I can’t believe I ran out of tape

So, the best laid plans. Last night was beautiful, and this morning I woke up to the mess we made (I guess I thought elves would clean up) and the house is trashed, and there’s so much to do.  All I can think today, as people frantically call me, with plans shifting and last minute things being worked out,  is that the spreadsheet is total crap, or actually, that the spreadsheet would have worked so much better if I had the total commitment of every person on earth in making it happen.  (I know. Now that I write that I can see the lunacy of it.) I’m so close to finished, and today just erupted in a mountain of little things all getting in my way.  My to-do list was thwarted at every turn. I needed 250g of citric acid (don’t ask) and Joe brought home 113g. (It was clear on the list. I have no idea what came over him.  I needed to work at my desk for three hours, the internet went down. (Sorry I’m late.) I wanted to know what Luis hung today, but a stomach bug ran through his house and somehow (despite a profound urge for efficiency) I managed to wait nicely until Carlos sent it to me, and not text the sick guy and ask him to get right on it. (What the hell, I had no internet anyway.) The delivery guy finally arrived with a mission critical package, but I was vacuuming and didn’t hear him, and now I have to go pick it up tomorrow.  Every project is 10% shy of being done, and some little thing is standing in front of all of it, and I see no way now to make it all smooth.

icelantern 2014-12-22

I hate weaving in ends on my knitting.  That last step, the one thing you have to do to make everything tidy and perfect, it makes me crazy, and right now, looking around the house, I can see that this whole Christmas needs its ends woven in. It’s going to be a sprint to the finish, getting the last little pieces in place, and I hope you’ll forgive my lack of Christmas cheer today, as I try to figure out where the hell I’m getting more frames from, how we could possibly need more wrapping paper, how I’m fitting the groceries in the fridge, and how many hours exactly remain before this train leaves the station, me on it, or not.  Today, I’m giving up, but for a good chunk of  knitting, because that’s the part I like anyway,  and tomorrow morning I’m going to give this thing another try.  Only a few things remain, and they’re all just ends to weave in.

What did Luis hang today?

littleowl 2014-12-22

El buho. The owl.  I put this one on the tree because… well.  I liked it. I knit Lou an owl hat recently, and he wears it all the time, and this just seemed right. I liked it. A simple felt ornament, stitched together.  (It’s not a unique idea. Find lots here.)

Gifts for Knitters, Day 22

Another easy, fast one. Go get a Craftsy gift certificate. Bam.  I buy these classes all the time, it’s a great gift for a knitter who doesn’t get out much, or who has limited access to teachers and classes. (If anybody’s wondering, my recent favourites are Finishing Handknits,  (I actually didn’t buy that one yet, but I’m keen, and Anne Hanson never sucks) Know Your Yarn, and Blocking Handknits.

57 thoughts on “I can’t believe I ran out of tape

  1. Realistically, having a wonderful Christmas with all the work it entails you would need to “not be in the Christmas spirit” at least for a little while. How else would everything get done? Love the owl and your winter candles. I hope Luis’ family get well soon.

  2. Please thank Carlos and Katie for sharing their darling Luis with all of his many fans. Aunt Stephanie came up with a brilliant idea to keep us all occupied during the month of Dec.

    Happy Holidays to all.

  3. I love all of your suggestions for gifts for knitters. Only one problem: My family is composed of mostly men and they don’t get it. They love my knitted gifts, but seem to develop a brain fart when the time comes to buy me a gift. I do get lots of restaurant gift certificates though.

    • Well… if you don’t have to cook dinner, you have more time and energy for knitting?

      This is said by the woman who is going to greet her partner, when she (my wife) arrives home, with, “Hi. Do you want Christmas to be finished, or do you want food that isn’t pizza? If the former, the money’s on your computer and Pizza Pizza is in a tab in your web browser.”

  4. (The captcha thing asked me to touch the music note, and the only option was a treble clef… just saying)

    I bought a 300 foot roll of brown kraft paper. I wrap everything in it, birthdays, christmas, whatever. I never run out (I think it might be never-ending). I am trying to never run out of anything again. (says the woman who’s cat got jealous of her knitting and had to make an emergency LYS run today)

    • I do the same. Love brown paper wrapping with interesting ribbon and bows! Fortunately my cat and dog stay out of my knitting….at least for now. Hope I didn’t just jinx myself.

  5. “Only a few things remain, and they’re all just ends to weave in.”

    Thank you.
    I so needed this today. I’m really nearly there, but the ends need tucking away.
    I can do this…

  6. Today I wrapped a few last minute things and did a bit of cleaning (as in, vacuuming up another fifty pounds or so of dog hair. How is the dog not bald?) Since Christmas is very simple here, I believe I’m ready. Christmas will happen, and it will be lovely, even if we haven’t woven in all the ends. Family will gather, the tree will glow, everyone will get more than enough to eat. It will be the same at your house. Relax and enjoy. Later you can tell us about the citric acid.

  7. Hugs, Dear Stephanie! Even though it is so crazy, it will be worth it. Your efforts are a big show of love. Thanks for sharing with all of us and if nothing else…. eat chocolate ( or gingerbread)

  8. Recently a friend suggested a lovely alternate to gift wrap – maps! Old maps that you don’t need anymore, or a local place that gives them away for free. You can do some really clever things, like wrap gifts in a map from the place they were married, their favorite vacation spot, somewhere they want to go, your imagination is the limit!

  9. Despite the machinations of the Grinch, Christmas came to Who-ville after all. It will all come together as it should. Take a deep breath and a sip of eggnog while you weave in those loose ends.

  10. Oh, that little owl! I think perhaps my favorite of them all.
    Can’t help thinking of the much-loved Molly and Leggs McGee… those wonderful barn owls I first heard about on your blog lo these many years ago. And who I still miss.

  11. You’re still WAY ahead of me. I gave up 2 weeks ago when one weekend was consumed with a wicked stomach bug and the next with constant rain. We don’t even have a tree. And I am still knitting gifts but warned the recipients they would be late. Sigh. Better luck next year.

  12. I’d wondered why your post was late today.
    All the best to Carlos & family. Hope everyone will be well for Christmas.
    I think you’ve done very well this year considering past years that when toes up before all was done.
    Happy Christmas to you and yours!

  13. I love weaving in ends! (Knitting ends, that is; not metaphoric ones.) My friend hates it too, so she hands her projects off to me to finish for her. If I were there (and you could bear to let someone else work on your knitting) I would love doing it for you. And it would be a great way to rationalize why I’m not getting my stuff done.

    Enjoy tonight’s knitting! A bit of peace in a frazzled day.

    oh, and I ran out of tape too 🙂

    • Mele Kalikimaka,

      I’m so glad to see that I’m not the only knitter who hates to weave in those pesky ends. Guess that’s why one skein shawls are my faves right now.

      Luv to see what Luis selects each day and each is just as cute as a bug’s ear.

  14. The ONLY thing you have to do is BREATHE. My knit night is usually on Thursdays, but because of the holidays it got moved to Tuesday night, I seem to be the only one who can drive (despite there being 3 of us in the house with valid drivers licenses), I have a bunch of cookies and candies to be made (aside from mixing up the dough for my great aunt’s Polish cookie recipe, which is also called Chrusciki, and my grandma’s recipe for the peanut butter balls, which can be made tomorrow… the Chrusciki dough has to rest overnight and I’m tempted to put the rum in!) I am delegating the cookies to my teenager sons who like to cook to the point I had to buy them each their own color coded set of pans to stop the fighting). I have cut my workout at the gym short and am going to be finishing the socks for my 16 yo (aka “monster feet”!) No one will care of the gifts are wrapped in paper or comics (I have a crapload of wrapping paper and tape left over, I went a little nutso when the dollar store was closing and scored them all for under 50 cents a roll last spring), they will care whether or not the monster from the land of extreme stress and sleep deprivation shows up and is grouchy and stressing, sucking the fun out of the holiday. You have people who are more than capable of helping you out, show them the parts of the spreadsheet they can help you with (hey, they’re knitters, let them weave the ends in on gifts for other people!) and let them go to it. It might not be done exactly your way, but it still counts as getting to be marked off as DONE once the task is completed.

  15. That chunk of knitting will help restore your sanity and optimism, and it will move you closer to being finished. Two for one! Tomorrow will be better; it usually is.

    I’ve really enjoyed December with you sharing your Christmas prep and Luis’ picks. Thank you for this loving gift.

    Oh, and … Merry Christmas!

  16. Glad to hear I’m not the only one who gets thwarted by the Christmas pixies. And the most important thing I learned from your post today? Don’t bother vacuuming – you might miss something! Hand in there!

  17. Just learned about you this year & your posts are such a joy. You’ve really outdone even you with the Christmas posts! Thanks so much & especially enjoyed the daily picks. Merry Christmas!

  18. I just put away three cookie recipes that aren’t happening. We have plenty done for our delivery anyway. And I still can’t find the frames that I *know* are here… somewhere. But, the doting grandparents will love my kid’s adorable portrait even without the frame. My kid is in the throes of Christmas magic (goodness but Christmas is fabulous when you’re 4), and I’m really trying just to stay present with her.

  19. I wish I had a nice fairy that would weave in the ends and block every thing! I love knitting, hate finishing. =) I hope tomorrow is a better day for you.

  20. Is it just me or is anyone else shocked that Harlot takes Craftsy classes? I thought you were the expert on all those ones you mentioned!

    And thank you, nameless airline, for making me get up at 3:30am only to have our plane taken out of service and my one hour flight turn into a 2 hr plus journey in the rain. However, I am grateful that the engine issue was discovered on the ground, not in the air…..AND for bringing enough knit projects to keep my busy during said delay! Happy Knitting All…

  21. Yule seems to throw everything off, doesn’t it? A night of glowing positivity, and BAM! All of a sudden you’re a mere 3 days till Christmas. Make it count, Harlot! If I can do it, you can do it. I’m trying to finish a cardigan for my 6’7″ 250 lb husband that i just started like 2 days ago, so I totally understand. It is wonderful and special and somewhat eleven like. Here’s to you and me!

  22. Steph? It’s OK. Christmas = celebration of the birth of Jesus the…um…Christ. In a manger. In the hay. In a hole-in-the-wall place in Israel, 2000 years ago. No hand-knits. No doula. No anaesthetic. Just a worried hubby, some animals and maybe a few shepherds. Grew up to save the world, draw its people closer to God. Loves you. Loves me. Loves everyone. It’ll be okay. Merry Christmas!

  23. RE: weaving in the ends …. Stephie, I’m not sure how a knitter-hero like you even manages this. I struggle with it and you knit a thousand times more than I do. But here’s a funny for you, on the “ran out of tape” deal … I ran out of wrapping paper 2 days ago. Still had 4 little prezzies (and I had tape!) but late today I ran across 2 pretty little paper bags my sister had sent me a week ago in a holiday box. Yep, you guessed it, I had scissors and tape and bits of ribbon and little tiny Christmas jolly bells … I cut little sections of my sister’s pretty paper bags and MADE WRAPPING PAPER of them.

    I am 100 percent confident the rest of your week will work itself out. Karma happens, girlie. You have so much coming your way, there’s zero possibility it won’t happen for you.

    I wish I belonged to your family instead of my family — and there’s hundreds of us out here who would agree with that!

    [hugs]
    IT WILL BE FINE STEPHIE, you’ll see.
    k.

  24. And in the improvised wrapping department- tin foil makes a dandy improvised wrapping. And can even be crimped so it doesn’t need tape. And sparkles festively under the tree.

  25. OMG Stephanie. I haven’t been online for a while (long story). So today when I was able to get on my computer and needed a ‘pick me up’ – you lifted my spirits and inspired me AGAIN. Thank you for the countless hours you spend sharing yourself.
    Very Merry Christmas to you and yours. xo

  26. Is there a daily routine for hanging the ornament? Does Luis jump out of bed and decide, or does he have to wait for a particular time?
    Just wondering…

  27. Please, please, please create a Craftsy class on knitting for speed and efficiency for those of us who can’t make it to Port Ludlow!

    I’d sign up in a heartbeat!!!

    • Oh, me too please! For those of us who live overseas and who will never get a chance to attend one of your workshops! Please, please, please?

  28. The lumineria are marvelous!

    You know full well that you have a handle on the things that matter……Let the rest of it slide and just enjoy and be joy-full.

    Blessed Christmas to you and yours.

  29. I’ve been enjoying reading all your posts about holiday preparation and activities….sorry you ran into a cosmic flat tire today. No holidays for us, we are in the final stages of packing up the house we’ve lived in for 15 years (all my yarn was packed months ago, so not even any knitting to keep me sane). In 5 days it all has to be on the moving van, and we face driving cross country in a Mini Cooper with two very elderly cats, and the two geriatric humans. I suspect we will all take turns singing “the Song of our People” (the cats know all the words to We Shall Overcome)

  30. I feel your pain on weaving ends…I’m half-way through knitting a Dr. Who scarf for my son and if you are not familiar with the pattern…804 rows of garter stitch and 53 color changes…what was I thinking????

  31. Might I suggest you pull up your spreadsheet deadlines? I would try 10 days earlier for gifts or perhaps starting in July you need to add a set of mittens to the sock schedule. Our family is late for everything so I consistently lie to myself with early deadlines/appointment times. It works although it’s kind of weird to have nothing to do for the two weeks before Christmas.

  32. Love the ice lanterns! What a great idea. I’m going to have to remember that and make them for something next year. If only I could get a guarantee of cold enough weather here in Maryland.

  33. I realize I’m 8 months late to the party, but I’m slowly making my way through your archives and just saw your gifts for knitters today and had to comment. I’ve had two of these three classes in my basket for months (i put the blocking class in there only a few days ago when i read your blog about blocking and you pointed it out there) and have been agonizing over which ones to pick and whether to just go for it. It’s like you sent me a sign. Order confirmed! 😀

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