Seasons Greetings

Seasons Greetings to you, if you happen to be reading this. May you have a safe and happy holiday period.

The presents are cast off, and wrapped, the mince pies are out of the oven, and Carols from Kings is on the television. Compared to last year, when at this time, I was on my way to Atlanta airport, hoping the flights would go smoothly, and I would be back in Newcastle on Christmas day (I made it back onto UK soil at 16:05) it's been a calm period of preparation, and all is back to normal - or as normal as things can be round here.

Looking forwards to waking up in my own bed on Christmas morning, and sharing the day with Jon and my family.

Here's hoping 2008 will be a good year.

Early Christmas Presents

My Harmony Needles arrived today - Well done http://www.getknitted.com - fabulous job - email yesterday letting me know that they were on their way, then that Christmas Eve feeling, and then, today, when I called Jon he said "you've had a small parcel from Get Knitted". I wasn't able to sit still for the rest of the day! They are every bit as lovely as the pictures look, and so smooth, and the colours so vivid. So far, I have unpacked them, and arranged everything in the lovely neat little case, exactly where it should be, and looked at it, and then taken everything out, piece by piece and looked at each one, then put them all back in, and admired them, and tried to get Jon enthusiastic about them, then given up on what is a bad job (he tries, but has trouble enthusing over a set of wooden interchangeable needles - after all, I have so many needles!). So I shall take some photos (I'm planning a photo shoot over the weekend) and post them. Maybe someone here will pass by who appreciates the multi coloured wooden lusciousness!

Honey's dress is now onto the sleeves, and Icarus is in the 4th of 5 repeats. I'm onto the foot of my first Jaywalker in Posh Yarn Lucia, and I have started Jon's Koolhaas. There was a Knitting Group (ok - pair - it's getting near Christmas) at Borders last night, and I got on with a few rows - again, it's in Posh Yarn - this time Victoria, a cashmere/silk aran, which is making me want to keep it all for myself, in shades of black. It is delicious, and I'm hoping it photographs well.

And I break up from work tomorrow until after Christmas! We didn't manage to go away this year, so I had a slight excess of holiday left over. Which means I get all next week to shop, knit, get the car MOT-ed and get my hair cut. But mostly knit!

Long Time... No Blog

It's ages since I last wrote a blog post... Mainly due to lack of photos - I've been wanting to take some, and somehow never got around to it... Maybe this weekend, I'll post some photos of FOs. I've been working on Christmas, having suddenly realised it's only a couple of weeks away (puts hands over ears, screams and runs away). Luckily, this year, my family have made the decision that we're only doing presents for the youngest generation, which cuts down that list from 10 to 3. But still... there's Jon, and Jon's family... and the three girls (my nieces). I have some clues, but not many - and I've been knitting like a loony to try and finish the ambitious present for the youngest, Honey - she's 6 months old, and I'm knitting her Debbie Bliss' Sheep Dress and Shoes. So far, the back of the dress is done, and the front is nearly up to the waist - but there seems so much of it for such a little one, and, shall we say that I have never really done any colourwork before, so the intarsia sheep have been a little time consuming (not to mention tangly). Then the cably pattern on the bodice (can babies have bodices?) has taken forever - so I have cast on Icarus as well, in Skein Queen's Merino Laceweight in Pegasus (it seemed fitting). And I've entered Sockdown for December via the Sock Knitters Anonymous group on Ravelry...
I've been catching up on my reading as well - years ago, in school (and I mean back in the Dark Ages), I read Martha Quest by Doris Lessing for my English A/S Level. After Ms Lessing won the Nobel Prize earlier this year, I decided to re-read all of the Children of Violence series (of which Martha Quest is the first). Unfortunately, while I had a copy of Martha (I was reading it last Christmas - and considering it largely describes a difficult mother-daughter relationship from the point of view of the daughter, and some chickens came home to roost on my relationship with my mother - although there are big big differences, I abandoned it), I couldn't find the other 4 books in the series, and it looks like they may be out of print.
After a frantic scrabble around Barter Books in Alnwick (highly recommended if you are up in the North East and an avid reader - this place is second hand Book Heaven), and lots of Ebay searches, I now again have the complete series, and am working my way through them. In (ahem) years, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed these books, and wish I'd re-read them earlier. I have more experience under my belt now, and am getting more from them than I did at the age of 16.
So - just a shortie for now, as I need to return to my Christmas knitting. Maybe I'll finish in time, maybe I won't. Just as long as I finish this dress - after doing 2 sets of intarsia blinking sheep, she'll have grown out of it before the next chance I have to give her a pressie! Not that I'm not spoiling her anyway - she has a little pile of pressies here waiting for her - including the piece de resistance - a Guns 'n' Roses Sweet Child O'Mine babygro - she's already been to inspect her Daddy's bike, and I'm sure he'll appreciate it, even if no-one else does - am I an evil auntie?