Sunday, December 29, 2019

Yopping Update #26 - All the advent knits plus ??

Well, let's get to the last three knits of Advent:

December 22
December 23
December 24 - tree topper
And here they all are before going onto the Christmas Tree. 



I knit this christmas mouse in Croatia last winter

The black and white owl and the blue sweater also Croatia knits


In this stocking is my daughter's first christmas ornament


Everything on our cedar Christmas tree was a knit by me.  The tree, tiny as it was, came from our backyard. 

We went to my niece's on the 23rd and I knit this little penguin for my great-nephew:

Then my son requested an English Robin:
and so I made him this:


Christmas was quiet and lovely - cornish game hens just for the two of us:


I have been working since Friday on my Sandhill County shawl.  I am almost ready to knit on the border.  It may well be finished by next Sunday. 

My dear friend invited us on Boxing Day to the full Turkey dinner with ALL the trimmings, and I went to the Christmas Eve 10pm Carol Communion service at church.  There have been a few swims, and when this post is done I will head to the pool before supper. 

Guess who turned 1 on Friday?


So we come to the end of a year and a decade in a few days.  I am ready for what 2020 will bring.  Are you dear Readers? 

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Yopping Update #25 - Three more to go

The Advent knitting continues:
December 15
December 16 - Star
December 17 - Four Leaf Clover
December 18 - Cable Sweater
December 19 - Acorn
December 20 - Little Hedgehog

December 21- Pointsettia (full disclosure -I knit this the night before)
Also the 21st - I couldn't help myself - I had to start this little french mouse with a beret!

I finished the test knit socks:

And added two sections of Contrasting Colour to my Sand Hill County Shawl:




In the fourth week of Advent shine
Our open hearts both yours and mine,
We can now fill our hearts with love
And shining light from heaven above.
Now we are on the earth
Waiting for the Christ Child's birth.

We attended a lovely Christmas celebration at Cascadia, a day-school for adults with disabilities.  They presented the Christmas story, we sang carols and then got to walk an Advent spiral that they had set up outside.  It was a moving, spiritual and glorious evening.  Just what my soul needed. 

After you walk the spiral and light your apple candle in the middle you place it somewhere on the spiral as you walk out.  By the end of the evening the spiral is filled with glowing lights.  So beautiful.

I was reminded last week that I didn't include the obviously expected grand-daughter photo.  Here she is adjusting her Momma's guitar.

Can't believe she is almost one!
I realized last night that I don't have a little sheep knit planned for my Advent knits.  What?   I know, right?  So last night I cast on the body.  Today I will finish the head and legs so stay tuned for her unveiling next week. 

Wishing you all, dear readers, a happy Christmas or whatever holiday you are celebrating this time of year.  The solstice is behind us - the days will be getting longer, and that can only be a good thing. 


Sunday, December 15, 2019

Yopping Update #24 - Advent knitting continues

Welcome Dear Readers.  I hope your day is going well.  Today will mostly be pictures because I have napping to do today (see further down to see why!)  So let's get started.  First my daily Advent knits:

Rudolf - December 8

December 9 - Bell

December 10 - Reindeer sweater

December 11 - Bluebird of happiness


December 12 - Little pink Heart 
December 13 - Snowman (note his handknit scarf!)



December 14 - well?  It is suppose to be a drum (my son says it looks like a macaroon)
All hung on an i-cord garland on our fireplace

December 14 - 2nd knit to redeem myself from aforementioned drum




The testknit socks got some attention
I got the yarn I wanted for the contrasting colour on my Sandhill County Shawl.

This took about 2 hours to make into a ball because the skein was horribly tangled!



I hope to get to it today after my advent knit - but I was up at 4:30am to take my son to the airport (he was in town for a mere 14 hours) and today may be spent napping....a lot!

It is the third Sunday of Advent so the animals have joined the wreath.

In the third week of Advent shine
The wondrous beasts of every kind
Beasts who tread upon the earth
And gave their stable for the birth.
Now the beasts are on the earth
Waiting for the Christ child's birth.




I also wanted to leave you this week with a poem that was hung on the wall at the Hope Center where I go for counselling and support.

St. Francis and the Sow

The bud
stands for all things,
even those things that don't flower,
for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing;
though sometimes it is necessary
to reteach a thing its loveliness
to put a hand on the brow
of the flower
and retell it in words and in touch
it is lovely
until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing;
as St Francis
put his hand on the creased forehead
of the sow, and told her in words and in touch
blessings of earth on the sow, and the sow
began remembering all down her thick length,
from the earthen snout all the way
through the fodder and slops to the spiritual curl of
the tail,
from the hard spininess spiked out from the spine
down through the great broken heart
to the blue milken dreaminess spurting and shuddering
from the fourteen teats into the fourteen mouths sucking
and blowing beneath them;
the long, perfect loveliness of sow.

Galway Kinnell


Blessings on you all during this third week of Advent.To follow other Yoppers check out their links on the right side top of this post right below my profile.

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Yopping Update #23 - Advent Calendar


For at least two years I have wanted to make 24 little knits for Advent.  I made a few last December, but I once again added all the Advent knits to my Year of Projects list.  As December hoved into view I realized I had once again fallen short of my Advent knitting goals.

So I decided to knit one little advent knit a day DURING Advent.

Santa gnome - December 1

Yarn basket - December 2
Candy Cane - December 3
Gingerbread Man Applique for Grand-daughter's Christmas Stocking  - December 4
Santa Penguin - December 5
Wreath - December 6
Little bear Ornament - December 7
I decided how to display my advent mitts I knit earlier this year.  I found the advent calendar I had made when my children were small and I put a mitt into each little pocket.  Each day I take the mitt of the day out and clip it to the front of the calendar.  It is hanging in our living room so each day I hang a new mitt and then knit a new advent knit. 




I finished the leg of the first Knitflix sock and am about 1/2 done on the second leg.  By then I will have decided which heel to do - so many to choose from. (and we all know how much I LOVE making decisions.)



I am one repeat away from finishing the first section of the Sandhill County Shawl.  This is a very peaceful knit so far and I am ready to add the colour and begin the lace section.



I finally blocked my Clapotis shawl that I finished a few weeks ago:


I have added holly and ivy to my Advent Wreath.



In the second week of Advent shine
The plants and berries on the vine
the green grass and the lovely trees
and all the flowers that we see.
Now the plants are on the earth
Waiting for the Christ child's birth.