Christmas eve...

How's everyone's Christmas going on???
I hope you are having a wonderful day.... we are used to have the "big" celebration on Christmas eve, more than on Christmas day.
So yesterday night we had a big dinner and a few friends over...
MG finished his work early on Friday so we started our cooking... we like the idea of a big dinner, and by big I mean with multiple dishes so even when it had been just the 2 of us, we've had the big dinner... so I was glad to have friends over to help with the food. :o)

Yesterday morning we went to see Annie to the downtown theatre with the local theatre company... it was incredible and magical play that I enjoy tons... MG had never see it before and had a great time too.
Then a little stop at the Yarn shop to say hello, Merry Christmas catch up about the last day things and off back home to finish with the cooking and cleaning...

We did a very good job with the cooking-preparing whatever and cleaning/washing immediatly afterwards, so by the time we finished the cooking the kitchen was actually all tidy and neat just waiting for the final heating of the food and the arrival of our guests.

You see, I was very excited about having this little party because it was not only our first Christmas together and with more people, but really it was the first time we had people over for dinner, our first "entreteinment party" since we got married and live together.
I've had friends over before, but more in the middle of the day, maybe an ocassional lunch, but not really a dinner. And I was SO excited!!!!

We had 3 people over. 2 of my yarn friends and the husband of one of them.
The food was amazing...
For apetizers we had some cheeses and cold meats with fresh bread...

 

And then the dinner... buffet kind so every one could get whatever they wanted as many times as they wanted.

Stuffed mushrooms with cheese and the same insides of the mushrooms...

breaded and cheesed shrimps...

4 cheese ravioli with marinara cream sause...

and turkey!!!

We did the turkey injecting both white and red wine in it the day before... then covering it inside and out with a lemon-honey-onion-garlic mixture... and stuffed with minced meat with apple, bacon and raisins.

 

Here's already carved and with the stuffing next to it.

We did the turkey injecting both white and red wine in it the day before... then covering it inside and out with a lemon-honey-onion-garlic mixture... and stuffed with minced meat with apple, bacon and raisins.

Everything was delicious! our guests enjoyed it and served several times :o)

And for dessert we had baklava and salted caramel toffee bars that one of my friends brought...
And kamelado, which I made. I don't have a picture of it, but I'll post a recipe soon... it's delicious!!!

Then we had presents... that's for another post...
How was your Christmas????
Did you get any presents???

See you soon!
S.

Merry Christmas!!!

This is my 200th post!!!!

Merry Christmas, Hanukka, season or whatever you celebrate!!!

Shanti

Christmas has arrived!!!

Last Sunday that I said we were going out to buy presents, we ended up buying our Christmas tree and some comic books for MG's presents.

Today, finally Christmas tree is full with lights and ornaments... I still have wrapping to do, but I hope tomorrow...
Our tree this year is short and fat... ;o)
It makes me happy... we have a tendency to name things... so the tree name is Stanley, Stan for short!

We put all out not round ornaments, all my crocheted and some clay like figurines that we bought our first Christmas together. Some stockins and some small round ornaments... not a lot.

I did a little mantle (I'm not sure if that's the word) on top of the corner bookshelf with our little nativity and Christmas tree... we don't have a lot of ornament things because it has been an uncertain time of when we'll be going back home so we try to not to buy tons of things that later we won't be able to keep.

I got that Nativity set last year at a Holiday bazar, it was very cheap because the head of one of the wise man was broken... I love it.

Anyway... After getting the tree last week... we went to the yarn shop party, with all my friends.
It was great and I was very happy.
We did a "Dirty Santa" which means that everyone brings a gift, and you put it in the center of the room. Then you make little paper with numbers for the total of presents that people brought.
And then you pick a paper and you get a number. So the number one pick a present and opens it.
#2 can decide to pick a new present and open or "steal" the one that #1 picked, shich would make that #1 has to pick something else.
and from #3 to the end of the numbers they can pick something new or steal.
everyone gets a present at the end.

I got a long necklace

I think you can't see it good there... I'll try to take a closer picture to show you because it is beauuuutiful!
That's one of my friends in the picture... she's spending Christmas eve with us and I'm excited about it.

that's all for now...
Hope to be back soon!
S.

Going out...

just about to go out with dear MG to buy Christmas pressies!!! and then the Christmas party with my friends from the Yarn shop!

See you soon!
S.

Yarn Swap!!!

Almost mid December!!! where did the year go??? there's only 2 Mondays in the year after this... Oh my!!!

I'm excited today to tell you about a yarn swap I just had.
It was organized by the 'We love Lucy' group at Ravelry... This was my second swap.

We got our names drawn in mid November, package sent by Dec 5th, and finally on Dec 8th, I got my package!!! a big box full of wonderful pressies!!!

Now... first what I sent to a lovely girl in New Jersey...

A box packed with goodies... lots of goodies!!!

3 balls of Tonic yarn... blue, green and hot pink!

Some crocheted Christmas trees... And flowers...

The package must contained a handmade item... so I put a pair of earrings and a cowl.

And a lot more of little things...

A project bag from Knit Picks (Fabulous bag)... a set of rainbow crochet hooks, some colorful pens, a set of stencils to decorate cookies or coffee, a couple of patterns, a ball of Lustra yarn, and a couple of notes.

