Christmas 2014 - New Hampshire

Happy Holidays!

We just returned from a trip to New England to visit the family for Christmas. It was great seeing the family (my little nephew is just the cutest thing ever!). But we didn't go alone - we also brought the pups and the bunny:

Getting cozy during the 12 hr car trip. 

It only took one evening of the dogs (my parent's pooch, Dutch and our two) being leery of one another before they became fast friends and tore through the house playing and chasing one another. Every evening we'd see the pups flop out tired from a day of play:

Dutch, so tired he fell asleep on Ryan's lap with his head on the table!

Boe Bear flopped out on the bed but with TWO tennis balls at the ready should he want to wake up and play!

The week wasn't all dogs and play (okay so it might have been). But I did get some knitting time in. In fact, I knit the world's ugliest sock:

Project: Christmas Throw Up

Yarn: Cascade Fixation (98% cotton, 2% other) 

Needles: US 4 (3.5mm)

Started: December 24, 2014

Finished: December 25, 2014

So ugly Rosie can't even look at them! 

They fit Mumma Roy perfectly!

This yarn is so odd - it's a stretchy cotton which makes nice socks but a beotch to knit with. They are a DK so they knit up quick (hence the one-day to complete the pair). I CO on the 24th and lo-and-behold, Mumma Roy had a new pair of socks to wear on Christmas! Too bad it looks like the socks had a little too much eggnog and threw up on themselves! Ah well... Mumma Roy seems to like them.

Aside from ugly sock knitting I had other fiber-related goodness: I visited the Spotted Sheep Yarn Shoppe in Goffstown, New Hampshire. I thought this was a new LYS but I was surprised to learn it opened around four years ago.

Image Credit: https://bonnetsandbowties.wordpress.com/tag/knitting/ (it was a dreary day and the photo looked terrible). 

Chip the Mascot! 

The shop is adorable and has a great selection of yarns and a HUGE selection of Blue Sky Alpaca Yarns -- sooo soft and luscious! The owner Bruce was great. We chatted about yarns, patterns and all things knitting while Mumma Roy and I browsed the store. Also very impressive - the exclusive patterns made by Bruce for the shop:

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/BruceN/simply-lined-hat-knitting-pattern

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/BruceN/simply-lined-slippers-knitting-pattern

The Simply Lined Hat Knitting Pattern and Simply Lined Slippers are soft, cushy and quick knits perfect for gifts or for yourself! Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures inside the shop - I was too busy chatting and shopping. But if you are in the area I recommend a stop!


Last fiber-mention about my Christmas trip... the French Press Slippers I gifted to Mumma Roy and Sandy. I used Stonehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd's Wool again (see my previous post about these slippers) to make these slippers. I knit the slippers and wrapped them without felting so they looked like this:

Waaaay too big for a human to wear. And I couldn't wait to see their expressions when they unwrapped these monsters:

You can tell from their expressions they thought these monsters were hilarious. Only after I explained that we'd have an afternoon of felting did they get it. And did we have fun later that day felting and stretching/forming to feet! BTW - blame Mumma Roy for the lack of finished object photos... will post those once she sends them to me. 

Overall we had a blast up in NH. It's always nice to see family especially during the holidays. I miss them already!