Right on the Money

A typically jam crammed time chez Sel and Poivre has been the nature of our December but I'm hitting my marks and staying "Chill". It feels great.

Christmas knitting is going pretty well - hit a bit of a snag working decreases on the fly on a pattern that hasn't any while simultaneously watching a gripping BBC thriller PVR'd last summer. 'Serves me right. Fourth time was "the charm" for sorting it out! Now I'm awaiting some sizing information - being collected on the sly for me before I'll finish that project off.

Another Christmas knit for a certain picky recipient has been knit to a point where I've stopped, ready to package it up. Once opened by said recipient I'll get the final go ahead for size before finishing it off. (Using a new to me yarn for this - very interesting - can't wait to blog about it.)

The last of my gift projects almost sprang from my needles last night to the point of being half done in shorter time than I'd anticipated.

Cast on during my subway ride down to the Toronto Knitter's Guild (DKC has a new name) meeting. The presentation was largely a straight up information session answering questions Guild members had submitted ahead of time. Responses were prepared and quite exhaustive with the new Executive all sitting on stage. Not exactly exciting but nonetheless thrilling to have clarity and a commitment to future transparency. We are very lucky to have a new President who will bring her legal background to organizing the Guild for future growth and stability. But that's not all!

There's a bubbly new Program Coordinator who will be managing Show and Tell from now on and she put together a fantastic spread for the Holiday gathering that followed the business part of the meeting. There's a new newsletter team, a new webmaster and yet another member newly committed to overseeing/managing the Guild's social media presence.

I saw lots of new faces in the crowd and would describe the mood in the room during Show and Tell as "giddy". Lots of energy there and a sense of genuine interest in the new initiatives going forward. It was also a nice surprise to meet one of my Ravelry friends in person and make another to boot!

While some familiar faces were absent once back in our usual "home" next month I hope they'll return to be as inspired by the positive "vibe"  as I was.

I came home all ready to finish off the Christmas knits and finish up Hawser too. ('Got a bit carried away a few nights ago and went 4" beyond where I should have stopped on sleeve one. Again, have to blame the BBC!) I'd like to wear Christmassy red on the 26th at My Beloved's family Christmas celebration.

I can't fail to also mention how much I'm enjoying reading about Brenda's exploits with knitted gift giving in recent days and Stephen's triumphant completion of an EZ pullover he's packed up to wear abroad over the holidays and some fantastic hats he's taking along as gifts as well. Needles also sounds like she is enjoying working up Alpaca scarves for the "Bobs".

While I don't always read the Yarn Harlot I've also been scanning her pre-Christmas posts and finding inspiration there too.

Our snow cover has melted over the last few warm rainy days and nights. The rain's kept us from our annual family trek to get a tree. Just what the four of us are doing/eating on the 25th - our first ever Christmas without extended family - is TBD but I credit the knitting (and the reading about it) and last night's festivities for feeling the spirit of the season this morning.

I hope you're feeling it too - whatever your "season" entails. Thanks for dropping by!