File under the heading "just not as good as they used to be". I had several of these type puzzles when I was young(er) but they were more sturdily made and the tiles were much easier to move. I guess with all the electronic toys there is not much demand for these low-tech amusements. I couldn't resist sticking this one in a stocking this year but it turns out I'm the only one who enjoys playing with it. 
In the days right before Christmas it is good to have a small project or two to work on - something to soothe with the knitting but nothing too taxing for the tired, old brain. The miniature mittens have been a good project. I still haven't used up the first ball of 152 yards and it is entertaining to see how each one stripes up differently.
Here it is Christmas and I was using an old, faded and stained (and ugly, I think you'll agree) dishcloth. 
Time to STOP the gift knitting, and START knitting something for me!
1. It must be Christmas. I teared up last night over a Publix commer-cial.
2. My Christmas cactus and I have much in common. We both are growing whiskers.
Two readers (i.e. fully 100%) suggested I use the wreath for a centerpiece, so last night as I was hanging up the cranberry and popcorn garlands, I did. I love how the colors complement my M&Ms.
Not quite - but closer.
Thanks to encouragement from a very kind fellow Ravelry knitter,
FloridaMo*, I attempted sewing on the edging to the Estonian triangle.
I had to pull out and redo the curve at the point but feel better about it now. Only trouble is I need to now pull out the WHOLE thing and start again. I have less length on one side than the other.
Live and learn. Good thing I have a goodly supply of holiday M&Ms on hand!
*FloridaMo is blogless, but I've linked to her Flickr pictures. She really turns out some beautiful shawls.
I was invited down last evening to help my daughter get her tree in the stand and the lights on. She seems very pleased with the snowmen tree skirt and even took a picture of it in situ for me to use here.
Saturday after Thanks-giving. No work. No malls. No to-do list. Leftover pie. Plenty of string. A compilation iTunes CD from JP surprise on my desk this morning. In other words, a practically perfect day!
The formless blob at left is the RED shawl. The separate edging is complete and just needs attaching. Then I'll need to block the daylights of it if it is indeed to be a shawl. It is frighteningly small just now.
AND a Christmas card arrived today. Not even December.
....or my first step to becoming a Net Granny.
I think Kay and I are about to play a variation on the folk story, The Elves and the Shoemaker.
Kay, [the elf in this senario] in spite of turning out record numbers of dishcloths, isn't ready to embrace the purl stitches in a sock, but would still like a pair of handknit socks. Who wouldn't?
You can see the bag, recycled from our now-closed LYS, has made a couple of doorknob drops already. Today it was hanging on my doorknob and two balls of nice cotton/wool/nylon blend sock yarn were inside.
I get the fun and Kay gets the socks. But probably not by Christmas, Kay. You know I work best at a relaxed pace. Besides, Mary beat you to it. I got a bag of yarn from her on Saturday!
[more about my plans for that loot later]
A sign you just may be letting the Estonian knitting get to you: you start referring to your candy as nupps!
Nope. They are Nips. But you can see what I mean.
I've finally made it to chart 2. Whee. I'm still enjoying the pattern and I'm still SLOW.
I'm going to try to squeeze a few more nupps in today, but I managed to find the black beads I need for the snowmen 'coal' eyes and buttons on my other project and I need to get that finished.
One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.
---------------------Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)
I took this picture a number of months ago and it's been hanging out in draft form since then. I'm not sure even why I wrote it except I know that as I did my walk that day and watched my shadow move and change, these lines kept running through my head.
Today is the birthday of Robert Louis Stevenson and I've loved his poetry since childhood. Most of the small, early poems I read and loved were from my Childcraft; Vol. 1 "Poems of Early Childhood".
I confess to being quite immature and my childhood may have lasted longer than many! I have my Mother to thank for preschool reading material and trips to library.
I am working on the red shawl. I promise. Granted I don't get very many rows done each day. In fact, on good days I get a whopping 2 rows done. But I've finally decreased down below the 200 stitches mark so I'm feeling a bit better. Will it be done in time to wear Christmas? I have very serious doubts. But since I didn't start it with that in mind, I hope I won't be too disappointed.
Instead I finally got around to another project that's been percolating - and one I hope I surely do get done soon.
Sometimes there can be just a very subtle difference between floss colors. Since I intended to take the blog photo outside anyway to get the best lighting, it only made sense to audition the colors while out there. [probably keeps the neighbors scratching their heads about me, too!]
