The countdown to Christmas.......

Hope you are ready for Christmas or at least almost ready.  I am really looking forward to this one, our oldest grandson and our cousin will be home this year for Christmas from the military.  Woo Hoo  The cousin arrives from Germany by week end and the grandson from Georgia, also by week end.  It's always wonderful having everyone together and thank God for both these guys for their willingness to serve their country.  We are all very proud of them.

I've been busy making my annual Christmas gifts to family and have now finished the last one.  It took the longest and is a crocheted nativity set for Granddaughter G.  She's 3 and I'm hoping she will love it as much as I have loved making it for her.
Here are pictures of the finished set that include Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, an Angel, a donkey, a sheep, a star (glows in the dark) and 3 wisemen.  Not sure I'll be making this to put in my Etsy shop but will give it some consideration or make it on request.  These pictures I took with my phone since my camera battery needed to be replaced.  I think I'll stay with my phone since it has 8 mega pixels and my camera has only 6.3.

Granddaughter G will also get some VegiTale videos, Silly Songs music CD with her name (she'll be excited) and kids books about Baby Jesus.  Hope she likes it all.  She's very smart for 3 and lots of fun but easily bored.

The other grandkids are getting new hats and other stuff.  Almost done shopping now, just a few gift cards to get and then I'm done.  At least done buying, next comes all the wrapping.  All the grandkids get a special ornament each year that I usually buy, but this year made.  They are all getting a glow-in-the-dark star.  I found the yarn on-line and was a quick/easy project to make a bunch up.  Now I need to attach some sort of label with their name and date on.  Once the grandkids begin moving out on their own they each will have at least 18-20 ornaments from me to decorate their own tree.  Great memories!!!!

I turned on my beautiful Christmas tree today and the middle section of lights won't go on.  What the heck!!!!!!  Don't make me undecorate and redecorate you again, I said to the tree.  Ugggghhhhh!!!!!!!!  Another day, not today.

New projects for 2012 include learning how to Knook, I'll explain that another time when I begin a Knook project, some socks, a purse for favorite daughter, plus finishing some linings in completed purses.

Today I'm doing some work on my website www.blbeans.etsy.com and www.blbeans.com and then back to knitting my sweater.  It's a cardigan sweater in Lion Brand Vanna's Choice yarn color Gray Marble.  I really like the feel and flow of Vanna's yarns.  Every once-and-a-while I need to make something for me.  Next for me will be a felted Kindle Fire cover, once it arrives.  Yup, that's right.......my sweetie bought me one for Christmas and I can't wait to get my hands on it!!!!!  

Until next time, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!

Hug and love on those close to you and let them know you love them, life is too short not to.

Thanks for visiting.

Bonnie Limberg
BL Beans
www.blbeans.com
www.blbeans.etsy.com
bonnie@blbeans.com


   

In the clutch.....

Did you ever wish you had that little something like a clutch bag for the few things you do carry?  Or are you like me, constantly fishing through the bottom of my purse for my keys or breath mints or something?


Well, while browsing some crocheting websites looking for Christmas ideas (can never start too early making things), I came across a cute little 4" X 6" cotton clutch with a button closure that was just the right size for my purse or to carry by itself.  And if you know anything about me, I just had to make the pattern because it was too cute to pass up and knew it would work up quickly.


I thought I remembered having some extra cotton yarn left over from other projects that would probably work.  Before I knew it I was off to dig through my closet stash of yarn.  I found some scrap cotton yarn in complimenting colors that was perfect and just enough.  So now that I have the yarn, next was to get my favorite crochet hook (size G, Clover, that lays flat and comfortable in my hand) and get comfy in my rocker/recliner to work on my new project.  Once I got started I couldn't stop and went to town creating not just one clutch but several.  The first was so easy I just kept going until I ran out of yarn and that was 5 clutches later.


The clutch by itself is pretty versatile and fun, but I thought it would also make a great coupon holder.  The clutch was small enough to leave in my purse but needed something inside to help keep the shape.  Next stop was my local Wal-Mart to look in the office supplies area for some 4X6 tabbed dividers.  I was thinking cardboard but found plastic instead, a real plus.  The plastic dividers give the clutch a firmer feel and decided to include them with my clutch for sale at my Etsy website BL Beans.    http://www.etsy.com/shop/blbeans  
I looked at my old coupon organizer that I had taped together with masking tape and package tape and finally duct tape.  I think it is time to retire this one, don't ya think?  Anyway, most other coupon holders had at least 10 dividers so I thought 12 would be a good number.  The dividers had the alphabet across the tabs so I used a mailing label to cover up the letters and make it easier to write the categories on them that I frequently use.


Now that I have mine done, I will be keeping it in my purse for that quick run through the store for milk and anything else I have time for.  Previously my coupons were in the kitchen drawer and a lot of good that does me when I'm at the store.


With my coupons in my purse and my Grocery IQ list on my iPod, I'm always ready to shop.  The Grocery IQ app is wonderful and free and that is a topic for another blog.


Stay cool..........

Bunnies Bunnies and more Bunnies

Hello and welcome to my blog Hot off the Needles.

I had been feverishly working on these bunnies in time for Easter, but I didn't make my deadline.  :-(  Too much other goofing off I think!  :-)  Anyway, the bunnies are finally done and are ready at my Etsy website for purchase.  They were so much fun making them but now it's time to move on to something else.
Baby Bunny Buddies

I recently finished up some cute stuffed animals.  It started with a monkey, then it was a purple hippo, which almost walked out my house with one of the other grandkids.  Then came the gray elephant and my favorites, the lion.  All were so much fun creating and shaping.  A friend of mine saw them and suggested putting them all together and calling them Noah's Ark Animals.  That was a really great idea Maureen, thanks and I think I'll use it.  Noah's Ark Animals

The youngest granddaughter will soon turn 3 and a kids digital camera is in her future.  She just loves playing with mine but I get a little crazy when she keeps pressing buttons (as kids like to do) and making a mess of my settings, so she will get one of her very own.  And I couldn't just give her the camera with some sort of tote, so I knit her one in pink and purple (her favorite colors) that she can wear cross body.

Visit me on Etsy for more stuffed animals and other things.  Etsy shop link

Next blog will have more news on other things I'm working on or looking forward to.