Final FO of 2010

This is probably my final FO of 2010, Dad's birthday socks. I didn't really knit steadily on these. I started them back on December 8 and finished them just in time for his birthday on the 30th. The yarn is Scheepjeswol Invicta, vanilla socks on 2.25mm needles and 68sts, heel over 34sts, toe to 24sts. I like the yarn, it's quite soft to begin with and gets really nice once it's washed, but it's so darned fine that it seems like it takes forever to knit. The close up of the toe is the best representation of the true color. Ravelry details here.

And ever since Christmas people on Facebook must think I'm a nut, cuz I kept going on about my new funky whistling teapot. We used to have a big water cooler that had a hot water tap, but the resevoir got a crack in it, so it started leaking all over the floor. We got rid of it, never replaced it yet, so I used to use the coffee maker to heat hot water if I needed some. Then I was doing dishes one day, went to put a bowl back in the cupboard, dropped it (carpal tunnel, I drop everything), and of course it smashed the coffee pot in the process. Didn't break the bowl, of course. I haven't replaced the coffee maker yet either (it's just as cheap, it seems, to get a whole new coffee maker). So I've been boiling water in a pot on the stove and using a ladle to scoop it out. This is much better, but the dogs sure don't like it. Poor Jewel looks like she's going to twist her head off once it starts whistling, it sure is loud. It's big, it holds a lot of water.

So tonight for the first time ever we are leaving town for New Year's Eve, sans children. We have only ever gone to the local fire hall dance, a house party, or stayed at home for New Year's Eve. This year we are going to the city with another couple to Casino Nova Scotia to see The Trews. We saw them when they opened for KISS, they're really good. I would love to take the boys to see them, they love them, but you have to be at least 19 to get in. We got a package deal that included a hotel room here, two concert tickets, free parking at the hotel and at the casino, $10 each meal voucher for either the buffet or the restaurant at the casino, $5 each for the slot machines, and $10 each for the table games. All of that for just under $200 including tax. That's not bad since the tickets alone are $48.50 each. This package you got 2-for-1 tickets. We are going to the early show at 7, and afterwards down around the corner from our hotel there is a big free outdoor concert and fireworks, so we'll hit that up, too, if it isn't too cold.

I'll leave you with a couple of shots of Pumba. Turn your back for 30 seconds and leave a load of clean laundry, and he thinks you got him a nice, warm bed, lol.

Even after I folded everything he still thought it was a good place to take a bath!

Have fun tonight, be safe, don't drink and drive, and all that crap.

Happy knitting and Happy New Year!

Finished!

For the first time I'm not still knitting Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve! I finished all of my gift knitting on the 22nd. So tonight if there is any time for knitting it will be relaxation knitting. I also have all of my gifts wrapped, also unusual. There's usually a few things left to wrap on Christmas Eve, but I ended up being able to finish it all last night.

First up are the large size Cruiser mittens for step-FIL. The yarn is Kertzer Accent Worsted in smokey grey. Ravelry details here.

I also made him a Marsan Watch Cap in the same color yarn. I made him one of these a couple of years back for Christmas, and he commented one time he'd take more if I ever felt so inclined. So I inclined. Ravelry details here.

I also cranked out one for Dad in the same yarn but the mahogany colorway. Ravelry details here. I really like the way the top goes on these hats. I have yarn to make one more in the same kind of yarn in a shade of blue, and there are enough grey leftovers to probably make another grey one. Not sure if I'll give those to anyone when they're done or if I'll keep them for the hat and mitten drawer.

I also had to crank out another pair of felted slippers for someone for his wife. Originally I thought it was for Christmas, but it was for her birthday which was the 22nd. I stayed up til 1am finishing these up and felting them, took them to work to photograph and trim off the fuzz. I no sooner got them finished, and he arrived, so all's well that ends well. The yarn is Patons Classic Wool in lotus with yellow for the cuff. Pattern is the ever faithful Fiber Trends Felted Clogs. Ravelry details here.

Merry Christmas to everyone! Happy knitting!

Getting Down to the Wire

It's getting down to the wire. I have taken a couple of knitted items off of my Christmas list just cuz I won't have time. It's no big deal, what I'm not going to make now, and I can always just do them up after Christmas and gift them as "just because" gifts if I want to. I did make the Littlest One's teacher a Hermione Cable and Eyelet hat. Very nice pattern to knit, I used Kertzer Northern Worsted in pewter, and it was quick, too, started the 14th, finished the 15th. I used 3.75mm needles, only cast on 100sts, did 1x1 twisted rib, then decreased down to 99sts. I did 16 rows of rib, but if I did it again I'd only do 12 rows. I modified the top decreases to one I saw somewhere on Ravelry, can't remember which one it was, but the details of how I did it are here.

