I'm in trouble. Because, really, I only have three holiday gifts to knit this year. Fingerless gloves for mom's birthday (this week....I count it as holiday knitting), socks for Lil' Snowboarder (she asked Santa for more socks?!! How can I resist?), and a hat for Snowboarder (you all know that that will be gifted sometime in January or February....he seems to have learned that his hats get bumped for just about anything else....he has too many anyways!).
And progress to date on these three projects. NONE. yes, I said, it. NONE. I'm trying to crank out a design or two before the holidays. I'm thinking positive though because I have two weekend days to knit PLUS three days off next week. Totally doable, right? Its not like I have any Christmas shopping, or holiday socializing, or baking to do right? hehehe
Elizabeth D's comment made me feel not so alone in the holiday knitting denial. She said, "Sleep? People sleep in December?" She wins a Cotty pattern for that :) I came home tonight from work and told my sister I was tired. She said it was because I've been staying up too late in the knitting sweat shop. So agree.
Thank you all for the blogiversary comments! The winners of the Cotty socks pattern are:
CO64
Elizabeth D
Please contact me at irishgirlieknits AT gmail DOT com and I'll send the pattern to you via email.
Let's kickoff day 2 of the giveaway with 4 free copies of Blackberry Brambles! That pattern always makes me think of baking, and since I have some holiday baking to do, enter the contest by leaving a comment of either your favorite recipe this time of year (doesn't necessarily have to be holiday related) or your favorite thing to bake or what you are craving right this second (me....a cupcake...there, I said it.).
Oh, and in my defense in regards to the lack of my holiday knitting thus far, I provide you with evidence of putting holiday fun before holiday knitting. Me and Lil' Guy at the Christmas Tree Farm this past Sunday (that should read...bouncy house, train ride, petting zoo, pony rides...ways to tire out Lil' Guy!).
I guess it also serves as evidence of what I've been knitting instead of holiday gifts (uh-oh). My new Winter Wonder Cowl pattern should be ready soon!
Happy Holiday Knitting (or not!)!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits
34 comments:
Someone on facebook posted a link to this nutella fudge that I'm dying to make.
Snowboarder wants *another* hat? He is to hats what some women are to shoes! LOL!
I'm not knitting Christmas gifts, at all. My husband has a Christmas gift phobia, so he gives his kids money, therefore my kids get money, too. This year, he must be feeling a bit better, because he asked me two weeks ago what I want for Christmas. I pointed him to a man in WA that makes spindles. No idea if he ordered one for me.
BTW, I've admired your Blackberry Brambles pattern, as I love blackberries and since I avoid carbohydrates as much as possible when I eat, berries are one of the few "fruits" I can eat (always with heavy cream!), as long as I eat them in moderation and not every day.
It appears that I will be Home Alone at Christmas, so I am going to learn how to use my CSM (Circular Sock Machine) for the times that I need to make plain large "man" socks and the 12" legs for military socks for Socks For Soldiers.
Good luck with your holiday knitting. I'll be thinking of you!
Iam making the Italian Bean Soup receipe from the Farmgirl Fare blog. With a fierce winter storm outside we need soup inside (the house and us!)
I really need to get going on my baking, I always crave something peppermint for the holidays - I am thinking of making a Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake for dessert on Christmas. Pumpkin is always good too - I am thinking a Pumpkin Bread Pudding for the other holiday meal I am making! And I have to get my knitting done!
I love Tollhouse (I always double the chips) & sugar cookies.
My family's favorite for the holidays is Fudge topped Peanut Butter Cream Pie. So I know I'll be making that. But at Christmas for me, it's fudge time! Mmmmmm :-)
I have to say too that it's a good thing I didn't allow myself to add anything to the gift knitting list, because I could have easily. I've been trying to make myself a pair of Christmas socks this week, and so far I have cast on and knit 6 rows. 3 days to knit 6 rows. Ugh!
PS- Don't put my name in the drawing, as you know I already have Brambles. Love them! They fit so well :-)
One of my favorite recipes this time of year is a pie that my grandmother used to make (God rest her soul). We always called it "Graham Cracker Pie" but that's probably not the right title for it as only the crust was made of graham crackers. It's more like a vanilla pudding pie but the vanilla pudding is homemade :) Luckily, I got the recipe from her before the Alzheimer's got her memory (and it's perfect).
I make Alton Brown's "The Chewy" recipe for chocolate chip cookies, and fudge (Eagle Brand has a recipe for Fool-Proof Fudge that is TO DIE FOR). As for right this second, I would gladly knit a six foot afghan for a couple pieces of See's Candy. CarMarsh, please! (Caramel and marshmallow covered in chocolate. YUM!!!)
My favorite recipe to bake this time of year is pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (from recipezaar.com). It's an easy recipe (just dump it all in the mixer), makes a lot of muffins (24-30 depending on how full the cups are), and we all love them! My kids inhale them-- I usually end up making them twice a week or I don't get any!!
I'm past half-way on Vet's infinity scarf, but didn't knit another row on the first of the 3 Spice Berry scarves. I THINK I can crank those all out, but tonight is another heavy house-stuff time, so not much knitting, and tomorrow...
Is it wrong to pray for a snow day so I have more time to knit?
I've been dying to make some homemade marshmallows. They just sound so decadent.
I also found a chocolate peppermint crinkle cookie recipe that sounds pretty intriguing.
All baking with my grandgirls is so fun..this year we are making my grandmothers date bars along with sugar cookies to decorate...Hope your christmas baking is lots of fun this year. Oh and gotta make pies for christmas dinner..sweet potato and apple.
