Santa (my amazing husband) got me this for Christmas. It is an elephant stamped leather journal with hand-pressed and hand-cut paper. He had it shipped from India. He managed not to give it to me until Christmas. He wasn’t supposed to get me anything because he already got me football tickets.
This journal is extremely exciting. After a few days of thinking it over, this has become my exclusive story idea journal.
I always have a story bouncing around in my head. I’ve become disciplined enough to start writing down an outline, but I’ve never actually written one out. I usually just write them in my regular journal. Lately though, I’ve been thinking if I ever do manage to finish something and get published and become a famous author, I am not sure I want people going back through my personal journals, even after I’m dead. ;-)
I’ve got two new story lines going in this journal in two new universes that have been bouncing around in my head lately.
I feel like it is one more step towards actually finishing a story in print for people other than myself to enjoy.
This is a cowl/snood/hood thingy I made for my mom. It is in feather and fan stitch (one of my go-to stitch patterns because my fingers have it memorized). However, at some point 2/3 of the way through, my yarn over and k2tog sections got reversed… She doesn’t know though, so it is all good. ;-) It is made with an alpaca lace yarn I got at my “L”YS.
This is the hat I made for my dad. I used Lamb’s Pride Bulky, so it knitted up super quick. I also used this pattern. I added a K1, P1 rib for the first inch or so.
For the ladies in my life I made sugar body scrub (in cinnamon sugar) and little scrubbies for Christmas.
There is a “recipe”, but I have made sugar scrub enough that I usually just wing it.
Sugar Body Scrub
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons oil (olive, canola, vegetable, baby, whatever you want)
- 1 tablespoon witch hazel (optional, for problem skin)
- 1/2 cup dry milk
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1 and 1/3 cups honey (enough to make it all stick together, the amount may depend on the honey you use)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
Mix it all up. I add an ingredient, then stir, then add the next, then stir.
It smells great without any scents (cinnamon and vanilla). You can also add essential oils if you want a different scent.
If you use a vegetable oil of some sort, don’t put in the witch hazel, and don’t use essential oils, it is completely editable. I know for a fact that various recipients of this scrub have eaten some. ;-)
So, my amazing baby brother (he is 25, but he will always be my baby brother), got me a gift certificate to redhotpottery for a yarn bowl.
It arrived today!
I love my brother!
Last night was my big push to finish Christmas gifts in time to mail them today. As usual, there were many things that didn’t get finished. I am much better at letting go. They will become birthday gifts, mother’s day gifts, and even Christmas gifts next year. I will finish them slowly after we get back home in January. They will receive the love and attention they deserve. Hopefully, next year will be better.
I’ll post pictures of the ones I did finish later this week.
My Saturday Night:
Staying up a little late to finish some Christmas Gifts in time to ship
Watching Torchwood (oh my Buddha I love Amazon Prime something fierce)
Drinking Earl Grey Hot
Checking out my tumblr peeps
originally posted on my main blog, but it is crafty too.
Seriously though
I just made a Christmas to-do list… I’m going to be knitting 24/7 from now until then to get it all done. I am freaking out a little bit.
Crafty Weekend Roundup
I was supposed to take a knitting class all afternoon on Saturday, but it got canceled. Apparently, no one else wanted to learn how to knit Christmas ornaments…
So, I filled the weekend with other fun stuff.
- I made graham crackers. I used the recipe from craft sanity, issue 1. They are very good. I need to roll them thinner next time and figure out the topping a little better. I have a second recipe I want to try this week sometime.
- I finished a hat for my dad and a hat for my brother for Christmas. I should take pictures and post them. Yay! Two gifts finished.
- I came up with new/improved ideas while finishing the second hat. I did my brother’s had in a rib and the way the ribbing folded over itself at the top gave me an idea. I’m going to make my brother and dad a pair of mittens and a cowl with the leftover yarn from there hats and I’m going to do some traveling cables. I may even go free-form on the cowls.
- I searched for Christmas ornament patterns on Ravelry. I guess I will just have to teach myself.
- I made yogurt bread. It is the first time for this recipe and it is supposed to be really good for sandwiches. I will test that out today.
- I made oil and fat laden dog treats for Girl. She is always skinny and gets really dry skin in the winter, so hopefully these will help.
- I started some dark chocolate and orange bread that I will bake today.
- I started a frog scarf for my sister-in-law. I’m about a quarter of the way done and on the middle bits, so it should be easy, finish in class knitting until I get to the feet.
So, though I missed crafting with real live people (which is why I signed up for the class to begin with) I did get a lot done this weekend. Now I need to go do some grading. I will take breaks with knitting (yay!), baking (yay!), and laundry (ugh!).
About me
I wanted a place to post my projects and inspirations. This is it. I'm primarily a knitter and baker, but I also spin, dye, craft, and cook. Find me on Ravelry as scitchet.
