Back in the New Year

With the exception of my annual Christmas greeting, I won't be back until 2009. Between the knitting (and no FO's to show for it yet!) and the working and the party planning (40 people this Christmas Eve. My house. See why I can't dawdle?) and the cleaning and the making Christmas memories...hang on, let's delve into that last part.

I'm sure many of you are baking cookies, wrapping gifts that you lovingly handmade, sipping hot toddies -- you're making those kinds of memories.

Us? This is what I'll remember from Christmastime 2008.

I'm wrapping gifts in my bedroom and the kids and Weedinator are around. I hear "yah! yah! yah!" and I don't think anything of it at first. Little boys live here -- you hear a lot of yah! yah! yah! at times. Anyway, after a while, I hear "YAH! (thud) YAH! (thud)." The thuds make me think I should investigate.

I leave my bedroom and see the the Dimpled One standing with an empty wrapping paper roll in his hands. He's wielding this thing like A-Rod in Game 7 of the World Series with three guys on base and Yankees down two runs. And he's screaming YAH! every time he hits my Christmas tree with his self-made bat as ornaments go flying off! YAH! (thud being my ornaments hitting the floor)

I scream "What do you think you're doing?? Are you #$%*! out of your mind? YAH!"

I gently and lovingly steer him toward more constructive activities such as origami while I lightly pinch his cheek and tell him what a playful scamp he is.

Christmas memories, sigh...

This, however, has brought me no stress...

Girasole, working chart D

This shawl has been an absolute joy so far. It looks complex, but is surprisingly simple. (Laura Sue, you asked me a question last time and I don't have your e-mail address, but the yarn I'm using is fingering weight.)

When I return in January, I hope to have some FOs to show. Have a safe and happy holiday, all!

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Serendipity

A couple of years ago, Amanda gifted me with 10 skeins of this uber-luscious alpaca yarn:

I didn't have a project in mind for it right away, but kept looking. I wanted the project I paired with this yarn to be special. It had to be as beautiful as the yarn & worthy of being knit. I finally found the project perfect for this yarn.

b r o o k l y n t w e e d has done it again -- have you seen Girasole (Rav link) yet? OMGosh. Wrap me up & take me away. Alpaca, meet your match.

Girasole beginning, shawl version

What sold me was when he says (in his blog post) that half of this pattern is plain knitting, or mindless stockinette since it's worked in the round. You mean I can watch some trashy TV & still zoom along on this pretty lace project? I couldn't whip out my debit card fast enough.

Now, this increases my WIP list to somewhat scary numbers (7). I was actually making progress on some long-neglected projects when this one cropped up & demanded to move to the front of the line. Fortunately, my knitting mojo has moved back home for the winter. He brought luggage & everything, promised to help with the dishes & not drink so much. Yeah...we'll see.

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