Happy New Year!

Seems hardly possible that another year has been and almost gone. It seems even more impossible that at this time last year I had not even thought about taking up the old needles again. I hadn't knit at all since my eldest child was about seven and he's now twenty-eight! It kind of went out of fashion. My three children didin't want to wear hand-knits and slowly it was becoming a very uncool thing to be doing. Anyway, forward wind to December 31st 2008 and I am 100% addicted.

I have spent a very relaxing 'last day of 2008'. This afternoon I spoke to my son and his new wife via 'skype' (online free phone with videocam), another experience I wouldn't have anticipated partaking in a year ago. They have spent Christmas in Australia with his wife's parents. Mr Snoopydog and I have their labrador, Scott, with us for the holidays (smile lots!!!!!!!).

My good friend josiekitten gave me a 'Kool-Aid' dyeing kit for Christmas and as I had a couple of hours to myself today, it seemed the perfect time to try it out. IT WAS FAB! I LOVED IT! So much for agreeing to stash-bust in 2009............I now neeeeed to buy more undyed yarn and lots more'Kool-Aid'. Anyway josiekitten explains the process beautifully on her blog, so all that's left for me to do is to show you the results of my labours.

I love the vibrancy of the colours and the way they merge into each other. I used blue, red and yellow, but as you can see so many other shades appear as the colours blend. It's brilliant! The learning curve is very steep. I didn't put the clingfilm under the yarn before I started dyeing, so it was a very tricky exercise once the yarn was dye laden; a nightmare to stop the colours mixing where you didn't want them to. I am really please with the result though. It looks much better dried than it did wet. As Mr Snoopydog said, 'hmm, yes that does look quite good. I thought it looked awful when you were doing it!'.

Well, there are only one and a half hours left of 2008 and I am determined to stash-bust (saving one pound in my money box for each ball/skein of yarn I knit). I think I will also join josiekitten in the sock challenge; to knit a diffrent pattern each month, using stash yarn. Great idea josiekitten. I need to choose my twelve sock yarns now. I will post my selection tomorrow!

Wishing everyone a PEACEFUL, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND YARNFUL NEW YEAR.

OH, BY THE WAY....

Scott had a lovely Christmas day too... Here he is with his best two presents! We've already taught him how to play the flute and the violin.... now he's trying the didgeridoo.

His squeaky doughtnut was the bestest present ever!!!!!!!!!

We think he liked his first Christmas...... Here he is, all Christmassed out!

Think we might have led him astray!

KIND MR SANTA CLAUS....

Christmas seems to have been and gone very quickly. Miss Snoopydog 1 arrived home from Manchester, where she is about to begin her teaching career and Miss Snoopydog 2 arrived home from Bratislava, where she is working with UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). I hadn't seen her since late September, so the drive to the airport to collect her was sweet! We also have Scott, our son's dog, with us for Christmas, whilst his master and mistress enjoy the Australian summer.

Mr Claus did call and was very generous. Besides a new lens for my camera, he left a very unexpected squishy parcel (thanks to Mr Snoopydog). I felt very spoilt , as I also received three new knitting books from family and friends, and a dyeing kit from my good pal josiekitten.

Mr Snoopydog's gift included two lots of sock yarn; one Noro and the second an Araucania Ranco. Then there were eight skeins of delicious Colinette Cadenza, to knit a sweater. I felt quite touched that he had taken himself up to our LYS and made his selections completely by himself. Aaahhhhh! He must approve of my woolly adiction after all LOL.

My dyeing kit is fab and I can't wait to experiment with it. Just look at all the scrummy colours!

As if this wasn't enough, I ventured down to the sales with my daughters. Mayhem reigned, but I returned home with TWO purchases.... woolly ones! The John Lewis sale had just begun and I managed to buy ome lovely Rowan 'tapestry'. There have been lots of complaints about this yarn on Ravelry (knots in the yarn etc), but I have loved the beautiful colourways for ages. The yarn was all half price.

I bought nine skeins of the brown tones and six of the bluey/purple. There are two projects I have in mind in the Rowan 'tapestry collection' booklet. HAPPY KNITTING!

CHRISTMAS ODDS AND ENDS COMPLETE....HOORAY!

Well, not much has happened here recently. I have been very, very busy at school what with all the festive 'goings on' , and................. I have been frantically trying to finish off bits and pieces that I had planned as Christmas gifts. ! Who would have thought this time last year, that by the end of 2008, I would have become a knitting addict. I began at Easter this year, so not even a year! Here are the latest finished objects; all Christmas gifts.

These washcloths are so easy to make, but the gorgeous colours of the 'Peaches and Cream' cotton make for some addictive knitting. The teal coloured 'Paw Print' cloth is or Scott; to wipe his muddy paws on!

Yet another 'Ribs and Ruffles' scarf for a good friend., made using Paton's 'Shadow Tweed'.

Next up is a 'Scott Walking Headwarmer' for my son. The hat is made using Debbie Bliss Aran Tweed. This is a great free pattern from Ravelry, http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/claudia-4. I've made another one for my eldest daughter's boyfriend. The pattern is easy and knits up really quickly.

ANOTHER two 'Havens', for my two daughters. They are made using Rowan's 'cocoon'. It is sooo soft and very warm and snuggly.

Last, but definitely not least, are four 'keep an i-pod warm at Christmas' socks! These have all been made using leftover sock yarn and a free Ravelry pattern, http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ipod-sock-3

I made them 5.5 ins long rather than the recommended 4.5 ins, so that they fully cover the i-pod.

Not bad for a few stocking fillers!! Now to get on with a Central Park Hoodie that I have ready to cast on for one of my daughters.........obviously not to be finished in time for Christmas though! Yeh, Christmas Eve tomorrow! Lots to do and not much time, so not much knitting tomorrow methinks.