I can hardly believe that it’s December 1st already. The bad part about that is that I am way behind on gift buying. The good part of that is that it starts my favorite month here on the blog, because once again we’re encouraging and celebrating Random Acts of Kindness here at The Loopy Ewe.

This is the fourth year that we are encouraging everyone to find special things to do for other people during the month of December. They can be cost-free or expensive, big or little, and anonymous or not. Need some ideas? If you click on the “Random Acts of Kindness” category over there on the right side of my blog, you can read the comments from any of those posts for some wonderful ideas. Or come up with some new ones!

I say this every year  - it’s inspiring to others when they can read about what you have done. I know you don’t do these kind things so that you can brag about them. The pleasure comes from doing something for someone and not getting anything back in return. You don’t have to tell anyone else what you’ve done, but please do leave a comment on the blog each Friday in December, letting us know what you did that week. I get so many emails each December from people who want to share how someone else’s comment or idea has affected them and blossomed into something even bigger in their life. You have no idea how many people your kindness will continue to touch, as others read about your idea and adapt it in another way. Consider commenting as another way to multiply what you have done.

We’ll also be drawing random names to win prizes from the Friday comments, this month. (See? Another reason to do a random act and comment!) For every 50 comments, we’ll draw a person to win two skeins of The Loopy Ewe Solid Series yarn (in the color of their choice), a pattern (of their choice), and a tub of Soak’s Heel Creme in our Loopy Peppermint Scent, just because it’s my favorite. We’ll announce the winners each Monday.

So – are you ready? Fire up and do something nice for someone, then report back in this Friday for the first contest. There are FIVE Fridays in December, and we’ll be looking forward to your comments each Friday. I’m off to enjoy my first random act of the season. I’ve challenged myself to do one a day, instead of just one a week. How many will you try for this month? Even ONE will be a blessing to someone!

Sheri goingbacktoreadpastblogcommentsagaintogetmoreideas

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and weekend! It was good to have a few days off with family and friends. We read books, watched movies, did some knitting, and enjoyed big fat flakes of snow on Christmas Day, and through the weekend at different times. It was great! This photo is from our Christmas Eve Service at church. I love the oversized words formed with photos from nature. (click photos to enlarge) Although check out this second one. For the entire month of December, I thought it said GRACE, even though it was obvious that they kind of messed up the “G” photo. How do you get a “G” out of that? Each week I’d ponder it again and wonder what that photographer was thinking. It wasn’t until we sat in a different spot this weekend, that it became glaringly clear to me that it says PEACE, not GRACE. (Hello?) Funny how a change of perspective can change something like that. (Maybe I was personally in need of more Grace than Peace this season, and I saw what I needed to see? Anyway – great words.)

Thank you again for sharing all of the wonderful things that you have been doing for others this season. I think I just need to come back and re-read them each month, to keep the ideas fresh in my mind. I always get so inspired to go and do likewise, when I read about the things that you’re doing. Today is our last week in this contest. We’ll again be randomly drawing a winner next week (from today’s comments) for a $50 Loopy Ewe Gift Certificate. Congratulations to Robin from Kentucky, who won last week’s contest! Share with us what you’ve done this past week (or go find something nice to do in the remainder of this week and come back and post).

For those of you with a Loopy Ewe Gift Certificate burning a hole in your pocket (or for those of you who didn’t get one and are not going to let that stop you from shopping), we have a whole bunch of things just up: Louet Gems, Malabrigo Worsted, Malabrigo Silky, Malabrigo Sock, Madelinetosh Worsted, Claudia Hand Painted, Shibui Knits, Hand Maiden Mini Maiden, String Theory DK, Perchance to Knit’s Midnight Rainbow Lace, and Spirit Trail Fiberworks luxury yarn base, Sunna. And most of you have already seen the new Opal Antonia line that we put up last week, which is named after a Tyrolean Pop Singer. The labels are …. interesting. Come see all of the new stuff.

In-person hours this week: Remember, we’re closed on Thursday and Friday of this week for New Years, but we ARE open from 10 am – 1 pm on Wednesday instead. Next week, we’ll return to our regularly scheduled hours.

My brother was the recipient of the Never-Ending Scarf and he liked it. Knitting Daughter offered to knit me one for my birthday (because remember I said that I wanted one for my very own?) I picked cream (Natural) and tan (Baby Camel) for a subtle striping mix, and it’s looking beautiful so far. I think I have to re-name this the “Never-Ending, Warmest-Ever Scarf”.

Sheri whostartedMara#2andanewsockovertheweekend

Did you read all of the wonderful things that people are doing while out and about this season? I love how you’re all reaching out and finding ways to make someone’s day! If you’ve found some kind act to do since last week’s post, please post it in a comment below and we’ll draw a winner next week. (Note – we’ll have one more Random Acts Contest next Monday, so keep watching for opportunities around you.) The randomly drawn winner of last week’s contest is Jenny from MO, who won a $50 Loopy Ewe Gift Certificate. (Yes, we also up the certificate amount for these Random Acts contests, just for fun!)

