Nut horns on Christmas eve (with persimmons, my favorite)

These nut horn cookies from Budapest date from the year 1686. The Turks apparently were invading the city, digging an underground tunnel for their invasion. Bakers working through the nice heard them and grabbed the police. To reward the bakers, the crescent moon shape decorates the Ottoman flag. Props to bakers everywhere!

The recipe

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine 1/4 cup of sifted confectioners sugar, 2 cups of sifted flour, 1/2 pound of butter and 3 ounces of ground pecans or almonds. Shape into little crescents and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes and when cool, sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Makes 30-45, depending on how big or small you make your crescents.

A yarnie's Christmas tree

How to wear scarves

Knit more scarves, now that you know dozens of ways to wear them.

And yet more Beaded Beauties

SOLD Vintage black glass beads and a vintage heart

SOLD Turquoise and gold vermeil

SOLD Clear and white glass beads....teapot clasp

Two views of Pinky....

The best thing about knitting

I love this guy....met him at the Orange County Fair. I love his hair!

Something my friend Toby said the other day stuck me and has stayed with me. We were at a end-of-session class party, standing in Ellen's New Orleans-style back yard.  I was saying something to Toby's nice husband about a knitters' obsession and she turned to him and said, in that sweet, observant Toby way: You know, the best thing about knitting is buying yarn, and I said, You're right! and  (inwardly said YES).  We are never so happy about a project as before it starts, at the buying-yarn phase. Well, maybe when we see the end result in the headlights, we're excited, too, because we are almost there. Why is that?  The newness of it all?  The possibility of perfection? 

Love the new way I store my favorite yarn

Top shelf: Wollmeise. Bottom shelf: other skeins I love.

And I love IKEA, too. Check out this new tall Hemnes cabinet from IKEA. We redid our bedroom and of course while most things left the room--nightstands and a desk, etc etc, my favorite yarn stayed. Here's it's new home. I just love it.

Socks!

I'm back in a sock phase. Funny, especially seeing how it's August, and warm/hot. Soon enough it will be sock weather. I've knit socks before--mostly as gifts--but last winter when my feet were cold and I slept with socks knit from Malabrigo sock yarn, I swooned. So soft I hardly noticed anything on my tootsies, but I did notice they kept warm.

Here are two WIPs:  The top one is Spring Forward (you'll find the pattern on knitty.com). The pattern is so easy and moving so fast.  I used Wollmeise 80/20 in Fruehling. I'm not a green person, but I adore this green. It's just gorgeous and my feet will no doubt dance about when I wear these happy, healing socks.

The bottom one is just a plain vanilla sock pattern, and I wanted something plain in hopes that the yarn (Wollmeise Am Kalten Polar, 80/20) would pool, and it did. Isn't it wild?

Pattern: Spring Forward   Name of project: "Or in this case, fall back."

Pattern: Plain Vanilla Socks  Project name: "Break the Knitters Block Socks"

Orange County Fair winner

It's corny, I know, but I always like these Blue Ribbons from the fair. Here's the shawl that won this year....a Fountain Pen Shawl...my second. Every writer needs her muse. If you're on Ravelry, you can read more about it by going to my page: Inkmama. If you've made a Fountain Pen shawl, send me the link so I can peek...

Floral felted bags

As I was leaving Christopher II this morning, where the lovely Sylvie makes my hands look presentable (I'm hard on my hands, with knitting and beading and gardening and garage saling), Robert stopped me. "My wife would love that purse," he said. It's the first time a man ever stopped me over one of my knit items, and I loved it: he was thinking of his wife and her passions. He wanted to take a photo.

It took a prize at the Orange County Fair last summer. I make them to order. $595, with half down as a deposit. Various other colors can be chosen, too, to truly make it one of a kind.








Here's a larger satchel, which was the division winner at the OC fair a few years ago:

I make these to order, too, but the price is hefty, I admit: $1900.00 You wouldn't believe the work that goes into creating this satchel.

More Beaded Beauties

More Beauties...everything is for sale. I'm in the process of posting these on Etsy. If you're interested in anything you see, please let me know. Everything is priced well, and is on sale.

Mercato dei fiori shawl

It's done...yippee....! I love the colors and design. It just came out a little...small. It's definitely shawlette (or scarf) size, but that's okay: I don't really wear shawls, anyway--I just like to knit them and submit them to the Orange County Fair. This pattern I found confusing, but others weren't confused so I blame me. I always like a lot of written instructions and this one had little. I blocked it but I need to again, to get it to lay flat.

So here it is, my new shawlette. Meet "Flamenco"...

Beaded Beauties

Beading came first. And while I'm obsessed with knitting, I still make jewelry. Some of you have asked to see it in more detail. Here's a beginning. If there's a color you'd like to see, or you want prices, I'll be happy to provide them. Better pics are forthcoming.

The red series, with vintage beads, coral, & Swarovski crystal
From l. - r.: Necklace: $65, charm bracelet: $125, middle Xmas bracelet: $55, bottom coral bracelet $55, cross with Swarovski crystal & gold vermeil: $70

Seaglass, pearls and vintage green crystal
Seaglass necklace $70, freshwater pearl bracelet $45, lampwork & vintage bracelet $45,

The necklace from just above with more detail. $70
Seaglass from the ocean at Corona del Mar, freshwater pearls, silver & vintage crystal

Seaglass with freshwater pearls & vintage beads & silver

Cobalt crystal, silver beads
Cobalt crystal beads, silver beads & silver clasp $55 SOLD

Festive necklace & bracelet with vintage lampwork beads and more
Necklace created with vintage beads and silver $75, double strand vintage bracelet with silver $70

Orange vintage bracelets
On left, vintage beads & silver links $50; on right, vintage beaded bracelet SOLD

Green earrings, mostly vintage beads, some crystal, all silver earwires
Made with vintage beads, Swarovski crystal, pearls & silver wire. All $25/pr except for top right: $35 

Festive bracelets, vintage beads
Left, double strand: $70; top r.: $40; bottom r: $45

Turquoise beads with smoky quartz and gold vermeil beads & clasp
$55

Priority mail: $5; California sales tax: 7.50%; yarn (and other trades) welcome 

A coupla of Gonzales FSOT

Gone....
In realizing that I have winter coloring (cool colors, blues, purples, reds), I'm trying not to hold onto too many earth toned skeins of my beloved Wollmeise. Here is Gonzales WD, FSOT. Two for $58 or one for $30, including US shipping.

Mercato dei fiori shawl

Here we go, another shawl.  I don't even really wear shawls, but I love knitting them. Love the lacework, and with this shawl, the Mercato dei Fiori, it has colorwork, and lacework--the best of both worlds. I get so bored with knitting straight stockinette stitch, or garter stitch, that I need something more. When I'm in the midst of a project that is just stockinette or garter, I start feeling like I'm driving cross country and am in Kansas: Too far to turn back and too far yet to go. I'm almost to the lacework, using Wollmeise 100%, in Wilder Morn and Schwarz.

Guitarista: a Felted Guitar Strap

I made this for Brian a couple of years ago, and he's still using it: a felted guitar strap. If you want the pattern, I will send it to you. It's in parts. Here are photos.