Christmas knitting revealed

For my husband: a surprise pair of socks. This is my own pattern, knit from Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in chocolate.

I love this yarn; it's soft and squooshy and I love the variegation. I think that someday I may try to make myself a sweater out of this stuff. The other great thing is that this pair of socks only took one skein (I literally had about a yard left, including all the little ends), so I get to use the second skein to make myself a pair.

I also made a pair of tufted mittens for my sister M. Unfortunately I was rushing to wrap and mail them so I forgot to take a proper picture. Both M and Bob were very pleased with their gifts and I was very pleased with their reactions.

Works-in-progress Wednesday

Yes, I'm late, but I just didn't feel like posting on Wednesday. I've had false labor twice, on Sunday and Wednesday, and it is so exciting to think that you are finally going to get to meet the baby and then so depressing when they tell you that you're crazy and send you home. Okay, well, maybe they don't use that word exactly. But you know they're thinking it.

At any rate, here is the new work-in-progress:

This is the Fleece Artist merino in Midnight that I got on sale from Simply Sock Yarn. I love this stuff and I now know why so many people rave about it. It's soft, feels like it'll hold up well, and the colors are just gorgeous. The pattern is Lichen Ribbed Socks, another one from Knitting Vintage Socks.

I'm not going to post a picture of the Blueberry Pink Lemonade socks because a) they're packed for the hospital and it would just be a hassle and b) they're not that much longer than they were last time I posted. I did finish all the calf decreases, though, so now I can work on them without thinking (until I get to the heel flap).

Oh my goodness!

I won! I never win anything. Emily of Yarn Miracle held a "What's So Great About Christmas Sweepstakes" and she drew my name out of the hat. I will soon be the proud owner of the "Shear Panic" board game. We'll have to have some friends over for a game night; it's been too long since we've done that anyway.

Thank you so much, Emily!

Oh, and by the way...

This morning my doctor said I have a 50% chance of delivering in the next week. So if I disappear for a while that's probably why.

What do you like about Christmas?

I've seen this on several blogs and have enjoyed reading the answers, so I thought I'd join in.

1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate?
Eggnog all the way. But only homemade or Organic Valley brand; the regular artificially flavored stuff is gross.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?
Santa sends boxes from Amazon. The stuff inside is unwrapped because it costs like $4 to have them wrap a book.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White. Because that's what was left and on sale after Christmas the year that I bought them.
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, but I should. I like the idea of hanging mistletoe.
5. When do you put up your decorations?
Shortly after Thanksgiving.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
My family always had crackers with cheese and sausage at Christmastime; I don't remember any other out-of-the-ordinary dishes. Since being married we've sort of adopted latkes as a Christmas meal. If we're counting Thanksgiving (it does say "holiday"), then I'd be hard pressed to choose between the turkey, the sweet potatoes, the stuffing, and all the pies.
7. Favorite Christmas memory as a child?
I don't know that I can name one thing as a particular favorite; one year when we were young my parents filled the whole room with balloons. I always loved going downstairs and looking through my stocking. Everyone loves hearing my memories of being "drugged" with Benadryl every Christmas Eve so that we would sleep (we never did anyway).
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
From the start my parents always said "the pretend Santa Claus." That's what we plan to tell our children as well. I'm not anti-Santa, but I really think that parent-child trust can be broken by things like that. Even if my parents had told us there was a Santa Claus, I'm almost certain I wouldn't have believed them; I could always see through things like that even when I was very young.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Nope. My parents never gave in to the begging, and now that I'm older I know that the anticipation is half the fun.
10. What kind of decorations are on your Christmas tree?
Hodgepodge. All the ornaments from when my husband and I were children, several miniature Starbucks mugs, several nutcrackers, a miniature knitting basket that a friend made for my family when I was in high school. Lots of miniature things, I now realize.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it?
Love it. I just hope we're stocked up on groceries so I can stay home and enjoy it instead of driving in it.
12. Can you ice skate?
I think I've ice skated twice, both sometime around junior high. I can probably stand up and scoot around a little.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
The thing that sticks out in my mind is the year each of us kids got a sleeping bag; I was probably about 7.
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
I really don't think I can name one thing. Spending time with my family and friends, the fact that the world stops and thinks about Jesus for a brief period, the Christmas candy (I know that sounds shallow but really, I would be very sad if I didn't have my Christmas baklava).
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Baklava. A wonderful tradition in my husband's family. I also like chocolate covered marshmallows, this is the only time of year I get them. (Okay, so they're not really a dessert, but oh well.)
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
When I was a child we would drive around and look at Christmas lights. Now I think some of my favorites are getting together with friends to make chocolate truffles (though we skipped that this year) and all the various homemade candies.
17. What tops your tree?
A small beaded angel that my husband's Aunt Carol made.
18. What is your favorite holiday book?
I can't think of a favorite.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Pat-a-pan and Carol of the Bells. Not these versions, but you get the idea.
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yummy?
Yummy, though the soft old-fashioned peppermint sticks are even yummier.

Oh ladies! Fresh baklava!

I finally got the Christmas baklava made today. I think that my husband is probably appalled at the amount I've already eaten, but at least this year I have the excuse of being pregnant! I also made chocolate fudge. My fudge will never be as good as my grandmother's, it seems, though I try to remember that she's been making it for a few years longer than I have; maybe by the time I'm a grandmother I will have gotten it right....

Also finally, a photo of the finished Little Child's Socks (from Knitting Vintage Socks, in Lorna's Laces shepherd sock). The color is waaaay off, but you can see the neat texture pattern (click on the picture for a larger image).
The color is much more accurate in this progress picture:
I am very happy with these socks, though the Shepherd Sock seems so soft I'm not sure how well it will wear. Time will tell.

Works-in-progress Wednesday

I started the Blueberry Pink Lemonade socks. I wasn't sure how the stripedy-ness of the yarn would work with the pattern, but I think it's turning out pretty well. This is the Gentleman's Shooting Stockings pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks (the third pair on my quest to knit every pattern in the book).

My husband said "But you're not a gentleman." My reply? "No, but my feet are the size of a gentleman's."

I am done with all my Christmas knitting so I can now work on these guilt-free! Hooray.

The if-it's-a-boy hat

It's finally done (it didn't take long at all, I just procrastinated about going and buying appropriate yarn).

I recently read a great response to the question "Do you know what you're having?" "Well, we're hoping it's a baby, but there was a woman in the Enquirer who gave birth to kittens...."

Eustace* or Imogene* can come any time now.

*No, those are not the real names we have chosen, but that's what I decided to jokingly tell my family and friends.

Dear Anonymous,

In case you don't go back to check the comments on the original post, I don't know if that yarn is available online. I did a quick search and couldn't find it. However, I ended up ripping the Pomatomus socks (they were a source of endless frustration to me) so I still have the yarn. If you are interested in a trade drop me an e-mail at MitoRocks at juno dot com.

I love electricity.

Yay! Our electricity is back on, finally. For those of you who don't pay attention to the weather in places other than where you live, here in Seattle we had a major windstorm on Thursday and our power has been out since then. Temperatures have been below freezing at night and somewhere in the forties during the day. Because we live in an apartment, all of our heat, hot water, stove, etc., is electric and so we've been without warmth for a while! Thankfully our dear friends Holly and The Krunchy Krab got their power back yesterday and invited us to spend the night there, which we gratefully did (and we got to take hot showers, too).

Now I just have to tackle the little problem of the refrigerator....

Short blog break

Not that anyone probably cares, but I will be taking a short break from blogging because my husband has a long weekend. See you in a few days!