New Years Eve, Moscow Style.

We went on an icy snow walk today, and it was so very chilly out! Tonight it’s supposed to get to negative 8 degrees! Not a good night to be out partying, I guess.

And here are some highlights from our snow-walk across a very deserted campus.

Well, we are going to make some coffee and head over to our friends Bess and Bryan’s and see if we can stay away until New Years Day!

Happy New Years, everyone! Remember to check back tomorrow for an awesome giveaway and a blog party (not really a blog party, but that does sound fun, no?) to celebrate my 3rd Blogiversary!

Persimmon Slouch

I made this Persimmon Slouch for my Aunt Diana

I really wanted to keep it. I was super impressed with how this one turned out.

The color is fantastic! I used Cascade 220 in color Persimmon. I just love using Cascade Yarns. They’re pretty much my favorite!


Let me know if you want one. Email me at lexikaye@gmail.com or leave a comment and I will write you back and let you know about prices and shipping and all that good stuff.

The Christmas Dump and all that.

We got home today. It’s always kind of a bummer, you know, the week between Christmas and New Years… everything gets so hyped up and everyone is running here and there, and then there is Christmas! And Christmas is amazing! But it has to end, and then there is the quiet week in-between. Anyhow, we’re home, had an uneventful roadtrip (which is really the best kind of roadtrip, you know?) Apparently as soon as we got to Tacoma all of the in-between roads (including big snowy mountain passes) got extremely bad, so we made it just in time, and then today was the first day they were clear, so our timing was perfect. So without further ado, the Christmas Photo Dump, with some  dialogue:

My baby brother is engaged!

My youngest brother Aaron and Cynthia got engaged on Christmas Eve. So adorable! And here they are opening presents.


And Ezra got a horse from his grandpa. He didn’t quite know what to do with it, but he sure had a fun time trying.

Also, he got a sword, which he used to try to impale people.


Joel, his girlfriend Krysta and Erika, opening presents on Christmas Eve


I guess I forgot to get pictures of everyone else that was there. I was too distracted by this:

Ha! My dad got me a lava lamp! It’s sooo awesome. Well, I haven’t heated it up all the way yet, it’s set up in my kitchen so I can look at it all the time. Also we got a hat rack for our living room! (I am hoping that this means the coats won’t end up on the couch all the time? A girl can hope, right?) and I got a darling hat from my sister that will get it’s own post sometime soon, an owl door stop, headbands, loads of earrings, a crock pot, some books, and I know there is more, I just can’t even think of everything at the moment… let’s just say I was spoiled rotten. And staying with my sister and not having to cook dinner every night (thanks, Mom!) or do any house cleaning, we got to stay up late and watch movies, chat, and color (You know, on one of those posters you get in the big red tubes?) We love those in our family, although drawing with Erika and Paul I pretty much just get put to shame.

So my break from knitting didn’t really end up being a break from knitting. I made a few projects and even had to go to JoAnn’s on an emergency run because I needed something to do with my hands, so I picked up some more yarn. I know, I am terrible. I just can’t take a break, even when I try. I think it’s an addiction, folks. Although, I think this was the first Christmas in many years that I haven’t gotten ANY knitting related things! Anyhow, I’ll update more later this week on the projects that I finished.

And don’t forget to check back on January 1st for my 3rd Blogiversary. There’s going to be a great giveaway!

Happy Day-After-Christmas!

I hope you all had a wonderful and happy Christmas! We had a lot of fun over here, opening presents, eating more than we should, hanging out with siblings, parents, cousins, aunts and uncles. I’m having an awesome vacation, taking a break from knitting! I’m having fun scanning Ravelry for patterns I want to make for the New Year, there are so many out there that I want to make, and not nearly enough time!

I’d like to take a moment to thank you all for your sweet comments and taking the time to stop by the ol’ Knittybutton. It seems like a trivial little thing, but I really enjoy hearing from each and everyone one of you! I am so grateful for all of your kind words. I’m looking forward to a whole new year of knitting, crafting and who knows what else!

Keep your eyes peeled, because for my 3rd Blogiversary (January 1st 2011!) I’ll be doing a giveaway, and you guys won’t want to miss this. Trust me, it’s going to be good.

And don’t forget, just because it is after Christmas doesn’t mean I won’t still be doing custom orders, so if there’s a baby shower, birthday party, or just want something for yourself feel free to email me, (lexikaye@gmail.com) or leave me a comment!

Ruffled Pink Hat

Ok. So while here I was complaining that the pink ruffled hat was hard, turns out it was easy. Also turns out I knit the whole thing, start to finish in under 2 hours (that’s including making the little flowers for the side.) So yeah. I’ll be making more of these.

Once again, my lovely canister making it’s appearance as a baby-head model.

I’m not a huge fan of the sort-of pointy top, however. I think next time I’ll do more rapid decreases than the pattern called for, to make it a bit more rounded. But other than that, it was a nice pattern. I enjoyed learning how to make a ruffled edge!

Also, I’ll probably make it in a smaller gauge next time, I’m not a huge fan of really big stitches, I prefer them smaller and tighter, but, the smaller the stitch the longer it takes to knit it, so, well, there you have it.

DPP: Day 23

December Photo Project: Day 3

Ladies and Gents, we’ve have a fatality in the Tong household. While carrying in some heavy bags (filled with plates, incidentally) I managed to swing one of the bags right into the manger scene. Um, sorry Joseph and random Wise man, you’ve been beheaded. AND! I can’t find any super glue in this house. So, most likely I will put them back in the box and forget about it until next Christmas when I break out the boxes… and maybe by next Christmas I’ll have found the superglue.

DPP: Day 22

December Photo Project: Day 22

My lame attempt at a gingerbread house. Bess’ was much better than mine. She built a castle, a CASTLE, people! With turrets and whatever those spiky things on the top of the castle are called! Seriously! (also, you should click on her name, it will take you to her blog where she tells a funny story about slipping on the ice while carrying 5 dozen eggs!) Anyhow, it was a cool house (yeah right) and then the roof collapsed, so I am made it into a shack, with a busted, crooked front door. A shack where the little blue gummy bear lives. (By the way, have you ever tasted a blue gummy bear? I hadn’t. But they’re kind of gross, and they taste like black licorice, of which I am not a fan. ) But hey, at least he’s got his chocolate rock walk-way in front of his house, so there’s not much to complain about, cuz those things are tasty.