Getting gifts for our angel

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.
New American Standard Bible; Matthew 18:10

One of the many things I enjoy about my Lutheran church is the amount of outreach that goes on within the surrounding communities.

Our church is equal opportunity, and won’t shy away from you because of your race, socioeconomic background, etc., what better way to be a great witness to others, than by having the spirit of giving. Homeless shelter, food pantry, helping build homes, giving money to those who are in need, etc. It’s truly a blessing to be part of such a loving church.

Each year there’s an angel tree in the annex. The tree is beautifully decorated, and filled with angels. Each angel belongs to a needy child that has written down what they’d like for Christmas. I let my daughter pick our angel this year and at the time, I promised myself I’d chose another angel the following Sunday. Well… that didn’t happen since all the angels were snapped up the day it was available. How awesome is that?

Tomorrow, my daughter and I will visit a few stores, and try to turn our angels wish into a reality. The parents/guardians make the requests for the children.This girls provider only listed clothing such as the coat, socks, scarf, gloves.  Hmm…  I wonder if she would like something else. With the young girls I mentored, even though they didn’t have much,many of them would talk about the typical gadgets that appeal to children their age, so I’ve decided to include a few ‘fun things’ as her gift too.

I do know that our angel is an eight year old girl. Which makes her one year younger than my daughter. If she’s like my daughter was at that age, she’ll appreciate a few fun things that can entertain her, and so we’ll be purchasing a few toys also. I’ll be knitting/crocheting a few items (such as a scarf and mittens) they were on her list of needs. They’ll be much softer/warmer than what I could purchase in a store. The only thing it requires me to do is use some of my yarn, and of course time to make the items. Additionally,  I’ll purchase her a coat at the local department store, along with a nice pair of shoes. Those were on her list.

I must say I’m a bit of a loss, since the colors she likes wasn’t listed, and I dislike not knowing things such as this when I‘m purchasing clothing. So I’m torn… I might see if I can contact the organizer and have them ask the parent what their daughters’ favorite colors are. In doing so, my daughter and I’ll be able to give her something that is warm, and is in colors that she loves.

Folded like a deck of cards…

Ok, so I didn’t wait to receive the order for those Hiya Hiyas. A few hours later, I went back and purchased the 5″ Hiya Hiya Sharp steel interchangeable set.

In my defense, Yarn Bazaar’s store owner, Jo Ellen, responded to my email quickly. I included the correspondence below…

Than you so much, I look forward to trying out the Hiya Hiya needle. If I like them, I’ll purchase the set. I still am unsure which one to choose the 4″ or 5″ set.

I hope you are having a wonderful day.

Opal

 

Hello Opal,

 You are very welcome. We make every effort to provide the best customer service at all times. My personal preference is the 5” needle as I have a larger hand. The 4” needle just seems too short for me hold.

 

You might want to check our website as the HiyaHiya interchangeable sets are 10% while supplies last.

We are having our Year End Clearance Sale with some very good bargains!

 

Best regards,

Jo Ellen

 

 

I value customer service, just because I’m a virtual shopper, doesn’t mean I want to be ignored. With my busy schedule, it wouldn’t make sense (nor would it be economical) to purchase everything in person. I simply don’t have the time to be running all over Maryland, and the surrounding states to receive items I use. So for me, virtual shopping is a blessing.

Even though I shop virtually, I still enjoy interacting with the store owners, although in those cases the communication is via email. If I send  you an email please respond, ok? My emails are always nice/polite. Often times, I’ll send an email just to see if I get a response. If I do, I’ll be sure to shop at your online store again, and promote your place to others.

But back to the Hiya Hiya set, since I saw that there were only six left in stock I went ahead and purchased the set. To make me like the store even more, I was thrilled to learn that both orders have shipped today! How’s that for speedy customer service. If I’m ever in that part of New Jersey, I’ll be sure to visit the Yarn Bazaar.

 

I can’t wait to try out my Hiya Hiya sharp steel set. I’m really thrilled to have interchangeable that go all the way down to a needle size of 2!

So much for waiting to try out the first order! I folded like a deck of card, and I’m perfectly fine with that!

Playing the field…

This summer I ordered my first set of interchangeable needles; Knit Picks Options nickel plated set. Since purchasing, I’ve used them for most of my knitting projects. Circular or straight, it doesn’t matter. I usually reach for my circular knitting needles.  And while I like them, I’m always interested in having a backup set.

Isn’t this knitting case lovely?

 

A few hours ago I purchased a size 6 Hiya Hiya sharp, steel interchangeable needle. From my research, they seem to be just as sharp as the Knit Picks I now have. If I like them, I’ll purchase my own set of Hiya Hiya Sharp steel interchangeable needles. What I do like about Hiya Hiya interchangeable knitting needles is that the needles go down to a size 2. I use size 2 and 3 a lot. Knit Picks only goes down to a size 4.

