Around the House

Well, today is my last day of work until after Christmas, AND it’s supposed to snow two inches tonight, so if I’m not feeling more festive by tomorrow morning, I suppose there’s no hope for me this year. 

Let’s look at some scenes from around the house, shall we? (Please forgive the dark pictures–the solstice is coming, so the days will be getting longer soon, thank goodness!)

Our clear Christmas tree. This year, I really wanted to add some natural elements–I was thinking pinecones or acorns, or birds or something. Maybe next year. As always, I think our tree is beautiful and magical.

The gift pile. Most of the ends have now been woven in, and the only knitting I have left is one glove and two sleeves. And yes, that wine is absolutely necessary. We have now moved on to blocking.

Obviously, these are the hats blocking. Blocking (for non-knitters) is when you wash your finished project and then lay it out to dry in the shape you want it to be. It does wonders for the texture of your knitting–everything smooths out and becomes much softer and drapier. To block the many hats I’ve made over the past months, I used balloons set in coffee mugs, so that they would be nice and round, like the heads they will soon be warming, and so that they would dry a bit faster, since the air could circulate all around. This worked really well.

Although they did look a little creepy the next morning.

We need a little Christmas

Christmas is next week.  Next week.  N e x t.  W e e k.  Oh my.

Well, all those unfinished objects from last week are slowly but surely becoming finished projects.  David and I have decorated the house and listened to carols and bought gifts for eachother and watched Christmas specials and enjoyed egg nog etc. etc. etc. But for some reason, no matter what I do, I just can’t get caught up in that holiday mood yet.  There has been some added stress this year, what with the extra job and the general job-hating that’s been going on (luckily, I can see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel for that one), but really, is that a good reason? 

We’re going to my parents’ house for Christmas this year, so I’m hoping that being home, seeing all the decorations of my childhood (what is left of them anyway, many have gone the way of my favorite Ms. Green Pompon Head ornament, may she rest in peace), watching White Christmas with my dad, and eating my mom’s food will bring back that festive feeling.  We shall see. 

So, about new knitting.  Well, the pile of knitted Christmas stuff is growing at an alarming rate, and that is because I like the knitting more than I like the finishing, so I continue to merrily cast on for new stuff and ignore all those unwoven ends and unblocked garments.  Hence, a hat for our neighbor, Shannon.

Isn’t that cute? Can you tell those are owls?  The pattern is called Who? and I’m too lazy to link to it. I used a tiny bit of my leftover applewood malabrigo and nearly 1 skein of brown Lamb’s Pride Worsted. I finished this last night and wove in all the ends, and then I sloppily (I did mention the eggnog, right? ahem) embroidered on some owl eyes.  Here’s where we begin with the cheesy-ness: I embroidered blue eyes for David, brown-orange eyes for me, and then skipped 5  owls (to represent the 5 houses between us) and did green eyes for Shannon!!!!  I’m so happy about this, I can’t even tell you.  Maybe that’s all it takes to get into the Christmas spirit.  Owl eyes.