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Archive for the ‘Christmas’ Category

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Memory: There were two Christmas seasons way back when I was once again “possessed” to knit, knit, knit to meet the Christmas gift deadline.  I am sure that many of you can remember/place the timeframe of the afghan. Yes, it was the early 70’s when I decided on Thanksgiving to my knit my grandma Elizabeth an afghan. I calculated how many rows I could knit in an hour, how many days until Christmas, and how many hours I needed to knit a day. I recall that it was at least 2 hours a day and I got it completed two days before Christmas – squeezed in some more late hours on some of those days…thus the early completion. I believe it was the next year I decided to knit matching cable ponchos for my sister, her two girls and myself. I started in July and was finished by Christmas. Alas, I don’t have a photo of those, but I did google and came up with a sample of photo of the style. It was a Vogue knitting pattern…..I am sure it is somewhere in my very large knitting collection, but oh where is that somewhere? Okay for now….visualize….two rectangle pieces knit with cables and bobbles, joined together to create poncho effect, and the resulted opening is filled with a 1 x 1 rib neckline. These ponchos were a fun knit.

Click, click memory of today: Last week I mentioned that Susanne visited us from Chico  and she inspired some of to knit ear warmers as presents. (The pattern comes form Ashlee on Ravelry….Susanne used a Nicky Epstein pattern to knit the flowers.) How much fun to see this past Saturday three ear muffs in the works. Nina is knitting one with a thick and thin wool for her granddaughter. Terry finished a different version that looked great on many….well not me…with my “wild” hair I looked like was Phyllis Diller’s look alike! True to form for me I changed the pattern that Susanne used to incorporate some bling and I am half-way done with my version of Terry’s. Note: Terry added mohair in the ear area to create more warmth….quite clever.

Yes….I won’t make the Christmas deadline….but darn close! It will be a special “delivery” for those gifts. This collection of photos includes some of my treasured craft pieces.

p.s.  time to start clicking those needles again….so “to press” we go!

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Memory:  When I unpack this little German Christmas candle treasure every year it takes me back to my early days of living in my first apartment. It was in the building across the street from Safeway on Solano Ave in Albany, CA. I flash back to great times spent with my neighbor Sue …. we were always crafting something. It was during this same time that my nieces spent a lot time with me.

 

New memory: Our Friday morning knitters continue to celebrate and then some. Rachelle brought us homemade breads (one was a gluten-free banana bread)with the freshest of butter. You could find cards crafted by Kimberly (check out her Etsy store), jewelry in the works by Rachell and Sheri, as well as the sound of laughter and chatter while the needles were clicking! Sheri was wearing her stunning All the Shades of Truth scarf and Karen K was back with us. You might guess we met the newest addition to Jean and Bob’s family. Quincy came home to them a couple weeks ago….all because Jean saw Debra, Quincy’s foster mom, at the recent jewelry show hosted here. Quincy had a date to meet and indeed he did. As we nearing the end of our time together, we were treated by Patricia to jelly beans (all blues) from the Jelly Factory!

p.s……someone, named Jean, not only left my Lucy dog with Christmas treats but left me a wonderful Christmas CD….you can glimpse the title in the photos. Many thanks Secret Santa Jean. xo

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260112_2156509675339_1128914_nMemory – the seed was planted early! So many of you have heard me say over the years that my grandma Alta’s love of her quilting communities was a driving force for me. I knew that I wanted our knitting communities to have the same vitality. It’s near the end of another year and time to shout out  how blessed I feel  that “our” knitting communities have the same character that I remember from my grandmother. Our crafts are wonderful and the binder for such wonderful friendships! Knitting brought us all together! What great friendships!

Celebration Memory for December 14, 2013

Our Saturday morning knitting workshop group (SMKW) celebrated with a potluck brunch. I whipped out Grandma’s party plates for our meal which consisted of egg casserole, baked oatmeal, fruits and cheese, pumpkin pie, ginger bread, chocolates, salt and pepper chips with clam dip, crackers and cheese, and MARGARITAS! What a great way to start the day. The morning was made even better because Susanne, recently moved to Chico, was able to attend. A reunion and a celebration indeed. We missed PJ, Shari and Carole C. Looks like we will need another celebration!

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Family Gathering at Grandma and Grandpa's

Family Gathering at Grandma and Grandpa’s

Memories: My love of gatherings started when I was young. We cousins would be seated at our card table / dining tables.  In this photo, taken in the living room of Grandma and Grandpa’s basement house, there were seven of us cousins and two of our aunts. The age range in Dad’s family is interesting to say the least! One of our aunts was born a couple years before the arrival of the first two  grandchildren and our youngest aunt was born in the midst of the next three grandchildren  and a couple years before cousin Diane and me .

