Ghost of Christmas Just Past

Well it's done and over with, and it has been one of those holidays where I spent the last couple of days wondering what day it is. "Was Christmas Eve last night?" "When do I have to go back to work?" That may have something to do with the Guitar Hero coma I have been in. Well here is our week in photos. I know I did miss some key points, like Declan and his brother Wes stretching before their Light Saber Duel or a picture of Declan in his new kilt, but there is always another Light Saber Duel to photograph.
Marley told me the day before Christmas Eve that she needed to see Santa, so off to the very dead Crestwood Plaza (or is it Crestwood Court now?) and after a pretty short line on the morning of Christmas Eve she got to tell Santa what she wanted. Bendaroos. What the heck are Bendaroos? I was just glad that Abe didn't flip out on Santa, and Marley smiled, even though it was a fake one.
We did Grandmother Grandfather's house on Christmas Eve and I was able to give her one of my secret presents. I was so pleased with the shawl and really enjoyed knitting it. I will do pattern notes on it another day, but the pattern is called La La's Simple Shawl. She seemed very happy, and doesn't she look great!
Marley chowing down on something chocolaty at Grandmother and Grandfather's. She loved playing with her cousins and riding the rocking horse they got for her and Abe.
Ahh, Christmas morning. We were up around 7:30am, and after checking to see if Santa left presents, filled stockings, ate cookies, and if the reindeer ate their food (they did) it was time for presents.
Boppies, my Dad, came over for breakfast and presents and brought Abe this milk crate. I would have to say it was one of the best gifts of the day. Declan thinks we could get a bunch and tie them together to make a playset for him :)
Marley's fabulous lego house. She has since gone on to build a few prototypes of walls than can flip over and become a car.
Her giant dictionary, from Boppies. I would never of thought to get a 4 year old a 70 year old dictionary, but hey, it worked. The first word she wanted looked up was "Pueblo".
We headed to my Mom's for a relaxing afternoon full of presents and a delicious dinner. Abe enjoyed rapping on the TV while Marley tried wrestling with her Papa Don. Mom was another recipient of a secret gift, but I forgot to get a picture of her wearing it. The pattern was the Prismatic Scarf, and I used Manos Silk Blend (again pattern notes another day).Look at all of us. Don't we look full and happy!? Oh wait, this was before dinner. But about 45 minutes later we could add full to our mood as well. Standing rib roast, Yorkshire Pudding, and a mouthwatering apple and cranberry desert with Hagen Daaz. Ohhhhh......

The Bubble Pullover aka Heaven

Exactly 5 months to the day it was started, it was then finished. That doesn't include the many tries at other patterns to get this yarn into something wearable. I do suppose that the yarn would have been fantastic simply draped on my head. It also seems appropriate that the yarn that Declan bought me for last Christmas will be worn this Christmas. Yay! I think he was just as happy seeing my wear it as I was. So here are the pattern notes...

Pattern: The Bubble Pullover by Norah Gaughan, in Knitting Nature

Yarn: Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky 11 skeins (gasp!), bought at Knit and Caboodle

Needles: #7 circular, # 9 16" circular, #9 DPN

Notions: 5 stitch markers, 6 buttons

Size: Small

Notes: The first thing I began thinking as I was knitting along, getting farther and farther, was that this was one heavy sweater. I would really like to weigh it one of these days, I am guessing 6lbs. I am really not sure what the weight of the yarn will do to this sweater as time passes. I wore it to work today and it did seem very slouchy, but it may have been just as slouchy when I put it on. Maybe a lighter weight yarn would be more appropriate, but I don't think necessary. I really do love the way that it fits, feels, etc.--Come on now, it's baby alpaca.

I really didn't modify the pattern enough to say that I modified it at all. On Ravelry I saw a few people who knit theirs to fit very tightly, not a fan. Someone also told me that she had seen a few that turned out a bit "nipply", hehe, I was weary of that, and I am happy to say that mine is not "nipply". I followed the directions to a T for the pentagons, they were really pretty easy to knit, and each pentagon went fairly quickly (there were 8). I enjoyed the construction a whole lot. That is what I am finding as I knit more and more, the construction of a garment really can keep me hooked a lot longer than something with basic construction. After the pentagons are knit (you connect them as you knit, picking up the side of one to knit the next), I knit the ribbing on the bottom. I forget how long the ribbing was supposed to be, but I took off about an inch. I was getting nervous about how much yarn I had, and after having to buy a couple more, I really got into conservation mode. I had knit the sleeves while knitting the body, sleeves can get so boring, and I know I would have been too anxious if I waited until the body was finished. I am sure I would have found a way to wear it as a vest. Then came the collar. It was a struggle to knit the 10" for the collar. Yes 10"! Ok, ok I skipped out on about 2" of the collar, because it was getting really long, and I wanted to wear it to work the next day, and I am still happy with that decision. The buttons on it are a substitute for the pretty wooden ones I bought last week but cannot find. Declan says I should leave these ones on, and I would but I really need two more buttons for the rest of the neck. I wouldn't button them, but they should be there. I am sure I won't be in any hurry to replace buttons anytime soon, but I am in no hurry to search for the lost ones either.

