Dillydally Winds & Snow

December 21st … first day of Christmas vacation for this school teacher … my "To Do" list was a mile long.  I was prepared to have a highly productive day!  The day began as usual … coffee … Flicka on my lap … checking Facebook … then ...

 https://www.facebook.com/MojiMojiDesign

… POW … a direct hit by strong dillydally winds!  I saw this picture and my heart skipped a beat!  When I discovered it came with a free pattern … my heart skipped a second beat!

The printer could not warm up fast enough … I ran went and found some yarn and a crochet hook that I thought might work … and my crochet how-to reference book!  Remember … I am a beginner!

The designer, Janine Holmes, is from England.  Her designs are amazing … really, they are off the charts!  And her instructions are great!  As a beginner I was able to navigate the process with ease, even though it included stitches and techniques new to me!  As I was building this first snow person … I remembered how much my children enjoyed finger puppets … a thought for future reference!

Because I am a hoarder organized, I happened to have buttons that were the appropriate size in my stash!  I was so happy with the results!

My compulsion enthusiasm required me to make another one …

… and a third one!  This one ended up a bit more plump … I was getting more relaxed with the process, so I think my gauge had changed.  I love a plump snowman!  Over three days, I made four of these cute little snow people … one for each member of the DillyDally family!

Flicka had a lot of interest in the construction of the first snow person … I am amazed that she is so well behaved around yarn … she has excellent knitting/crochet manners!  Gosh … hope I haven't just jinxed that!  ;-)  Yep … I just knocked on wood!

Here is a "style show"… first one represents me, Mrs DillyDally in Swedish colors!

Brother DillyDally in his favorite color green!

Mr. DD in Norwegian colors … of course!

And Sister DillyDally in her signature pink!

The DillyDally snow family found their way to the Christmas tree!  I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had making these little snow people … they added a lot of joy to my holiday!  I love when dillydally winds blow me off my "carefully charted" plans!  I have no idea what happened to that "To Do" list … what needed to, got done … obviously the rest was not important!  I need to be reminded of that … especially as a new year begins.

Do what you love.  Let the dillydally winds blow!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

A Tree for Sister!

Meet Mr. NaughtyPants … Sister DillyDally's kitty.  I love this picture of him because it captures his cattitude perfectly!

Those who have been following this blog for awhile know just how naughty he is … and how lucky he is to have been adopted and loved by Sister!  Over the past several years, he has literally destroyed every version of a Christmas tree Sister has tried to have.  In her career, the holiday season is an especially crazy-busy time!  She has often commented on how she misses relaxing in the glow of Christmas lights during the holiday season.  Over the past five years, we have come up with all sorts of alternatives … all foiled by Mr. NaughtyPants!

You might remember this panel print by Stonehenge.  Yep … the wheels began turning … this might just be the solution to Sister's Christmas tree dilemma!

I have two children … so of course I made two.  Originally, I had planned to use the snowflake border on both the top and bottom … but it made it too large … especially in light of the wall space available in Sister's apartment.

Much better!

Next … borders!

Machine quilting was scrutinized by my ever present "Snoopervisor"! ;-)

Flicka making sure my lines were straight … I look at these photos and wonder how I ever get anything done!

Along with supervising … there was a lot of her favorite sewing room game … Hide n' Sneak!

The most difficult part of this project was deciding where to place the lights on the tree, twenty buttonholes and creating a pocket for the battery pack!

I ended up hand appliquéing the battery pocket down where the tree stand is located on the panel.

Those who know me … yep, I like bling!  I placed a crystal at the center of every snowflake.

Flicka had to supervise the placement of the crystals … very helpful … ;-) !

A peek at what it looks like on the back.

I tried to take a photo of the crystals and light bulbs to show what it looks like unlighted.

Here with the lights on.  My little point and click camera doesn't pick up much, but it may give you an idea of what it looks like.

