Socknitters Forum

[Viola]

Anyone panicked? Surprisingly I'm doing so well this year. Just a trip to the liquor store to finish a few gifts off. It helps that we trimmed things down a lot.

And I'm actually doing some knitting! Its been a while since I had time (and I could be doing housework but...) I love this big bulky yarn! I started with the THICK & QUICK RED HOT KNIT SLIPPER SOX pattern and finished one slipper while watching movies with the family. Oldest daughter found she didn't really care for the pattern and it came out rather big so I didn't mind frogging it. Now I'm trying SLIPPER SOCK'S BY NORA with smaller needles and it looks like a better fit in size and the plain style DD wanted.

I have to put it down now to help bring in the tree and do some baking with my other DD. Hope you all are doing well too!

[rhllamas]

Did the first bit of Christmas shopping this morning. Not a pleasant occupation, though the German market was pretty tempting as usual. I was good and didn't stuff myself with sausages, that would have made me feel wurst.

I did eat a thing called an arepa served by some friendly Venezuelans, which was yummy, though I might just have been hungry.

Still not recovered from the cold I've had these last two weeks, and tomorrow there's choir, and Monday, and Tuesday. Ah well, sing gently, and go to bed with a hot totty.

Knitting? I hear you asking.

Well, I'm on the second sock of a pair with contrasting cables down the sides, and I think I'm going to run out of the contrast yarn.
You know how it is, you end up with a bag of small left over bits and you think that one of them will just do the contrast colour nicely. There might be some fiddling about to make it work, or perhaps they will have to be odd. I don't mind as I've messed up the cables, but I'm not about to unpick the work now. I'll probably have to make another pair now just to prove to myself that I can do it.
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To Err is Human
To Arr is Pirate
To Ooh is Choir

[silfert]

I've given up on my resolutions this year, partly out of digust. Irritation with myself, sort of, for not being able to cram in enough hours to finish something. Irritation with charitable organizations in a BIG way, because who knew it would be so freakin' hard to give away money? Three (four?) different groups turned down what was essentially an offer of, "Here, take this check" because it was too much work?!

Sigh.

At least I'm not driving myself nuts by trying to knit for everyone on my Christmas list. They're all getting brownies!

Today will be a baking day. Pecan pie cookie bars and Andes Mint cheesecake! Tonight we go caroling again, and tomorrow is Party Day. A bunch of our musician friends will come over for food and music and food. The Fellowship of the Strings.

Speaking of strings, I found a neat yarn for this baby blanket on which I'm working. It's self-striping, but you almost can't see the colors while you'e knitting. They're visible in the skein, and in the finished mitered squares I've done so far, but the yarn looks totally white in between. It's called Baby Marble. I'm using the blue/green/purple colorway for the blankie, but I also bought blue/cream/caramel to make one for Clan Silfert.

Oh! I bought the new issue of Spin-off, and "my" yarn shop is profiled in an article!

Hey, Vi? Are you going to DRINK the liquor while you finish gifts, or are you giving it AS a gift?

[rhllamas]

I wondered that about the booze as well
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To Err is Human
To Arr is Pirate
To Ooh is Choir

[appaloosa]

Hmmm Audrey one for the clan??? I wondered if you were near the featured Kansas shops! I poured through it when I got mine. They all look awesome.
Vi, I'm so glad you are enjoying that yarn. Even knitting it twice. did you get it at YF? I hope you post Picts.
Pete I have a phobia of running out of yarn and funny enough when I suspect that it might happen I start a new project to avoid the problem. Not a good strategy, I agree but I never run out of yarn.
Well we got our Christmas concerts done this week at school and the students did really, really well. They always come through for the concert. We had so many parents come that they were parked on the highway! Thank goodness we did it over two days - big kids one day and little ones the next. I was literally done at the end of the week. We have one more week to keep the lid on things and then holidays start.
Tonight we are having my staff over for a gathering and potluck snacks. It will be good to see everyone in a relaxed atmosphere. We plan to have a guided walk by moonlight on the farm and a warm fire roaring in the fireplace (supposed to reach -16 C tonight!).
I have picked up my needles again now that my crazy schedule has slowed a bit. I at least have my weekends to get grounded again. Today I sorted some roving to start spinning for a project during the holidays and my friend will come to help me set up my loom. I guess we are going to warp it.
Well I best finish getting ready and will report later on the evening!
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Appaloosa

May you always run with the wind at your back and good friends by your side.

