Yarn and Paper: December 2008

Farm fresh eggs

Some things change over the years so slowly that I don't notice. Recently I had an organic banana. I had a huge flashback to my childhood and the realization - THIS is what a banana is supposed to taste like! I had no idea they had become bland and sort of chemically over the years.

Today I had fresh eggs. Not ones purchased recently from the store, but real fresh eggs. From free range chickens who munch on pumpkin rinds, flowers, bugs, grass, corn - all sorts of good things. Happy ones who get hugs and have Christmas stockings. Those scrambled eggs flooded me with childhood memories of early breakfast at my parents' house. How familiar was the taste. That's what eggs are supposed to taste like.

A new craft room!

We have a junk room. Since we moved in, it's been filled with stuff that won't fit in the tiny closets in the house, but necessities that need to be nearby. Ironing board, pile of clothes to be ironed, luggage, drying tower, and stuff. Just stuff.

Recently we've tidied it up a bit. Put up some prints that didn't have a spot anywhere else in the house. I moved my yarn stash downstairs and collected all of my stamping and paper goods to put in there. I want to learn to sew on my neglected sewing machine of 15 years. So, I needed a table for crafts. Making cards, scrapbooking, and sewing. I have a fabulous desk downstairs for writing notes and doing home-officey things. This table will be for crafting. (I stamped some cards on the ironing board yesterday - not quite right...)

The perfect table came into our house in two boxes and two plastic bags late last night. I became a bit overwhelmed when I realized I bought something with drawers. I love drawers, but have never assembled drawers. And I was home alone with a half-charged battery drill. And the pieces.

So many pieces.

So I started. Here I am at step 10 of 24.

I called in reinforcements at step 15, skeptical as they were.

I like the self reliance that comes with assembly. I like it even more when it goes smoothly. I may never buy anything to be assembled from anywhere but Ikea again. Love the Swedes. The assembly flowed more smoothly than I could have ever dreamed. Aside from the half-charged battery drill for which I suppose I cannot hold them responsible.

Here is the completed table minus one leg - still waiting on full power on the drill.

Now the junk room is officially the craft room!

Christmas is coming!!!

Boy, the activity going on! Christmas knitting for friends and family.

I'm having a tough time gifting these socks! These are made from yarn bought in Sweden last year. My first, and only, short row heel to date.

This yarn is Cascade sock yarn. I loved knitting with it. Soft, squishy, lovely colorway. The pattern is River Rapids - I thought appropriate for the yarn. The recipient may think she's getting plain stockinette socks - I hope she likes these!!!