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So it is new years eve morning. Any guesses as to my new years resolution.? It is the knitting resolution......do you have one? I'll reveal mine tomorrow! This is the newest heart in my collection.

Ryan Daniel, newborn, adorable. My new great nephew. Ryan is clearly excited about his new blankie. I hope it becomes a favorite. It is meant to drag around behind the baby when he toddles. One corner is tied in a big fluffy knot, a la Linus blanket. It is machine wash and dry. Softer than a terry cloth towel. This is the frogged pinwheel blanket.

Al's cousin, Kerry Ann, is studying at Queen's in Belfast this year. She found this wonderful knitting message for Al for Christmas. I am reading the blog at www.ljcfyi.com for the 12 Days of Christmas posts. All dog lovers will enjoy her posts. My book from the family book grab bag is: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It'll be a slow go for me, but I will read it. Anyone out there read it before? On the needles now: my malabrigo hat. It's looky kind of boyish. I may have to mix some other fun malabrigo leftover colors in...... Also on the needles: Noro swatch for undecided shawl/wrap/stole for me! Soon to be on the needles: socks.....or.....mountain colors yarn something..... What are you doing on the 4th day of Christmas? I'm visiting my new great nephew.

My holiday haul. Ahhhh I see socks in 2006. I see a shawl? a wrap? a stole? from the Noro yarn....maybe before 2005! Were you on the nice list?

Admittedly, I was more than startled by the ghost of Christmas past as I drifted off to my nap today. There she was showing me my knitting past........ Through the fog she showed me mostly frogging, with pathetic red spots on my face from tears of frustration. Yes, she showed me the evil shop owner, hands on hips, shaking her head as she looked at my stitches disapprovingly. I vowed to the spirit I'd buy only the yarns from her that I absolutely had to have that couldn't be found at my LYS, knitpicks, or Mosaic. I had just readjusted my new napping blanket, when I was visited by the ghost of Christmas present. He showed me the present, pointing out my stash. Showing the family room from my husband's point of view. For some reason there were yarns everywhere. Needles were poking out of the sofas....little sticky notes were on the television with knitting abbreviations covering the screen. Interweave, Vogue and Family Circle knitting magazines scattered about the flo...

I am so happy! I won this gorgeous crocheted scarf. My friend Connie, actually ,donated it to the raffle prizes and I was HOPING to win it. My lucky day! I love the colors. I know it was her first crochet venture and she did a wonderful job. Headless Al models for me today. I am going to get something on the needles today. Yes, I do have a dozen other things to get done before hosting Christmas, but I'll be more Relaxed if I knit first right? I was thinking of knittin a beret, but it is too french for this Hungarian. We are babushka folk. Stay tuned. I was looking for some fun pattern reading last night. I was disappointed with what was available on the net from yarn wholesalers. Mountain Colors patterns are not to my liking whatsoever. Very disappointing. I'm working on my New years Knitting resolution. I think I've got it. Not telling yet! Ha, dear reader, what material will I have for you next week if I tell you now?

Okay, you have all had enough of the Malabrigo adoration, by now. Clearly, I have not. This is my artsy post of the week. Just look at those shades. A lovelier December bouquet there could not be. The Frugal Hungarian is enamored with this handful because they are all leftovers from the Malabrigo madness that began at Stitches in August. You know I'll be knitting with these precious scraps sometime soon. But what??? Thats what my LYS is for; they can tell me what to make! I'm off to bring my Mom her scarf. It is her birthday. I decided I could not give my scarf to her on Christmas eve, because Al will be giving my sister Deb, the cabled scarf that night too. Mom's scarf would look like ....well. ....like...second fiddle to Al's! My mom would NEVER say that, but suffice to say, I'd like it to have it's own little time tonight!

Al made this scarf from a book of scarves, the title of which escapes her. She made it for my sister, Deb. When Al was little she told us that this sister of mine , Deb, was her fairygodmother. Deb embraced this appointed role wholeheartedly. A fine Christmas gift for an irish fairygodmother. A fine gift. Don't you know?

Have I nothing better to do? Well, I was using up stash yarn that was mostly leftovers. Frugal knitter that I am, I decided to give our dog nephew, Wrigley, the rat terrier, a coat for Christmas. Fiona, our skiddish cat, (no wonder eh?) was the reluctant model. She's too little for the coat but you get the jist. My idea was to have the coat be more of a blanket across the back. Akin to a horse blanket worn under the saddle. In addition to the chest strap, there is a short strap under the blanket that hugs the middle of the dogs underside. So the blanket actually rides atop and down the sides of the dog with the strap hugging the dogs middle. If anyone is actually interested, I'll take a photo of the underside of the coat. It was a fun, little diversion. THAT completes the gift knitting for this Christmas! The list: My sister Michelle's Malabrigo fingerless gloves. My mothers knitpicks elegance mockcable scarf. My friend Susan's shawlette. Wrigely Dog's co...

