Christmas Stockings 2013

 

This has been a crazy year indeed.  I have made some new Christmas Stocking to go with the remodeling of the flat.  There are great news on Crafty Andy Designs.  I am hoping to have some new Crochet designs using some new techniques that I will be learning soon.  There will be color of course and texture.  I have some knit patterns on the board as well.  

These Stockings where made with  Hayfield Chunky with Wool yarn.  it is an 80% acrylic, 20% wool, chunky yarn.  I actually like this yarn a lot and may be making some kind of Cowl design with it in the next few days.  It knits fast and it probably crochets faster.   The pattern is called "Falling Snow Stocking" ,it is a free pattern from Ravelry and if you click on the name you will be redirected to  it. I altered the pattern on the instep a bit and on the green stocking at the toe, just to make them uniquely mine. If you can modify the yarn size and needles you may well make a pair for yourself.  I hope your holidays are shaping up as well as mine and that you count your blessings.  I send all of you a prayer of peace, good health and abundance.  Will be back soon, thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas and Happy 2013

My goodness, I forgot about my blog, ha ha ha.  No I have not forgotten about blogging.  I am in a big positive transition and busier than a bee in a beehive.   I am going to share my Christmas Day with you and later one I will tell you a bit about my other plans, but not today.  Today is about presents and enjoying one of the most fun Christmas ever.  I was extremely good.

 

The Holidays have always been a gift of the Gods if I may say so.  I enjoy the lights and the festive atmosphere that is brought by gift giving.  Long time ago I decided to buy gifts for myself, wrap them and put them under the tree.  I celebrate Christmas my way , even if I am not a Christian anymore.  This frees me from a lot from my childhood and ethnic upbringing. The gifts always include geeky stuff and lots of Dark Chocolate.

 
 Peppermint Dark Chocolate Bark his favorite.

 
A Crafty Andy Market Bag, no one should be without one or two.

 
This is a new Knit Picks Greener dye set.  I will have the opportunity to have some dye fun in the New Year.

These are the BSG double tanks from Anovos , plus an old Navy set of Sweat Pants that I attached the Galactica Patch to it.
 
ChiaoGoo small set of needles.  I love the cord, not too crazy about the needles, but in the end is a great set to have.  

Last picture with the double tank , dog tags and my teddy bear pattern to be released in 2013.  There are more gifts, but have nothing to do with Christmas, just with being nice to myself, having the cash and getting ready for a busy 2013-2014 years.  I wish everyone a Happy New Year and a Prosperous , healthy 2013.  SO DAY WE ALL!

Merry Christmas 2011

Christmas 2011 has come and now is gone, but it was lots of fun. I have to say that this holiday was a very good one indeed. Since long ago, I decided to be Happy during the Holiday even when I am not a Christian any more. I like gifts and celebrating love and friendship. I don't give what I can not afford and I definitely buy myself a gift every year and wrap it. I know that no matter what happens there is a present for me.

There are always fantastic gifts that I receive, a lot of what I want and always everything I need. I learned a long time ago that I want a lot of things, but I can deal with my wants as they come along. I am more into the things I need, and few things I want lol.

Is always nice to get some fiber magic and this year was no exception.
This was something I really wanted and I am hoping to play in the new year with friends.

I got a Nook Tablet and it is amazing to use, very fast. If you are looking for a Tablet in the Market, you are better off with an Android tablet by itself. Barnes and Noble as of Today does not allow any applications that are not from their market. I was a bit disappointed as I wanted to get stuff from the Android Market, but maybe they will change this policy and add the Android Market to the Nook. Otherwise unless you are looking for a very powerful E-Reader, this tablet is not for you. There are many Hacks to make this tablet a Rooted Tablet, but I am not Interested in doing that just yet. Maybe when my 1 Year Warranty ends, but in the meantime, I am enjoying this Tablet Reader for what it is.  

This is a Vanilla Extract from my friend Kyle, WWW.KyleWilliam.com what a thoughtful gift, something I am planning to use a lot. Along with a tasty (yes I already had some) Citrus Marmalade from my friend John, nothing like homemade gifts to say Happy Holidays.

This was one of my gifts to Mike and to Myself from RickShaw Bags which you may find at http://www.rickshawbags.com/ .  These bags are made locally and they are called zero waste, because there is almost zero waste when making the bags, locally in San Francisco. Thanks to my friend Kyle that alerted me to a great LivingSocial deal. I got two bags about 3 or 4 months ago. My Christmas was fantastic.

 

The best gifts are my friends and most of my family lol. Amazing as you can see that most of the cards on my door are from my Galactica Group on Ravelry, a bunch of fun people that make me laugh all the time. Nonetheless, my Internet friends always count, people I have known since I started blogging about 8 or more years ago. Thanks for your friendship and may you have a Happy New Year 2012. It may be the end of the World once more, but just in case, keep calm and carry some yarn with you at all times.

