Today’s a knitting day, my pretties, or – as close to a knitting day as one may be permitted, if there’s still a hundred other things to do. It’s actually going pretty well here, if you keep the parameters loose, and the priorities shifting. A hat’s drying over there, I’ve got the first of four mittens done, and there will be time even for a brisk walk today – if only to keep me from becoming that crazy lady who stays in her house and knits all the time.
I’m still completely determined not to fall behind, and so for today, let’s just have our ornament, and gifts for knitters, shall we?
What did Luis hang today?
Today, Carlos texted to say Luis picked the bastón de caramelo, which I only figured out was the candy cane because bâton is stick in French. (I call this my “panic Spanish” approach. When all else fails me, I think about French, and see if anything works. I’m constantly surprised how close the two languages are.) Once I knew that bastón was stick (or might be stick) then the only stick-like thing I made, was the candy cane.
I used this pattern, but I downsized it from 5mm needles and worsted yarn to 2mm needles and fingering weight. To say that knitting a few stitches in the round in colourwork at that gauge was fiddly would be an understatement. Next to the snowflake, this is the ornament that made me the craziest. When I was done, I had something so tiny that there was no way that a pipe cleaner would fit through it- and it was a straightened paperclip to the rescue again. It’s no surprise Lou picked this ornament today. He’s worked out that if you see Santa, you get a candy cane, and he’s been accosting Santas all over town to get the goods. At least this one doesn’t leave him so sticky.
Gifts for Knitters, Day 13
Dear Non-knittter who loves a knitter,
Your knitter is a handworker. They work with their hands all the time, and a really lovely gesture that recognizes that you think that’s important, is to make their hands important. Today I’m going to suggest that you procure for them a knitter-specific hand product. There’s several soaps made just for knitters, like these ones, or these ones. I like hand lotions and creams a lot (especially in the winter, it makes knitting nicer to not have scratchy hands) and there’s lots out there that’s knitter specific. Soak has one that’s new to me, but looks great, there’s got to be a scent that would suit your knitter here, and these look fabulous. My all time favourite for the winter though, is (well, anything from Goodies Unlimited) the Everything Balm. I can’t live without it. (I also have deep, personal feelings for the stress-free green tea soap and the E-tomic balm, but that’s not knitter specific. Just good – although I do use the e-tomic if my hands are tired and aching at the end of the day. It’s on my bedside table.) Good hunting.
I am that crazy lady who doesn’t leave the house because of knitting many days. Wake me up when April arrives.
What a beautiful shade of blue that mitten is! Looks soft and warm, too.
I’m that crazy lady, just had to frog an entire, finished, buttons on cardigan that stretched like crazy when blocked. So I’ve swatched on smaller needles and once it’s dry I will be selecting a box set and getting on with it.
I’m loving the daily Advent calendar.
The little hat on vowels in French words is the last remaining remnant of what was one (circa 12th century) an “s” after the vowel. You can use this to turn lots of French words into English words.
LOL Yes , bastón de caramelo is candy stick 🙂 Love your blog
You know your method of setting a timer for ten minutes and going for broke with the tidying? I did that today and found two chocolate bars and a whole stash of sweets. As a method, I like it!
I’m ‘soldiering’ on with my Fox Paws. Grrrr.
Thank you for sharing Luis’ pick each day. Maybe “someday” I’ll make one for us (two seniors).
(For my own enjoyment I’m starting on Xandy’s Zipper Scarf. My youngest DD chose hot pink, orange, and brown. I need some bright colors to get me through Winter Solstice.)
A scheduling snafu forced me to take French 1 rather than Spanish 3 in school. My French teacher said she could actually see on my face when I was going to throw out the Spanish word because I couldn’t think of the French word. They are surprisingly close, those crazy Romance Languages.
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I would have guessed it from caramelo = caramel or carmel.
Now, I am thinking about cookies!
I think I am going to have to check out Goodies Unlimited for myself. It’s not wrong to buy balms for one’s own stocking, is it? Knit on, my friend.
I was in a happy place thinking all was under control.
And you had to go and mention cookies.
I am also that crazy lady.
My children and their spouses love getting knitted stuff and they wear it, a lot, so I’m knitting them a few pairs of socks each, mittens, hats and hot water bottle covers.
Time is quickly running out and I’ll have to find a way to do some Christmas cooking pretty soon. Help me!!!!!!!
I just found this and thought it would make a lovely addition to gifts for knitters: http://www.yellowowlworkshop.com/collections/stamp-activity-kits/products/handmade-stamp-activity-kit
Love love love the advent calendar. Though I am a slow knitter (& an even less proficient sewer) I love it enough that I’m considering making one for my son. He’s only 1.5, I’d have a whole year…plenty of time…right?
Awwwwwwww… Shucks, ma’am. Thank you, hon – and knit on! (If you have time, will you do my knitting, too? Somehow I’m behind…) HUG
Did you save time by making a really short thumb on that mitten, or is the picture deceptive?
Learning to knit while walking helps…I commend it — as long as the pattern is simple, the weather is good and the pathway isn’t icy!
you probably knew this would be coming – but I love the yarn in the picture, love LOVE. I am begging for more information. Please. please. For the love of all wooly things including the wooly mammoth.
I second the question about the lovely yarn…
Yarn and pattern please! 4 needles or 2?
I love the discipline that makes you blog daily. It is a special treat I leave myself after I have completed something on my Christmas to-do list. You’ve really helped move me along.
I think that the daily knitters’ gifts and Luis’s Advent selection blog entries are really an early Christmas present for us… BTW, French and Spanish can fool you with words that sound the same — my parents spoke both at home, or, increasingly as they aged, a mix. One evening, my mother asked my dad what he’d like for dessert: “Quieres un pedaso de gato?” Now, gateau is French for cake, but that’s not even close to what gato means in Spanish: it means cat. So it was startling to hear, “Would you like a piece of cat for dessert?”
i tried to get my daughter to name our cat “gateau” for that reason! that is the sort of thing that amuses me. i know just a little of french and spanish, just enough to get confused.
The Advent Tree is so beautiful and I love seeing the ornaments he picks everyday.
Glad to see a plug for the Soap Shed — I’ve bought all my soap from them for years, and love to give the hand salves as gifts. No, Jo-Anne, it’s not wrong to buy the balms for yourself! I just got my lovely fragrant order.
I recommend arnicare cream. http://www.arnicare.com/arnicare-cream/
Both Spanish and French developed from Latin. It is amazing how much you can guess in a Romance language if you have done some Latin.
For your UK readers, they might be interested in this : http://shop.debbieblissonline.com/products/knit-one-brew-one-mug As someone who knits, drinks tea AND whose surname is Brew, you can imagine my delight at having this pointed out to me by a friend ! As it’s online only, they ship to other countries too…
Those mittens are so cute. What yarn did you use?
Thanks so much for reconnecting me with Goodies Unlimited. Discovered E-Balm at Stitches a few years ago, used it up, and having tried many things since, now realize it’s really the best. Got some Christmas shopping done, too!
Love how you think about what’s going on in that youngster’s mind as he makes his choices… sweet boy!
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Aloha,
Glad to see that I’m not the only crazy lady! Learned how to knit upon retirement and knit all day. Send all the finished objects off to friends and relatives as I’m more interested in learning new techniques.
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