Wake me when it’s over

Ok – I know that I am going to sound a bit like Scrooge, but is it over yet? Don’t get me wrong – I love the holidays – especially watching how my kids delight in everything Christmas. It’s just that I am exhausted! I tried to knit some on Christmas day, and was so tired that I ended up riping it completely out at least 3 times. And Alix’s prayer shawl is history – ripped out in a fit. I decided that I wasn’t going to lose my mind over something that I was going to donate to charity. It will take me 3x as long to get one finished in that pattern as to do a simpler prayer shawl. I think I will just go to bed for a few weeks. Wake me when its over.

A knitty Christmas

Believe it or not, I have managed to do something besides the Clapotis. Recently, on one of my many trips into City Knitting, I discovered a fun pattern for Christmas ornaments that were to be felted. Since I have enough wool to felt a small town, (for those in my family, you may remember the year of the felt in which everything I did was felted), I felt compelled to do something festive for our home. Afterall, who would want to see all of that lovely yarn go to waste! I had an old artificial wreath that was positively dreary that needed a little pizazz. I knew I needed something basic that required not much concentration to do while on the looooong drive to Texas. Voila! the perfect Christmas wreath for a knitter!

Thoughts on an obsession

I am a woman obsessed. Several weeks ago I saw a scarf pattern called Clapotis on knitty.com that I fell in love with – I had to have it. After careful thought I ordered the most yummy hand dyed yarn from Yarn Love called Scarlett O’Hara in a color called valentine. I can hardly wait to get it done. It is driving my husband crazy. Its all I can do not to work on it all day, every day. Its probably for the best that I can’t, because I’m sure I would have developed carpel tunnel syndrome by now if I could knit like a crazy person.

Love at first sight

It was love at first sight. The beautiful color of her big brown eyes. The way she looked at him knowing that he would care for her. Her shaggy brown hair looked as if she had just risen from a good nights sleep. Noel knew that she had him right where she wanted him. Right in her hand, uh, paw. Noel, you see, is a guinea pig. He was a nine year old boy. It was the perfect marriage of boy and pet. Love has never been so sweet. If only his mother could knit her a sweater………

Notes on a mistake gone right

An update on the plum jelly - It did not jell. Oh, well. Disappointment turned to joy when we tried it as a syrup on gingerbread pancakes. Yum! Just a good of example of making lemonade from lemons!

Miracle in Texas

To say that I’ve been busy would be an understatement. I’m only telling you this as a justification for why I haven’t posted in quite a while. After spending a week traveling to and from Texas by car, then trying to get geared up for Christmas, and getting caught up with bills, cleaning house, doctors appointments for kids, and taking the dog to be shaved because of all of the burrs in her fur from Texas, it’s a wonder I can even think straight. The drive to and from Texas was the perfect excuse to knit endlessly for 4 days, and I did manage to get some Christmas gifts done. But the most amazing thing of all that happened while we were traveling can only be explained as a Thanksgiving miracle. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it. Someone who had been quite resistant to the whole process of knitting, actually let me teach him to knit! While a previous oath prohibits me from divulging the name of the person, I can tell you that I shouldn’t have to endure
any more snide comments from him while I knit at night. (Shh!!
Don’t tell anyone!) At one point on Thanksgiving day, you could
find at least 7 of us knitting, including both of my kids, my mom, my nieces, and he who would remain nameless.
Every spare needle, every extra ball of yarn that I had was being worked on. Mom, just think – you started all of this by teaching me!