Owl Things

So after creating a little owl cup cozy, I'm a little obsessed with owl cables.  I've decided to make myself a set of owl accessories for winter, starting with Owlings.  I've finished the left, and I'm starting the right.  I've got some gray-blue glass seed pearls to use for their eyes.  Once finished, my plan is to make a cowl and perhaps a hat.

I found this neat bamboo-wool blend from Moda Dea on clearance and I'm loving the way it just barely clings to my bamboo needles.  Plus, it's fairly warm and has the slightest sheen.  The color is "coffee," and I think the ruddy undertones will match my bright red wool coat nicely.

A few holiday WIPs

Yes, it's after Christmas.  But I don't have to be in VA for another day or two, and since my gifts are hand-delivered, I have wiggle room.  Just finished a set of armwarmers for my mother-in-law:

And I'm still working on a felt tea set and tea fare for our god-daughters.  I'm modifying the patterns from Umecrafts to get classic cucumber sandwiches, and I made Moravian cookies. 

Urban Threads, I love you!

In my continuing saga of holiday stitching, I have to profess my love for Urban Threads.  I've been making Buttercup bags for the holidays, in a huge array of prints for various people.  But for Nycole, I had some trouble getting edgy enough.   

Enter Urban Threads.  The result, a black velvet Buttercup lined in blood red, with skeletons:

And for our buddies with a slightly twisted sense of humor, I stitched out this great set of ornaments, also from UrbanThreads:

On my to-do list from Urban Threads is this nifty fabric thaumatrope and a set of thumb-wrestling puppets.

The designs stitch out beautifully, and the price is incredibly reasonable. 

New Beginnings

I've decided I need a new blog, to keep my stitching lives separated.  So, from now on, all the random personal projects I've got going will be here. 

Thanks to E--, I've taken up knitting.  I'm still learning, but I'm doing pretty well.  For the holidays, I took on the challenge of making most, if not all, of the gifts for family and friends.  This was a slightly selfish challenge, as it meant I could practice knitting in the process.  Here's where I've gotten thus far:

I decided to learn to cable with an owl, and then made sure that I understood the process by making a coffee cup sweater for my mother.  I was pretty shocked at how easy it is.

A cowl for my hubby.

And a needle case for me.  This also has a matching circular needle case and bag.  I also made a circular case for my friend Emily.

A lovely eggplant for Tina.

Oh, and a set of cotton balls for our niece.