Saturday, December 24, 2016

"The Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

I hate Christmas.

There, I said it. Shock and awe, omigoodness. But it is true. I told my mom this year my true feelings on Christmas and she didn't believe me- I am a good actress, I suppose. She said, "But Ceci you are the one that always gets something for everyone!" It's true! I knit for loved ones, I bake cookies, I sing the songs, and I buy presents all year long so that on Chrsitmas something will be under that damned tree. That cursed, stupid tree, that doesn't belong in the effing house. It's an unpopular opinion, I know. But I hate the songs, I hate the season, I hate the shopping, the wrapping, the gifting, the baking, the smiling, the decorating, the hot cocoa, all of it. Says the girl who just knit 5 Christmas stockings and then trekked to the store to buy all the goodies to fill them all up. (I did get myself a few pairs of knitting needles to chuck into mine though so that was nice.)

But, what's important is that this- THIS- is the most wonderful time of the year. Now. The day before Christmas, when it is what it is and it's over soon, and your husband comes home at his usual time and you notice that it's still light outside which means the days are getting longer, and talk starts to drift away from Christmas plans and towards new year plans, and you know that Christmas is going to be over and the New Year is going to begin and everyone is going to make the same old resolutions to lose weight and be a better person.

I love making New Year's resolutions. I always make the same kind: Workout goals, and Knitting goals. For workouts, this blog doesn't care, but for knitting---- I have some tentative plans, and they all include the blogosphere. I want to blog more often, share more pictures, put more lame videos on youtube, knit more swatches for my Super Stitches Knitting project, finish more works in progress. I love New Years because it's full of hope. And you don't have to look at your failures until just about Christmas time next year. Haha

I'm making lists and dreams, and I'll share them all in due time.

Thursday, December 22, 2016


What an amazing feat! I'm truly proud of this project. Still have top sew up and embroider the snowmen stocking, but otherwise complete.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

The Approaching Deadline...

December is such a busy time. It's a busy time for everyone, but especially for crafters. As a knitter, I find myself relying on my skills throughout the year: "Oh, come Christmas I'll have a bunch of gifts already and then I can make some for x y and z. It'll be so easy!" Note to self: NOTHING IS AS EASY AS YOU THINK IT IS.

In October I told myself to order some stocking yarn and patterns because "There's plenty of time before Christmas." Here it is December 20th and my final stocking isn't even half way done!


But it's fine, it will definitely be done by Christmas eve. It really only takes a day to knit most of a stocking. The rest of the time is spent avoiding weaving in ends, seaming and embroidering. And with practically 4 days, there is really plenty of time.



Doesn't the set look pretty? I can't wait to take a picture of them in front of the fireplace! And of course I can't wait to stuff them full of goodies for Christmas morning.

Speaking of Christmas morning, though, there is more on my needles than stockings.
I'm working on:

1) Slippers for my dad
2) A hat for my brother
3) A toy bird for one niece
4) A birdhouse for the other niece (she asked for this. What kid wants a birdhouse?!)
5) Fingerless gloves for my sister

and by "working on" I actually mean I've only cast on the slippers but I still have hopes that somehow I will warp the space-time continuum and finish all 5 of these projects and still have time to like, shower and eat food and go to work.

I have hopes!
Thank you for passing through my blog during this busy busy season. I appreciate it.

Happy knitting!

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Some things I have on the go...

 I've been getting a lot of knitting done. I guess that's just the sort of thing that happens when you ask to go part time at work and school is on hold until next semester and Christmas is nearing. My  personal and fun project (the Must Have Cardigan) is put on hold. I've knit both sleeves and some of the back, but since it's selfish knitting it must wait for Christmas even though I am cold and could use a sweater.
It's so gorgeous. Even though it's made of acrylic I love it. I'm glad I will be able to wash it without worry, and that it will probably wear well through the years. I hope it ends up being very wearable and casual, and that its color will render it very useful in my wardrobe. I am very selfish- I had entertained the idea of finishing it and giving it to my mom instead, but the hours that went into it have included much of me spreading the fabric out and touching the cables longingly. Definitely mine.

While going back and forth between the sweater project and my husband's stocking, I was pretty confident about getting all 4 stockings done by Christmas because I swore to myself I wouldn't go crazy this year. "Only my sister gets a knitted present this year. Nobody else." My sister has rheumatoid arthritis and always receives a simple pair of fingerless gloves, which she makes a big deal of and always appreciates. Fingerless gloves are an easy gift and it wasn't even Thanksgiving yet, and I had PLENTY of time, right?

Enter my niece, and this simple message I received on Facebook:

Indeed I did make her those socks 5 years ago. I actually made something for everyone that year, and those who loved their knitted gifts I have continued to knit for and those who didn't seem to care for them have gotten store bought gifts in recent years. I remembered her fawning over her socks, and also remembered every year writing out my list of who would get a gift and often scrawling "socks" next to her name. But as often happens, I run out of time and funds and this past year we didn't even do a gift exchange in my family... and so she never got another pair.





Until now! These are made with Patons Kroy FX. They aren't identical, but neither was her last pair. This pair was worked on 60 stitches and size 1's whereas the last was 64 and size 2's. As a result they are quite tight... I'm kind of worried they won't fit her as well actually, but this close to Christmas there are no do-overs.

Now, my sister has quite a few kids and if I'm going to knit for the one niece I kind of have to make something for the other. So I dug through the closet, and found the cursed phentex slipper I blogged about back in July.

The second slipper is now about half way done, and after that I can finally get my sister's fingerless gloves worked up. And come to think of it, my brother needs a hat... so Christmas knitting is taking priority. I did finish my husband's stocking though.


My daughter's is up to the chart... of course, it's been up to the chart for a few days now. In fact I might be suddenly realizing my family needs gifts just to escape knitting yet more intarsia charts...
I am trying really hard to ignore the stocking project altogether even though that little voice inside me keeps nudging, "Only x days left until Christmas...."

Anyway, the baby has woken from her nap, and my husband and I have a dinner to attend: Our two year wedding anniversary is on the 13th and his parent's wedding anniversary is tomorrow so we are meeting tonight for prime rib and good company.

Happy knitting!