I got a gnome wet.

Now there are 16 gnomes. Then, I caught them eating after midnight.

…and they might have a wee drinking problem.


Now, it’s raining gnomes!

Mine raveled here.
Ps. Don’t forget that Gremlins is a great holiday movie. You’re welcome.
Pps. Happy Birthday to my SIL. A, you are the wind beneath my wings and I hope you have an incredible day!

So, I joined the ornament swap hosted by Christina Lowry and I floated that swap to my bloggy friend, Bonnie of Peaceable Liberal, and she geniusly suggested that she and I swap. I was trying to figure out what to make her when I ran across her blog post about these ornaments by Attic 24.

Bonnie doesn’t really crochet so this would be perfect! Here’s my first try. ew….I didn’t even finish one side.


Here’s my second go. eh. This one is fine, but not great.

Third time’s the charm!


THEN you know that magic that people make when they create ships in a bottle? Well, Bonnie conjured up Knitting in an Ornament and sent it to me! I love it! I found a spot on my tree where two white lights were together so I could spotlight it….and just so you know, the “needles” are made from toothpicks and little wooden beads. Genius.


She also sent me Hoosier Doot salad dressing and yummy apple butter from Indiana. The Hoosier sauce is so good that I continue to fight the urge to pour some in a shot glass and drink it. No, I’m not kidding.
Thanks, Bonnie, that was a ton of fun!!!
Ps. Here’s Bonnie’s blog about our swap if you want “the rest of the story”

I had almost finished the blue cowl and was working on the final border. I glanced at the pattern and worked 4 rows just like the first border and then read the directions for binding off. “Bind off loosely purlwise on the wrong side.” I sent Alicia a quick email about how I would need to bind off on the right side after completing the border.

She graciously responded that I should bind off on the wrong side so the number of rows would be the same before the first shell and after the last one. She was kind enough to write that it wasn’t that big a deal if I’d bound off on the right side. She was even more kind not mention that it sounded as if I had no idea what I was doing and was actually not qualified to be test knitting at all and maybe even should have my needles confiscated.

I looked at the knitting and looked at the pattern. um. HOW does one bind off on the wrong side after the border? I don’t get it. I’m not proud to say that I sent her a second email asking how I should bind off on the wrong side after the border. I know how knitting works and after a wrong side row, you have to do a right side row when knitting flat. It’s like gravity. That’s how it works.
That’s how it works if there are supposed to be four rows in the final border.


But.

If the pattern actually says that there are only THREE rows in the ending border, well, then, my knitterly friends, then, I think we all know, you can in fact bind off purlwise on the wrong side just as the lovely Alicia suggested from the beginning.
Yes, I bound off on the wrong side and sent her an apologetic email to tell her what an arse I am.

Ps. I’ll post a link as soon as she has this pattern out. This is a fun quick perfect for gifts knit and I want to share the love.
Pps. Check out what others have finished at Tami’s Amis and Wisdom begins in Wonder