This is the best I can do with a cookie. I was more successful than usual. I used a Royal icing recipe found on Walton's website. Thanks Diane for the wonderful tip. I photographed on the Interweave page to connect it to knitting in some way. Cheap blog shot, don't you think? On the seasonal front, it's winter here in the Chicago area. Hence true appreciation for fingerless gloves and hand healing therapies. I finally found something that really works for my cuticles and deep cracks: 3M makes a product called NEXCARE skin crack care. I don't know what is in it, too busy to read the fine print with my new progressive lenses, but it paints on and worked on a really painful skin crack on my thumb. When something is awry with my hands, my knitting suffers too. Now, I have always been a purist: no Nutrasweet or the like enters my body or those of my children. I believe in pure sugar. and butter. So altho I have no idea what is in the Nexcare 3M (that 3M alone...

Al wrote this pattern herself. This is the second Malabrigo hat she has made using her pattern. The total cost is 10.95. She is offering the pattern at 3 Bags Full at Lynnettte's request. She calls it : Frosted Windowpanes Malabrigo Hat.....by My Sister Knits. It is a store sample now. So she was moved by the Holiday Spirits apparently, and suggested I photograph her. Do you like her model pose? Someone asked me where I would wear fingerless gloves? Obviously not a knitter. I wear my fingerless everywhere. I am always cold. I find them especially great for the freezer dept of the grocery store, for writing a check, (You dont take them off so you never lose one) for knitting, and for the keyboard. Great for dog walking and working the collar and leash where some finger dexterity is a must. Where wouldnt' you wear fingerless? I dont' know. I may go have a manicure with them on, just so I can entertain you blog folk. Sparky asked for more info. on the previous...

Not everything in the workshop goes as planned. I think I'm preaching to the choir here. Darned if Al wasn't just a few yards short of finishing the cousin's hoodie sweater when she ran out of yarn. Well, she must be on the nice list, as there was more yarn in the North Pole where they have more than 3 Bags Full. A funny thing happened on the way to cyberspace....... Al was trying to give an unnamed friend the blog name and overheard her giving the name to someone else over the phone. "It's irish with an 'E', then yes, then knitters dot blogspot dot com" It's all in how you look at it. While we are looking at things, I want to tell you that I had an eye exam and all is well. My eyes are simply MATURING, as the doctor said. So I am now in a pair of progressive lenses and making the adjustment pretty easily. The key, I'm told, is to point your nose at what you want to see. I want to see new yarn under the tree....I'll be nose poin...

Despite what you may think at first glance, this is not a failed Christmas cookie disguised as a stitch marker. It is not the result of using Sandra lee's semihomemade recipe without really measuring the amount of flour needed to be added to the premade refrigerated cookie dough. It is not just another attempt by the irisheyed Hungarian to make a decent cookie. Well what is it, you ask? It is the ultimate knitter's stitchmarker. Beautiful? no. Edible? yes!!! Rock hard and Uncrumbleable? You bet. Melt in your mouth sugary when removed from the needles and dunked in a hot cup of coffee? Uh-huh. I happen to have 23 more of them. Imagine that. If you are looking for a gift for the knitter in your life who doesn't make time to eat.....this could be it.

The scarf for mom is coming along. Kudos to Knitpicks, this yarn rocks. It feels like buttah, under your fingers. Sure there are some errors in there, but I am a cheater knitter. I'll hide them! Lynn asked for details about Al's store sample hat. Sure! It is made from Yorkshire tweed chunky, now Harris tweed chunky. Rowan. On size 11's. She needed a tiny bit more than one ball of this yarn. She says if she knit it again, she'd find a way to make that ball last. She's a cheater too! The apple doesnt fall that far from the tree. I am going for the cookie exchange at work this year. IF my cookies come out cute....this is a big IF....you'll see them somehow linked to knitting. The recipe is from Semihomemade's Sandra Lee. Semihomemade=cheater.

Not really. But Al finished her hat for the store display. I love it. The little silk rose costs 18.00, but I think it's an essential part of the hat. It works up in just over, :( one ball of yarn. This hat has personality. It stands on its own even without a head to help it. I think I want one.....I'm a hat girl.

If you've ever had the pleasure of meeting Mickey at 3 Bags Full you already know she's wonderful. She was wearing her entrelac shawl yesterday, and I could have snapped a hundred pictures of her. She says it was great fun to make. She says its great fun to wear. "Its like walking with a gorgeous dog; everyone stops to ask about it!" It was made from Noro and cost around 150.00 to make. A Bargain I'd say. Thanks Mickey for the photo shoot. I can see the happiness in her eyes, can't you?

Looks like the Needle fairy was visiting my house! She's easy to catch when she leaves tracks in the snow...Maybe she knows I am using a broken bryson flex needle as a cable needle for my mom's scarf.... Alyssa at our knit group "GROUP" had already made the reversible cable scarf for her mom. She had some very helpful hints, such as.....Rip it out and start over. By casting on a few less stitches the width is more, well, lady like and it goes faster too! I have finally memorized the pattern and it is at the relaxing knitting stage. I'll show some photos of it later. Lynn, irisheyesknitter, asks if Malabrigo is sold at 3 Bags Full in Northbrook. Why yes it is :) Al is working there today and I am going to visit her. I've been on the yarn diet awhile now and am looking forward to making a wish list. Happy December.