Monday, December 1, 2008

Green Knit Love & Holiday Tidings

I finally just put down all of my other projects and decided it was time to make something for myself. A snuggly, holiday something, a thick, quick and sumptous something.
I found this pattern on Lion Brand Yarns' web site. It is a free pattern and most importantly, it claimed to be easy and fast. I have finally admitted to myself that at my experience level of knitting, I must pass the cables, intricate patterns and needlework by, for easier patterns, so that I don't get so frustrated and that I can actually have some finished knit pieces from all of my time and effort. I do have a "someday" knitting file with all of the more difficult patterns I find that I fall in love with.
A little someone even enjoys my color choice. I don't typically enjoy an acrylic yarn, even a blend like this one, but it was on a big sale at Joanne's and I still am not quite at the point where I want to invest in nicer yarn, as I still expect every knitting project I start to go terribly wrong and haven't quite brought myself to be able to tear out an entire work. I feel I must somehow turn a project with a mistake into something else to save it, so to speak. Save it from what, I am not sure-my own failure perhaps?!?
I have been meaning to make a bunch of pillows for our couch, to replace the huge, unsightly back cushions that came with it. I have been meaning to do this for oh, about 5 months now. Something as simple as pillows seems to always fall to the bottom of the projects list, though it would be an easy and satisfying endeavor. Maybe I just needed some Amy Butler delight to get me into gear. Here is one delicious large pillow, finished. I wanted to make some piping, but I am so in love with this fabric that I thought it could stand on it's own with no distractions.
We put the tree up this weekend too, I just wanted to look at those twinkly little lights as long as possible and am in the mood for the holidays this year. Alas, we decided to dig an artificial (ick, did I just whisper that!?!) tree out of our shed from event props past, to save ourselves many calls to poison control in the coming months. Ava eats literally anything she can get in her mouth and I really don't have the stamina to "Sweetily Big Swig" fish hook (from a family story of my Dad's) each green balsam needle out of her mouth, as they fall off the tree. I will put some real balsam tree branches in a container of water for the smell. Maybe next year we can return to a real tree?!?
I chose a blue and orange theme this year to go with the new living room colors-a little different and most of the decorations I scavenged from my stash. Woodland creatures, owls, birds. twig nests and some of my clay mushrooms adorn the 6 foot tree, at least the decorations feel natural!
And to close out the weekend, it snowed last night! Ava was so delighted to put her face to the sky and feel the snow on her little cheeks. She exclaimed, "Woooow!" when we brought her outside. Wow. I share her sense of wonder at this time of year too.

3 comments:

Mary said...

Hi megan,
I found you through ashley's blog. I read your comment and wanted to look you up. I'll link to you now too!
I'm the same way with nursing, turtle is 15 mos old and has never had anything but breast milk and wouldn't take a bottle. She is super healthy too, and I'm so grateful!
Glad I found you!

Meggie said...

The pillows look great, Meagan...even without piping! Your Christmas tree is lovely. It probably is a good decision to go artificial this year with Ava being so oral. Don't you wish you could squeeze the enthusiasm of a child into a container and sell it? Watching a child with her face to the sky as snowflakes land on her sweet cheeks....priceless!

Philigry said...

it all looks great! i didn't know you guys painted your livingroom! i love that tree.
anytime you want to come over is great! you don't have to make the gingerbrewad houses though. i know you are busy. we just want to spend time with you guys. could you come over early one evening for snacks and cocoa? maybe this saturday, or another saturday?
let me know.
i love your new profile picture! so sexy!