Christmas 2009 (the Preparation)

Guys, I love Christmas SO much! Especially the lights, the tree, the songs, the wrapped gifts, the fudge, the cookies, the peppermint ice cream, the treats, the feeling of utter bliss all day every day, the smell of cloves and cinnamon simmering on the stove, the hot apple cider, the fun Christmas movies, oranges and clementines, and everything else about the happiness and warmth of the season. I just love it. Yesterday, Michael let me get more Christmas lights so we can seriously have them all over our house--we didn't have enough to cover our room and I love to have Christmas lights in my room (because I'm an adult and I can do what I want, dangit!). I know that Michael hates it because I fall asleep with the lights on and then he has to unplug them, but I just love it so much. It's so nice of him to suffer through that so I can be happy and amused.

We also bought our tree yesterday. It is the cutest tree alive. It's so little and ugly. Not the ugliest tree we've had (not by a long shot), and we had to cut off the ugliest branches so it would fit in the bucket (because it's too skinny for a tree stand, of course), so it's not the most excited I've been about a tree in my live, but I just love it so much! I love that we have a tree already. We haven't put the baby candy canes on it yet, but we will probably do that tonight. We did buy the baby candy canes, though, and I am secretly hoping we have enough left over for me to play with and crush up in my cocoa.

My baby brother hung the hooks so we could easily hang the lights--thanks, Joe Joe Bear! So we hung the lights on Sunday and it was just magnificent. I decided against getting out all of my Christmas dishes and things, opting for only the blue Santa and his sleigh that I put on the "coffee table" every year and a couple of snowman bowls I use as candy dishes (because I absolutely adore seasonal candy--seasonal anything, really), oh and I got out a couple of serving plates--to put treats on. I love Christmas treats. I can't wait to make fudge! I am hoping to make two batches of fudge this year. But that is a lot of fudge in just one month. The other batch will probably just have to wait until year (or whenever I feel like it is justifiable to make some more again). I mean, there are neighbors who love fudge, family who loves fudge, coworkers who love fudge, and I'm sure a little tiny baby calling out to me for fudge right now, so I am not worried about there being enough mouths to eat it. Yum!

I haven't started simmering the cloves and cinnamon on the stove yet, but I can't wait to feel like I'll be home for long enough to enjoy it! Right now, with working 50 hours a week, I just feel like it would be wasting the Christmas joy to spend the time and ingredients right now. But soon. I just know it.

Cocoa every day and eggnog and cider. I love everything. And I am so happy that it's Christmastime.

So Many New Projects

So, while I have set aside my curtains, I have been slaving away on so many other projects. I've finished everyone's Christmas gifts except for Michael's, Henry's, and Chris's (except for the weaving in the ends of most of the others). That isn't bad at all. I have probably about 40 hours or so left to work on Chris's gift--I'm hoping that is all, anyway. And Michael's gifts won't all get done, but I'm learning to accept that. I do want to pick up my curtains again. I want to finish them before we move, at least, and they become obsolete.

I hate to admit it, but I am getting much too lazy to block things (I think it has to do with the fact that I don't have space anywhere for such frivolities), so I've taken to just steaming them and calling that well done. Don't tell anyone, though! So far, there isn't much of a difference between days of blocking and 15 minutes of ironing with the steam on, so, really, I don't think it's a big deal yet.

I am debating when I should put up pictures, (now that I've learned to do that!) but I'm thinking that it will be closer to Christmas.

I'm happy to be almost done, because this much knitting has really gotten to me. I'm beginning to feel old when my wrists get so tired from all of the knitting and typing at work all day. Next year, I will not be doing anything near this ambitious.

Taking a Breath

I have decided to step back from my huge curtain project for a moment so I can catch my breath. I put away the curtain panel this weekend and worked on a couple of other things. And, my, did I get a lot done! I mean, I've been working on the curtains for over two months. It is time for me to be able to work on something else, but I think my little fingers were a little too excited to work on something that actually showed progress readily.