This weekend, we did our holiday baking. One of my random acts this week was to put together trays of cookies and treats for neighbors. We have several elderly couples on our street who probably don’t do much baking during the holidays, so this is a fun way to share our baking with them. These Oreo Truffles are amazing. I think everyone and their brother made them last year, but I didn’t see the recipe until this year. If you haven’t made them, here is the recipe:

Oreo Truffles

1 package of Oreos
1/2 package of cream cheese (about 4 oz.)
white melting chocolate

Put the whole pack of Oreos into a food processor and process until it’s all dark crumbs. Add the cream cheese and mix until well blended. Scoop out bite-sized pieces and roll into a ball. Place on a cookie sheet in the fridge for 15 minutes. Dip the balls into melted white chocolate and let them harden on waxed paper.

Note – I tried this with the mint oreos, too. While the taste was good, I had to use two packs of Mint Oreos to one package of cream cheesse, due to the peppermint oil in the flavoring. Not sure I’d make those again.

The cookies in the photo are made with our favorite sugar cookie cutout recipe. We make these for two or three different holidays per year.

Sheri determinedtofinishthenever-ending-scarfbyWednesday’sblogpost

It’s time! Time to share the lovely things that you’ve been doing this month to help others. Each December we run a few Random Acts of Kindness blog contests, to encourage you to keep your eyes open for ways that you can help others. I know that many of you are aware of this all year long (just because you’re nice like that.) For others, this is always a good reminder that it doesn’t have to cost a lot of extra time or money to help make someone’s day, and to be an encouragement to them. On Friday’s blog, I gave you links to the contest from last year, in case you wanted to read some of the comments for ideas.

What am I doing? This year, our church has been talking about encouraging people to give more, spend less, worship more, and love all. I like that idea. How do you give more, but spend less? Give your time. Give things that you no longer use. Give encouragement and support. Have you knit some of your gifts this year? Then you’ve given time to each of the people who will be getting those gifts. I’ve made several gifts this year, and hope to do that each year. I’m also going to go through the overabundance of scarves that College Girl and I have knit up, and we’ll be washing those up and taking them to a local homeless shelter.  While we’re at it, we’ll go through our winter coat closet and see what else we can add to the pile. While I love cold weather, I don’t like to BE cold. I like to be all bundled up. There are plenty of people in all of our communities who don’t have the luxury of being bundled up, so hopefully a few warm items will help.

What random acts have you done to spread holiday cheer and encouragement? Leave it in the comments and we’ll do a random drawing for prizes that we’ll announce next week. (Do you do these things for the publicity and the drawings? No, of course not. But your comments help to give ideas to others, and the drawings make it a little more fun.) We’ll do a second Random Acts contest next Monday, and the last contest the Monday after that, so keep looking for ways to commit some acts be a blessing to others. Speaking of contests – have you joined our Facebook and Twitter pages? I put up one of our 24 Hour Quick Contests this morning, so it runs through tomorrow morning. Pop over and enter. The prize is a Loopy Ewe Gift Certificate!

Sheri justaddinginafewre-stocksandupdateslatertoday.
NotafullblownSneakUp.However…moreontheway…

Today is our last reporting day for our annual December Random Acts of Kindness contests. I’m a little sad about that!  I have so enjoyed reading about all of the ways that you have found to bless other people this season.  It always makes me think that I need to be more aware of doing these kinds of things throughout the entire year and not just for one month in December. (Kind of like I always say I’m going to start my Christmas knitting a whole lot earlier “next time”.  The best of intentions.) Thank you to everyone who participated this month and for being willing to share your good deeds. I know it’s a whole lot easier to do them than to write them up, but you have inspired many others with your tales of kindness – which is a RAK in itself.  Leave your comments today about the RAK that you did this past week, and I’ll use the Random Number Generator to pick the last prize winner on Monday’s blog.

I took some photos of recently finished projects for you, now that the gifts have been opened. You’ll see that my scarf-addiction was well reflected in the gifts I knit up this year.  I did start fingerless mitts yesterday, but I will admit to taking 2 colors of Fiesta Boomerang home this week to start a new Chevron Scarf, too. (Pattern in Last Minute Knitted Gifts.)  I asked Knitting Daughter if I should start the Chevron or the fingerless mitts and she said the mitts because “you need to finish that other Chevron scarf you were doing before you start another one.”  I must work on Knitting ADD with that girl.  (Wait – or maybe she needs to work on KADD with me.)

Feather and Fan Scarf (pattern from Wendy’s website) out of Wollmeise Poison Nr. 5 Sock Yarn. (Did you know that Poison Nr. 5 is the most wish-listed item out of everything that we carry at The Loopy Ewe? That’s your trivia for the day.) This scarf went to College Girl because her favorite color is purple.