[silfert]

One!

We have fifty blankets, so no one will have to fight over one more. If they do, I guess I'll just have to make another one.

[Viola]

The booze?! Both! For me and for gifts! You heard Lou...its darn cold here and I need something in my hot chocolate!

The baking sounds wonderful Audrey! We're trying all sorts cookie balls and truffles this year. Just back from the bulk food shop and was pleasantly surprised at the total... last year it was waaaay higher!

I did get some very nice stuff at YF Lou but not for these slipper socks. I'll send pics but they really are very plain and thick and hopefully warm. BTW the soaps are so yummy smelling! Thanks again.

[silfert]

Vi bakes a fruitcake:

"Hokay, sho now we chuck in the cup of (hic) fried druit an'... Ah who caresh? Gimme the matches."

Mmmm, truffles!

[Viola]

Hey...you been spying on me! And they said that laptop camera wasn't on!

My MIL's rum cake is like that! I'm sure one year the kids were tipsy just from the fumes!

[appaloosa]

Don ferrrrrrrrget to shlap on the ishing!
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Appaloosa

May you always run with the wind at your back and good friends by your side.

[NeedleQ]

I am not baking this year, for a change. The boys are old enough(past old enough), so if they want something they can make it and clean up after.
Audrey, I am on your Christmas this year, right? Will send my address in a pm.(just kidding) Have not really knitted anything for anyone this year, just too many other things that I do not want to gift to others. Though I did give one to one my daughter-in-laws, a shawl that was a Mystery Kal, that was made in the spring. Still need to put up the tree, maybe tomorrow after Church. Am currently working on a Advent Scarf that started December 1, am currently up to date, when I finish today's pattern. It is nice to get a pattern that is only 16 to 20 row of work and be done, it is something I look forward to everyday.
Hope everyone has a safe weekend.
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needleq

Ravelry: NeedleQ

[albannach]

Had a breakfast date this morning with a white bearded gentleman in a red coat at our local Garden Centre. My 5 year old granddaughter had a magical time. Put the marzipan on the Christmas cake this afternoon and will finish icing and decorating it tomorrow. Knitting at a stop just now. Have the sniffles - I hope it does not come to anything - sniff sniff.

[tracyknits]

At least I'm not the only one who went from "Suprisingly, I'm doing well" to the liquor store bit and thought "Well, no WONDER Viola is feeling well"

Saturday was our final knit group meeting of 2011 and we had a nice lunch. Then I came home and finished dismantling my 29gal aquarium and hauling all the non-sellable parts to the dump (the glass tank was really at "end of life" and I didn't want to sell it. A co-worker took the fish.

THEN off to Ikea for a new coffee table and an early dinner - love their swedish meatballs plate and Ikea makes surprisingly tasty pea soup - mmm.

Today I went to the mall and shopped a big - FOR ME. I went around 11 and it was weird - NOT crowded. I don't know if it got crowded later, but the store staff were pretty perplexed too. Penney's had opened at 8am and the sales ladies I spoke with said they basically all stood around looking at each other for the first couple of hours.

I came home and have been making pizelle - pumpkin spice, and chocolate. I'm taking those to work tomorrow (will have to make MORE for MOI).

I had a strange week - eye problems. I had seen my regular doctor a week ago and had a prescription but things were getting worse. Got in to a specialist on Thursday and put on entirely new meds. I have a chronic condition but it's doing better; it'll just flare once in awhile so....yet another thing to "maintain." That list seems to get ever-longer as I get older - blech.

Good to be able to SEE though! And...I only have 2 more days to work this year so Mon & Tue will be really busy at work and then.....I'm turning off the alarm clock and putting away the "to do" lists for a week and a half.

I gotta get the new issue of Spin Off! Didn't realize it was out (sure wish I'd checked this earlier so I could run to the store
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REVISED 2011 Knitting Resolution: 6 "big projects" - shawls and/or sweaters ('cause I'm just too distracted by other patterns to do only VLT patterns this year!)