Christmas Questionare

I've copied this from Jen. It sounds like such a wonderful idea! :)

Welcome to the 'Christmas Edition' of getting to know your friends.Okay, here's what you're supposed to do and try not to be a SCROOGE!!!Just copy this entire email and paste into a new blank e-mail that you can send. Change all the answers so they apply to you.
Then, send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person who sent it to you. It's the season to be cheerful!!! :-)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? paper. I just love the look of many different gold and silver papers with big bows of 2 inch wide ribbon!
2. Real or Artificial tree ? Real, we’re going to cut one on Saturday
3. When do you put up the tree? This weekend. We usually try for the first weekend of December.
4. When do you take the tree down? Jan 1.
5. Do you like Eggnog? Yes, especially with a little extra nutmeg and thinned down with a little milk.
6. Favorite Gift you received as a child? A handmade quilt from my mom.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Of course! I collect them, so I usually have a difficult time finding good places for them all.
8. Hardest person to buy for? the guys: Dad, FIL, and brothers
9. Easiest person to buy for? My mom & sister. Mom is easy to knit for and I can usually find something to buy/knit for my sister, too.
10. Worst Christmas gift ever received? Why would I want to remember that?
11. Christmas Cards...Snail mail or E-mail? You're supposed to send them? I usually start out with great intentions, but then just never finish. We see nearly all of our family members and friends during the season, as they all live in western Washington.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas. Who doesn't like Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye? (Of course, the ladies are great, too.)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? January. I had a couple of my gifts finished and wrapped in October.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Never the same year, but I have added to/changed something that was given me and re-gifted it.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Turkey.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? clear. I like the sophistication that it gives the tree. My husband is always wanting all blue lights, but they just aren't very bright. Those usually go in the front window.
17. Favorite Christmas Song? Too many good ones to choose just one!
18. Travel at Christmas or Stay Home? All of our family is here, so the only travelling we do is the 5 miles or so to my parents on Christmas Eve and then to my in laws on Christmas Day.
19. Can you name Santa's Reindeer? Nope.
Do you have an Angel or a Star on top of your tree? Angel. I keep wanting to make one as I'm not too wild about the one we have now. All it takes is time! :)
21. Open the Presents Christmas Eve or Morning? Christmas Eve at parents and then at home and with in laws on Christmas Day.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Selfish consumerism and dissatisfaction with what people already have: me, me, me.
23. Shopping...mall or online? shop? Most of my gifts are knitted, so I just go to the stash or maybe the yarn store.
24. Do you decorate outside for Christmas or just inside (or at all?) Mostly inside. We live in a Condo and there really isn't anywhere that would be convenient to decorate outside.
25. Favorite Christmas cookie? I like to make sugar cookies with colored icing, but prefer to eat banana or zucchini bread.
26. Do you own Christmassy clothing or jewelry? No, mostly just dressy.
27. Do you believe in Santa? No.

2 FOs in one night!

I finished the Spiralling Socks. I decided to give them to my dh as a birthday gift, instead of Christmas. His birthday was last Wednesday, but we're having a family party with his parents tonight, so they're all wrapped and waiting to go. These were knit with Dream In Color Smooshy on US size 2 dpns.
I was on a little bit of a high, after finishing one of my oldest UFOs, so I finished up the Stulpen for my SIL's Christmas gift. The yarn is a little more blue than it seems to look in the picture. These were knit with Butternut Woolens Merino sock yarn on US size 3 needles.

After finishing 2 projects, woohoo, I started a new one. This is the Moss Grid Hand Towel from Mason Dixon, using Elann Camila on size 4 needles. The fabric is wonderfully drapey and soft. It also feels like it will be very absorbent which, of course, is desired in a hand towel.
I'm still working on the Lucy Top and have about 7 inches of the front knit. I've held it up to the back and the gauge seems to be going pretty well with the smaller needle. I may not love it, or working on it, but my mom saw it again and just couldn't say enough good about the softness of the yarn and the color. I'm sure she'll love it when its finished, too. Thanks for all the well wishes on the gauge for this one. Now, if I can just stay motivated to finish it!

Another pair of socks FINISHED!

I finished these socks, yesterday. They are the September Sockamania pattern, Noughts 'N Crosses. Yes, I know, from September!! They were fun, but I caught startitis back in September and never went back to them. I finally started trying to finish things this past week and have done a pretty good job! I also have the August pattern to finish, Spiralling socks. Those are past the heel on the second sock. They are a Christmas gift, so I need to get them done before too long.
In the spirit of finishing, I pulled out the sweater I was planning to give my Mom for Christmas. Its less than a third done, so I pulled out another project, the Lucy Top from Wendy Knits. I finished the second sleeve, which I had already started, but the gauge is off. I'm going to try going down a needle size, today, and see if that gets the original gauge back. If it does not, I'll have to frog it. This sweater was originally started for me, but I decided I don't like the yarn. Mom has seen me working on it, and loves it, so it would be a great gift.