Noro Striping Scarf out of Noro Silk Garden Worsted. I was tempted to do one after Stephanie found herself doing multiples of them. (And you know me – always up for a new scarf addiction.) I used 2 skeins of 2 different colors.  You knit one row down and back with one color, and then the next down/back row with the next color, carrying them all up the side, slick as a whistle.  Easy 1 x 1 knit/purl rib the whole way. I did 39 stitches on size 9 needles. I’m ready to do another one of these. (Does that surprise anyone?)

Cashmere scarf that was frogged 5 times because I was trying to find “the right” pattern. I ended up doing the simple 1 x 1 rib in hopes that it was plain enough to entice a certain Web/College Guy to wear it.  The 1 x 1 rib makes for a very thick, warm scarf. I know it looks like an eggplant color (and actually, that would be a nice scarf color) but it’s very chocolate brown (called Brawny Brown). Not a hint of purple in it at all.

Collar Wrap from handspun (in a pattern that I bought from someone at Midwest Fiber.  She doesn’t have a website or I’d steer you there.  It’s basically a chevron pattern with 4 rows of plain garter stitch thrown in after every set of chevrons.) This is my mother-in-law, who came down to spend the holidays with us.  I also made a Chevron Scarf out of Noro Silk Garden Worsted for my mom, but forgot to get a picture of her in it! Here’s a picture of it, though. It was one of the earlier gifts I finished.

Spiralucious Cowl in an amended pattern (because someone didn’t read the directions and interpreted “move 1 stitch left/right” in a slightly different manner.  But I still love it.) Knit double-stranded out of Dream in Color’s Starry Black Parade.  I wish you could see the silver sparkles better – it’s so fun! (More Starry scheduled to arrive in January.)

This week’s Sneak Up just Snuck Up!  Today you’ll find: Yarn Pirate’s Alpaca/Merino, Lorna’s Laces Roadside Gerry (that’s the Annie Modesitt special colorway – we have it in Sport, Sock and Roving), Dream in Color Classy in their new semi-solid/solid colorways, Hand Maiden Casbah, Spirit Trail Fiberworks, Gypsy Knits DK (I’m thinking this would also make a gorgeous Chevron – it’s so soft and beautiful), Noro Silk Garden Worsted, and Tuscan Grove – a new indie dyer. (Well – sort of new.  Remember Cider Moon? Of course you do.  We all loved Cider Moon!  The Cider Moon Girls are now doing their own thing. You can find Jacki selling her beautiful batts on her etsy site here, and Gail has joined with her sister-in-law Laura to form Tuscan Grove.  We’re thrilled to have those beautiful color combos and their special yarn back here at The Loopy Ewe.)

That’s it for today. We have a full day-off schedule of knitting and digging in to the many DVD’s that found their way under our tree.  Then it’s over to my parents house to celebrate my dad’s birthday tonight. (Happy Birthday, Dad!)

Sheri ifthegiftknittingisdone,whyismy”tobeknit”liststillsolong?

When there are cats and Christmas trees in the house, the inevitable happens. The cat hangs out under the tree. (Do dogs do this, too? Our dog was always too big to fit under there, but maybe smaller dogs like to get under the tree?) This behavior stops when we fill that space up with presents, but I have a thing about not putting presents under the tree until a few days before Christmas. In the meantime, Gracie’s spot is safe.  At least until Zoe – the other cat – decides it is her turn. Fortunately both of them leave the ornaments alone, and somehow, neither of them is interested in climbing the tree. I know.  I’m lucky. I think we’ll keep them.

Do you do appetizers or brunches during the holidays? Here is a good recipe that always go over well. (And it’s easy.  We all need easy during the holidays.)

Bacon-Wrapped Waterchestnuts

2 cans of whole water chestnuts
1 lb of bacon, sliced into thirds

Sauce:

1 cup ketchup
1 cup sugar
1 Tbl. lemon juice
(OR your favorite BBQ sauce)

Wrap each water chestnut with bacon and secure with a toothpick.  Layer on a shallow edged pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour, or until the bacon looks done.  Drain and then pour the sauce over everything. Put back in oven until sauce is heated through.

We’re hoping to be heading out of town for the weekend, but I’ll be back to emails on Tuesday. (Hoping, meaning we’re keeping our eye on the storms going across the midwest. We were supposed to be gone Friday- Sunday, but now we’re trying for Saturday-Monday. Email Susan if you need help on Monday – susan AT theloopyewe DOT com. Or call!) I can’t believe that next week is Christmas already. This month went WAY too fast.

Don’t forget to leave your RAKs in the comments today! We have another drawing for this week’s contest and I’ll announce the winner on Monday again. I love reading your RAKs!

Sheri hopingtogetsomegoodknittingdoneinthecaronourquicktrip