Double the pleasure double the fun

Double double your refreshment,

Double double your delightment

- Double Mint Gum Commercial

I'm really having fun with this two sock knitting. I've been sending my Nana updates as she was curious on how I was liking it. Only now did I realize I should show the internet too! The internet cares, I just know it.

THEY JUST KEEP GROWING!

I've decided to go with an afterthought heel with these guys (my first ever). My reasoning is that I have encountered a few people giving me weird looks because I'm knitting two different colors. I even had someone ask if I realized that I was doing it.

Oh my gosh, how did I make that mistake! ;)

I decided to make it blatantly obvious that these were meant to be a pair and I'll give them the opposite color toes / heels. I think it'll be great and I'll be able to wear them as Christmas socks when Christmas comes again. Boy, I love Christmas.

I'm about to lay something heavy on you guys: I've already planned a lot of gifts out in my head.

I need help. Send some quickly.

Wind it, Knit it, Give it, Wear it.

Buy it, use it, break it, fix it,

Trash it, change it, mail - upgrade it.

-Daft Punk 'Technologic'

Sing the blog title like that song and it becomes a billion times cooler. I think someone much more clever than I should make a crafty version of Technologic. If someone has already, please, please, let me know!

Anywho. This post is all about those gifts I received for Christmas that only make my crafty addiction easier to satisfy. As I've stated before, it's nice having a nerdy husband that appreciates your craft. Appreciates it and feeds it with shiny new toys.

I really wanted Knit Picks ball winder and swift for a while now. I was always bothering Twelve to bring hers over or let me use them at her house. Now I don't ever have to talk to Twelve again because I got my own. Thank goodness!

Ah, a glimpse into the clutter of my craft room. Is that Reese's peanut butter cup wrapper in the corner, you ask? And proudly I say: YES IT IS!

On top of giving husbands I have the coolest Nana in existence. So cool in fact that there are people who have applied to be her honorary granddaughter.  I had complained to her at some point about my issue with losing steam on my sock knitting. It's a curse most knitters fight with everyday, it seems. I'm just lazy enough that it turns into an issue, occasionally every single time.

She was kind enough to buy me some Addi's double pointed needles. Two sets, in fact so that I could try my hand at two sock knitting! I knew it was a thing and I have seen it done before on public transit but I just never went out and bought the needles for it. Well, now I don't have to. I also was able to wind up some sock yarn that had yet to be touched and so my journey has begun!

I am a fan of mismatched socks. Little Miss Matched, anyone? These socks are using the same style yarn, just different colors. (Durhey) 

So far I really like doing the two socks at a time. It made it easier when I decided it was time to knit together my extra stitches. Didn't have to count and write it down (and then lose the paper), I just went ahead and did it to both at the same time. Lots of fun to do.

Nana also got me a fun little book: Knit Your Own Dog. Someday I will knit my own dog, or 8 and you'll be sure to enjoy it.

She also gave us a beautiful hand made quilt.

Super nifty giraffe pillow cases.

This isn't everything she made us either. She did some amazing painting this year too, but that will need it's own post. There is a lot to show, but in due time.

I never know how to end these things, so...

In a giving mood

“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” 

― Mother Teresa

As I have said before I love Christmas. Most years I try really hard to make a fair amount of my Christmas gifts, but I usually fall short on that goal. This year I found the secret to success: use nicer yarns. I lose steam pretty quickly when it comes to a project, doesn't matter what it is: hats, scarves, socks(always the second one... always!), even simple bags! But this year really nailed down the fact that if it's a soft luxurious yarn I will work on it as often as possible!

Earlier in the year I had made a hat and matching arm-warmers out of the Wurm Hat pattern on Ravelry. Bkins seemed slightly jealous and hinted several times that he thought the pattern would even be masculine, if made in the right color. Hint hint, amiright? So I went on down to Yarn Garden and bought me some more of the beautiful Chalet yarn I used on my hat. Obviously, a more Bkins color choice was made. 

Here it is in the sun. It's a really pretty blueish gray, that can almost look purple if paired with the right colors.

Or it'll blend into my couch...

Here are the ones I made for myself.

I love this Chalet stuff! The photos make it seem a little more white than it is. It's definitely a creamier color in person.

