Knit In Progress #8
Malabrigo Azul Profundo #150, 100% Merino Wool 
Cable Beanie, design by Marianne Garrison (LYS)
Needle Size to gauge: Size 8 One Size Only
Start Date: Mid-November
Target Finish Date: Ongoing, until I get bored with it
Special Note: Hat is tight-fitting. The cable design is very simple to follow. Malabrigo Yarns are incredibly soft.

There’s this cache of these brimmed beanies and Button Hats for Christmas gifts and winter knitting that I’m building. Also included would be fingerless and closed mittens. Scarves included.

Mindless Knitting!

Knit In Progress #7
Crystal Palace Yarns Taos 100% Wool 
Button Hat, inspired from Flower Hat by Miriam Pike (LYS)
Needle Size to gauge: Size 6 (S) or Size 7 (M)
Start Date: Late October
Target Finish Date: Ongoing, until I get bored with it
Special Note: Hat is loose-fitting with rolled edges. Taos Yarn colorways are just fantastic for this type of project. Yarn is so soft and light.

This purplish hat has been promised to YS (Youngest Sis). 2YN (2nd Youngest Niece) gets one too. Hers still needs to have the buttons sewn. OS (Oldest Sis) and Lola (Grandma/Mom) will get theirs next, soon.

Morse Code to YS: I need KIKIAM! That’s why you’re getting all these knit stuffs. Do you hear me?

My Precious had just had a birthday Monday. As always, he wanted a quiet celebration. So unlike his younger days,  when 10 or more little terror guests, mostly boys, were invited. Now, it’s only a family affair.

Last Saturday, part of his gifts was to drive him anywhere he wanted. There was a limit to distance, of course. He wanted to hike Mt. Hood hiking trails. But that’s out of the choices. Explained to him that if it’s raining locally, it would be snowing up Mt. Hood. He opted to go to this place:

Uwajimaya: only 3 stores, 1 in Oregon and 2 in Washington. Visited all the store aisles; bought dessert goodies. We had a very Japanese lunch. The restaurant within the store looked all Japanese except for the background music. It was playing Hawaiian songs. Sushi is always part of the dishes that we order when we go Japanese.

Then off to downtown Portland, about 20 minutes west of Uwajimaya. Walked around and window-shopped. All in 1 hour of getting there. Then, the birthday boy got bored. So we went home. I couldn’t complain. It was his birthday after all.

What he got for his birthday:

• The much-anticipated Lizard Ridge Afghan:  He was quite surprise with this unusual present. And he loved it. My Precious is a blanket person. Never a sweater person, so I cannot make him sweaters. He stopped wearing sweaters once he reached grade school. ‘Tis sad!

• A tire gauge: very practical. Dad only gives him practical gifts.
• A Border’s gift card: bookstore gifts are always handy. There’s always a bookstore gift card in any present we get/give.
• A clock sticker: his car’s clock somehow breaks every now & then. Must be a loose wiring somewhere. Everyone is lazy to have it fixed. So Dad just got him this.
• Lots of chocolate: Euphoria chocolate, a local chocolate maker.
• And lastly, he got 2 days off from work. This child who’s never taken days off just because. He’s learning. haha!

Remember this and this in regards to Lizard Ridge?

Well, it’s done! Seven months in the making! Phew!

Special Notes:

• Try not to use darker yarn, specially ones that need to be sewn together many times over. It’s hard on my poor getting-older eyesight.
• Instead of 28 squares, I added 2 more to make a 5-square, 6-row afghan. Big enough to cover a queen size bed if I had really blocked the whole piece.
• It was the right decision NOT to block the piece. I love the 3-dimensional look and FEEL of the blanket.
• What Laura Aylor, Lizard Ridge’s afghan designer, did not realize (or maybe she does now) that her design had inspired hundreds, if not thousands, of knitters to re-create such awesome looking afghan.
• Lastly, I’m ready to make another Lizard Ridge. This time, it will be the 2nd version I’ll be making. The afghan will be my gift to Mr. Wonderful (for his next year’s birthday).

The crocheted edges were very appropriate to the whole knit design.

