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We Think We Are So Brilliant

Observe our crocheted-knitted candleholder in 24-gauge craft wire and lots of czech seed beeds and rounds:

Melanie Fallick, in Handknit Holidays, also features a votive sleeve in wire and beads, designed by A. Modesitt. When this was brought to my attention, I immediately looked it up to see how I could have independently designed the same thing. And there on page 21, sure enough, is a wire-knit beaded votive holder. But! That's a sleeve that's a couple-inches tall! knit flat and then joined along the cast-on edge. Mine is a 10-inch tall tube with a crocheted round bottom, joined with picked-up knit stitches to knit in the round on dps, then finished with a crocheted edging. So I feel free to brag about mine here even though it's not as efficiently designed as the ones in Handknit Holidays.

Isn't it nice? I plan to make several more. The other thing I'm planning is to prepare for the new year by getting things in order here at my house. I love New Year's Eve celebrations because it's just such a nice new start to an all-new year that's ready to fill with dreams, ambitions, and projects. And I like to start all that with a tidy house, so, in Yoda-speak, busy we are off to get. The dachshunds are not very interested in being busy, but in catching some rays while sniffing around in the herb garden. And that's okay, because we also observe Chinese New Year. Whatever we don't finish now, we'll finish by February :-)

Wishing you a good weekend, a happy New Year, lasting dreams and wishes, and dachshund-proof herb gardens. Cheers!

Santa Paws — We Already Brought it to Town

Hey, you knitters! Happy holidays! In case you were wondering, the answer is Yes! We have been knitting...mostly over at amber's freeform 365, but a bit of other knitting as well. (Anne, we haven't forgotten--just need to finish a thumb.)

Viking Knitting!
In November we learned how to do Viking Knitting, which made us feel as if we were back in Girl Scout Camp. Have you tried yet? You need craft or half-hard wire, a block of wood with holes of various sizeds drilled in it, and a dowel.

Here's some knitting on the dowel:

Off the dowel and drawn through a series of increasingly smaller holes in the previously mentioned wooden block:

Creating a v-shaped chained structure that does look a bit like a knitted tube:

Here's our silver bracelet, drawn through the smallest hole in the wooden drawplate, with an amethyst clasp:

And a copper one:

And a black skully one:

Cool, eh? and Loads-o-fun. We recommend highly as a diverting activity.

We also learned how to do bead crochet, but will save that for another time and merely note that we are pretty darn clever.

New Adventures
The doggies and I have happily relocated. One of us has a new job that's, oh, about 100 million times better than the last one, and one of us has a new-ish backbone...Cousin Bear had surgery but has recovered like a champ, and even walked around the block for the first time today! Three of us are rowdy as ever. Yep. The whole pack is back in town. And we wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, some figgy pudding, a satisfying soltice, and an all-around wonderful winter! Some knitted holly for you:

Cheers! and talk to you soon!