Meme from Spinnerknitter (a Ravelry friend)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I love getting creative with wrapping paper, but sometimes bags are better for strangely shaped gifts
2. Real tree or Artificial? I'd much prefer a real tree, but since I live in an apartment with my cat we've got a little artificial one that a friend is loaning us.
3. When do you put up the tree? Normally, Christmas Eve. But I needed some cheering up since I've been sick this week so I put it up a couple days ago.
4. When do you take the tree down? Jan 6 - Epiphany!
5. Do you like eggnog? I don't think I've ever had it
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Tough call! Either the dollhouse my grandpa and I put together or my big stuffed dog, Spot!
7. Hardest person to buy for? Dad. Hands down.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Mom or my fiance
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes! Olive wood from Bethlehem.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, if I do them.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don't know.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Carol (don't make me pick a version!)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I make most of my gifts, but I keep my eyes open for things all year round.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Grandma's Pumpkin pie!
16. Lights on the tree? Yep!
17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh man oh man... don't make me choose! Infant Holy, Infant Lowly; O Holy Night; Silent Night; Angels We Have Heard on High; There's a Star in the East...
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Usually I travel to see family, but this year family is coming to me!
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donder and Blitzen and (of course) Rudolph!
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The fact that it starts after Halloween and ends on the 25 of December. The world forgets Advent and the actual season of Christmas (Dec. 25-Jan. 5)
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? My Aunt Dee who is also my godmother has given me an ornament every year for Christmas and those are my favorites.
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? I've got a long list of books (many of which are about yarn...)
24. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel, one I made as a kid
25. Favorite Christmas dinner? We usually have ham and turkey, mashed potatoes, rolls, green beans, pumpkin pie... yum!

Project Overload

It happens every few months.

I think Ravelry is part of the problem, but its not the only thing contributing to my plight.

Yes, I've overloaded my project capacity again. There are just too many wonderful things to knit! I've got so much on the needles that nothing is being done (okay... just washcloths... did you really think I could not knit anything??) The Fir Shawl is hibernating by the couch; the monkey socks are napping in my travel bag; the lace scarf has hidden itself in the stash due to neglect; my poor herringbone mitt sits forlornly on my coffee table, begging for its mate to be completed; and I can't even find the gumption to choose a pattern for the sweater I want to make for my fiancee as a wedding gift. (Though, to my credit, I did finally take his measurements so when I do finally pick something it will fit him!)

Then there are the Christmas things I'd like to make time for; and the birthday gifts as well...

I hope people like washcloths.

Staying Warm

Fingerless Mitts by Ann Budd
Ravelry Project Links: Neckwarmer and Mitts

My friend and co-worker, Deb, requested some fingerless mitts to keep her hands warm at the office. She bought this lovely, soft bamboo yarn and I had enough left over to make a neck warmer as well! I loved raiding my button box for the funky buttons. She loved them so much that she showed them off at our staff meeting, which prompted the organist to request some mitts as well because the sanctuary where she practices the organ is always so cold during the week. I finished those this week and gave them to her today. I've been pretty cold at my computer the last few days so I'm probably going to make some for myself soon since I can't seem to find my old pair.

I've been working on more socks and trying to make time to work on the Fir, but life has been pretty busy. Advent is almost here! The intern's life is starting to get busy!

Carpenter's Star

Here's the center star! It still needs borders, but those will have to wait for another Saturday. I'm loving this project! The colors are so bright and cheerful!

Knitter Weather

Today was the second day in a row that I had to scrape ice off of my car. This time I thought about it ahead of time and remembered to wear a hat, scarf and gloves! It was the first time out for my Shedir! I love this time of year!

The Fir is progressing slowly. I've been working on simpler projects recently - mostly socks. I love the mindlessness of socks some days. I'm still trying to come up with something wonderful for my fiancee's mother. I just don't know where to begin since I've never met her. *sigh*

I'm so excited about taking a quilting class on Saturday! I'll be making a queen size carpenter's star quilt. I got the fabric, washed it and pressed it two weekends ago. Its going to be beautiful! :-) I'm really looking forward to having something to do on a Saturday too. Chores get old quickly. It will be nice to get out for a change.

Irish Eyes

Plaited Cable Scarf by NJ Niemeyer
I've misplaced the ballband on this yarn. Its a wool acrylic blend of some sort.

This is an awful picture of the color, but a decent shot of the cables on the scarf I completed this afternoon.

And progress has been made on the Fir Cone Square Shawl thanks to "The Devil Wears Prada" from the e-listening library and episodes of "M*A*S*H" and "What Not to Wear."

There's a sock ready to have its heel turned when I get around to thinking about it, and another colorwork mitten on the needles, but they may be laid aside for Christmas Knitting in the near future. I really should finish the lace scarf and I need to think of something for my fiance's mother... hmm...

Finally working on the Fir!

I had every intention of starting this in January. Here it is almost October. Ah well. Here's the Ravelry link. My Fir Shawl.

I've also posted pictures of some of my other back projects. Please peruse there, if you can.

Here's my favorite finished sweater for those of you who aren't on Ravelry.

Pattern: Samus, from Knitty.com
Yarn: Elsbeth Lavold's Silky Tweed in grey and maroon