I’m much more likely to knit a gift for someone if I have some idea what they might like. While we were visiting, my niece admired my Wavy scarf so I promised to make her one. We talked about how wide she would like it and how long and as soon as we got home I pulled out some stash yarn (thanks Cecily!) and got to work. I’ve reduced the width by half and it’s going to be 7 repeats long (I was aiming for about 42 inches) using size 5 needles and worsted weight yarn.
Much of yesterday was spent in the car getting to and from the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. We quite enjoyed the show and it was fun to see the tree at Rockefeller Center as well as Times Square. I have to admit, it never occurred to me to wonder why it was called that and I always thought it was "time square" without the s, d’uh! As we drove past the New York Times building though, it clicked. Anyway, before we headed home we all went out for a walk with miss Kira. She smartly opted to stay out of the very cold water though she did manage to get wet paws and plant a few muddy prints on us.
We’re spending a couple days in New Jersey visiting family and I happened to spot the Spinning Wheel Diner as we headed to Starbucks for something hot to drink. Next time we visit we’ll have to all go there for breakfast, I hear it’s pretty good.
I did one last hat for me using the cashsoft with 2 strands held together. It’s very cozy and soft, not the least bit itchy.
Daniel frequently asks for coffee cake for breakfast, particularly on weekend mornings. We bought him a coffee cake cookbook for Christmas which he immediately put to use yesterday morning with some fabulous blueberry coffee cake. Yum!
The hats all fit though I think the guys could probably have used the full ten rows of ribbing to get their ears quite covered. Chris wore his most of the day and they all seem pleased with their hats. The socks for Jason fit nicely as well so I got away with not having him try them on. A fabulous Christmas was had by all and we are heading down to Jersey to visit with family for a few days now in which part of the plan is to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall tomorrow.
Just in time for the holiday table I’ve made some little coasters. There’s a square each of white and colored wool felt, top layer is punched with shaped hole punches and then the two are stuck together with Wonder Under (which is like double sticky tape for fabric). They didn’t take long to make and the punches worked very nicely on the felt.
Here’s the last xmas hat hot off the needles. I just about finished it up at knitting this morning with only a few rows left to do at home and a quick weaving in of the ends. We are all ready for tomorrow now with only a bit of house cleaning left today. Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate and Season’s Greetings to those who don’t!
Early in the week I had a conversation with Liz that reminded me I’d wanted to try making Turkish Delight (thanks Liz!). It was a very interesting experience and it doesn’t taste as weird as I thought it might. I added blue dye to mine having seen the latest version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe when it came out. When the boys were little we quite enjoyed the BBC version and I read the full set aloud to Daniel when he was in first or second grade.
I’ve also completed Dan’s hat for Christmas and should have time to get Chris’s done as well. I made similar adjustments for this one. I went down a needle size, knitted 5 rows of ribbing to start and where it says repeat rows 2-11 I changed that to once. This hat turned out perfectly.
Yesterday morning I went out to fetch Chris home for the holidays and Carrie went along to keep me company. Each time I go out there I think I really ought to stop at Webs because it’s quite close by but somehow I never do. This time with some company to help navigate I finally made it and the rumors are absolutely true, it’s a fiber crafter’s dream come true with the back room being a virtual mecca of yarn. I picked up some yarn for hats for Daniel and Chris, a hat and gloves for me and possibly a scarf out of that brown angora blend, yum!
The hat for Daniel is already started and I may do a pair of fingerless mitts to go along with as well since this is one big honkin’ ball’o'yarn. It’s really soft, not at all itchy (even on my so sensitive forhead) and a pleasure to knit. For Daniel I’m doing the grey helping hat. And Robot Boy has convinced me to use a variation on Fetching for the mitts.
There was also a bit of icing-the-cookies going on yesterday afternoon. Those were packed up and stuffed into the backpack today for delivery. I put some almond extract in the icing and boy was that a big hit. As you can see there are decidedly fewer cookies than we had yesterday.
I spent most of yesterday finishing up last January’s job of sewing covers for the Christmas china. I’d worked on it off and on all year but when Christmas came around and the covers still weren’t finished I decided to simplify my designs and get the job done pronto. I’d finished about half the covers so what remained to be done was covers for 8 soup bowls, 8 cups, 8 saucers, 3 large serving bowls, 3 small serving dishes and 2 candlesticks. 