I also made Bkins a lovely Cowl (you can see it poking in on one of his hat photos) but that post will be shared with Twelve, as it was a joint effort kind of project.

And then... the big daddies. The gift that I could not wait for him to open. The pattern twelve just HAD to show me when I thought I was done with gifts. The perfect gift for the nerdy husband...

The Tardis Socks!

This last photo is a little more true to color. It's not quite that bright, but it isn't as dark as the above ones either. 

These socks were difficult. I had never tried fair isle knitting and I had no flipping clue what yarn dominance was, but if anything was going to make me learn it would be Tardis socks.

The first one was the roughest. I'm a tight knitter and for fair isle you want to keep things loose so that you're non-dominant yarn doesn't get sucked into the dominant color. In this case it was white nondom and black dom. On the top right photo above where I have it on my foot you can't see the middle of the B. I knit it too tight and had to go through and fuss the yarn up to show. It was tedious, but I had the hang of it by the second sock.

It went much smoother and it's the easiest to read. 

He loved them. It's so nice to have a husband that just loves these nerdy crafts. Right, Twelve?

 I'll have a post later of the stuff I made people that aren't my husband. Unfortunately I need them to send me photos... I kind of finished them and wrapped them. Whoops!

Happy New Year, internet!

EDIT: Almost forgot this guy!

Christmas at twelve's house

Pictures of our house decorations this year:

I whipped up some perler bead snowflakes and hung them from the armoir doors:

This year I decided to go all out with our big wall of frames, which is behind the tree this year.  Jesse really wanted to open them.

Jesse made little Santa hats (extremely fast, too, it was shocking) and put them on most of the pictures in his office/man cave.

And a little bonus shot of my little helper, being extremely unhelpful while I was going through my scrapbook paper to put in the cubbies up above.

Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

Guest post: Ornament Wreaths

I'm in looove with these ornament wreaths!  I saw this ornament garland on Craftster, but couldn't think of what I would do with such a large piece.  An ornament wreath, however, is perfect!  I loved the colors Amy chose and think her's turned out awesome.  Amy's original post is here and you can visit her at The Unexamined Life.

 

______________

 

So, I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was nifty and decided to go about making my own. Here’s the link to the original post I followed when making mine.

Firstly, the supplies:

Wire Coat Hanger (and a leatherman or something of the like to open the top and close it again when you’re done)

Ornaments (get molded plastic ones so you don’t have to waste time gluing the tops to the balls)

Ribbon or a bow (I started with grand designs and bought ribbon, went back later and got two tree bows instead)

 

Making these is super simple!

Step one: Bend your wire hanger (WITH THE HOOK STILL CONNECTED – if you untwist the top now, it’ll be difficult to get the thing actually round) into a circle, make sure it’s flat and not boxy, sharp angles will show up in the finished product. Untwist your hangar.

Step two: (at this point you need your ornaments all glued up if they’re likely to pop away from their rings) string your ornaments on to the hanger making sure to staggar them so that you get adequate coverage, and try to make string on your colors in an equal pattern so it’s not big clumps of one color. When you’ve gotten them all on, hold the hangar closed and look the wreath over, moving ornaments that need to fill in gaps, and make sure you don’t want anymore on.

Step three: Twist the wire hanger closed and use ribbon wire to tie your bow about the wreath near your hook. Some people cover the hook with ribbon, my bow was big enough that fluffed the right way, you don’t notice the hook.

And Voilla! You’ve got yourself a pretty nifty holiday decoration.

 

Mine cost just over $24 each to make, but if you have ornaments already, and ribbon and wire hangers… recycling can make this a really inexpensive solution.

Tis the Season

Christmas time is here

Happiness and cheer.

Fun for all that children call

Their favorite time of year.

I love Christmas. The smells, the food, the friends, the family, the lights, the decor and of course: presents!

This year is an exciting year. Lots of good gifts under my tree and I'm excited for those that get to receive them. Unfortunately you won't get to see these gifts until after Christmas. Don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone.

We get into the season with gusto around here! 

The tree is up.

We're even counting down!

Even the plants are festive.

(do you see that little gum drop tree in the back? See how few gum drops are on it? :V)

Of course the window got into the spirit. This is our side of it, but I'll do a full post for it a little later. 

CHRISTMAS!