Down to the Wire

Presents are opened and the wrapping in the bag. Sitting relaxing, well knitting on that one last gift. Almost done with the Penn State hand holding mittens. They should be done by tonight so I won't be finishing on the plane tomorrow. I hope. I'll be glad to go back to leisurely knitting, no real deadlines in sight. Penn State Mittens almost completed

We're having one of the most laid back Christmases I can remember, no heading off to visit, no visitors. Not even a big dinner, well at least not the "usual". It's nice for a change. I'm going to curl up on the couch and finish the mittens and relax. Tomorrow we are off to visit vet2b son's in-laws to be and share in some wedding preparations. I even got invited to go dress shopping, how cool since I have no girls. I'm going to enjoy every minute, especially as I am not mother of the bride. No pressure, just fun. Shopping ( read after Christmas sales!) and girl talk, can it get much better.? Well add in some knitting, oh yeah, did I mention I downloaded some knitting shops in the area?!!

Hope you are all basking in the warmth of the holiday!

Almost Caught Up

Let's see, the shopping is pretty much done but the wrapping remains. The cookies are baked and the fudge made, now to be packed up. I should make some breads for the neighbors but cookies will have to do. The cards are in the mail. Except for the fact that I work the next three days I think I'm in pretty good shape.

The snow has certainly made a statement this year, more than I think we've had in the last few years just in the last few storms. Right now it's very pretty even if it does make things so much more difficult!

Scenes out the back door

K is home, you can tell by the clutter at the front door, the pounding of his feet up and down the stairs and the empty refrigerator, despite going to the grocery store just yesterday. He and Tobah are spending some quality time together!

Boy and dog bonding time

Due to the snow and ice we have a lovely leak in a corner of the house. We haven't seen this happen in years but then again there hasn't been snow and ice like this in, well, years. So hubby is fighting a battle chipping away ice and mopping up the trickle that appears behind the bookcase. Ah, the joys of winter.

I hope you each have a wonderful holiday however you celebrate. I doubt there will be blogging what with the rest of the chores to finish, work and the holiday. I hope it's warm and happy. Enjoy!

A Quickie

Here is some of the completed Christmas knitting. I even finished the scarf (no picture yet)! So I'm down to just the two pairs of hand holding mittens left and they won't be gifted until after
Christmas. Whew, not bad!







Top: Hand Holding Mittens from Lion Brand; Hats from The Yarn Girls Guide to Kids Knits; Fingerless Gloves and Christmas Stockings from Ann Norling


At my Monday night group I was able to finish my Quant from Knitty and during the few snowy days of last week I finished the Fidget. Sometimes little projects make my day.

The week is flying by, tomorrow we pick up K from college. I've already warned Tobah that he will have to share the bed, he's not thrilled. But K can't complain, Tobah keeps him very warm. K is ready for semester break. He should be working plenty of hours at Trader Joe's to fill up his coffers.

Well I'm off to wrap and knit and maybe bake, we'll see how far I can get. There is still shopping to do and cards to get out and... and....oh boy!

Uh Oh...

Yikes, where did the time go? Wasn't it just Thanksgiving? I can't believe Chritmas is just 10 days away. Ready? Not me.

My holiday knitting that had to be sent out is done. That's a first for me. It doesn't mean that there won't be knitting on gifts up until Christmas, oh there will be, but at least those gifts that have to fly the friendly skies have taken wing.

Hmm, well apparently Blogger doesn't want me to post pictures of those finished objects, I guess that will come later. So, I finished the stockings for the newlyweds (and no bleeding of the red yarn this time), hats and scarves for the nephews, fingerless mitts for my mom, hand holding mittens for the newlyweds (and I have two more pair of those to do but they go quick), socks for B's future MIL, and a scarf for my job share partner. Not too bad.

