Sooooo

Last year everyone got crocheted or knitted shawls, ponchos or scarves from me, so this year I am going to give the needles and hook a rest and do baskets - a basket for each family. I don't know what's going to be in them yet - I have three months to work on that.

Rusty in CT and Dog Dusty

How wonderful...I give christmas stockings to all my elderly ladies and gents, those that live on their own, get tea coffee sugar polish soap flannel deodorant talc biscuits and everything to help them out over the holiday period without going to the shops and I buy sweets and push them into the stocking at the bottom an apple and an orange, oh and a small christmas cake.. I love doing these and do them for people who live near me, not related or anything, just so as they aren't forgotten it's great fun to do this for them..I am hoping this will catch on in every street so that all our older folk are taken care of by their community.. getting a few teabags and a bag of sugar a week from now until Christmas doesn't cost the earth does it. this week I picked up three lots of Baby Talc, next week I get the Coffee's and so on, til I have the lot and just the fruit to put in, then on Christmas Eve morning I take them around...If I've got time I knit up some soft bed socks too...

cheers....Cher

Cher, I am going to order some Gotland from Treenway this time around, also some Lincoln grey and white for spinning and weaving rugs. At least I hope that with less to do in the Guild I will get more spin- and weaving time. Our guest are gone home again, and the washing is hanging on the line. Hope to get back to the spinning of my Romni fleece from New Zealand.

Els

Christmas stuff??? LOL I'm still plugging away on this tent of an aran sweater I've been working on all summer.......I've got both sleeves finished and am doing the shoulder on the front now. Had to stop a few times to make a couple of afghans and a pair of socks (I couldn't wait any longer to see how the self striping yarn came out) and a couple secret projects as well as the 6 x 6 squares. I'm afraid my Christmas stuff will have to wait til after Halloween.... Marie and the cats

Hi Els, ooooooh how wonderful to be able to have more time to spin...I should have more time now with Edward at college to go to workshops and guilds etc but for some reason I don't, and apparently this is quite normal, as you go through some kind of ....can't be bothered ....stage.. It's a re-climatising sort of thing apparently...but I am determined to get back into it all more thoroughly.

This is the first time I've had any Gotland, the curls were between 4-6ins long so I hackled them, with the curls dyed red green and mauve, I divided the colours up and hackled them all straight, then put a row of one colour, the next row onto I did half a row each of the two remaining colours and lastly the first colour I'd used over the top so I ended up with a sort of sandwich, then I pulled them through a med hole in a diz, and ended up with a three colour stripe effect which has spun up very interestingly, now plyed and on the DPN's for blueberry waffle patt socks..I'd love a pair of 5pitch combs but can't find anyone over here that sells them. Not to worry.

Cheers....Cher

No matter Marie, it'll come, but hallowean???? that'd put me in a blind panic waiting that long....big family this way..

hugs...cher

I've got two of my Christmas scarves done, one on the needles (should be done today sometime), and four to go. My BF asked why he isn't getting one. I told him the rule about not knitting for a boyfriend unless you want to get rid of him. He said, "but I'm getting you [an electronic gadget I would never get for myself even though I want it] for your birthday. Does that mean I'm trying to get rid of you?" I told him it would IF he made the printed circuit boards, the molded plasctic case, the LCD screen, and soldered the whole thing together. Otherwise, he's still in good shape.

I also have about a million afghans to do, but I don't know when they're going to get done.

-Amanda

Ah Cher I do know what you are talking about, this is what is happening to me right now. To many little niggling side lined distractions, so you never get you mind totally wrapped around what is waiting for you. Spinning is always easy to do, but right now it is the weaving that is being neglected. With the visitors gone again, I hope to get back to it this coming week.

Gotland is oh so nice to work with, so is Lincoln as well. Gotland is a good felter also, so do not discard your waste once you are finished combing Cher.

