Resolutions...DillyDally Style!

I love anticipating the new year!  It is always full of hope and promise!  It's an opportunity to look back...learn from the past...establish goals for the future...move forward with new energy!  Love it!

Since I've become a dillydallier my resolutions no longer come with any guilt or shame.  I no longer feel bad about projects that were started and left unfinished.  Fabrics, kits and patterns are part of a collection and not necessarily meant to be made into anything.  There are no deadlines concerning projects.  I am loving the dillydally lifestyle!

So...here are my DillyDally resolutions:

• Will dillydally at least a little everyday.
• Will only work on what feels good at the moment.
• Will begin new projects on a whim.
• Will only complete projects when there is the urge to do so.
• Will continue to add to my current fabric, kit and pattern collections.
• Will spend time dillydallying with those who understand the dillydally lifestyle.
• Will actively recruit and encourage others to adopt the principles of dillydallying.

As a dillydallier, I have the right to change my resolutions whenever the mood hits me!  Ahhhh...dillydallying...such freedom!

Yesterday Brother, Kysa and I dillydallied our way out the road.  The scenery was great and so was their company!  In two days, Brother DillyDally will return to school in the midwest and I return to work on Monday...as we reenter our "normal" lives, dillydally time will once again become limited.  A reminder to savor and treasure the dillydally time we do have...

Holiday Knitting...mission accomplished!

As many of you know, I spent most of December busy knitting projects that were Christmas gifts...yes...that is why Her Majesty was neglected...every spare minute was spent with my knitting needles...the pressure was on!

What is it you ask?  Is it some sort of knitted ameba?  Perhaps...I'm not sure what they're called...Sister DillyDally had one she had purchased and suggested that I knit one.  So I did!  It is like a circular scarf...that can be wrapped around the neck multiple times or can be worn around the shoulders like a shawl.  She liked the one she purchased...never had to deal with the ends falling like a traditional scarf...but she knew a hand knit one with quality luxury yarn would be better...needless to say...it wasn't necessary for her to twist my arm!

 

I took measurements off her purchased one, and factored in the alterations she suggested.  The yarn is called "Showstopper" from Ironstone Yarns (could not find a webpage) in New Mexico.  It is actually three separate yarns balled up together...ivory colored Paris Nights, mohair and a gold/iridescent eyelash.  I used a size 15 circular needle and knit it in the round.  The picture doesn't do it justice...I was really pleased with the way it came out...great collaboration between the DillyDally women!  ;-)

 

This is a Christmas stocking that I designed for the child of a friend of mine.  I have been designing and knitting Nordic themed Christmas stockings for several years now and find it very rewarding.  Nordic knitting is really my favorite type of knitting.  I had knit Hayden's parents stockings as a wedding gift...so the new member of the family needed one as well!  Of course I used Norwegian yarn...Dale's sport weight, Heilo...100% wool...a dream to use in color pattern knitting!

My third and fourth projects were this hat and scarf set for Brother DillyDally!  Doesn't he look collegiate?  These were knit in his college colors...or...if he didn't want to own up to that...he could always say they were Gryffindor!  Speaking of which...he and I watched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince yesterday...we were both very impressed with the Gryffindor Quidditch sweaters Harry's team wore...hmmmm...I'm tempted...yes, I dream of being Mrs. Weasley.  Back to the hat and scarf...they were knit with Frog Tree's 100% alpaca, sport weight.  The scarf is a K1P1 rib and the hat in a K2P2 rib.  Both the norwegian yarn and alpaca was purchased at our local yarn shop, The Net Loft.  It is easy to be inspired when you have a yarn shop of their quality in your front yard...they are a blessing in our little corner of this planet!

It always feels so good to finish up projects...but it is heaven to see those you cherish using what you lovingly made...gosh...dillydallying sure is good for our self-esteem...we all need to do more of it...later! ;-)

Drunken Snowmen?

Saturday was the first time I had sat down at my sewing machine in over two weeks!  It is not uncommon for me to sew (at least a little) every day.  "Her Majesty" does not like to be ignored...and in truth...she had been neglected.  Suffice to say...she was ticked!

This weekend she decided to let me know just how angry she was...let me explain...

It took quite a bit of time on Saturday to find her in the mess called my sewing room.  While preparing for the holidays, all the DillyDallys were stuffing everything on to the sewing table inhabited by "Her Majesty"...she was not happy...she doesn't like to share...after all she is royalty!

Just for the record...I did apologize...told her how much I had missed her...and promised that she and I would have hours of quality time this week.  Foolishly I thought that amends had been made...

While in Bemidji, Minnesota this November...I needed serious retail therapy and went to one of my all time favorite quilt shops, Emily's Country Cottage.  She always has a ton of samples...and many of them are her own design.  I picked up a couple of these cute candle mat kits.  They inspired me on Saturday...so that is what I pieced after cleaning up the piles around Her Majesty.  The piecing went moderately well...Her Highness was a bit pouty...and I assumed all would be well the next morning.

Sunday morning came...I had slept well...made my coffee and turned on NPR...changed my needle...selected the thread I would quilt it with...put on my machine quilting gloves...got in position...all systems were go!  When I hit the foot pedal, that needle went every where but the direction it was supposed to.  I could not figure it out...was I dizzy?  Were my glasses extremely dirty?  Surely it wasn't the caffeine...I hadn't finished my first cup!