In the past I've always aimed to end any holiday stringplay by Thanksgiving. I don't need any stress of working on gifts right up until the last minute. I do much better without those kind of complications. Well, Thanksgiving is almost here. Yikes. Time to get this project done.
Since the exhibit closes this Friday, I won't link but here's a bit from the exhibit description:
introduces audiences to environmentally focused cut paper art. The exhibition includes works from artists of the Swiss Scherenschnitt (scissor cutting) tradition, along with contemporary artists working in North America. Visitors will see silhouettes, dioramas, paper lacework, pop-up drawings, and complex symmetrical designs.
We both had a great time and were amazed at the work exhibited. The tiny images I'm able to post here cannot convey the beauty and intricacy of the work. This one is by Ueli Hofer.
We saw some very traditional Swiss scherenschnitt by Beatrice Straubhaar,
some intricately colored pieces by Elisabeth Bottesi-Fischer (her work is shown on the sign out front), and some intensely lacy pieces by Ernst Oppliger.
Many of these artists can be seen in this YouTube video (but be forewarned; there is a very intense yodeling soundtrack!!)
(also click on my pictures to see the details larger)
In addition to the exhibit, we toured the permanent exhibit on the evolution of papermaking and viewed the Dard Hunter collection. Hunter practiced "the creed of the Arts and Crafts Movement, whose proponents believed that a hand-crafted object was inherently more desirable, beautiful, serviceable, and worthy of human endeavor than anything made by machine". Amen.
It was a lovely fall day made even better by getting to spend time with a good friend.
I'm sure it won't be too long until I'm com-plaining about all the raking and how long it takes me away from the string, but not yet.
I think today must be the PEAK for the color. Every tree I've seen has been beautiful.
We've enjoyed a really great fall with pleasant temps throughout October.
It's overcast and raining just a bit but I wanted to get a shot of this tree in our front yard. These past few afternoons when the sun has been shining on it, it has just GLOWED.
When the weather is as perfect as it is today, who wouldn't want a whole extra hour of it?!
We have really been having some lovely fall weather.
Throughout the month of October Kay was busily knitting more cotton washcloths. She may have mentioned her project and I knew she was working on a new batch but little did I know one would find it's way to my door knob. AND with some really yummy blackberry soap to boot. Thanks, Kay!
I spent my extra hour putting a few more nupps into the Estonian shawl. How did you spend yours?
Faster? Really? Amazing what a difference a day can make!
Poor PJ Bear. He looks a bit pig-ish. Too many M&Ms maybe?
I'm still glad I've got the socks. Speed is relative.
Wasn't it only last week when I was adamant about finishing the Anniver-
Pattern: Anniversary Socks by Nancy Bush
Some time spent in a waiting room yesterday and having the morning off today was just what I needed to finish up the first of the Anniversary Socks.
I was telling Mary only the other day that I don't know why I persist in buying Vogue Knitting. I don't fully trust the instructions, many of the projects are beyond my current knitting ability, and many are not exactly my style.
And in the whole time/patterns/materials equation, patterns are not the problem!
Still I'm off to make coffee, put my feet up and enjoy browsing through it. (Would enjoy this interlude much more if the neighbor's dog would quit his daily yelping!)
I seem to be knitting yet again with gift yarn. Am I lucky or what?!
One of the other knitters at knit night said a friend had passed along to her some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock and she was going to pass along to me.
I was quite excited as I had not knitted with it before. It is very nice and I'm really enjoying it.
I dithered for days about which pattern to start. The color is Harvest 8NS (I assume that means nearly solid?).
The "Child's Sock in Miranda Pattern" in Nancy Bush's "Knitting Vintage Socks" calls for this exact yarn and color and I briefly considered it. And, of course, I had a look at the Evelyn A. Clark sock patterns.
I kept returning to Nancy Bush's "Anniversary Sock". I have the pattern from the Sept/Oct 2003 "Piecework" magazine Anniversary issue. I am loving this pattern. After the cuff, the back is stockinette with all the pattern on the front "where all the work would show to best advantage beneath a long skirt".
At the time I checked Ravelry, 100 pair had already been entered. My project was number 101. Fitting. I learned a lot about sock knitting and got such a confidence boost from all the wonderful tutorials and pictures by Terri Lee Royea at Socks 101.
Some people like magic loop or two circulars for sock knitting, but I love my short bamboo dpns.
Pattern: Heartland Lace Shawl (free pattern/pdf)
