Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Here's a Merry Christmas song, just sing along....
"Winter Wonder Land" is the tune

Arizona Christmas

Palm trees wave, are you listenin'?

In the pool, water's glistenin'

A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight

Livin' in a desert wonderland..

Gone away is the blizzard,

Here to stay is the lizard,

A warm sunny day, we like it that way,

Livin' in a desert wonderland.

In the desert we will have a picnic,

Cactus, sand and rattlesnakes and sun.

Christmas dinner is an old tradition,

It's pinto beans and tacos by the ton.

Later on we'll perspire,

Temperatures rise even higher,

A warm sunny day,

we like it that way,

Livin' in a desert wonderland.

I Hope You All Have a Very Merry Christmas

& Happy New Year!

I realize many of you are living in the northern part of the country and are getting slammed with an unusual amount of Snow and Ice! Therefore, I thought I'd share a few pictures of Winter in Arizona. Stay Warm, Stay Safe!

...And the Gloves Fit!

They fit! I really like them- you can roll the ends down further over your fingers or roll them up depending on how much warmth you need. Thanks for sending the pictures, Tiff. They look awesome! HhhMmm...wonder where those boys get those long fingers??

This is a picture of Tiff in the hat I made, the scarf I made and the gloves I made. Very convenient! Thanks, Tiff!

Update: The price for the gloves will depend on the yarn used. Acrylic yarns will be $15.00 a pair plus postage. Specialty yarns will start at $25.00 a pair plus postage.

Girls Hat- Warm & Cozy

This is the ladies hat sized down for girls. Bre's been 'hinting' she needed one for a long time, so I figured I'd better get it done. It fits just over your ears to keep them warm on these chilly nights and
mornings, and is long enough that it stays in place well without falling off all the time - even for a very active 5 year old.

This is the Best Time of Year...

I hope you all had a very wonderful Thanksgiving! We had our Traditional / ' Un-traditional' feast of Tofurkey with all the traditional everything else. Oh, so Yummy! Now we're concentrating on getting the house decorated for Christmas. Don't you just love decorating for Christmas? To see my young grandkids' pure joy puts the fun back into digging through the garage and dragging out all the boxes.

I wanted to update my blog with my latest project. I have ventured, with a little help from my daughter-in-law, Tiffany, into making gloves. She found a pair of fingerless gloves she just loves and asked me if I could make them. So even though this is a first for me, how hard could they be, right? Just knit around and around and make a hole for the thumb, then knit around that a few times and 'Ta-Da' - Gloves! I was right! They are coming together very quickly, and I just love them. So Tiff, here are a few pictures of your gloves (well, glove right now- can only do one at a time...)

It looks complicated, but knitting in the round is really very simple. You just need to keep the needles in the right order. Can you see where the thumb will be? Just about ready to knit that part.



















Thanks, Tiff! I love them, and will be making a lot more in the future...

I also found a pattern last year I love. I like to make some kind of ornaments every year for Christmas. These little star ornaments are just as cute as can be, and crochet up to about 3 1/2 inches across. I had gotten Su this stand last year, and needed to fill it up. So I grabbed some left-overs and started going. Before you know it, I had enough to fill the entire stand.



























As always, if you would like more info on anything I'm working on, just give me a quick email at the email address to the right.

10 Days Left to Order at Special Pricing!

My model, my beautiful daughter Suzanne, is real busy and hard to hold down for any length of time. But she finally had a couple seconds to model the hat for me so you can see how it fits. Thanks Su! I appreciate it. (Of course, even then she's multi-tasking...)






























I've also modified the scarves to a size for girls. Same scarf as mom's just sized down for your favorite little charmer. What little girl wouldn't love these? Here is Brelynne, my gorgeous granddaughter wearing the scarf I made for her in Cotton Candy and two solid colors. I think she could have a great career in modeling! What an amazing smile! Thanks Bre-Bre! You look beautiful!

The price for the girls scarf is $15 until Thanksgiving. So just email me at the link on the right to order or inquire about any of my projects.

...or Maybe...

Hats are more your thing. No problem- I make these as well...










These crocheted hats are a modified 'baseball cap' that fit just over your ears. The cap fits down flat against your head. The bill is shorter than a baseball cap, but also goes further around your forehead. They are super cute on! I've made one for both Tiff & Su. I have started making them with a detachable carnation for the side. Extra added bonus! You can remove the flower and use it for something else...

The same pricing will apply to the hats as the scarves- $25 until Thanksgiving, then $35 after that. Does it seem like I'm pushing for you to get your orders in early?? I just want to make sure I have time to get your order to you for Christmas. We all know what the Postal Service is like the closer we get to Christmas!

The colors for the hats are even more diverse than the scarves. If you can decide on a color, I can most likely find it. I use a 100% Acrylic yarn. It's very soft and has a slight sheen to it.

So just click on the email link to the right to contact me to order.

Update..."Getting Started" Special

I just want to give a quick update to my last post. I had quoted $25 for the price of the scarves. That price will be effective until midnight on Thanksgiving, as my "Getting Started" Special. Then the price will increase to $35 for each scarf. So get your orders in early! Three weeks to order at the special "Getting Started" price of $25.

What I'm working on...

I just want to say first off: Thank you all for your support!


So here's a glimpse of what I'm working on right now:

Scarves- lots & lots of scarves. These are so fun to make- can't seem to stop! And every one is unique in itself. Although they're all the same pattern, the colors give each one a distinct look...From the Classic look of the black to the Timeless look of the brown to the Elegant look of the teal to the Casual look of the baby blue. These short scarves are held onto the neck with a 'keyhole' that one end slips through. They're made of Polyester furry yarn and are SO soft and fuzzy. I don't know how warm they would be in a very cold climate like Chicago, but I'm sure even there they would help take the chill off. And they're light enough to wear indoors as well. You may even be able to turn the thermostat down a couple degrees. Save energy and be fashionable at the same time...

I'll be selling them for $25. Postage will be an additional $2. each. They come in a myriad of colors: I have black, white, silver glitter (very festive- would be perfect for Christmas caroling...), mink brown, raspberry (dark pink), baby blue, purple, teal (I guess teal is now called Peacock...), denim blue & red. I can also get a few other colors locally on a moments notice: baby pink is one that's always readily available.

So give me your thoughts- feedback is always appreciated!

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog, Elite Stitches. I will be updating my blog on a regular basis with pictures of what I've been working on. You will have an opportunity to purchase any of the items I showcase. In most cases, you will also be able to choose the colors you would like, as I keep a small stash of yarns on hand. I take pride in my workmanship, and make every effort to ensure my clothing and accessories are the highest quality they can be.

A little about myself: Back when my children were young, I taught myself to knit and crochet. I have been knitting and crocheting off and on for over 30 years! Wow- where did the years go?? Then a few years ago, I bought my daughter a sweater for Christmas. Unfortunately, it didn't fit, but when she tried to exchange it, the store was sold out. We couldn't find another we liked, so she was without a sweater. Then I remembered- I know how to knit! I owe her a sweater! I can do this! So I've been seriously knitting and crocheting again for the past couple years. I find the crafts very relaxing. I thoroughly enjoy taking a piece of string, if you will, and turning it into something both beautiful and durable you can wear for years to come. Since my re-introduction to making hand made garments, I have been making shrugs, boleros, scarves, hats, tops & sweaters. I've also made a skirt and dress for my granddaughter. What fun! So come along with me on my venture. I don't pretend to know everything about knitting & crochet, but if you have a question, please add a comment and I'll try to answer if I can.