New Year's Eve

Before Christmas 2014 is officially over...

(are you still listening to Christmas tunes like I am?)

 

I wanted to show you my favorite shelf of Christmas décor.

 

In my kitchen...

 

 

My vintage ceramic Christmas tree...

the Santa picture made by my mother...

my nutcrackers...

Yes definitely all favs of mine.

All to come down tomorrow.

 

We don't get to wild on New Year's Eve at our house.

I will be making a lasagna supper with bread pudding for dessert.

We are usually asleep before the ball drops in Time Square.

 

 

Happy New Year from knit and pearl.

 

~b



Nice

Christmas 2014 was a huge success at our house.

The hostess with the mostess (me) wore herself out...

but that is what she likes to do it seems.

 

 

The granddaughters were the most fun of course...

 

all the gifts were of the most thoughtful kind...

 

there was too much food

 and everyone went home talking about a New Year's diet.

 

Here is a few gifts that I made and couldn't show you before Christmas.

 

 

The blanket and hat were made by Dakota Kids (me)

and the elephant toy was purchased on etsy.

Did you know the elephant is an ancient symbol

 of strength, protection and good luck?

 

 

This quilted bag is a Barb Bradley from Dakota Maid.

If you follow my blog on a regular basis

you will know that I am being facetious.

I made the Vera Bradley copycat bag

for daughter knit and pearl.

 

Of course it's always nicely quiet when it's over

and things are back to normal.

I am definitely a routine person.

 

~b



Merry Christmas

It's time...

 

 

to put on your prettiest dress for Christmas Eve services.

 

Grandma waited until zero hour to sew up the blue party dress...

chiffon and silks aren't my thing.

 

 

 

I had this fabric leftover from the Cinderella dresses

 I made our twin granddaughters a few years ago.

I didn't learn my lesson then I guess.

One of the dolls was purchased with a party dress.

 

 

I've been sewing doll clothes for a couple years now...

and the granddaughters are finally old enough for the dolls and clothes.

 

Merry Christmas to you and yours...

 

~b



Christmas Eve Eve

We all know it...

we all experience it!

 

Christmas just gets here to fast.

 

 

Just when I have everything finished

and I can sit back and enjoy the feeling and season...

it's over!

 

I hate these shelves above my kitchen sink

but at Christmas they are fun to fill up.

The Santa and sack were painted

 by one of our kids many years ago.

Definitely one of my favorite things to put out.

 

~b



treating Santa

Mrs. S. Claus was up with her chickens this morning.

She likes to keep Santa happy this time of year

 with a few extra goodies.

~b



7 days?

 

One week = 7 days

Until Christmas!

 

I loved buying this Little Golden Book

of The Night Before Christmas

to cut apart for blocks.

The illustrations are so wonderful.

Don't worry I bought two so the granddaughters and I

 can read it for Christmas.

 

~b



Life is good

I was ready to cast on another pair of mittens this morning

when I looked down and saw the numerous small projects

already in progress in my knitting basket.

 

 

I thought to myself,

 "Now this is an accident waiting to happen

 with all these stitches on numerous needles and projects."

 

I decided this mitten project could use a little yarn sack...

 

 

Then I asked daughter knit and pearl if she had a little yarn sack?

 

 

You know how I love chickens!

I'm keeping this one.

 

 

Three yarn sacks later and with chicken soup simmering on the stovetop...

 

 

I'm ready to cast on that pair of mittens.

My life is good...

 

~b

 

 

 



thank you

We needed thank you gifts for the staff at my mother's assisted living.

 

 

Knitted dishrags have been my go-to gift for a lot of years.

I also crocheted a pot scrubber

 and added a small tube of hand cream.

 

 

We are fortunate to have my mother taken care

 of by these staff members.

They are extremely patient and kind to all the residents in this center.

 

 

Thank you and Merry Christmas to the staff members at the

Prairie View Assisted Living.

 

We appreciate all you do everyday for Mom!

 

~b

 

 



mittens

It's a good time of the year to sit down and knit mittens.

They will make the perfect last minute gift for someone fussy on my list.

 

 

100% wool to keep hands warm in snowy South Dakota.

 

 

I love knitting with all natural fibers.

 

It was this jam that I spotted at World Market

 that got me thinking about knitting wool mittens for gifts.

 

 

Probably the same thing the downstairs staff at Downton Abbey

 made and gave as gifts in the 1800's.

 

 

I love Christmas...

 

~b



snowflakes

The Christmas decorations are up at our house

and I have to say...

I knocked myself out as usual.

 

 

I used mostly white decorations on our tree.

The beautiful crocheted snowflakes were made

 by an elderly woman for us many years ago.

 

 

My favorite Christmas décor is always the woodland theme.

Who doesn't fantasize about a snowy cabin for Christmas?

 

 

My sisters and I had a Santa phase one year.

We just couldn't paint enough Santa's.

These are just a few of mine.

 

 

So with the decorating done

it will soon be time to roll out my favorite sugar cookies.

 

How about you...

how's your Christmas coming?

 

~b

 

 

 

 

 



HELP!

Wouldn't it be nice if the elves

(or gnomes)

would come in at night and decorate the house

for Christmas?

 

cuz...I would rather be knitting gnomes!

 

 

I decided I better get busy...we have family coming.

 

~b



The knit goes on...

 

 

Now where did this Sonny and Cher song in my head come from?

 

Charleston was once the rage, uh, huh
Now history has turned the page, uh, huh
Hot pants is on the current thing, uh, huh
The Teenybopper is our newborn King, uh, huh

It has nothing to do with knitting or socks does it?

 

Grandmas sit in chairs and reminisce
And boys keep chasing girls to get a kiss
And men still keep on marching off to war
Electrically they keep a baseball score

 



The first slipper sock of this pair sat around quite awhile

before I finished it's mate.

When you get a pair of socks from me you can be assured

it took me a year to make them.

 



Yes, the beat goes on
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, the beat goes on
Yeah, the beat, the beat, the beat, the beat, the beat
Yes, the beat goes on

~b

 

 



a little this...

and a little that.

 

 

Did you make pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving?

It was always a tradition at our house to make a little pie

with the pies when daughter knit and pearl was home helping me.

She will soon be doing this with her daughter.

 

 

We have two pieces left...

then it's another year before we enjoy pumpkin pie again.

 

 

They had a display of Vera Bradley bags at Barnes and Noble this weekend.

I love them...and always have to stop to admire them.

I asked Mr. b if we could stop at Joann's so I could look for some

Vera Bradley inspired quilted fabric.

 

 

And we did and I did...

 

 

I had to do a bit of tweaking on this sample bag

in order to have enough fabric.

 

Remember that super sale I got on flannel after Christmas last year?

 

 

I made Mr. b and I pillowcases.

 

 

Sweet Dreams!

 

~b



Time out

It was another Thanksgiving for the memory book.

 

 

There weren't to many of us around our table.

But there was lots of food...

 

 

and fun!

 

After I have a little time out (rest)

 I will begin Christmas decorating.

 

 

~b