I Can't Stop!

I'm still at it--sock knitting that is. All that Christmas sock knitting wasn't enough. Now I'm down to the toe on the first lime waffle sock (Koolaid dyed by friend Kris). Also, another pair of black man-socks. Click on the photo and look at the cool teal I knit into the ribbing. I had to do that to keep it from being so boring, and it is little enough. I used a teal/black varigated yarn to perk up the top of the socks. I mentioned to DH that I could also do the heel and toe in the varigated. He nixed the idea as being not masculine enough. Phooey! Men are so touchy about their socks--as if the top, heel or toe shows at all. He said, "What if I'm wearing them when I change from my golf shoes into my regular shoes in the locker room?" I told him that all the other men would probably stand up and applaud.

Christmas was wonderful, and the week between this year and that year is so far quiet and calm. Only one client meeting planned, and the rest is knitting/play time. I need all the rest I can get during this one week sandwiched between Christmas preparations, and the year-end reports due in the first month of the new year. But we come to the new year with a load of good vibes from a Christmas that was truly memorable. The grandchildren were all happy; we spent time with old friends; we ate the best of foods and didn't care about calories, and we finished everything off with a nice long nap. That's the best of the best. Hope yours was the same!

Partridge On The Needles

You know how the Partridge In The Peartree is the last thing in the song? Well, I've got a partridge on my needles--one of those oops, last-minute gifts I didn't expect to have to knit. My firefighter son asked me on Sunday (three days ago!) if I could knit him a thick, wooly pair of black socks to wear with his boots. Of course, they had to be black so I had to go buy the yarn on Sunday afternoon. But I decided to knit a little grey into the ribbing where no one would see it, but it would give them some character. I finished one sock last night, and now here it is Wednesday before Christmas and I have finished the ribbing and am starting on the leg of the second sock. I just might finish it if my accounting clients stop wanting end-of-year stuff. I say let's stop everything but knitting right now and catch up the rest of it after the first of the year!

I really didn't expect to be knitting anything else until after Christmas. I have gift wrapping to do, and baking to do, and Christmas plays to see, and visions of sugarplums to contemplate. Here's the thing...when a son asks for a special knitted gift, you stay up nights to finish it . It's so special and wonderful that one of my guys actually would cherish, and take pleasure in something that I made for him--you just don't say no to that. My greatest concern is that I will have to give him the second sock with needles in the toe. I swear I'll sit there Christmas morning and finish it while I watch everyone open gifts! It makes me realize that the reason we knit is to make ourselves happy by making others happy. Isn't that the essence of Christmas giving? Life is truly good!

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you, and as always, happy knitting.

Hoorah! It's Finished....

Lest there be any doubt that I really knitted 12 bags, here are seven of them. Number 8 is blocking, and 9, 10, 11 and 12 have been mailed to Chicago. Yes, I did cheat by making the bodies of the bags on my Bond knitting machine, but seaming, handles, and felting were all done by hand. The Bond really helps with straight knitting. I've never played much with intarsia or lots of hand minipulation on the machine. I like hand knitting too much to jump into nothing but machine knitting. It is a means to an end--large quanties done fast!

I am so pleased with the things I have finished for Christmas.
* all the bags (12)
* son's heavy "snow trudging" socks
* itty-bitty sock earrings
* Gryffindor scarf/tie
* Snow Angel socks
* black fingerless man-mitts.
It makes me happy to share a bit of myself with my family and friends. If I had it all to do over, and had the time, I would do only one thing differently. I would knit the Griffindor scarf ( shown above) in the round, if that's possible. I'm going to have to investigate that possibility with Alison Hansel, whose pattern I used. The back of the flat scarf isn't as neat as I would like it, but it's still pretty and soooo fashionable!

It's not over yet. I still have shopping to do for stocking stuffers and special requests. But, I am closer than I have been since October, to being finished. Now I can sit back, eat too much chocolate and too many cookies, and wait for the big day. Wonder what Santa is bringing me?

And On, And On, And....

Son's socks are done, and the last gift scarf is about 12" from being finished. The itty-bitty earrings for DD are done--just have to put them on earring wires, and the last bag is being felted. What am I going to knit now? That's what a friend asked me today. I suddenly became tongue-tied. For a few seconds I really couldn't think of what I would knit now that Christmas knitting is almost done. I thought, "maybe that's it for me...the last hurrah, the final knit bit, the exit FO." Then it hit me, I have one lime green sock done and another cast-on, there is the sweater that will be a shawl if I listen to its pleadings, and there is the whirly-curly scarf that has been on the needles for what seems like forever. Yes indeed, there is plenty to knit after this! Boy am I relieved! My whole life passed before my eyes.

Have you ever thought about what you would do it you didn't knit? I really don't know what I would do. No, not crochet! Needlepoint maybe. Read definitely. But life certainly wouldn't be the same! How could I ever watch TV again? What would I do for socks? Buy them? Surely not! And most of all, what would I do with all that yarn. Yeah, that's it--it's the yarn that keeps me knitting, and if I'm going to keep knitting until I run out of yarn, I'm going to live a v-e-r-y long time! And that's okay with me.

What Was I Thinking?

At least I can post a picture of the Snow Angel socks, because they are for a long-time friend who does not read my blog. In fact, she claims to be blogging illiterate. Once again, if you click on the pic you will see the snow sparkle. Now, isn’t that pretty?

So, that makes ten bags, three pairs of socks, two scarves, and a pair of itty-bitty sock earrings. I started in October and still it’s going to be close. I still have to finish one scarf, one pair of men’s fingerless mitts, and one more bag—an add-on for the same old friend getting the above socks. Then there is all the in-store/mall shopping for grandchildren to do, and a whole bunch of cooking. I said Santa was tired. Well now he has gone out for a drink and I don’t know if he’s coming back!

I know why we do this to ourselves! We love it! It’s fun and it produces memories that last all year. I still remember things from last Christmas. I won’t try, however, to duplicate them because this year will have its own outstanding memories that will stand alone—without parallel and without need to duplicate.

Well, I have to go. The phone is ringing. It’s probably Santa, and he wants more money. If I find out where he is—I’m there!

Feeling Photo Deprived?

Pictures are sadly lacking on this blog right now. If I post pics of all the things I'm knitting, my family readers will know what I'm knitting for Christmas. They have already started talking among themselves, "I know she is knitting that for me," "No, no, she is knitting that for me. The----is for you." Note to family: you better be good or Santa will sleep through Christmas. Santa is feeling really tired right now!

Why is it that life goes into fast forward during the last month of the year. I know it is a busy time by nature of the short time between Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. But sometimes it seems like work, preparations, shopping, parties, and closing EOY as we say in accounting jargon, all goes into overdrive. Well, my overdrive is kaput and my "get up and go" has "got up and went." A few days ago I said to DD, who was sprawled on my couch at the time, that I was feeling my age. She stared at me for a moment and said, "then I'm older than you." I think she meant that she is also feeling tired right now, but I decided to take it as a declaration of my youthful appearance.

Well, responsibilities, obligations and priorities aside, I have decided to not let it all make me enjoy the season less! This is a time to remember all the wonderful blessings that have been given to me--a time to thank God for a year, like many others, of beauty and light, of family love and support in all my endeavors. Busy or not, life is good.