skate and destroy

I picked up a tiny pair of white ice skates at Goodwill two summers ago, and was pretty stoked to discover that they fit Lo this year. (She was excited that they looked like Lola's skates on Charlie and Lola.)  :)

We had family visiting from Chicago last month, and sticking to tradition, we headed downtown to skate at Brenton Plaza. 

Little Lo did so well for her first time! She didn't give up when she discovered she wasn't going to twirl around the rink on her first try. She was really brave and wanted to skate all day. All day. 

I had a lovely fat lip that day, and decided to stay off the ice, take pics and drink hot chocolate with my brother-in-law.  ;)

Pretty excited to see this gang again this week for the holidays; I do love to watch these cousins make new memories together each year. (What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?)

snow day

 Snow days in Iowa sometimes start off something like this.

But after a cup of coffee, some cartoons and a bowl of cereal, snow days end up progressing into something more like this.

It's a lot of hard work.

No matter what, snow days pretty much always end like this.  :)

hello weekend

One last post before the weekend to let you know that I have one last batch of oh-so-lovely cowls that are ready to ship (and perfect for gift-giving.) Most of the colors above are still available, and you'll get 15% off if you enter GIVEHANDKNITS at checkout (from today through December 22nd.) Find everything here. 

After weeks of long nights spent knitting and working, I'm gearing up for a busy weekend filled with gatherings, friends, food (ahem ... Bower's sea-salt caramels) and what's sure to be a killer sleepover. Yup, a sleepover. I really, really can't wait. Here's hoping you have an extra fun weekend, too.

random & repeat

A few months ago, Shimelle Laine asked me to make a little project for her online class, True Stories. I hadn't made any little books in awhile and the topic I chose gave me the perfect excuse to make one.

My assignment was to put my music collection on shuffle and as each song came up, write down whatever came to mind. (This is funny, because a bunch of friends have been sort of playing a game just like this recently.) I used a 7Gypsies rubber band book, which I love. It has pre-cut pages with notches cut in them so putting it all together is a snap.

I have pretty strong ties to my favorite songs, so this was such an awesome way to record some very specific memories. (Click the image to see what I wrote.) And it's probably one of my favorite projects (that I've actually finished!) in awhile. I encourage you to give it a go when you have the chance ... maybe in January, which is a great time to reflect. I'm working on a little December book this week full of fun pics/holiday preparations and hope to have a little bit of that done very soon. (I'm still in shock that Christmas is almost here already! Just like Rachel said ... public service announcement: only ten days left.)

Etsy shop Christmas update!

Hey gang! I've been working hard on a bunch of new hand-knit beauties just in the nick of time for gift giving. Like this one-of-a-kind chunky Malabrigo scarf. You can check out my latest shop update here.

 

I have a bunch of these cowls (made with Twinkle soft chunky) in new colors. Buttery yellow, navy, blue/green, cobalt blue and this pretty light purple.

 

This turquoise cowl is super long ... long enough to wrap around your neck twice.

 

And a new color I haven't used before ... kelly green is my new favorite.

 

These have been selling out super fast, so if you see something you like, snag it before it's gone! It's far enough into December that I'm no longer able to accept custom orders, so shop now for the best selection. Happy Tuesday to you ... stay warm.  ;)

GAP-tastic

 

So, if you've been doing a little shopping here and there, you may have spotted a lovely cowl at the Gap that looks something like this.

(photo from Gap.com)

Apparently, it was a popular accessory this season because many stores are sold out (and I believe they're sold out online as well) and anyway, I decided I had to try to re-create it myself. Because it's a totally easy-peasy pattern. It's just a lot of seed stitch.

So I did. (I also may have done a little ... ahem ... research/stitch counting in the store to make sure mine came out pretty close to what theirs looks like.) I love the ginormous blanket-y size of this thing, big enough to go around your neck twice.

If you'd like to make one, too, you can find a free pdf download here. Because it's fun to share. Happy knitting, happy December.  :)

tardy for the party

In case you missed it, my pal Michelle had an outrageously cool blog party on her blog Scissor Quirk a few days ago, and it's not too late to go check it out. Also be sure to enter to win some fantastic giveaways. (You can enter through Saturday, December 11th at midnight PST!)

TGIF (and a winner!)

Hello and happy, happy Friday! No, I still haven't figured out what my song title is from yesterday. But thanks so much for all of the ideas. I'm a little bit sickly (fun sinus stuff) and I've got a hugely busy weekend coming up ... you, too? I shouldn't be surprised ... December is just like that. Earlier this week, I finished a test-knit for the lovely Elisa – the lovely 'Strictly Knit Headband/Earwarmer.' Check out the pattern here on Ravelry. I used Malabrigo Twist to make mine, in my favorite 'lettuce' color.

This weekend, I'll be knitting and selling at my very last craft show in Des Moines of 2010. Stop out, say hi, and score some last minute hand-knit holiday gifts! I have worked hard to have a ton of new cowls ready to go, so there will be lots of colors available. Central Presbyterian Church in Des Moines. 3829 Grand Avenue. The sale runs on Saturday, Dec. 11th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday, Dec. 12th, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

And last but not least, I have a winner from the Bugsnugger hand-dyed yarn giveaway!

Random.org picked #13, which is Stacia ... YAY! (Just email your mailing address info to jgeigley [at!] gmail [dot] com.) A big thanks to everyone who entered to win!! And have a good weekend.

what's the name of that song?

 

Help! I need song help. So, there I was, about three weeks ago. Sitting in Starbucks, knitting away. And I heard this song. I didn't ask the baristas who the artist was because it wasn't until after I left that I realized how much I liked it. I've been half-singing it ever since. Even though I'm not even sure I remember how it goes anymore. And I must find out what it is! Please help me. (Surely someone knows what the eff I'm talking about.)

The song was Christmas-y. But not overly Christmas-y. More alt holiday-ish and nothing I'd heard before. It was a guy/girl duet, singing back and forth. Kind of low. Super repetitive. Da-da-da-da-da-da-da. Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da, this season. Something something something something, something something something something something ... season. Something about this season, this time every season, or every time this season. Something to do with ... season!

I've gone back to that Starbucks to ask if anyone remembered hearing this song (I even kind of sang it! omg.) But no one knew. It was probably something playing via satellite. It's not on the new Norah Jones compilation or any of the holiday cd's that they carry at Starbucks. I checked. I googled. I searched. No luck. The more I think about it, the more it drives me crazy.

I may never find out what it is. But if you think you know and can link me up to the artist or album, I will send you some kind of reward. Seriously.

hey knitters ... hand-dyed yarn GIVEAWAY!

Hello, hello! If you're having kind of a gray, dreary day, I hope this splash of color helps you out a little bit. You must see all of this completely gorgeous hand-dyed hand-dyed yarn and fiber by my lovely friend Diane of Bugsnugger. (Definitely drool-worthy, right?)

Yup, hand-dyed superwash merino roving, too! You can find all of these yarns and fibers on Bugsnugger's Etsy shop and also on Hyenacart. (You should definitely go take a look.)

 And now for a GIVEAWAY!! (Yup, free yarn!)

Diane from Bugsnugger is kind enough to give you the chance to win this hand-dyed skein of Stellar sock yarn in a one-of-a-kind colorway! (The details: 80/20 BFL/nylon. This 4 oz skein has 420 yards.)

To enter, just leave a comment here telling me what you would make with this gorgeous skein and I'll pick a winner on Friday, December 10th. Good luck!