Knit In Progress #6
Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece 
Marianne Garrison Design (LYS)
Needle Size 5 to gauge
Gauge 5 sts +1″ stockinette stitch 
Start Date: Early August
Target Finish Date: Ongoing

Special Note: Knitting this little shrug is so much fun and a cinch to make. I’ve already finished a small-sized two-tone pink one and a medium-sized blue one. I love this shade of blue ~ Blue Paradise. The pink one is Blush; the darker pink: A Mistake!  Both shrugs are just waiting to have a button sewn up on each of them. Actually, I haven’t bought the buttons. I’ll have to wait till I come back from the marathon.

Then, I’m in the middle of knitting a red tweed-looking piece called Rosy Paintbrush ~ very pleasing color piece. The pink one goes to my mom; the blue one (a bit late birthday present) to my oldest sis (OS); the red tweedy one goes to youngest sis (YS). I’ll send my mom’s and (OS) the week after the marathon. YS will get hers a week or so after that.

About the 2-tone pink shrug, the yarn was on sale and I grab two of them not even looking at the dye lot. I’m such a blind bat! After I’ve finished knitting the piece did I only discover the different shade. My mom is more blind than I am and so will not mind at all. hahahahahaha!

 Edges look more like cables

 I made this longer

 YS will love this

KIP #4 was completed 2 weeks later than target completion time of April 25th.

I wanted to keep this tank top for myself but I owe my dear college friend this one. AWR will be surprised, but she deserves it. She remembered my birthday, but I forgot hers and didn’t even send her any card nor called her that I received her card. Her birthday was just 2 days after mine, in April! I’m such a bad, bad person!

Hopefully, AWR will like it. It’s on its way to her. Even when this project was finished, it took me another month to put on the buttons and more weeks after, to take photos. That’s how bad I am. Doesn’t that prove to you what a great procrastinator I am?!

This is my 140th posting!

Here are the last items being added to the pile of goodies ready to go to a lucky recipient of my 150th Post Giveaway box.

 Beware of a Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing, a 5″x7″ print in 8″x10″ matted border, by a young, very talented local artist named Noelle Dass. Her artwork is quite famous around here; and before I met her, I have always thought that the artist was a man in his forties. Not sure why. I mentioned to her about my impression and she indicated that people had looked at her artwork and had thought the same way I did ~ that the artist is anyone else but her. She’s very humble and approachable. Plus, her artwork seemed very happy, quirky, and whimsical. I’m glad I finally met her.

Sipping Dreams Drinking Chocolate Bars (+ cup) ~ very rich and delicious! I personally met Clover and mentioned that I was looking for some local products to give away on my blog. Clover was very friendly and helpful with giving me much information about chocolate as well as how different it is from hot cocoa.

You have until February 8th at midnight Pacific Standard Time to leave comments on this post.

(Remember, that is PACIFIC STANDARD TIME. So, if you are from the East Coast, you still have 3 hours beyond your midnight to leave comments. Isn’t that nice, huh?! Or, if you are from other time zones, just calculate accordingly.)

For a recap, click here for the other items that I’m including in the silver tin box to give to one lucky recipient, and why I’m doing a giveaway. But altogether, here are the items all spread out for you.

    Whew! They all fit in the box!

This silver tin is all ready to go! Just need to have comments from anyone, everyone whoever you are Lucky Ducky!

GOOD LUCK FOLKS!

By now, everyone had either liked their holiday presents and are very happy with them; while others had to return or exchanged them. This year, gift cards were the big winners when it came to gift-giving. Gift card was the non-thought searching, easiest way to give someone who were either hard to give to, or didn’t know what they really wanted.

Has everyone gotten their holiday presents that they wished for?  Let’s surely hope so. This year, my request was for a simple present from the hubby but, none from the working, self-supporting child.

Well, I got what I wanted and then some. My Precious got me a gift card from my favorite coffee shop called Barry’s Espresso & Bakery. See this blog that describes Barry’s. I love Barry’s for its unpretentiousness. When I have cravings for Jewish food, I go to Barry’s. Challah bread is a must-have, so is the potato knish. And his pastries are super-delicious but not too expensive. And the soups are so original; one of which the Senegalese Peanut Soup, is my bestest favorite. I was really surprised that My Precious even knows what his mom likes. He always seem not to care about what mom does. But I think that’s where he’s at full attention, when you are off your guard. Or pretends that he’s the least bit interested in you and what you do.

