Christmas Gifts

For Christmas this year I gave a several of gifts to my family.

The first one, was a pair of socks for my grandpa. They were my second pair of socks and they gave me a little bit of trouble, but they turned out great!

My grandpa loved them and he wears them a lot!

The second one, was a felted hat for my grandma. It was very fun and I knitted it up very quickly!

She was so surprised and she loved it.

Everybody was thrilled and really appreciated my hard work.

Panda Silk Contest

Hi everyone, I've been blogging (I know, finally) and I saw that Straw.com the web page for Crystal Palace Yarn is having a contest on their Socks and More Blog to win some Panda Silk. Please go to their web site and log in to their blog and post a comment and you are entered. Too easy to pass up. Here is the link to the Crystal Palace Yarn site. We will have Panda Silk in the shop soon but this is a chance for a sneak preview.

Also, the new Knitting Calendar (in the box) has tons of patterns using Crystal Palace Yarns. I am planning on selecting at least one a month for a class or a knit-a-long depending on the size of the project.

Dishcloth? Facecloth? Dishrag?

Does it really matter?

I call it a washcloth, it washes everything! I think that a facecloth is specifically for your face and a dishcloth/dishrag is for dishes and they are more heavy duty.

Though, I can see how people can get upset when others call their work a dishrag when you put all of the work into it.

Dishcloth Gift Exchange

Anita and I have entered a Dishcloth gift exchange and here is our questionnaire:

1. Do you knit, crochet, or do both? Knit

2. What types of needles do you enjoy using for making dishcloths?Bamboo and Wood

3. What types of cotton do you enjoy using for making dishcloths? Is there any that you've been wanting to try? Cascade, Sierra, Cotton Chenille and want to try Sugar and Cream

4. What color(s) are your kitchen and bath decorated in (if any)? Bathroom- white and blue But I like pink!

5. What are your favorite colors for yarns? Least favorite? Favorite Pink and purple Least Fav. Green and Yellow

6. Do you like Winter, or do you count the days until it ends? Love Winter but really love Spring!

7. What's your favorite way to brighten your day when you're down in the dumps? Spend Time with my husband and or friends and a GOOD CUP OF COFFEE! Also, ofcourse knitting and reading!

8. What is your favorite treat to indulge in and when your down in the dumps? A good strong cup of coffee w/ a little whip cream on top. Love hot chocolate with whip cream.--- Please no sweet coffee!

9. Do you drink coffee? Tea? Cocoa? Coffee and Tea and Hot Chocolate

10. If you could take a vacation starting tomorrow and go anywhere for one week and money were no object, where would you go and what would you do? I'd go see the Grand Canyon or maybe Hawaii or take a cruise to Alaska. Also go on a trip to Europe!

11. Do you have any allergies or aversions your pal should be aware of? Anita is Diabetic.

I don't want to make a hat for my big brother, but

Hi I'm Melissa, and I am a regular here at Hooks and Needles. I first came into the shop in May '07 with my Girl Scout Troop. I hardly knew how to knit or purl and Kaylee taught my troop how to make a washcloth. Since then, I have made a varaity of projects, including: 2 pairs of socks, a hedgehog, a ton of hats, and many other things.

Getting back to my brother, he is a soldier in the Army, and at Christmas he asked for a bright red hat with a big pom pom on top. I used the Stitch n' Bitch Nation Basic Cable Hat pattern with Cascade 220 and he loved it. Now, he wants me to make him two more.

So I've got to get to knitting, more later!

GNO

It was a quiet time last night at GNO. Notice I said GNO, not Girls Night Out. That's cuz we had a guy! Ken and his wife Laura started knitting just last Saturday. He is knitting a hat for her and she is knitting a scarf for him. Isn't that romantic? We should have taken pictures. Not only were Ken and Laura going great guns, Sarah was putting together a gorgeous sweater she made from Knit One, Julie and I were both working on Jeanie from Knitty.com and there were several others working on new projects. Oh, and the quiet, that's cuz we were actually knitting!