled.

I figured by now I’d be knee deep in the thickest wools and smoothing my latest wooly number over my lap while watching Charlie Brown. The planner in me refuses to give in to the unexpected so today I’m wearing my performance fleece pullover and working on a but if wool. White wool to match the snow we don’t have and a band of color to spark a little color into the bleak days of winter. Bah-humbug.

This has got to be the easiest color work sweater on the planet. Its a top down raglan that starts with the ribbed collar and this time I put the color band before the body/sleeve division so you’ll only do the color pattern once. A few color swaps at the cuffs and hem and you’re all set.

Plan on a ribbed hat and a few color options. Don’t plan, however, on wooly winter weather. I guess we’ll just have to wait. (You know the minute it starts snowing I’ll be back yelling and complaining about how much I hate snow.)

Pass it on...

The Garter Belt newsletter is now available!

In this edition of Cast On Here you’ll find 4 free patterns, Elizabeth’s insight on holiday knitting, a few good reasons to knit a scarf, and a big...big, I tell you....announcement.

There’s also a run down of our most recent TGB patterns and a few hints about what will be coming soon.

As some of you know, we at The Garter Belt have been having technical problems with our Italian connection. Until Mt Etna settles down, we've uploaded the newsletter and free patterns on another server. As soon as possible, Wendy W. will move it all to our regular host and mail to all the regular subscribers.

On the bright side...

I think we are all on the mend after 2 weeks of sneezing, coughing and restless sleep. Its sort of like coming out of a fog. A few days are lost, never to be returned, but there’s also a spark of what feels like a new found ambition.

I finally managed to get that raglan on the needles with the correct amount of stitches.

There are certain little knit bits that I never get tired of. Little things like seed stitch and picot bind offs and button loops. How can you not love a stitch combo that can stand on its own as a bumpily-sturdy fabric or trim a favorite new cardi so smoothly and easily.

Another thing I never get tired of is Simple Scarves. Its all about the yarn and the true relaxation that knitting should be. This one will be in The Garter Belt newsletter.

Reasons to homeschool Exhibit A: Science class...

Seriously, this was the highlight of my day because everything else went all wrong. Had to run out for dog food and realized, while I was in line at the checkout, that I left my wallet on my desk at home. Had to go back home then back to the pet store, blah, blah, blah.

Tried to cast on the neck of a raglan and managed to get the count wrong 3 times. Three times I reminded myself not to forget the seam stitches and 3 times I forgot them.

Maybe its the cold or the cold medicine. I’ve had enough of both and am ready to move on.

The good news is we’re warming up the latest edition of our newsletter at TGB and there’s gonna be a couple of quick to knit freebies. Stop by and sign up if you haven’t already.