Starry-eyed

My Ornamental swap package was waiting for me when I got home last night. It's still super-gray out here but my ornament is a beautiful, hand-stitched red santa in the shape of a star.

Thank you Coryn!

My package is still en-route to Belinda, but I am hopeful that it will arrive soon.

More details when I get home from work.

Short run-down

Food for the week is going to consist of as much fruit and salad as I can eat between various holiday commitments.

I had a BLAST in Portland. I was so lucky to have Denise come down from Olympia and spend the day with me. The Farmer's Market is just amazing and some amazing food (Farmer's Market, Friday night dinner) was consumed.

Tonight is the 'girl's' (old university friends) annual ornament exchange, and a special birthday. The bunt and I will celebrate on Friday.

Stephanie is trying to knock the socks off of MSF - check and see if your company will match donations! I signed up for automatic, monthly deductions from my bank account. It doesn't take very much each month to really add up by the end of the year.

Pictures if the sun ever comes out again.

Rocked.

I received my SP9 package today and I am floored!

Do you think she sent me delectable pampering treats?

Delicious snacks?


Beautiful, soft yarn and an interesting book?


If you guessed all of the above, you would be correct.

Please excuse me, but I have some indulging to do before I start knitting my very own super-sized Caryl's Kerchief with my new yarn.

(PS to my Secret Pal - I found yarn for the perfect Tempting, a gorgeous, dark blue-red wool/cotton blend)

Looking ahead and looking back.

Knock on wood, things are looking up around here!

Monday dinner was yummy risotto leftovers. I'm too much of a klutz to peel squash so I just slice the squash into 1/2" slices and pop it into a 350-400F oven for about half an hour.



Tonight is probably going to be Chinese takeout or home-made Stroganoff depending on how early I get home (ended up going out on the weekend so neither of these dinners happened).

Wednesday may be sushi with The Flame's cousin. I have to admit that eating out is sounding pretty good as the plumber will be over to dig up the front yard and jack-hammer by the front door to prepare for laying a new line to the house (Yay!)

The Flame gets to spend Thursday at home with the plumber and we'll clean out the fridge that night as we're heading to Portland on Friday morning!


This past weekend was very busy, but wonderful in so many ways. Saturday was spent in Point Roberts at my friend Sam's annual fund-raiser/craft fair/ for the Point Roberts food bank. Over $2500 was raised and everyone went home happy. I was certainly happy as I won the silent auction for a beautiful little art quilt. I'm going to need some natural light to truly capture it's colour and texture as all of my flash-enabled photos are too yellow and flat to do it justice.

Sunday morning was breakfast with the lovely Mr. and Mrs. Knitbrarian, drop off of a recent FO at Three Bags Full,


a quick trip through a Farmer's Market/Craft Fair (if it was cheese or cheese-related, it came home with me) and then puppy pick-up. Not for me(!) for Mr. and Mrs. K. The puppy's a real cutie-pie and very sweet-natured. If you don't see the knitbrarian around for a bit you'll know why.

The Flame and I unwound that evening at a wonderful Advent tea hosted by the parents of a good friend. We're so honoured and lucky to share in their family tradition, it's always a highlight of our holiday season.

Project specs : Angel Pearls Scarf by Sivia Harding

Yarn : Rowan Kidsilk Haze Violetta (633), just 1 ball

Needles : 3.75 mm KP options

Started : sometime this fall
Finished : December 9, 2006

I did notice the slight heaviness of the KP options needle tips as compared to my other needles. The pointy, pointy tips did compensate for that as it made the decreases really easy even though I was using a dark, fuzzy yarn. I love the finished item and I definitely see more of these in my future. Especially since I already have yarn for at least 3 more in the stash.

Mad hatter.

I am Still waiting for the plumber. As of 9:45 am he has promised to show up in an hour and a half. I'm not holding my breath.

I suspect that this will only get worse.

Good thing I've been able to get some knitting finished around here.


Another one of Jean's Diagonal Hats and a beadless Odessa.

Project Specs : Diagonal Hat

Yarn : Noro Silk Garden 205 (3 skeins = 2 hats!)

Needles : 4.5mm addis

Started : December 4, 2006
Finished : December 5, 2006

The last version was done on 4mm needles and the size difference was quite remarkable. I still had a little bit of yarn leftover but if you want 2 hats out of 3 skeins I'd advise knitting one on 4mm needles and one on 4.5mm needles.

Project Specs : Odessa Hat

Yarn : Sandnesgarn Smart (5936 I think)

Needles : 3.5mm old casein dpns (ick) and 4mm dpns (my old stand-by Aeros)

Started and Finished : December 5, 2006

I want to try one with beads! This is a really quick knit and I love the organic decreases at the top.

Can you stand another clever hat design?

Project Specs : Short-Row Hat by Veronik Avery

Yarn : Noro Silk Garden #233 (I think this is another one where if I had 3 skeins, I could have made 2 hats)

Needles : 4 and 4.25mm dpns

Started and Finished : December 6, 2006

The hat turned out quite long but it can easily be worn with the brim up. I didn't manage to pick up 32 stitches at the top but it was easy to fudge and blocked out nicely.

Muddy Monday

Well, Monday was pretty much a bust on the blogging front.

I came home to the house and heard that ominous rushing sound of water and my front lawn looked like a bog.

The Flame came home, we called the plumber and started digging.

Digging didn't get very far as the holes filled in so quickly with water it was impossible to 'avoid the pipe'.

The plumber couldn't get a hold of me (try the cell. phone!) yesterday so didn't show up and I am home waiting yet again today. I guess that should make the rest of the week pretty easy food-wise.

Monday - leftovers
Tuesday - ate out
Wednesday - soup with excellent flatbread/crackers
Thursday - I'm thinking butternut squash risotto with pancetta and sage
Friday - lambchops with baby new potatoes, greens.
Saturday or Sunday - portobello mushroom fajitas one day, Chinese take-out the other.

The camera cable is once again AWOL so I can't show you any of the lovely hats and scarves I've finished recently. I guess some tidying is in order.