I forced myself to continue...things did not improve...I really began to worry...is my blood sugar too low?  Is it too high?  Am I having a stroke?  Or maybe a heart attack?  Should I call for Mr. DillyDally?  By the time I had convinced myself to call 911, I had finished quilting the eight pointed star.  It did not have the soft "loop-da-loops" I had tried to do...they were more like "loop-da-loops" on serious illegal drugs!

I was confused...distraught...somewhat frightened.  And then I noticed the control panel on "Her Majesty".  It was set on a decorative stitch!  I had been trying to do free motion quilting while she was doing decorative stitches that had the needle going in every direction possible.  It wasn't me after all...it was....

Remember..."Her Majesty" is royalty, so she refuses to take responsibility for any mishaps we might experience...according to her, everything is "operator error"...yes everything is always my fault!  But just this once I decided to have the courage to stand up to her...I was not about to take the fall this time.  To save face we decided to blame the snowmen...yes, that's right...the "loop-da-loops" look like that because the snowmen were intoxicated!

Her Majesty and I are now at peace...I made another one today...the snowmen were sober...the loop-da-loops have loops...and from now on when we have differences, we'll find a third party to take the blame!  ;-) Go dillydally!

The Half-Way Mark on Cobblestone Travels!

The "Lucky Seven" traveling down "Cobblestone Lane" have completed half of their journey!  QBee (Quilt Buddie) Diane invited us to lunch in her home to celebrate!

It was such fun to see Diane's collection of Snowmen Cookie Jars!

 

She inherited many of them from her mother, and has added to it over the years!  Each one was so unique and has a story attached to it...I loved it!

Her snow people collection was not limited to cookie jars...

 

...there were snowmen everywhere...this is just a small representation of her collection...it was wonderful!

One of the "Lucky Seven" is traveling over the holidays, so there were six of us who enjoyed the luncheon Diane (on the left) prepared.  She made Spicy Pulled Pork from the Pioneer Woman's new cookbook.  If you are unfamiliar with the Pioneer Woman, check out her blog here.  We are some of her biggest fans!

After a leisurely three-hour lunch, we shared our third block and took home the kit for the fourth. 

Dillydallying...spending an afternoon in the company of QBees...sharing our lives...talking about quilting and almost everything else...eating great food that was lovingly prepared...surrounded by a snowman's version of Disneyland...yup...for those few hours it was the "happiest place on earth"...dillydallying = happiness!

 

Happy Holidays!

We wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas!

The DillyDally Family

Much to Celebrate!

We're thinking summer!
Yesterday was the winter solstice...the shortest day of the year.  The sun rose around 10:00 am yesterday and set at 4:00 pm.  Starting today...our days get longer!

 

It is easier to enjoy winter with the assurance that summer is on its way!

Brother DillyDally comes home today!

Teacup and Kysa are very excited that Brother gets home today...they haven't seen him since August!  His flight from Seattle has already been delayed...so our fingers are crossed...

 

Brother at Cordova airport in August...college bound...

...traveling in Alaska this time of the year can be very unpredictable.  Mr. DillyDally and I are pretty excited about his homecoming as well.  It feels so good to have a child home...back under your own roof...

It is only fitting that we are having a traditional Thanksgiving dinner tonight, at Brothers request.  Celebrations should always include thanksgiving.  Wishing you have much to celebrate as well... 

  

Second Day of Christmas Vacation!

Over the past week we've received about four feet of snow...it looks and feels like a winter wonderland!  However, it makes the Christmas tree hunt a bit more complicated...

...Yup...after careful contemplation (all of 3 seconds) we decided it would be best to postpone what is sure to be a major expedition this year until Brother DillyDally gets home on Tuesday!

The vandal has been caught...in the act...very naughty kitty...she is sure to be on Santa's naughty list!

Teacup is famous for having a serious sweet tooth...after all...she is a DillyDally!  I'm not sure if you noticed, but in the photo of the Gingerbread barn yesterday some of the scroll work on the front and the tip of the tree was missing...I'm just trying to keep it in one piece until Brother gets home to see it.  When the kids were little...after they had made their houses...every morning they would rush down stairs to see what Teacup had eaten during the night!  She only likes the royal frosting...and will bite off pieces of candy only to chew and lick the frosting off of it! 

I spent most of today dillydallying in the kitchen...

Swedish Pepparkakor is a thin, crisp ginger cookie...excellent with a cup of coffee or tea...I frost mine with vanilla candy coating rather than the traditional icing...the icing tends to make them soft and we like them crisp.  It just isn't Christmas without them!

Many years ago, life was especially hectic one Christmas...and the traditional lefse did not get made...young son declared that it was the "worst Christmas ever"!  Well...we can't allow that to happen again...so today we made lefse.  Mr. DillyDally served as assistant...and took his responsibilities very seriously...

...he even dressed for the occasion...drank coffee from an "Uff Da" mug...and turned the lefse while I rolled.  Making lefse is a huge job...we were both covered in flour from head to toe...the kitchen was a mess...but lefse was a tradition for both of us growing up...one we've continued...and this year our family Christmas will be salvaged...by lefse. ;-) 

It's beginning to feel more and more like Christmas...

I wish you peace...