I am happy to report that this year, my first year of knitting christmas gifts in many a year, I have completed 5 Sockhead hats!!
I love to bake all kinds of cookies for the holidays! Mostly butter cookies in festive shapes, with frosting, or these tasty peanut butter and chocolate cookies my mom made when we were little.
I have 2 projects left to knit & 1 to sew up before Christmas. I hit a bit of panic mode last night when I realized I really only have 10 days left to do it in.
Add that to the potlucks and parties I have to cook for &, well, it's a bit insane. Thus far I have made Cranberry Apple French Toast, Rum Cake, and Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies. I still have to make 2 batches of salted brown butter crispy treats, a raspberry chocolate bread pudding, and spicy molasses cookies. Not to mention the non-baked things I have to make. YIKES!
I need an extra few days off work next week to get it all done.
I do need to do some baking since the kids want to give Santa cupcakes again this year. Honestly, I will just do a cake mix since my husband will be making his own mess making sushi on Christmas Eve.
However, my favorite indulgence is the hidden bag I keep in the pantry all year long with bite sized pieces of dark chocolate.
Blackberry Brambles would be a fine accompaniment to the Blackberry Pie I've been hoarding in the freezer since out trip to Apple Hill in the fall! I have trouble with fav anything...decions are too hard, but I love to make pumpkin bread and cranberry scones in December. Another pair of mitts almost done! Rockettes Christmas show at Arco tonight. Happy is me.
I'm a Christmas cookie fiend. I NEED Christmas cookies, any kind will do so long as they're made in December. A couple years ago I wanted to start a tradition where I made a gingerbread house every year but for some reason my husband says that baking gingerbread makes the house smell like hotdogs. That kind of put a damper on the gingerbread.
I'm a Christmas cookie fiend. I NEED Christmas cookies, any kind will do so long as they're made in December. A couple years ago I wanted to start a tradition where I made a gingerbread house every year but for some reason my husband says that baking gingerbread makes the house smell like hotdogs. That kind of put a damper on the gingerbread.
One of my favourite recipes is white chocolate candy cane bark - and it is so simple, I am not sure why I haven't made it yet....oh yeah - I'm waiting for the teenage (almost adult) girl to get home from university so she can pound the canes and melt the chocolate!! Then maybe I can get my one and only knitting gift done.
I'm spending this semester in Denmark, and my danish friends introduced me to pebbernødder, which are these tiny little cookies that have some pepper in them. Not enough to be spicy, but mmmm they are delicious!
Lovely cowl - lovely model - lovely little guy!
Holiday knitting - well I always start the gift socks in January and then put them away. Works for me - I'm gonna be knitting socks anyway, so ....
Baking - not much of a baker, but found a recipe for Burnt Sugar Almonds and I've made 10 cups of Almonds already! Hubby eats them like candy. g
Holiday cooking? My list includes Scots shortbread (real butter, thank you), soft ginger cookies, and cranberry bread or muffins or ... well cranberry anything!
I'm in the "knitted gift? what knitted gift?" phase. It's complete denial, and I'm going to make up for it with eventual product, but am suffering from heinous starteritis/swatching problems. Just starting to get over it with a perfectly lovely Crooked Paths hat from Melissa LaBarre.
food wise - Posie gets cozy's Italian Sausage soup is burning a hole in my fridge. I have all the fixings but keep on getting home too late to put it together. The horror. Otherwise, as I do every year, I lust for a buche de noel just so I can say I've eaten one. One day!
I had surgery on Nov 15 and it left me with a bit of lack of appetite. (My pants are thanking me!) I'm not up to much baking this years but my Helper Elve siad if I pulled out some recipes they would be vary happy to help. My favorite is an almond flavored thumbrint cookie with apricot jame filling. Drizzle the top with a little white frosting glaze...can you just taste it...I can!
Andrea W.
My favorite holiday recipe is Warm Cranberry Cake with Hot Butter Sauce. I've never made it without receiving requests for the recipe. I'm craving that and just about anything sweet right now.
Ooh, I love chocolate and peppermint at Christmas time too - peppermint mochas are a favorite, and the limited edition Haagen-Dasz peppermint bark ice cream. Kind of a good thing they're not available year-round, or I'd get them all the time!
Can't wait to see the new Winter Cowl! Happy Belated Blogiversary!
Hmm..Alexa and I did chocolate covered pretzels the other night...pbutter fudge last nite...whoopie pies tonite (they stink!)
I love Nanaimo Bars, tarts, sugar cookies, shortbread...pretty much everything! The knitting is hit a partialstandstill-looks like some carpal tunnel issues are making themselves known.
You are such a creative whirlwind! Just by reading your blog you can tell what a busy designer, knitter... still frantically working on my knitting projects and going back and forth between a scarf and a pair of socks, to be done by next week, jeesh. I know you will accopmplish whatever you set out to do.
Well, I was nearly finished... but then tonight at D&D (which is where I do most of my knitting) one of the guys' brothers was in town on his break from his tour in Iraq. He asked me if I'd make him a pair of fingerless gloves like the ones I'm making my DH, but black. How can I say no!! He's going back the 24th so as soon as I get black machine washable worsted weight yarn, those are becoming 1st priority.
I love to make Triple Ginger Gingerbread. It's kinda like a ginger bread pudding. Yummy!!!
I made apple crisp tonight to take to work tomorrow. :)
And I'm not doing any knitting for the holidaze, I'm just trying to finish Girasole by the end of the year!
thanks so much for the pattern! :) i'm so excited to try it out.
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