My Very Crafty Christmas

1. A Few of My Favorite Things, 2. Sweater Girls, 3. Washclothes, 4. Torin's Hat, 5. Olivia's Wallaby (2), 6. Nadine's Scarf, 7. Mom's Pillow Cases, 8. Michael's Scarf (2), 9. Lisa's Hat (2), 10. Kendrick's Hat (2), 11. Dish Clothes (2), 12. Crocheted Necklace, 13. Colin's Hat (2), 14. Baby Wallabies (2), 15. Recycled, 16. Giggling Sweater Girls

 For the second year in a row, I made almost all of my Christmas gifts.  I started early in the year, and added to my collection as the year went on.  I learned a lot this year about knitting, in fact I took several knitting classes.  I really improved as the year went on.  I am proud to say that I got everything finished and shipped in time for Christmas, though it was touch and go for a while there.  I did not finish Olivia's sweater until 10:00 on Christmas morning.  It was so much fun to see Olivia and Juliette wearing the sweaters I made for them.

The Lookout Mountain 50 Miler

flickr imgp9461
Originally uploaded by Rock/Creek

I did not take this photo. I found it in the Rock Creek Flickr photo stream. That is my daughter, Lisa. Yesterday, she completed the Lookout Mountain 50 Mile Race in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It took 14 hours, and it is the most amazing feat.

Technology made it possible for Lisa to call Colin along the way and at the end of the race. It made it possible for him to text me to keep me informed, and it made it possible for me to actually "see" her along the way. I was also able to talk to her shortly after she finished her fifty mile run. She is tired and sore, but happy.

You are awesome Lisa! I am so impressed and proud of you.

Recycled

The tree is up and decorated, and I awoke today to a snowy morning.  It was the perfect day to stay in and knit. It might be a good time to grade all those papers I brought home, too, but so far I haven't touched them.

I did spend time in my craft room where I made these festive pillow cases.  I actually bought this fabric eight to ten years ago, and I made it into a table for a family holiday dinner.  That was about the only time I ever used it, so last year I took the table cloth apart and recycled part of it into a pillow case for Michael.  This weekend I used the rest of it to make a pair of pillow cases for me.

The colors don't go with anything else in my bedroom, but the bright colors and prints make me happy.  They also make a great backdrop for a Christmas Dog.

Beautiful Girl

This is my beautiful Corgi girl, Winnie.