Also … with being at work during our limited daylight hours, I was only able to take pics in home lighting … that is why it looks gold rather than silver … sorry.

Ready to be mailed!  I sent it early … so she could enjoy it before Christmas!

Here it is … hanging on the wall of her apartment!  So far … Mr. NaughtyPants has left it alone … Sister loves it … my heart is happy!  A dillydally success!

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

No Coal in DillyDallydom!

Some one here in DillyDallydom has been very naughty … no one is confessing.

Kysa - 12.23.13 - Sunrise

My sweet Kysa … her innocence was obvious when I looked into those trusting brown eyes.  She is never naughty.

Hmmm … that leaves me with two possible culprits … Mr. DillyDally or Flicka … neither of them are talking … and both are being aloof and evasive.

Sunrise at Alganik - 12.23.13

Fortunately … we made arrangements with Santa long ago that love and affection are unconditional here in DillyDallydom … no one will find coal in their stocking tomorrow morning!

Do what you love.  Love unconditionally!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

My Viking!

Our first Christmas together was 33 years ago … it was also the first time both of us were away from our families on the holidays.  In an effort to manage our homesickness … we sought out common traditions and recreated them … together.  Our nordic heritage served us well … we found we shared many values concerning how to celebrate Christmas.  Yep … Mr. DillyDally is a true Norwegian … just as his sweatshirt implies.

Every good Viking has a weapon with which he takes his responsibilities very seriously.  Mr. DD's weapon is a hand carved lefse stick!

His responsibility is to cook the lefse …  his weapon makes that possible.

  

My Viking must cook the lefse on both sides … to perfection.  Like all Vikings, he handles the pressure quite well!

My contribution to the process?  I peel the potatoes … boil the potatoes … mix the dough … and roll it out so thin that you can see through it.

Thirty-three years ago, my Viking proposed to me on December 26th.  The family joke is that he proposed because I made a good lefse partner.  Honestly?  In my opinion … it's because he knew that marriage was the only way he would get his hands on my grandmother's secret lefse recipe!  ;-)

Do what you love!  Cook together!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Making Magic!

Most of you … those who have been following me for a while … know that I am a knitter.  But there is something you may not know …

… I was misclassified … I was never meant to be a muggle.  I was supposed to be the bff of Mrs. Weasley … we are kindred spirits … in multiple ways! ;-)

You might also know that I am a public school teacher at our Jr./Sr. High School.  This year we've established a half hour enrichment period … a time where we can offer classes or activities for students designed to enhance their education with untraditional instruction.  My 8th graders are big Harry Potter fans, so I created a Hogwart's Knit n' Lit Society!  It filled immediately, and I began teaching them to knit … we're making the Hogwart first year scarf.

As soon as the junior high program was announced, many high school students approached me about adding another section!  They are making the Hogwart fourth year scarf.

 Some had knit before …

… many had never held knitting needles …

… but all were eager to learn or expand their skills!

They each chose the Hogwart's House they wish to be a member of …

… such fun and enthusiasm while listening to Harry Potter audiobooks.

With Christmas coming … I wanted to do something special to commemorate our time together as a literary society.

While thinking about possibilities for ornaments, I immediately thought of Harry's owl, Hedwig.  A quick google search produced a pattern that would work perfectly, you can find it here.

Flicka supervised as I began working on the sample.  My sweet little muggle kitty!

With the necessary parts in place … it went together quickly!  Success!

I was thrilled with the prototype … time to begin assembling the kits!

I had fun putting together all the supplies ...

… and packaging them up into gifts for each student.

They all seemed to appreciate the kits …

… several began working on them right away …

… and many finished them in time to hang Hedwig on their trees at home!

We may be muggles … but we've created our own magic.

Do what you love.  Create magic!  Do dillydally!

Professor DillyDally

We've all got light and dark inside us.  What matters is the side we choose to act on.  That's who we really are.

Sirius Black,  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix