I’m not totally in the dark

Ahh, the long dark tea-time of the soul that is the Canadian winter.  I don’t mind the cold so much (that’s a lie. I loathe it with a passion that makes Romeo and Juliet look like stoic shleps) it’s the dark that’s so demoralizing.  Today is grey and dreary, and that combined with the short days means that right now, at 3:30 in the afternoon, it’s as though it was early evening outside, and the fact that my tiny Victorian house has about four windows isn’t helping much.  The streetlights come on about 4:10 these days, and it’s plenty dark by 4:30.  I wouldn’t mind so much (another lie) if it weren’t for how hard it makes it to get good knitting photos done. It’s always this time of year I think about getting a flash, because the alternative to these dodgy pictures is standing in the cold, and today it’s too windy for yarn, and well.  It’s all a long way around saying that this picture isn’t the best, which is too bad, because I think it’s going to be lovely.

indianfeathers 2014-12-03

(The astute among you will certainly notice that he only thing properly in focus in that shot is the cat hair, which I thought about disguising, or cleaning up, and then realized that there’s probably cat hair at your house, and pretending it isn’t here is a little mean.  I left it.)

This is the scarf/shawl thing that I mentioned yesterday, one of the things I’m under the impression I can knit like the wind between now and Christmas.  It was a present in the goodie bags at the last Strung Along retreat, and I maneuvered to get a blue one, because it’s perfect for someone I know.  It’s a mini skein of Skinny Ewe Lace from Holiday Yarns, and because the folks over there are a little bonkers, a mini skein was 400m, which is more than enough to do a small shawl/scarf thing.  Jennifer included the beads, and the pattern for Indian Feathers, and the whole setup was so charming that I couldn’t help but cast on.  (The cast on edge is more than 400 stitches, but at least it’s going to get shorter rather than longer.) My goal for this week was to get everything for Christmas cast on, but I think it’s going to take a trip to the yarn shop, so I’m a little behind.  I’m ignoring it. I’m sure it’s going to be fine.

Onto our new regular features?

What’s Luis hanging today?

Madness continues to reign, as Lou selects an ornament each day, with no regard for the numbers (makes sense, he’s too little to count) and today when I texted Carlos to find out which one it was, he said “El pato, otro de sus favoritos.”  Have I told you that Carlos speaks Spanish? (He’s from Spain) I’ve been learning over the last year, and one of the ways Carlos helps me practice is that generally, he texts me in Spanish.  Usually I can figure out what he’s saying – though today was an exception.  Pato is a duck in Spanish, and I got that – except there’s no ornament on the tree that’s a duck. I thought about it, then texted back “Un pajaro azul?” because dudes, there’s no duck, but there is a Blue Bird of Happiness.

bird2 2014-12-03

I knit that little guy just as the pattern indicated, except I didn’t stuff it very much because I wanted it pretty flat.  Also, my bird is a wee bit smaller than in the pattern, so I had trouble making a really tiny beak, and it did come out a little large, and maybe that’s why it looks like a duck.  Carlos did respond, and say that was the one, and that to Luis, it’s the duck. It’s his calandario now, so I’m not saying a word.

Gifts for Knitters, day three.

Stitch markers.  I know, you think you shouldn’t get these for your knitter because they already have lots, but stitch markers are ephemeral. You need a lot because they aren’t long for this world.  (Plus, you just need a lot. It’s like knitting jewelry.)  Right now, I think you should get this one for your knitter.  It’s a cell phone plug marker.  It goes into the headphone jack of your knitters phone or device, and then they’ve always got a marker with them.  (Again, trust me. This is a good idea.) While you’re at that shop? Get one of these ornaments and hang it on the tree. It’s too cool.  If  you’re still feeling festive after that, snag some holiday themed markers here,  or look around here. There’s stitch markers for every type. (Hint: These ones are tardises.)  If you’re the crafty type, you could even make some, and you’d pretty much win Christmas.  Good hunting.