Finals thoughts, well it's lovely. I can't really say much more than that. It was a hit at work today, with a few people feeling me and saying "ohhhhhh". I even interrupted a customer to show it off, sorry Angie. I also had a couple come in and ask if we knit anything that is in the shop and if we even knit at all. I very proudly said "I knit my sweater!". He said "oh". Not the response I was looking for, but alas, he was not a knitter.

I made Declan take a few quick pictures before he left for work tonight. I think that this sweater deserves a real photo shoot though. Maybe I will just get some better pictures of it out these next few days.

The Christmas Sprint

Months ago we decided to make our Christmas gifts for this year. I am sure some of you can relate to that, and then in the next relate to my slight disapointment in not holding up our end of that deal. It didn't all go so poorly. We aren't doing paintings, and sculptures and mosaics like we wrote down on the "Christmas Gifts to Make" list. No, no, there have been things like painted rocks, and yes three lucky families have a box of rocks in the delivery process as I type, many knit hats, and some semi rotted vegetables slathered in paint (seriously). We are still going to make a trip to The Painted Zebra to in a Sandra Lee sort of way make some more gifts. It's one of those places that you pick out the pottery and paint it and then they fire it and you give it, something like that. I got a little nervous about how close Christmas is and decided to give them a call and phew, we can still get things done by Christmas.

We also added shopping at small, local businesses to the approved list of places to buy gifts. I know that those type of places can get pricey, but I really do feel good about putting my money towards a shop like that. Although I do have to admit that Target provided a great place for shopping for Marley. I was thinking about our favorite places to get things for the special people in our life and well I figured I would share it with you! Lucky, lucky you.

So here is a little shout out to the knitter in your life (me! or someone else I suppose). Knitty Couture and Knit and Caboodle of course have wonderful yarn, but gift certificates, needle cases, bags, etc. At Knit and Caboodle we just got in these great necklaces from a company called Bent Metal. They have a needle sizer necklace that is very hip and modern plus some that say things like "Knit, Purl, Laugh", "SSK" "K2tog", "Knit or Be Damned", etc.

Tonight Declan and I finished up our shopping for Abe at City Sprouts on Delmar. They have some really nice toys from Haba and Plan Toys, and Marley loved the Plan Toys Tree House we got for her last year. The nice things about both of those companies is that the hard toys are all wood, so they are super safe for Abe to chew and slober on. They also have a wonderful selection of books and clothes (some really cute Paul Frank ones!).

Another favorite spot for kids and adults is Plow Sharing Crafts on Delmar, and I think there may be one in Kirkwood as well. The shops are not for profit and the artisans who make the items are all paid fair wages and the results are beautiful one of a kind gifts. It's also my favorite place to buy wedding gifts. Museum gift shops, like at the History Museum and the Art Museum also have a fantastic selection of crap free goodies for everyone.

One more spot that I love is Subterranean Books on Delmar. I do often sucumb to the coupons at Borders, but Subterranean is the tops. The shop is small, but they will order anything that Borders or one of the other chains could have. Part of Declan's gift is on order and will be in soon from their shop.

Now that you know where I like to shop for family and friends... go out and buy! I have been taking pictures of my Christmas handknits but will not be putting them up yet, because I know some of the recipients are readers, and I don't want to ruin the surprise. Merry Christmas!

Barney Hat

My next class at Knit and Caboodle is coming up on Saturday, and it is an one session class on cabled hats. Well being the over achiever I seem to be these days I had to come up with a pattern on my own, and being the procrastinator I've always been, I'm just now finishing it up. I had been wanting to knit something for Declan's Uncle Barney, who I feel will be much appreciative of something hand knit. So the hat for the class will be for Barney, and hence will be called the Barney hat. I am using Cascade 128 Tweed and #7 needles, I think I should have moved up a needle size, but I suppose then I could have moved down a weight of yarn too (It's a bulky weight yarn, and when I went to cast on I couldn't find any #9's that weren't in something, so I just grabbed some #7's and magic looped it). I had never worked with the 128 Tweed, and I've decided after working with it for just a couple days that I don't really like it. Something about the way it feels, I don't know. It does look nice, and has nice little flecks of color in it. Marley actually picked it out with Barney in mind. So here are quite a few pictures of Declan and I enjoying the beginning of the hat. Before I forget... Abe is crawling!!!! Tuesday morning he woke up and decided to, as Declan puts it "be a big boy" and started happily eating solids and crawling. What a champ. Of course Marley says she taught him :)

Also I am incredibly close to finishing the Bubble Pullover from Norah Gaughan! All I have to do is finish the neck, but I would be happy with the way it is right now. It is definitely the most lush and decadent thing I have ever knit (13 skeins of baby alpaca!).