The final countdown to Christmas!

[ShannonCC]

I edited this because I didn't mean to exclude anyone. I celebrate Christmas so that's what I was thinking of, and Chanukah has passed but I just realized Solstice is Tuesday and then Kwanzaa. I don't care what holiday you celebrate, I just want to hear how everyone is doing

So how is everyone faring in the final mad dash?

A week til Christmas and I don't like how my BIL's scarf is turning out. I'm almost half way done with it and I want to unravel it and start over again from scratch. I can crochet pretty quickly and if I didn't have kids I could make it in a day no problem. But . . . . I have kids

I think I'm going to do it though. What can I say, I like to live dangerously :LOL

Tomorrow the kids go to Grandma's for the last time before Christmas. They'll be gone about 4 hours and I have to finish their two capes (hem and put the buttons on) and make clothing for two dolls. Then wrap and hide their presents. I *should* be able to do all that and still have some time left over to work on BIL's scarf. Oh, and I need to make one more microwave rice bag but those turned out to be insanely easy so maybe 1/2 an hour tops (that's being generous).

[Ligmom]

shannon,
sounds like you are pretty close to finished....hang in there

I still have to make 9 rice packs, 30 bars of soap, and lots of bath fizzies. Also, a poncho for my niece, and some I-spy bags :

why am i online?

[poisonedapple]

Oh I like the idea of rice bags, do you have a link for that? I kept doing too many other things and taking on more nad more, that Ive only given myself this past week to get the knitting done for CHristmas. I had patterns figured out, some yarn bought, and just no time. Started my moms poncho thinking itd be fast. But ugh! I hate it! Im clumsy with big needles (size 15) and its SO boring! Ive knit hats, and a leg of Ais' longies this past week trying to avoid that dreaded poncho. Im at 36" just need to make it to 60!

No clue what to do for everyone else, but I love the rice bag idea!

[ChattyCat]

I finished a scarf for dh's sister and clogs for his aunt. I hope the clogs dry in time though! I'm still working on a scarf for his cousin. I will be so happy when it's done. I want to get back to knitting and sewing for ds!!

[Throkmorton]

I am in the home stretch! Just need to do 5 more repats on my mom's lace dresser scarf, and then after that it will be however many ornaments I get done before Christmas morning.

[ShannonCC]

I've been trying to change the title on this but it won't. It SAYS it edits but then doesn't . Humph.



Throckmorton, what's a "repat"? (I've never made lace)

Ligmom, wow you are busy, :LOL Get off the 'puter NOW!

Mama2, how do you make clogs? That sounds ambitious!

Spice, I don't have a link, but there was a thread on here awhile back (I think i started it?) which talked about them. I just cut rectangles of durable fabric (I used a light weight denim) that were about 6" by 14"? Or, uh, as big as you think it should be. (they come in all different sizes - I have a store bought one that's probably 8" by 10"). Then sew up three edges. Serge if you have it, if not, just sew multiple seams to make sure it doesn't pop (can you imagine the mess? :LOL)
Then fill it with rice. Not all the way though, you fill it somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 full so the rice has room to move around. I used plain, white rice. Man that stuff is CHEAP in bulk. I bought too much : I bought 20 lbs (for something like $4!) and only used half for the 8 small beanbags and 4 rice bags I made. I have one more rice bag to make but it looks like we'll be eating white rice for awhile :LOL Anyway, then you sew (again - REALLY well) the final edge and there you have it. Attach a tag that says to microwave for 1 minute and thereafter in 30 second increments and no more than 2 minutes. I've read you can put a bowl of water in the microwave with it to moisten it a bit but I haven't tried that.

So, I finished the baby dolls today Teeny tiney clothing is INCREDIBLY ANNOYING to make but dang it looks good now that I'm done I also put newborn baby socks on them. Dh wrapped each baby doll in a receiving blanket and then wrapped them up in paper. So two baby dolls, complete with clothing and blankets and I didn't have to buy a thing! I had all the materials on hand and the socks and blankies were left over from having kids. Kewl

I didn't finish the capes though so dh will have to spirit the kids away for an hour or so sometime this week.

BIL's scarf and the one last rice bag I can do when the kids are here (as long as 2 year old is sufficiently distracted - he keeps wanting to sit in my lap while I'm sewing on the machine or crocheting. Cute, but it's not helping )

[Throkmorton]

Originally Posted by ShannonCC

Throckmorton, what's a "repat"? (I've never made lace)

That would be a repeat, when it's early and I haven't slept enough to be able to spell.
On the up side, I finished, and it's being blocked on the futon as we speak. Now I have to get creative and invent some handicrafts for my grandmothers. Hmmm. I may try the rice bags. We have plenty of it because we bought the 20 lb bag when it went on sale for 4.99.

[khrisday]

I have one last gift to finnish- a pair of mitts for my dad. I thought they woudl keep his hands warm when he rides his bike at the beach. I am almost done, but I thinkI have been putting it off because I'm mad at him.
Stupid I know.

