Random Catching Up

(photo and design by Carrie Bostick Hoge for Quince & Co.) 

Hi, Knitters,

Today's post is just a big hodge-podge of happenings all lumped together. I hope you are all doing well during this busy time of year.

The photos above are of my newest cardigan project. It is the Belfast Hoodie cardigan by Carrie Bostick Hoge. It's a great pattern. The yarn is Quince & Co. Lark in the pomegranate colorway. Oh, is it ever squishy and awesome. I can't wait to be done and wearing this one. I am finished with the body and I have a good start on the first sleeve. It is a bottom-up seamless design which I enjoy knitting.

I have about four more cardigans lined up and waiting after this one..... what are my odds of getting those done this winter? Probably not good but it is always fun to dream big about your knitting.

I hadn't posted a photo of the fingerless version of my mitten pattern called, Waiting for Winter Mittens and Fingerless Mitts. This is one of the pairs I've completed. I held two strands of Noro sock yarn together to get a worsted weight yarn. I love the tweedy look of the fabric.

Did you know that 2 strands of sock or fingering weight yarn held together usually make a perfect worsted weight yarn? Look to your sock yarn for these mittens and mitts! It works great.

These mitts are mismatched and I love that, always. I think I have enough of the doubled sock yarn to make a third mitt. Then I can really mix and match or even lose one without worry.

The Waiting for Winter Mitt-along is chugging along on Ravelry. I think there are already around 50 completed pairs with many more on the way. The variety of mitts being posted is so interesting and exciting. There is even a pair of Nemo mitts you just have to see (click here to see the Nemo and Dory mittens). These were knit by Debbie4 on Ravelry.

You can join in the knitalong anytime up until January 5th if you are interested. Everyone is welcome.

TC came home all excited about a new 3-D snowflake she learned how to make at school yesterday. She whipped this one out in a flash while teaching me at the same time. She wants to make different sized snowflakes in Christmas paper (with glitter, of course!) this weekend. I'll keep you posted on that.

Board games around the fire are all the rage at the Anderson home right now. We've been playing tons of Monopoly and Life and even some matching games. I have a small collection of matching games that are really unique and some are quite challenging. 

The game playing has been really fun. What board games does your family play? I'd love to hear about it.

On tap I have Password and of course, Scrabble. Yahtzee is always a staple. We even love a game of good old Candyland and Chutes and Ladders at times. 

My sweet firstborn turned 21 years old recently. We had a couple of simple family gatherings to celebrate his birthday. He is a gentle, quiet and understated soul who never likes to be the center of attention. We love and appreciate him so much. Isn't he sweet looking? 

We hiked out a long, long ways at a local tree farm to get our Christmas tree this year. The selection was either picked over or just very slim this year. The lack of snow has been strange, too. We prevailed and got a big and fun tree. I am thrilled with it. It was hard to be missing one of our sons (he is away at college this year) for the annual tree cutting. He is always so involved with our family activities that we really notice that he is gone. It is what it is and it makes us appreciate our kids at home even more if that's possible.

The tree is fantastic and looks so good all decorated and lit up. It has some crazy branches that stick out randomly here and there. I love it.

When I posted about my Agnes steeking adventure. I forgot to add my favorite photo of the new cardigan version. I have since added it to the original post about the steeking but I wanted to share it again today so you could get a good view. All of the information is right here.

My son who just had a birthday had an interesting fall here on campus at the UW-Madison. He actually got to see the President twice. This is a photo of the last time he saw him as he was campaigning last fall. He shared this photo with me and I couldn't believe how close he was to President Obama. He waited from the early morning and stood all day on Bascom Hill until the President arrived to speak.

I thought that was all really cool stuff.

Here is the other photo I failed to post where it should have been posted. This is the double-marl singles on the bobbin from the Dyeabolical roving I posted about a couple of days ago. I had a photo of a bobbin in the post but I am not sure it was the correct one. This is the correct one. Click here to see the post on this beautiful handspun yarn.

The photo above is at my dear sister's house. The photos around her dining room table are always so golden and glow-y looking due to her lighting and wallpaper and of course, the company. Here is my son with his cute girlfriend celebrating his birthday with a leftover Thanksgiving pie with candles.

I'd love to hear about your busy activities this time of year. I just packed up and shipped off three new adorable projects for the Knit Simple Spring Issue 2013. I've also just taken on two new projects for a couple of different companies which will be really fun and interesting. Lots going on as usual around here.

I'll be back on Monday with an exciting bit of news to share. Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday.
best, susie