I've needed to sneak in a few other projects for me even though I said I would knit only on the gifts. But since I'm just about done I thought it would be ok. I'm working on a Fidget(www.onesheephill.com) and Quant from Knitty(www.knitty.com) in Sheep Shop Yarn color G43. Both quick knits and maybe future gifts for next year, but these are for me, just me!

The tree is up along with a few decorations but I'm just not feeling it this year. I haven't baked, wrapping still to do, not to mention the shopping that still awaits. It gets harder as everyone is older. Maybe I can convince everybody that we don't need to do gifts anymore until new little ones arrive on the scene. I mean it really takes the spirit out of it when you have to ask for and shop from a list. No suprises. Lets just make it about the food(yum) and the people we love. Yeah, that sounds good!

I'll try and post later(promise) pictures of the finished objects. Now it's time to prepare for the big nor'easter coming our way.
Stay tuned and stay warm.

Get A Move On

Thanksgiving has come and gone and before we know it Christmas will be here. This will be the year of actually scaling down. There really aren't any little kids (well with K around sometimes it feels like there is a little kid in the house!) in the house so no need to run out for all the newest items. The plan is to pick gifts that are really needed or wanted within reason. We'll see how that goes, we've said it before but for some reason I think we'll be better at sticking to it this year.

On the knitting front the gifts are moving along, hopefully fast enough for everything to be accomplished. I have one hat for the nephews done, one set of the hand holding mittens completed(they are cute if I say so myself) and I'm almost done with the second of the Christmas stockings. I'll try and post some pictures this weekend. I have to get moving to try and get it all finished up.

K and my husband scored Patriots tickets for tomorrow. K wants to run up to NH to get his Patriot's jersey to wear to the game, come back home, then out to Foxboro for the game. I think not! He's obsessed with having something Patriot's to wear to the game. I'm obsessed with them staying warm as the cold air has settled in. They are off to the store today for some warm mittens and liners as well as some warm packs for hands and feet. You've got to be dedicated to sit out in the cold to watch grown men running around and into each other. Me, I'm staying home where it's warm. I think I'll work on those projects, maybe run over to my LYS to check out the Dream in Color yarn (if there is any left), eat in front of the tv, and check in on the game now and then. They'll be home late and have to get up early to get K back up to college for his first class. It's all worth it he says!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Early Morning

The sun was pretty in the sky as I walked the dog this morning. I have been fascinated lately with the way light plays at different times of the day. Yesterday coming out of a store there was such a contrast of the dark grey sky and the houses and trees that were lit up by the sunlight piercing the opening in the clouds. But no camera so no picture. It's in my mind though!

This morning I watched as the sun came up between the trees. What is left of the leaves were highlighted in that morning light.

The colors this year were rather blah but in the right light they look rather pretty! The air is getting nippy and the talk of...snow...is becoming more prevalent. It's just a matter of time. I've got to find those hats and scarves I made last year.

This guy reminds me to get to my food shopping list and once that is done back to the Christmas knitting. One hat to be finished tonight, a pair of the hand holding mittens up next, there has to be some variety. Knit on!

Trying Not To Get Ahead Of Myself

Christmas is coming in case you hadn't notice. However I think you must live in a hole if you haven't been bombarded with music, songs, ads and decorations in the stores. It seems to get earlier and earlier that this happens every year. The kids were barely in from the Halloween candy dash and suddenly the ads on tv started to appear. I think there should be a law that all the hoopla can't start until after Thanksgiving.

Now because of all the push towards Christmas I'm starting the knitting gift panic. I said this year would be the year I keep it all in control. But I'm losing control. My mind is queuing up those projects left and right. I will say there are few things finished. I did the fingerless gloves for my mom and the socks for son's fiance's mother(I know). But for everything I finish something appears at the end of the list. I have to finish a scarf for my job share other half. I have two hats for the nephews. Hand-holding mittens for the newly weds and the engaged son/fiancee as well as a friend and his wife. My "need to finish" project bag is getting bigger and bigger. I'm hoping that's it but I'm afraid that this year will be no different than the years past.