Oh by the way, I bought a very inexspensive sander, for $9 Can. It is just a very small hand held one, to help with the felting. I saw that done last year at one of the fiber shows in the area. It helps with the first stages of felting to make the fibers hold together better. Once you have the beginning started, you can do the rest by hand or with a felting needle. The things you learn....LOL

Els

Cher, that is so sweet! I bet all the people receiving the stocking gifts from you just love it, and really appreciate your kindness in remembering them. :o)

I recently saw (in the grocery store) a lady who used to be my next door neighbor when I was very little, she was so surprised that I remembered her. She told me that she no longer lives in that house, but sold it and moved to the senior apartments across town. I think I will try to round up a few nice things to put into a basket (I bought some pretty little baskets a few years ago when they were on sale at a craft shop) and tie a Christmas ribbon on it to give her from a past neighbor. :o)

I would love to go about bringing things to other elderly people too, but this year along with the last few recent ones it is impossible. As it is right now we can barely afford to catch up on our bills and gas for the vehicle for Matthew to look for work. If things are better next year though, I will very likely be doing the same sort of thing here in my town. :o)

Peace! Gemini

Does that actually apply to scarves, or is it just sweaters that the female may think is gorgeous and the boyfriend might think is hideous? Personally, I think scarves and/or mitts/gloves might be a lot safer to give a boyfriend than a sweater, hat or even socks that he may or may not like. Scarves, mitts and gloves *always* come in handy on very cold blustery winter days... especially when they are out shovelling snow. The color choice might be the only problem, unless you stick with black, grey or brown. Of course that's my personal opinion. :o)

Peace! Gemini

Personally,

I've only ever heard that applied to sweaters. I think a nice scarf, mitts, gloves, socks, etc would be excellent gifts for the BF or SO. ;>)

Shelagh

Yep, I thought so too! ;o)

Gem

Cher, that is so nice that you do the stockings for the older people there ! How thoughtful you are !

Rusty in CT

There is a non expensive way of doing this Gem, ask your local grocery shop if they would mind putting up an empty box by the til with a poster on it saying something like...Remember or Senior Citizens this Christmas, you'll be surprised how many people will pop in a packet of biscuits or a tin of ham or something, when you think it is getting near the time, ring your local Help the Aged or Local Priest and ask him/her if there is a way of distributing these items, I'm sure some one from a church will be delighted withyour efforts and pick up the box and get it shared out...

Hugz...Cher

not really we only have three here and I'm gonna be that age one day!!!!!!! lol....no seriously I just hope to make people aware of our neighbours out there who are alone at this time of year.

Cheers....Cher

Hi Els, yes I'm afraid I have a throw on the floor loom upstairs that I must get done, it's annoying me though, handspun warp, but it isn't as good as the last one I did, by that I mean, as the thing goes around the front beam it moves slightly, so have to have a look at the tie ups or maybe raise the beater....or something, last time this happened was with a painted linen warp not being tight enough...oh well...

Heard of using a drill for braiding, but not a sander for felting...I've done a bit of felting, but it's not for me, I get rid of a messy Edward and can't be bothered to have to make and clear up my own mess...lol

I have 8 silk bells/hankies left out of a large bag of them, and think I will rainbow dye and boucle these for something.....isn't it terrible not knowing what to do with them...lol I've woven enough scarves to go around London and back, and don't think a throw would be that good cos of the slightly sticky feel they have....any idea's?

Cheers.....Cher

Thnx for sharing these idea's Amanda, lol at the BF thing...I've never heard of making something to get rid of someone...lol. But hey wouldn't this be a great way to get rid of unwanted suiters? Ask them around for a meal every day and over cook and burn everything all the time. He'd soon turn tail at the thought of a lifetime of that...lol

Cheers...Cher

That's a very good idea, Cher! The only problem I see with it is that the local grocery store already has a box by the checkouts for helping people who can't afford anything, especially those with children (my mind is drawing a complete blank for the right word this morning, I can't think of what it's called ... I just went to talk to Matthew about it and while doing so it popped in my head, it's called "Contact House"). Since there is already a box there for them, (and the owner of the grocery store is a "hard case" as my Mom used to say about someone who was a bit cold-hearted) it isn't likely that he would agree to have another box there. In any case, I have the feeling that *some* seniors who aren't as well off as others also receive a box from Contact House, along with other people who aren't very well off financially.

I was thinking more along the lines of seniors who either don't have any family, or they do and their families just plunk them in a nursing home and don't bother visiting them. :o/ Nevermind... I'll look through some of my things and see what I have. I may have a box of already knitted up slippers, and some pretty talcum powder in another box. I had thought about having a small gift basket business before, and stocked up on a few things that wouldn't go bad... I have to find the box of stuff though (hey, this gives me a good reason to sort through more boxes). Maybe I can give a few seniors at least one little gift for Christmas this year afterall.

Peace! Gem

ROTFL Good one, Cher! ;o)

Peace! Gem