SP11 Reveal and a FO

When I arrived home, last night, I found a DHL package waiting for me. I was from Karen, my Secret Pal! She sent 4 skeins of yarn, a great slipper pattern from Fiber Trends and some pear soap. The package had a lovely faint scent of pear when I opened it. Thanks, Karen!
The party last night was fun. We heard John Curly speak from Evening Magazine. We all thoroughly enjoyed listening to him talk about his experiences before the days of being a television star.

With all the riding in the car that I did, yesterday, I finished the second Leaf Lace sock! When I sat back in the car to leave the party, I wanted to look at the first sock to see how far I had left to go before starting the toe. I was shocked to find that the sock was not in my purse! However, I thought I knew when to stop. I have never been so happy for a long row count for each repeat, as it was pretty obvious where to end in order for the sock to fit. Arriving home, I went through my purse and the car looking for the missing sock and did not find it! I kept knitting, hoping that it would show up. When I stepped up into the van, this morning, I still didn't see it. After getting out of the van, at work, I decided to make one last search and found it! The sock had dropped out of my purse yesterday morning on the way to work. Since I am at work the picture doesn't show off the detail of the lace, but I really wanted to show that I had them finished! I will have to take a better picture this weekend, though. :)

Hmmm...

I've finished the first Leaf Lace sock and have the second one past the heel already! Once these are done, I really need to get back to Christmas presents. I have more socks to knit and I'd really like to make some mittens, gloves and a pair of fingerless mitts. I still have the high goal of making something for everyone. :) If I don't start knitting for them instead of me, I won't make it!

Tonight we have our first "Christmas Party" of the season with my dh's work. The Snohomish County Dental Association always hold a dinner on the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving. There doesn't seem to be much of a holiday theme to it. So, after work tonight, I'll rush home, change clothes and then we'll pick up my mom. (Dad, as a dentist, has to be there early.)

Beeaaauuutiful!

When I arrived home last night, I found a package waiting for me. I won a contest through one of my Ravelry groups and the yarn has come! It is Elann's Peruvian Highland Wool, 6 skeins to make this shawl. I have so many shawls either on the needles or planning to be, that it will have to wait a while. Also, the pattern intended is so much like the Luna Moth Shawl which I have on the needles in about the same color of cotton, instead of wool.
After starting the November Sockamania pattern, Ripples, and the ripping it out as I went down a needle size, when I shouldn't, I started Fiber Trends Leaf Lace Socks, instead. I started on Wednesday night and am in the middle of the heel flap, now. The yarn is Socks that Rock Lightweight. This yarn is so soft and beautifully dyed. It is also well twisted so that there are no splits happening when I am knitting. I probably should be working on Christmas presents, but the call of this yarn was too great for me! :)

One More Gift Finished

Here are the finished Garter Rib Socks from the book Sensational Knitted Socks. They were knit on size 2 needles with color Cherries Garcia from Yarnlust. The yarn is a bit on the thin side for my taste, but it is so soft and the color so brilliant that I love them. I am quite surprised at how different looking the 2 socks turned out. I hope the intended recipient (my MIL) likes them!

A FO!!

It still needs a good blocking, but the Fall Jacket is done!! I couldn't be happier with the pattern and yarn combination. I even had the perfect buttons in my stash. They're black with a subtle blue, metallic snowflake on them.

Weekend

This past weekend at Lake Retreat was GREAT! The days showed clear weather, only getting rainy and cold in the evenings. The speaker was very inspirational and a great time of ladies fellowship was had by all. During free time on Saturday, I knitted for a while and then walked around lake twice with two different groups of friends. I came home pretty tired, as I stayed up too late both nights...But it was so worth it! I did get quite a bit of knitting done, most if it was on the Garter Rib socks, so my Fall Jacket is still about 2-3 hours away from being finished. I finished the first sock and started the second one on Saturday morning. In the van pool, today, I finished turning the heel. I'm so happy to be in the home stretch on these socks. I want to start another pair, this month's Sockamania pattern.

2 Weeks?!

Its difficult to believe that it has been almost 2 weeks since I last posted...I've been knitting steadily on a dark blue cardigan sweater. I am almost done knitting all the pieces and then there is a considerable amount of ribbing to be knitted on. I'll take a picture for posting next week. I have so many projects on the needles, that I keep asking myself why I started this one. Don't get me wrong, I love the pattern (#101-16 from Drops.) It has been so fun to knit and just about the time I tire of the stitch pattern, I have some ribbing that can be worked on instead! The real reason I started this sweater: I am cold and need an extra layer to wear! :) This one will be dressy enough to wear to work and yet not so dressy as I wouldn't wear it with jeans on the weekend.

Tomorrow, I'm off work to get packed for a weekend away with the ladies from church. We're going to stay at Lake Retreat for the weekend. There are several people that are going that want to learn to knit, so I'm taking some supplies that they can buy from me and I'll teach them. 2 of the 3 that usually meet with me on Saturday afternoons are going, too. I'm very excited to be going and looking forward to a weekend of relaxation and relaxing. It sure would be great to finish my sweater before going, but I don't think there are enough knitting hours left until then.