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas everyone

Happy Holidays everyone. The first picture is the most meaningful to me, because these mittens are hand made by me, I dyed the wool, then I spun the yarn. The picture shows them almost finished, I modified the pattern and made them fingerless, but with the fingers divided. I looks very cool.
These are stitch makers from Admiral IYN thank you they are lovely and very inspirational.

This yarn is part of the Christmas Exchange from the Ravelry Group, very lovely .

This one as well is part of the swap, but it was hand dyed for me, I love all these details and I will be making some socks with this yarn.

Delicious , but dangerous peppermint chocolare bark!

I made the hat for Michael, he loves it. It is the Armando Hat from Ravelry, easy as pie manly lace hat. We got some Harry and David Fruit as well.

There was lots of fiber fun from this Erin Colorway from Ebay with a humongous spindle which I like and unexpectedly came pn the 24 th.

Last Season of Galactica and the New Star Trek Movie on Blue Ray.

Here is some more of the loot from the swap that I left to open on Christmas day, I love tha bag of rice, it is a great sack.

A copoy of the pyramids in chocolate lol!

My mom always send me cool stuff, candies , socks and underwear, even if I don't use some of the styles it is always nice to receive them from her.

More fiber fun as I will learn to spin cottong. This package has plenty of different kinds of cotton fun to spin from.

Cotton roving to spin to my heart desires.

A brand new set of Tarot Cards for my Spiritual Journey and consultations.

Needless to say as soon as I so this book I wanted it and Santa brought to me. I will learn to respect my spindle.

A See's Cigar made out of chocolate, even though I have been known to enjoy a cigar once in a while, this one is made to eat. Happy Holidays and thank you for stopping by.

Hemlock Ring Throw Row 71

HemlockRow71 (4)
Originally uploaded by Crafty Andy

I can tell you that knitting this throw is an experience that every knitter needs. I have learned a lot about how I knit and how I make mistakes. In the long run this is the first Afghan that I make for myself in a very long time. I am hoping to use my three skeins of yarn and make a humongous throw lol1. In the meantime I am hoping to finish this by Friday, I will have to visit the LYS and see if they have this colorway available still and I may buy another skein. Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for more updates, in the meantime Happy Holidays.

Happy 2009

The Holidays for me last until the 6 th of January. As a kid we would go on the 5th of January and get a shoe box and fill it up with grass cuttings and set a bowl of water and the shoe box under the bed, next day the Three Kings have left us gifts under the bed. They came while we were asleep in the middle of the night. The camels ate the grass and had some water. Sometimes it seems so pagan and maybe it is, an offering to the Gods of Kobol! I just think itis fun for the kids to do!
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I embraced the new year with lots of positive things happening. Before I forget, in the video I show you some of my Christmas gifts. Christmas was very nice and full of surprises as always. I have been a bit lazy in my blogging and there has not been much to blog about. Sometimes we do make this blogging connection with the world and I come into your life and you wonder what's up with this guy?
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Some health issues have been resolving which is always good to hear. So the new year starts with healing and feelings of abundance and gratitude for everything we have, and for the Universe being able to fulfill all our dreams and desires.
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I have been setting up my New Computer which is where I am blogging from, twice as much memory which is great for videos and pictures, lots of disc space, and a good Flat Screen so that I am able to see once again lol! I got a nice Dell Vostro 420, with free upgrades and free shipping, what else can you ask?
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So I will be sharing more with you later this month as I get the ball rolling as they say with some of my works in progress which I have been working on for a very long time lol. Have a wonderful 2009 and thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas 2007

Welcome to Christmas 2007 and to the close of a another great year. Here is my toast to the Holiday Season as we sit down to opening presents. We had some Panettone and coffee for breakfast. Panettone (Milanese: panetton classical orthography, panetùn other orthography) is a typical bread of Milan, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year around Italy, and one of the symbols of the city. Maltese nationals are also traditionally associated with this sweet bread.
This is a view of our Christmas tree before the opening of gifts, and before all the fun began lol!

We had some Puppies , and a Bear (made by Naomi )You can see the three Kings watching over the presents. I have two gifts that I will finish by the Three Kings days, or Epiphany, and I am working on them still. I did not have time to finish them due to wrist pains, but it will all work out.
So here are the puppies, Bu and Budder, time to let them loose and keep unwrapping presents. Some came from Big stores, some came across the country, some came from local stores and some where hand made. I got a beautiful Red cashmere scarf. I will have to go and get some nice cash-merino yarn and make a new Christmas Hat for Christmas 2008, but I will finish it to be able to wear for Thanksgiving 2008.