I’d heard about Hiya Hiya needles (thanks to Ravelry.) But it was Amanda’s post about Hiya Hiya needle that made me want to eventually check them out. Who knows, perhaps my review will be as glowing as hers. We’ll see, I should have my size 6 knitting needles sometime next week. If I do like the needles, I’ll purchase both  Hiya Hiya sets size 2 -8 and size 9 -15.

Knit Picks & Cyber Monday

For the past few weeks, I’ve been anxiously waiting for Cyber Monday. Here in the USA, Cyber Monday is the first Monday after Thanksgiving. You can usually catch some awesome deals online.

This year, my focus was all on Knit Picks.  In total, I spent about $140. I must say, that was a nice savings since if I purchased the yarn full price it would have easily been over $300. Part of the yarn order is for my daughter, since her interest in crochet has increased I feel it’s time for her to have her own little yarn stash.

Don’t ask me how much yarn I purchased, but the all the yarn is attached to a specific project, and I know that I have enough to last me for quite some time. The good news is, I’m actually making something for myself.

Shawl back: This shawl is so lovely!

 

Shawl front: What a lovely color!

 

I love shawls! A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon this lovely knitted shawl. I immediately purchased the pattern. The photos are from Judy Marples site. She’s also the designer of this lovely shawl. Stop by her website, Purl Bumps and check out more of her lovely designs. The above shawl is called, Cedar Grove Shawl.  Isn’t it gorgeous? And now, thanks to part of my Knit Picks yarn purchase, I have yarn for this project.

 

Photo Source: Judy Marples/Purl Bumps

It is finished; knitted garter stitch scarf

When it comes to crafting, I’m happiest when I’m working on a project.

I really love how this wool scarf turned out. It’s squishy soft, thick, and it’s warm!

 

Last evening, I completed the simple garter stitch scarf for my father. My daughter asked if this would be one of his Christmas presents, and I told her no. My father will be getting this immediately!

This scarf is over 6′ long.

 

It’s over 6′ in length and it’s width is a little over 7″. If you’re a beginning knitter, this or an item using the garter stitch would be a perfect first project. I consider this stitch mindless knitting, since I really don’t have to think or look at my needles when I’m doing this or stockinette stitch. As a newbie, it wasn’t as easy. Hang in there (if you are a newbie) it does get better!

I do find the process soothing, and it’s a chance for me to unwind while keeping my hands busy.

Simple garter stitch scarf

During the Thanksgiving holidays, while my daughter was working on her crocheted amigurumi doll, I was knitting a simple scarf for my father.

An enjoyable pastime; knitting

 

It’s a simple knit, since it’s just yards of garter stitch. Call me lazy, but I really didn’t want to fuss with something elaborate over the Thanksgiving holiday. Naturally I used my Knit Picks interchangeable circular needles. The 60″ cable that I recently ordered came in handy for this project since  I made this scarf differently;  I knitted this scarf longwise. If I remember, I did a cast on of 265. My usual scarf cast on is between 40 to 85. The width is about 10″ long. Which makes a nice long/wide scarf.

Although I’m 42, I’m still a daddy’s girl and make and gift him with numerous items throughout the year. I’ve told him many times that he isn’t allowed to go anywhere. He has to be here forever. He just looks at me like I’m nuts when I say that. This scarf is a little over 6′. It’s perfect for him to wrap a few times around his neck while he’s puttering around outside.

I also made this knitted garter stitch scarf, in the same color as his knitted balaclava. The only difference is that this scarf has a tiny trim in a vivid blue. I’ll post the picture once the scarf is complete. If I work on it today, it’ll be finished. Regarding the Balaclava, my father wears it daily. How awesome is that? He told me it’s the warmest hat he’s ever received.

I can’t say which one is more fiber worthy… my daughter or my father. They both appreciate anything I make for them.

Yarnie Adventures; My daughter makes her first crocheted doll

Over the Thanksgiving holidays, my 9yo daughter made her first crocheted doll. She kept begging me to show her how to make one, and I thought she was ready. I started her off simple, the only thing she needed to know was single crochet, how to increase, and how to decrease. No written pattern was used, I simply told her how many rows I wanted her to crochet for each body part.

My daughter working on her first crocheted doll.

Since I’ve already mastered those skills, she didn’t have to look for the information online (like I did.) She wanted to finish the doll the same day, but I broke it up into three days.

My daughter proudly displaying her first crocheted doll

Yesterday, after she rooted the dolls hair she proudly showed off her work. She was extremely excited.

 

If you look closely you’ll see where she marked the doll. I told her these blue marks would disappear once the doll has been washed and dried.

 

I’d been saving this yarn for a very special doll (since I thought it would make awesome hair.) But my daughter is more special than any doll I could create, and so I gifted the yarn to her. She was thrilled! Initially she found hair rooting to be challenging, but I reminded her that it only looks easy when I do it, because I’ve been rooting doll hair for years. I told her if she stuck with it, and didn’t give up… it would come easier. It did, I’m proud of her first crocheted doll.

Of course this means, that I’m adding a nice set of crochet hooks (and yarn) to her Christmas list. She’s definitely craft worthy.