For the best holiday ever... Thanksgiving!

Hey ladies!

I LOVE this holiday. Yes, yes I do. It focuses on food so of COURSE it’s my favorite holiday.

It includes all of my favorite foods… this, really, is my favorite meal. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and broccoli casserole!! Mix em’ all together and they go IN MY BELLY! (if Mac & Cheese was added… my life would be complete)

Then come the desserts… oh the yummy desserts. Punkin Pie… Apple Pie… a la mode… brownies… cookies…

Then… come seconds! Of everything! Serve it up!!

Oh and the leftovers… sweet… wonderful…. LEFTOVERS!!!!!

*catching my breath*

Sorry… needed to take a moment there. I got a little too excited. (tee hee)

The most important thing to remember is… end the meal with the perfect last bite. It should include a little bit of everything… some turkey, mashed, stuffed, brocc, and gravy all on your fork (or a spoon for a really big bite)…

Then shovel it into your gullet. Chew. Rinse with red wine. Enjoy. Repeat if desired.

And of course, this holiday shall be combined with my other favorite thing… (get your minds out of the gutter! though food and... nevermind... *giggling*) … KNITTING! I plan on kicking back, I'll play some cards with the group, and knit to my hearts content. (I have to catch up on that Christmas backlog because I’m way behind!)

Here is the Christmas handtowel I’m working on for my aunt. Of course… it’s English Ribbing. Just can’t get away from that pattern! I’m a good 1/3 to ½ way done with it now. Must… keep… going!



HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Love,
Jenn
xoxoxo

At the end of the week...finally!!

Dear Lee & Jenn

I think that we all can agree that this has been a rougher week than most... I know that I spent a great deal of time feeling like Bugs up there, half afraid to look up till the end of the week was close... But it IS finally Friday so I think that we should all take a great big (sigh) of relief and be thankful that this awful week is over!

Thought that I'd share a little humor and philosophy from my lil friend Calvin to make you both SMILE :)



Don't be afraid to use your own logic...



Play outside!



Never take life too seriously...



Give (and get!) hugs often...



And dance like no one's watching!



Have a Great Weekend!!!!!

Love, Colleen

For the love of...dishcloth cotton (Part 2)

Hey Ladies!

It's true! I confess. I am totally addicted to cotton yarn! Not that I'm not addicted to ALL yarn... but now cotton in particular. Thanks Coll! I stick my tongue out at you in thankful defiance. ;)

Sugars & Cream and Peaches & Cream... I love you.



And now... I'm on a roll with dishcloths and bathroom handtowels. It seems I always have one going on the needle. Whether it be for the house or a gift... right now mostly gifts now since the holiday season is swiftly creeping up on me.

Here are some pics of those that I have finished and of those that I have going on the needle now...

I love the English Ribbing pattern too! It makes for a nice, thick, cooshie towel! Here's one I made for the bathroom...

And another in green & white stripes...

Here is a kitchen handtowel I have going on the needle. This is a close second favorite to English Ribbing. It's a "clover" pattern. Ridiculously easy to knit... even I don't have to keep track of what row I'm on! I'm almost done with it now. It only took 1 skein each of green and cream. I changed up the pattern a little and CO 59 sts with size 8 needles. To finish, I'll probably use the cream though I'm undecided at the moment... (she has different colors on each end) Opinions?

This one... needs tweaking. I'm going with a "Ladybug" theme. I have to pull this out past the white stripe and past the red beneath it. I should have done white first, then red. Having red/white/red is too much garter stitch, not enough dots! I've been lazy though... I don't like ripping out rows demmit! Though after finally figuring out how to fix the English Ribbing dishcloth, I'm a little more confident. ;)



I have some Christmas color yarn to work with (went with Bernat cotton here)... and I'll bet more English Ribbing handtowels will look perfect with it!

Though I should really branch out and try more patterns. So many patterns... so little time!

Love,
Jenn

P.S. I am still determined to learn how to knit socks... and stuffed animals... and more and more...

For the love of...dishcloth cotton (Part 1)

Lee,

So as I'm sure you know by now and I am completely infatuated with knitting kitchen dishcloths and bathroom handtowels... since you've seen just a few in my house...lol

Well, I'm proud to announce that I've officially converted Jenn to a full-blown cotton yarn addict...(bwah hah ha ha!)

This is a particularly dangerous habit since
#1 cotton yarn is SO reasonable to buy ($2-4.00 a skein)
#2 there are millions of colors to choose from
#3 the projects knit up relatively fast (instant gratification!)
#4 it is very "clean" to work with - lets you see every stich clearly so elaborate patterns look awesome (unfortunately that also means that every lil mistake is VERY obvious)

All of these factors cause a scary amount of cotton yarn to accumulate (very) quickly...

Luckily all that cotton knits up real pretty :) You saw the halloween handtowels here but I thought I'd share a few more...

I made this pastel & cream set to be guest handtowels in my downstairs bath



Here's a close up:



This crazy color combo matches my workshop :)



Close up of the detail stiching:



These are both the same pattern, but could hardly look more different!



Closer view of the neutral one:



One of my favorite patterns EVER - "English Ribbing"



Close- up of the loopy cooshiness of this towel :)



Two of a kind



Still on the needles



Some from my Brown & Cream period...



What a nice set!



Finally, a cute lil lamb to add to your collection :)



Love,
Colleen

About time!!!

I am happy to report that I FINALLY have my web page up and running!!! It is still a work in progress (and looks eerily like this site right now - at least my taste is consistent lol) but it is WORKING!! So excited :)

Check it out and let me know what you think... feedback is extemely appreciated.

http://www.Candlesbycolleen.com


~Colleen

On my mind...

The Golden Chain of Friendship

There's a Golden Chain of Memories
That binds two hearts together,
A chain so strong it holds you fast
Through fair or stormy weather.
Its links are forged of love and trust
Of happy memories shared,
Of times it meant so much to know
That someone special cared.
The years can never break that chain
But only add new length,
As joys, sorrow, hopes, and plans
Combine to give it strength.

~Bea Morgan