Memories just created from Friday, December 13, annual celebration. We, the Friday morning knitting workshop (FMKW) group , have celebrated for years and this year our group numbered 17 sans 1 who had dental emergency…we missed Karen K. We dress up, we toast, we eat, we enjoy the years of friendship, we gift special gifts and we “white elephant” gift. Our “white elephant”version allows one to bump once during a round….everyone wanted Jan’s gift choice but it was so beautiful no one wanted to be “mean”…although I really thought about it. The gift that Connie received – a capricorn lobster stuffed with a skein of sock yarn caused much laughter.

We met at a new venue for us this year, Solano Bar and Grill on Solano Ave. There were many things that worked well for our size group….we preordered a few days from a banquet menu, we had a semi-private room which really accommodated the wonderful noise that we create, the service was great….. we all had a great time. Cheers to this wonderful season!

p.s. tried to present photos in order of happenings!

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Carolyn painted and glazed - a gift that came back to me years later!

Carolyn painted and glazed – a gift that came back to me years later!

 

 

Memory: It’s the early 1970’s…..it was a family affair. My mom, grandmother, sister and I spent many sessions at the ceramic shop. We painted Christmas decorations, trees, flower pots, canisters…you name it and we probably painted it.

 

 

 

 

Last week I took my first Glass Fusion Class.

Some earlier glass postings in 2013:

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My 1st Christmas tree away from home!

My 1st Christmas tree away from home!

Memory: How funny is this? I was trolling though my old photos and stumbled upon this “great design”. It was my 1st qtr at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO and my roommate Diana and I got creative! Clearly we were on a budget! We lived in a relatively new dorm – Ellis Hall. The first coed dorm, Edwards Hall,  opened our freshman year. You might imagine that my parents weren’t having any of that. The joy of so many old photos is that they evoke so many memories. In this case, I so enjoyed my roommate but she didn’t make it past 1st qtr. When she left I think she was planning her marriage. We lost touch…but I’ve never lost the memory of Diana!

More memories created in 2013: These photos are a revisit to photos I posted when I returned from the Pugh Family Reunion in my home town (one of my three) of Stratton, CO. My cousin’s wife, Avril and one of my dear friends, and I visited her mother Lily. This visit and trip through Lily’s craft life of quilting and crochet will be forever special to me.

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My 2nd Christmas

Carolyn’s 2nd Christmas

 

Memories: While I don’t remember my 2nd Christmas I do remember this photo which was in the family photo albums…and is now in my photo collection. I have to smile….my mom loved to decorate the tree but often it was a unique look!

More from 2013:

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Dad - Navy 1941

Dad – Navy 1941
(1923-2002)

 

A memory about Dad: This is one of the times I wish I had asked Dad (who turned 18 in September of 1941) how he spent his 1st Christmas away from home and in war-torn Honolulu. I do remember that he told us he arrived in Honolulu one week after Pearl Harbor was bombed. He was part of the Navy team that helped to rebuild. When we, the family of four, returned from Australia in 1957, we had a layover in Honolulu. Dad showed us a hotel  where he helped to rebuild the front plaza area. I think this photo was taken when Dad graduated from Boot Camp in San Diego.

More glimpses into 2013:

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Santa and Carolyn

Santa and Carolyn

 

 

A Santa Memory: My sister Betty and I have fond memories of visiting Santa in the Capwell’s Window on Telepgraph and 20th Avenues in Oakland.  I think Betty was too small for this photo and I kind of remember that she didn’t want to sit on his lap this particular year.

Betty and I  like tradition –  we took her girls there  in their early years (1970’s). Capwell’s closed in 1996.

Today’s 2013 memories:

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My Toni Doll

My Toni Doll

The memory: it’s Christmas 1954. Grandma and Grandpa are on their way from their Oakland home to spend Christmas Eve night with their daughter Marty and her family in Walnut Creek, CA. Betty and I are eagerly awaiting our adored grandparents. Of course, because it’s Christmas,they come with special gifts. We awake on Christmas morning to our presents which include Pick-up Sticks (we loved those), Toni dolls, Grandma’s fudge….oh and waking Grandma and Grandpa up….they slept on the sofa bed close to the Christmas tree.

Today –  2013 : Another glimpse into the creativity of the knitters who surround me !

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