Then Mr. Wonderful gave me these:

The Spirited Walker by  Carolyn Scott Kortge,  the book I requested. I wanted to read this to get me psyched up for my anticipated New Year’s resolution to walk seriously since I cannot go rowing anymore.

The other book, Dewey by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter, was a surprise addition to my Xmas presents.

I’ve already started reading the Kortge book. Dewey will have to wait a little bit, like the rest of the books on my long list of reading.

Then, both boys presented me with a whopping gift card from my LYS. The hubby said that the $ should be enough to stop me from further bleeding the bank account. Right………for the time being. hahahahaha!

As for Mr. Wonderful, he has his birthday presents, remember? And more Xmas gifts in the form of…..you guess it, bookstore gift cards. He already used one of them last night when he had to drag me to Borders. This guy lives on books as some men live ‘watching sports’ on TV. This is one thing that I really, truly like about my hubby. He’s not into sports, glued to the TV.

Oh, he has gotten a sweater that we have named FUD, short for fuddy-duddy. It’s an old fashioned front-zippered sweater that would look good on Mr. Rogers of the famed Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood TV show. The hubby loves FUD.

Now for My Precious. As all parents know, children are to be lavished with gifts that are on the verge of getting them spoiled-rotten. This year, we had to tone it down. But My Precious still got what he didn’t expect we would give. Gifts of Necessity. He, who is now self-supporting in every way, got the following gift cards from:

• Market of Choice, his favorite grocery store
• Fina Taqueria, a favorite local Mexican fast-food joint
• Barnes & Noble, his favorite hangout (he’s a bookworm too!)
• Local Movie House

My son has turned into his dad. Dad’s famous: ‘oh, don’t give me anything’ has been handed down to his son. His request to NOT give him anything this year fell on deaf ears. And I’ll tell you why My Precious does not need anything (he thinks). He only wants knives, custom knives to be exact. He knows there’s no way we’re going to spend money on such things. If he wants them, he has to earn his own money. So far, he didn’t get himself one, not that I’m aware of. Ever since he has lived away from home, he has been so budget-conscious.

He was pleasantly surprised with his gifts and was truly happy. I can tell, because he actually SMILED.

Sort of.

Mr. Wonderful had a birthday yesterday. This year, I thought to make him a special dinner. As Christmas overshadows any other event close to it, anyone who has a birthday days before or after it (or even on the 25th itself) knows not to compete with the ultimate holiday celebration. Or they lose that special attention bestowed on their special day. Some years, I just blend his birthday dinner with the Christmas dinner.  It’s just easier that way. But this year, he didn’t want anything special not even gifts, so I thought I will do the reverse.

A perfect dinner has been prepared. Everything was ready. My Precious came home just in time. Except, the birthday boy wasn’t getting home any sooner. He got caught in holiday rush traffic. 

But finally he got home and brought tons of birthday and Xmas presents from work. After all the excitement of checking out his presents, we proceeded with dinner.

There was prime rib and crimini mushrooms; mashed potatoes and gravy; baked squash and onions with cheddar cheese sprinkle. Everything was delicious! I was surprised to discover that prime rib is one of the easiest dishes to make. I should make it a point to have it either on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas from now on.

Then it was time to attack his birthday cake, a Vanilla Fudge cake.

After which, he opened his presents from his family. It looked like he received more bookstore gift certificates than ever before. He is a book fiend! Out of 52 weeks in a year, he devours about 30 to 40 books. And he’s picky with his reads. The other gifts consisted of what I might call men’s usual gifts of shirts, socks, pants, sweaters.

Two presents he received, top the list; both of which came from his boss.

This would put a smile to any Irish out there.

His boss has such a sense of humor. He gave him a pair of binoculars. Not just any plain binoculars.

Binoculars with a different purpose.

 The Jameson can fill both flasks.

There’s a guilty feeling that not enough yarn-related subjects are posted here when the title of my blog reads Yarn Hungry.

Fear not! I have been knitting, but with not too many proofs.

Remember this? Well, here’s the finished product.

Shrug, Lamb’s Pride Bulky Cranberry Swirl (couldn’t find Noro Iro anywhere in any of the LYS)

This shrug is going to my Flamenco teacher.

Now, how about this one? This will go to my 2nd oldest niece, D.

Top with Short Sleeves, Noro Silk Garden

Both knits came from this book.

There are more KIPs (Knit In Progress)  in the works. I will post them as they are completed.