I loved putting it together and I think my 'partner' loved it too... she said it was a great gift and was happy with it...

Well she did wonderful too!!!!
Here's what she sent me.... a HUGE box came by UPS! I was so excited...

Of course I opened it imediatly... it was full of packing peanuts... so I dove in them in the look for the presents...

Look I found the first one...

And they kept coming and coming... a lot of them!!!

And then the opening... first came her Handmade item... a bunch of lovely buterflies and dragonflies (which I'm in love with)... I think she did an amazing job with them!

Then the most fun pair of sock!!! bright green and orange-red polka dots, very elf-ish... which I'm wearing right now of course...

More goodies!!! a little stocking with 2 bags of hot chocolate powder (Yum!! I love Hot Choc)... a string of glass beads, a bag of pompoms and a bag of paper cups for my baking!!! in polka dots!

A Fabulous-GoRgEoUs-amazing Christmas tree that you plug in the wall and changes colors!!!!
And a bag of Haribo Gummy Bears that MG claimed as his own :o)

This incredible book!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been wanting that book for so long... I have the edgins one and this one is just perfect, besides super inspirational and happy with all the great colors!

A tube of the sweetest Christmas ornaments!!! bright colors, yei!!

And some definetelly yummy yarn!!!!!!!

Oh!!! and I almost forgot... the most amazing wire rack to hand my jewelry!!!! I love it!!!!!

Here! All my treasures together!!!!

Isn't that amazing???? I was truly spoiled and I'm SO happy with it... Oh and I see I didn't take an individual pic, but there's also a red silicone Christmas-Tree-Ice-cube tray... and 2 notes! including 2 of her family Christmas recipes!!!!

Fabulous, isn't it???

See you soon!
S.

Holliday decorations for the shop...

As I've told you before, I'm in my knit/crochet year... I'm involved with my LYS and I'm there almost every day, Monday to Saturday. I'm teaching crochet and helping with a lot of things and learning.... learning a whole lot of amazing and fun things!!!!

Last week we started thinking about the decoration for the Hollidays for the shop...
We went to Hobby Lobby and bought a whole bunch of ornaments and lights for the store front...
Next I worked with 2 girls to make yarn ornaments...

 We made a mixture of water and glue and soaked yarn in it...

Then we squeezed the yarn to take out the excess of glue-y mix and wrapped it around balloons...

... and hung them so they could dry over night...

When they're ready, dry and hard, we'll pop the balloons and hang them around the shop as Ornaments...

We also crocheted some stars...

And finished them with a golden trim...

We haven't made a lot, but we don't need a big amount.

Here you can see the size of them

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So this week, we popped the balloons, we took out the lights and decorations and worked around the shop to add more color and some bright and sparkle spots...

 Can you see the colored lights and snowflakes (crocheted) under the arch in the photo above??

and you can see how the balloons turned out!!! we were very pleased with them and made 8 more to complete de decoration.... to pop next week.

The next photo is kind of small, but maybe you can see the bright lights framing the windows ? and the ornaments hanging in the middle of them??

And last, the crocheted stars in the window... we still need to block them, and maybe make some more...

Is your LYS decorated??

See you soon!
S.

Tunisian Crochet Blanket!!!!

Heeellooooo!!!!
Here I am again!! with what I think will be my last post of the year to show you my (MG) tunisian crochet blanket...
This was my secret project during mid November and almost whole December... I couldn't post a lot of it here, because I didn't know if MG would read about it, you see even when he's not a regularly reader of my blog, he peeks in from time to time to see what's going on here at wires & yarns... so I couldn't risk to spoil the surprise for him! This is the blanket I made as a Christmas present for this year for MG.


So here's the blanket... I wanted to make 9 blocks but I couldn't manage to make them all, partly because I was doing more things and I run out of time and partly because I haven't been doing my hand therapy as I should have so I'm having pain in my hands again while and after yarning (knitting or crochetting)...

 So I just managed to make 6 blocks... add a border to each one of them and join them together... I'm planning on make the remaining 3 blocks soon, but I'm glad that I won't need to hide it any more and that I won't have any pressure while doing them.
The first 3 blocks took about 8-10 hours each, the remaining 3 I manage to make each of them in about 5-6 hours, so I think that it's something that improves and comes out easier and faster while you practice...
The tecnique itself it's pretty simple, and it's all made in basic stitch which is also very easy to make... I think the complex thing here is the change of color because, although is not really difficult to make, it requires to have a ball for each color change, which makes it a not to-go project and you have to sit down with it, focus a little bit and pay atention to the chart so you make the changes in the correct place... and having all those threads and balls hanging from the back of your work is something that takes some time to get used to it...
I used an 8mm hook, long tunisian hook with a hook in each point but I only used one...
And I used I Love This Yarn yarn from Hobby Lobby... and I really liked it!!!
Here a close up in one of the blocks...

So that is my blanket... right now it measures 33x44 inches... I plan to make and add 3 blocks and then a proper border as it corresponds....

The best thing, I am SUPER happy with it and MG is totally loving it!!! so I am in heaven with that!!!

Have a great New Year!!!!
I'm off to fix something to eat now!

See you soon!
S.