**********Christmas Spoiler**********

I started the scarf to match the adorable hat I made for Jessica. I finished all of the knitting, too, I just have to graft the two ends together and then block it. But I am saving all of the blocking for the end, I think. I also started and finished two pair of cable slipper socks. They are adorable. I have decided to make them for everyone for Christmas next year (it will be a lot easier for me to make them for everyone and be done and able to work on other projects, too). I mean, I'll have to think of something else to do for the ones who are getting cabled slippers this year, but my projects for next year will only take about a month or so of serious knitting and then I'll be able to work on the charity project my family is doing.

This year, I am just having to work way too much on Christmas projects. That is all I've done, except for my curtains. I worried about being able to finish everything by Christmas, but I think that I don't really have anything to worry about. I mean, the socks that I was planning on making for my dad may have to wait, but as long as I get the tie done in time, I think it will be fine. I'm going to send the gifts out a little before Christmas, and I just can't wait for the tie. I finally found a pattern that doesn't look so stupid. Most hand-knitted ties look ridiculous and stupid, and I am so glad that it looks like a normal tie. I ordered a gorgeous Bordeaux kettle-dyed merino wool/nylon blend for the project, and I just can't wait--it's going to be so beautiful. I think it will look great and so elegant with a navy blue or black suit.

**********End Christmas Spoiler**********

While all this knitting is going on, I finished watching The Pretender and started watching The Practice. I really like the show, but it's only three seasons and I'm already into season 2 (the first season was only six episodes long). I want to see how many seasons of how many shows it takes me to work on the curtains.

Massive Amounts of Projects Underway as We Speak!

**Spoiler alert--if you are expecting a Christmas gift from me and don't want to know what it is, please skip this part**

So, with all of the frustration of the Lover's Knot Afghan, which I have again dismantled, I have been working on Christmas projects. I can't believe how much I've gotten done! My sister's bag is done. My other sister's bag would be done, but the felting process went awry and now I don't know what to do to fix it because it looks awful. So disappointing! But I have also finished Amos's scarf and hat. I improvised both patterns myself. And they look great! But then, I started working on these slipper socks for Chelsea's family, and I've finished James's so far. They aren't turning out how I imagined, but they are going to be just fine, I think. I can't believe how fast I'm finishing them. I've gotten James's totally done. His are brown and grey--I held a strand of each together the whole way through. Now, I'm working on Yayo's--his are grey and blue. The top will just be grey and the sole I'm making with blue and grey held together for a little extra cushion. I'm hoping to get those done this week. Then just three more pair and I'm done with that group of Christmas gifts. I can't believe what I have done already! It's really fascinating to me how much I can get done if I just do it.

**End of Christmas spoiler**

I've gotten a season and a half of Friday Night Lights watched in the last week and a half while I've been working on all of these projects. And movies and court shows and so many other things. It's awesome. I am loving Friday Night Lights. It's a great show--really intense. It seems a bit unrealistic for high school kids, but it's just so good! I don't remember parents being okay with the fact that sophomores are out drinking and having sex all the time or that juniors show up drunk or with hangovers to everything. Even in a small town. But it's just so good, I can't complain. I think I'll watch an episode right now…

Making a blog is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do

Some things need to be documented. Like how much time a day I spend eating treats, knitting, and watching DVDs. As of this moment, I have four totally out-of-control boxes of yarn in the family room and Michael rolls his eyes and sighs every time he sees them. I know it. I see it on his face and in the way he tries so hard to not look at this half of the room. When I'm not knitting, I'm searching through new patterns and yarns online. And when I'm not doing that, I am playing Hate Town.

Now that Christmas is over, I have a bit more time to just do what I want to do in regards to knitting, playing and eating treats.

Today's knitting experience will include: working on a pretty scarf for my brother-in-law's Christmas gift and maybe dabbling in the intense pattern of my sister's handbag.
Today's treat experience will include: delicious truffles and macadamia nut chocolates from the Swiss Colony. I've ordered every year forever. It's delicious and fun.
Today's Hate Town experience will include: checking the mail. I love that! Playing Leota (my 77 holy paladin) to level 78. I am so happy to be able to fly in Northrend. Hate Town is totally the funnest game ever!

While I was working so hard to get all of the Christmas treats, gifts, etc. ready, I neglected Hate Town for weeks. And, I am sorry to say, I didn't really miss it. But then, Michael and I played last night, and it was so much fun. I had forgotten how fun it can be. I love to play Hate Town with Michael.