For some reason the beginning of Fall brings out the organizer/cleaner person in me. I have spent this entire weekend like a mad woman - cleaning out drawers and cabinets, putting new shelf paper down, organizing a bathroom closet AND organizing my craft, scrapbook, sewing, knitting, and crocheting room! I decided it was time to organize all of my patterns...those in the form of books, magazines and printed off the internet. I am amazed by what I have! I could knit 24 hours a day for two lifetimes and never come close to making all the patterns I have. But a couple things caught my eye. I found my first two books I ever got on how to learn to knit and crochet. I always tell my kids that I was somewhat different than alot of little kids my age. They would want to be out playing (which don't get me wrong, I did alot of) but I always wanted to be sitting with my Mom and her many sisters at the dining room table watching them knit, crochet and tat. They made exquisite things - beautiful tablecloths with the smallest crochet hook you ever saw, with tons of small beads crocheted in. Unbelievable. I wanted to learn as I watched them. I remember my one aunt worked at a tiny store that sold everything you could think of. One day her and my Mom took me there to get my first book on how to learn to knit and crochet. I couldn't believe that my Mom had saved it for me all these years. The copyright in my "Learn How Book" was 1959. I was 5 years old!!! My name is printed on the inside in this very cute, large printing - MY large printing!! It was MY book, my very own book! It cost 29 cents! From that point on I was hooked so to speak. Oh, I've gone in and out of knitting and crocheting over the years but have always been in love with anything done by hand. I've quilted, made my kids their clothes and halloween costumes, covered their beds in quilts, etc. and now I have a beautiful granddaughter Addison that has sparked a new love affair with knitting! I can't wait until Addison is watching me knit and says to me in her little squeaky voice "Grammy can you show me how to do that?" I sure will Addie!!!
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Well, I decided to sew all weekend instead of knit and I completed Jen's Advent Calendar. She wanted to have one for Addison's First Christmas so that she can use it for years to come with Addison and any brothers or sisters she may have!!! It's all about starting family traditions. Now that Jen and Eric have started their own family, it's time for them to start creating memories. 
With Christmas getting close, a million gift ideas race through my head. And did I tell you that ideas race through Jen's as well? Well, being the Mom that I am, I always volunteer to help with her ideas as well. Part of my problem is that I look at the price that stores charge for things that I can make....and the quality is usually poor. It all started when Jen wanted an advent calendar. We actually went to see them in person and they were not good for the price - at least to my standards. So first volunteer project. We bought fabric and I plan to have it done before December 1. Second project - making hoodie bathtowels for all of Jen's nieces and nephews. Pottery Barn charges an arm and a leg....so second volunteer project. I can sew ribbon on towels and use my embroidery machine to embroider their names on them. So tonight I sewed ribbon on 4 towels. The embroidery will come later. But they did turn out so cute. And nothing is nicer than a handmade gift. They sewed up so quickly that it's hard for me to imagine a store charging $30 each!!! I already made two for Addie and they are so big and warm and wrap around her so much nicer than the little baby ones. Because, after all she is getting to be a big girl already! 
Anyone who does read my blog knows that I always have a ton of projects going at once. So why wouldn't I jump on the chance to do a Mystery Beret? A hat designer on Ravelry called Woolly Wormhead has started a mystery beret group. When you join anything that has the word "mystery" in the title, you know that you won't know what it will look like until you are done...no picture ahead of time, just clues. So Clue #1 was the 2" k1p1 rib. Done! The second clue is the actually pattern of the beret, which is a very pretty lace pattern...Started! I am not a hat person at all so you might wonder why I would be making this? I don't have the right hair for hats - once they come off I can't go anywhere but home! But the idea of making a beret sounded appealing. And fun. So off I went - digging through my stash since I refused to buy any new yarn for a hat that might not even look good on me. I know the hat will be beautiful as all of Woolly Wormhead's hats are very cool. I have 3 girls in my family so if this doesn't work for me, then I have other heads to try it on!