There were presents of all kinds and , presents for the house. Chocolates, DVDs, Music Cds. Clothes, shoes and I now have the complete Set of Deep Space Nine series on DVD so I am very happy. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (sometimes abbreviated to ST:DS9 or DS9) is a science fiction television program that premiered in 1993 and ran for seven seasons, ending in 1999. Rooted in Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek universe, it was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, at the request of Brandon Tartikoff, and produced by Paramount Pictures. The main writers, in addition to Berman and Piller, included show runner Ira Steven Behr, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Ronald D. Moore, Peter Allan Fields, Bradley Thompson, David Weddle, and René Echevarria.


You should never leave puppies alone, this is the end product, lol. Thanks for allowing me to share with you my Holiday pictures. May your Christmas be full of Joy as well. Thanks for stopping by!

Shh! Santa is coming to town!

Well is kind of a Non-secret Secret you know. Did you see my sexy picture lol! I have been very busy, working on some of my projects this week. I was going to meet with two other bloggers , but it did not work out, maybe some other time. I sent all my Christmas Presents , they have been mailed, even though I could have waited for the Epiphany. The Epiphany is celebrated by both the Eastern and Western Churches, but a major difference between them is over precisely which historical events the feast commemorates. For Western Christians the feast primarily commemorates the coming of the Magi, while in the East the feast celebrates the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan. However, in both cases the essence of the feast is the same: the manifestation of Christ to the world (whether as an infant or in the Jordan), and the Mystery of the Incarnation.

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Puertorricans love to party and Christmas and the Epiphany is another excuse to continue the celebrations. The "Octavitas" is one of the celebrations that it is still going on on certain towns throughout the Island. Prior to the reforms of 1970, the Roman Catholic Church (and prior to 1976, the Anglican churches) celebrated Epiphany as an eight-day feast beginning on January 6 and continuing through the Octave of Epiphany, or January 13. Many continue to use this calendar, celebrating the feast of the Holy Family on the Sunday within the octave.

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Last Weekend we had our Men Who Crochet Christmas Soiree and it was fun, I will have some pictures later. Just dropped by to let you know I am alive and well and back to work. lol! Thanks for stopping by!

Three Kings a Christmas Hat And 2007

Here you see the three Kings pointing to the Star. I am never idle and at this time I am very busy getting ready for other projects that I have.

Here you have my latest hat. It is a combination of Merino wool and acrylic. It's an original design as I make all my hats that way. It is single crochet all around and I used 6 bobbins of the green to make it easy to crochet. Sometimes when you carry the yarn around it does not look nice.


I am doing the brim in a Front Post Double Crochet all around with the red and the white. I am always amazed at the shape that hats take when you improvise and decide to do something different. My next projects are going to be crocheted and knitted socks and some knitted cabled scarfs.


Thanks for stopping by.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas 2006-2007 was a wonderful time to share in the Holiday Spirit! There were Harmonicas. T-Shirts, Pajamas, Ipods, Cameras, memory, harddrives, Lots and Lots of Chocolate, Tea Cups, Teapot, Teas, hand creams, hand lotions, there were jeans, sweaters, so much stuff that is needed and that will be used. Even Buster got a gift.

I celebrate Orthodox Christmas as well or the Epiphany or Three Kings Day as well, so the Christmas tree is up until the day after or January 7th.

The Epiphany (Greek: επιφάνεια, "the appearance; miraculous phenomenon") is a Christian feast intended to celebrate the 'shining forth' or revelation of God to mankind in human form, in the person of Jesus. The observance had its origins in the eastern Christian churches, and included the birth of Jesus; the visit of the Magi, or Wise Men (traditionally named Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar) who arrived in Bethlehem; and all of Jesus' childhood events, up to his baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist. The date of the feast was fixed on January 6. Ancient Liturgies speak of Illuminatio, Manifestatio, Declaratio (Lighting, Manifestation, Declaration); cf. St. Matthew's Gospel (iii, 13-17); St. Luke's (iii, 22); and St. John's (ii, 1-11); where the Baptism and Marriage at Cana are dwelt upon. The Christian Churches have traditionally also talked of a "Revelation to the Gentiles", where the term Gentile meant all non-Jewish peoples. The Biblical Magi represent the non-Jewish peoples of the world.

I love traditions like this. When I was a child we got gifts twice a year. First on January 6th and then On December 25th. On January fifth as tradition specifies, we got a shoe box or some kind of rectangular box and filled it with grass. We got a bowl and fill it with water as well. Why you may ask? The Three Kings or Magi came from a place far, far away and their animals needed food and water. You put the water and the grass under your bed. Next day when you wake up you look under your bed and is full of presents.

