Christmas Wishes – 2012 edition

For the past several years I have done an Advent-type activity with my grown kids.  They both have families of their own so I’m focusing on the grandchildren this year.  Our grandson is seven and his sister is three.  The twins will be four in December.

In the past I would put a small gift in a brown paper lunch bag and close it with a numbered tag.  The bag would be opened on that particular day starting December 1 and ending on December 24.

Instead of using the lunch bags this year, I opted for “sour cream” packets.  They are so easy to make and can be adapted to any size needed.  Check out this tutorial from Splitcoaststampers

I used scrapbook paper (50% off with a coupon) from Joann’s.  Most of the packets I made were 4 x 6 inches to make better use of the 12 x 12 inch paper.  The longer packets were 6 x 8 inches and held a candy cane or two.  Round labels worked great for my number stickers.  Green numbers were for one child and red for the other.

I bought each family a small pre-lighted Christmas tree.  Each packet contains a sweet treat and a small ornament.  The kids can add an ornament to their tree each day.   I also included a star tree topper and child friendly Nativity set.

Do you have an Advent tradition?

Another substitution

In the United States we just celebrated Thanksgiving.  The traditional meal consists of turkey.  The trimmings vary from home to home and region to region.  Do you still have any leftover turkey?

Last year I posted a chicken corn chowder recipe that I threw together.  The post was about substitutions in recipes.

Well, I substituted again using the same chicken corn chowder recipe.

I used some leftover Thanksgiving turkey instead of the chicken.

Delicious.

Thankful

Last night as I was sitting in my “knitting” chair surfing Pinterest on my iPad, a contented feeling came over me and I sat there thinking of how wonderful my life is right now.

We have family.  We are healthy.  We are safe.  We are well-fed.  We are comfortable.  We have a roof over our heads.  We have a nice house under that roof.  We are warm.  We have freedom of choice.  We have employment.  We have friends.

I was very humbled with those thoughts as not everyone can say those things.

And I am very thankful and very grateful for all my gifts from God.

Restart and stop

I wanted to make some fingerless mitts for myself.  Why Not?  I’ve made at least 8 pairs and given them away.  It’s my turn.

I loved the free pattern “Treads” so I started a pair for me a few weeks ago.

Then other things got placed ahead of the mitts.

I picked them back up yesterday and finished one.  My gauge was off.  It was way too big.

R-R-R-I-I-I-P-P-P

Started it again.

Still not right.

R-R-R-I-I-I-P-P-P

Started it a third time and realised I dropped a stitch below the Lateral Braid and there was no way to fix it.

R-R-R-I-I-I-P-P-P

I gave up.  I still love the pattern. It is well written and has excellent directions for making a Lateral Braid.  I didn’t like the yarn I was using.  And  I must have short hands since the finished mitt did not fit my hand the way it does in the pattern.

How many times do you start or restart a pattern before abandoning it?