[AinNJ]

i JUST started my mom's poncho this weekend. UGH!!! she gave me specifics on what she wanted about a month ago, and i've been putting it off and putting it off because basically, she wants a freaking BLANKET folded in half with a hole in the middle for her head. she has NO idea the work involved in this thing. and the only reason she wants it is so she can tell everyone "my daughter made this". i HATE THAT!!!! ARGH! and she's not a tiny person. so in order to make it as big as she wants it, it's going to have to be huge.

so all weekend long i've been crocheting and crocheting and cursing her out with each stitch LOL. poor dh. hehehe. he's been listening to me mumble "oh, that woman" phrases all weekend long. LOL.

despite my utter lack of motivation to stitch this thing, it really looks good. she wanted burgendy color wool, but the cheapest burgendy colored wool i could find was $8/skein and my pattern calls for 12 skeins. sorry, but thats just WAY more $$ than i have, so i ended up buying TLC yarn. omg, this stuff is BEAUTIFUL! and it's sooooo soft. i really like it. it has a subtle sheen to it and it's just gorgous. i think she'll be happy. she better be happy or i'll dis-own her!!! ROFL!!

i love the rice bag idea!!! i should serge up a few of those as stocking stuffers!!! are you putting any herbs in them?

[JennInSeattle]

I was done with all of the Christmas presents but I picked up a pattern for shorts and a shirt for Nathan (it's currently 82 degrees in Hawaii) over the weekend.

I have an adorable single knit fabric that I worked from and made the shirt (although the neck is huge and the sleeves are all curly from stretching the knit while sewing - the pattern says to do that). I still need to do the shorts and then I'll be done with all of my Christmas sewing.

I've put off additional diaper making because I'm getting a rotary cutter for Christmas and want to use it to cut out all of my patterns from now on! :LOL

[mamajessica]

Oh Jenn! How could you have done all of that sewing WITHOUT a rotary cutter ! Well, congrats on getting one soon!
I have decided that if it isn't done now, it's not getting done.

[Ligmom]

I'm making progress! I finished all my rice packs today--well, except one b/c I ran out of rice. That's no big deal...only one seam left. Working on the soap and bath fizzies tonight, I-Spy bags complete except for the "Can-you-find card" & grommet, poncho for my niece--still not started:P

Glad to see everyone else is coming along,too

[molly54]

I finished all my Christmas knitting this past weekend. I knit 4 sweaters,1 poncho,and 2 hats for each of my 2 grand daughters. Also finished a poncho for my DD. I also made them each a no-sew fleece blanket. Here are the pictures. Click on the Christmas knitting album-second one.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/knitte...lbum?dir=/e831
Thanks for looking.
Renate-now knitting socks for DS birthday

[ChattyCat]

Mama2, how do you make clogs? That sounds ambitious!

I made the felted clogs from the Fiber Trends pattern. They turned out really cute! I got photos from before I felted them and will take more, if they ever dry. It is so cold here that I'm worried they won't dry by Saturday. I plan on posting pics once I get them, because I know someone was wanting before and after photos of them a few weeks ago.

[Ligmom]

renate,
everything you made looks awesome....you have a wonderful gift for knitting


update: i made 20 bars of soap tonight...still need to make 15 more

[ShannonCC]

Throckmorton, :LOL I still don't even know what a "repeat" is

AinNJ, I opened up some tea bags and poured them into the rice bags but I don't think I used enough. I don't have any money to spend though so I had to use what I had on hand. I have a rice bag though and I don't mind the smell of hot rice at all. Some people don't like it I guess. Good luck on that poncho!

Ligmom, get soaping

[JennInSeattle]

Originally Posted by mamajessica

Oh Jenn! How could you have done all of that sewing WITHOUT a rotary cutter ! Well, congrats on getting one soon!
I have decided that if it isn't done now, it's not getting done.

I totally understand that line of thinking! That's about how I feel about shopping! I have one more place to go for shopping tomorrow and that's it - if I forgot about it I'm not getting it before Christmas!

[andi_3k]

I have several cards, four ornaments I have to do yet and some bibs to back stitch .....I had the ornaments done, but they got ruined when the floss ran...and I ahve been too sick and too overwhelmed with college duties to get them redone again.
I finished one card tonight ( yay!) and am 3/4 done with another one... the rest will get done over break.
wish me luck!

[molly54]

Originally Posted by Ligmom

renate,
everything you made looks awesome....you have a wonderful gift for knitting


update: i made 20 bars of soap tonight...still need to make 15 more

Thank you for the nice compliment! I love to knit and have been knitting for a long time!
Renate-The Knitting Nana!

[Throkmorton]

Heeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllllllllppppppppppp pppppppppppppp!!!!!!


Did I make my panic clear? I just finished merrily wrapping presents, only to discover that I have yet to make or buy anything for the grandparents.
I am sick, so don't feel like shopping. Plus the granparents just buy whatever they want anyways. I need quick gift ideas! Maybe a good crochet scarf pattern? Should grandpa get a hat? Do grandparents actually appreciate pot holders, dishcloths, etc?