I also made myself a pair of Fuzzy Feet out of Patons SWS in natural denim. It was in the big box of yarn from Smoking Hot Needles.

My old slippers finally bit the big one, but they lasted nearly a year. (Would have been a year in February.) Mostly they had holes in the very back between the cuff and the sole of the slipper, and they started to let go from the flip flop sole. I had holes in the toes, and the right slipper was only attached by a couple of pieces of yarn around the toes. The inner soles were wearing through as well, but the shoe goo that I used to attach the flip flop bottoms to the slippers soles didn't give one bit. So all in all they were the longest lasting felted slippers I've ever had. A lot better than my usual 2-4 months, lol.

Good luck to everyone who is still working on Christmas knitting!

Happy knitting!

Cruisers

It's been a slow go for knitting this past week. The mojo wasn't happening, but it's slowly returning. I've got an infection which was causing mucho, mucho pain. Couldn't stand it any longer and went to outpatients on Saturday, but all the doctor on call could do was give me pissy cat litter pills (that's exactly what they smell like, they make me gag) and tell me to put heat on it. It was hard as a rock, she couldn't lance it, so on Tuesday morning my doctor finally had the time to lance it. (Boy, wasn't I close to smacking him upside the head. It didn't feel good at the time, but it was worth it in the end.) That relieved a lot of pressure, it's still really sore, but not nearly as painful as it was. So I haven't been to work yet this week, I am going in tomorrow til about 2:30. But next week will make up for it, the bosses are off to the city for three days, so I work Monday to Thursday all day, off Friday, work Saturday. I'm not used to that!

I did finish up a pair of mittens that were originally meant for someone else. I decided that they'd be a bit narrow for a man, so I kept them for myself. If I made a lady's pair again, though, I'd do eight cable repeats instead of nine. (I was still being delusional that they'd fit him.) They're a smidge long, but I can live with it. The pattern is Cruiser, the yarn is Kertzer Accent Worsted in smokey grey, size medium. It's got an afterthought thumb, I prefer gussets, I find they fit better, but still, they're a nice mitten. Got another pair on the go, same color, but the large size for a man. Ravelry details here.

So last Saturday before my little excursion to outpatients we went to the fire department's kids Christmas party. It's held every year for current and honorary members kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, etc. BIL and his little guy came with us. They had coloring sheets, ornaments to decorate, and cookies to decorate with frosting and sprinkles. K sure isn't like his cousins, he made his cookie, took one bite, and Daddy had to wipe the sprinkles off of his tongue, lol. The Littlest One likes a bit of cookie with his frosting and sprinkles, the Oldest One isn't so heavy handed any more, but he still had to use all four kinds of sprinkles on one cookie.

So there was lots of running around, hot dogs, French fries, chocolate and white milk, juicepacks, and of course, ice cream. Then there was a candy toss, and door prize tickets. They had one main prize for a boy and one main prize for a girl. They also had a bunch of blue t-shirts, so the Littlest and Oldest One each won one. However, they only had one size, so no way it would ever fit the Oldest One, so he gave it to K. It's a bit big, but he'll grow into it.

Towards the end Santa arrived to pass out treat bags. No one sat on his lap. (The size of my two he was probably relieved!)

In the evening it was the grown-ups Christmas party which was a wonderful pig roast. The people who do it are always really booked up, they're hard to get, but they are absolutely excellent. I didn't care about the pork, but they always have baked potatoes with all the toppings to chose - sour cream, real bacon bits, chives, etc - rolls, salads, salads, more salads, home-made baked beans, ribs (which I did have), and the roasted pork, of course. We didn't stay too long, eat and run kinda thing. Then some friends came back to our house for a bit. I was hurtin' pretty bad, so they all left around 11 to go back down to the hall for some karaoke, Hubs included, and I went to bed.

So that was the excitement of my week. Tuesday night was the Littlest One's Christmas concert, last night was the Oldest One's. Tomorrow night is a pot luck supper at church, and that should be it for us for social events until New Years Eve. No staff party for the store this year. We plan on going to the city on Saturday to do some shopping, but I've been quite happy ordering stuff on-line. It's so much easier!

Happy knitting!

It's Official!

Well, the official verdict is in -- no little pink knits in my future -- SIL is having another boy! Oy! I guess the main thing is that he's healthy, but I sooooooooo wanted a niece! We've got two boys, this will make two boys for them, the other SIL has a boy, and my brother has a boy. Too much testosterone!!!!!

Happy knitting!