Later as I will share a short trip we took to South Lake Tahoe from San Francisco to show Buster what was Snow. We also went to our State Capital Sacramento in our way to South Lake Tahoe. Thanks for stopping by. Oh and don't worry I still Crochet, just taking a breather.

Peldor Joi!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas 06

Here I finished my Santa's hat and my scarf. I get a lot of compliments on my hat and scarf making. I will be having more pictures and more things to say later on this week.

My tree is finally up and lit and just below you will see other decorations that I was working on. I was able to finish two beautiful Christmas Stockings in time and hung them on the fireplace.


Here is another picture of the tree as I was finishing it up. and following you will find the MEME from http://bamboohooking.blogspot.com/ aka Jaye aka "Adventures of Crochet Hookery"


If you wish to participate in this MEME, the considered yourself tagged if you leave a comment. Sneaky I know, but I will leave it up to you to join in the fun. I decided to do this MEME because it allow me to share something with you and to think. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your reading!

Attach a photo of one of your current holiday displays:

1. Egg Nog, Mulled Cider, or Hot Chocolate?

First choice Hot chocolate, Second choice Mulled Cider , third choice Egg Nog or Coquito.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?

Secret Santa paper stock. They are beautifully wrapped!

3. Do you decorate the outside of your home with lights? Any other displays?

No outside decorations. Wreath at Front Door.

4. Poinsettias, Holly or Mistletoe?

Poinsettias, when I was a kid we had a big shrub in front of the house, I love these flowers...


5. When do you put up your decorations?

I prefer to put them After Thanksgiving, the day after..

6. Do you prefer to give or receive?

There is equal joy in the exchange, If receiving I like gift Cards!

7. Cut tree, live tree, artificial tree, or Festivus pole?

Artificial. I go over board with decorations sometimes. Real tree's are a fire hazard. If it was not because of the fire Hazard I would not mind a real tree.

8. Have you ever made a gingerbread house?

No!

9. Do you display a nativity scene?

Not every Year!

10.When did you learn the truth about Santa?

What truth?

11. Snow! Love it or dread it?

As long as I don't have to shovel the snow I am fine with it.

12. Can you ice skate?

Yeah!

13. Do you open your gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?

Some years I wait until a minute past Midnight and Open one Gift on Christmas Day, then go to sleep!

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you?

To have a good time and to celebrate Life!

15. What is your favorite holiday cookie?

Coconut Maccaroons!

16. What tops your tree?

I like an Angel or a Star. This year I have a shiny ornament that resembles a star!

17. What is your favorite Christmas song?

I love instrumental Clasical Christmas music, some ethnic Spanish Villancicos, In modern usage, villancico is the Spanish word for Christmas carol.

18. What is your favorite Christmas movie or story?

It's a Wonderful Life, Polar Express, A lot of the COmedy Santa Movies, anything that gives hope and makes you believe in the magic of Christmas.


19. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? If Yum, how do you eat them?

Chocolate covered Candy Canes are a posibility, but after one I had enough.

20. Do you send Christmas cards? If yes, do you enclose a letter or picture?

I send cards almost every year. If you are in my naughty list, you will get a card written with coal LOL!

21. What kind of lights do you decorate your Christmas tree with? White lights, or another solid color, multi colored, candles, or a novelty light such as bubble lights?

The tree this year has red lights. I really won't know until I decide what theme will the tree have.

22. Favorite Christmas memory as a child?

It was always about opening presents, my parents were great providers of presents. We had presents on the 25th od December and then on the 6th of January, the Epiphany .
23. Best present that you have received?

I could not honestly tell you. Every gift is special to me . I like them all. I guess since I never expect gifts from anyone, each is special. The least I expect is a Card or a Merry Christmas with something to eat! LOL! I always give myself one gift , I do wrap it and put it under the tree. That's the one that really counts in my book. Anything else is trully a blessing to receive a gift from someone.

24. Turkey, Ham, Seafood, or Soup for your holiday dinner?

Breakfast is usually Panettone with some strong coffee. Lunch and Dinner is followed with Baked Ham, Arroz con Gandules(Rice with Pigeon Peas), sometimes Pasteles and if I have time I do a lot of ethnic puertorrican cuisine that's typical for the holidays.
25. Describe your favorite Christmas ornament.

I will have to say techi ornaments with lights and voices. If it is not a techi one it would be glass spheres. It is also nice to make your own ornaments from natural recycleable materials.

The Xmas Hat that is 2006 !

This is the Hat that was not, but ow is. It has a pompom Now, a green pompom. It is made with Aurora 8 , Karabella, Merino Wool. The texture is amazing. The bottom , or white part is actually a fuzzy acrylic yarn. This hat was knitted.
















I also made a Christmas Scarf, which you see below. Thanks for stopping by.