To Do Tatoos?

I need one of these but extra long - to go from my wrist to my elbow, both arms. If it weren't for the need to wear pants at this time of year I'd probably think about some to run the length of both legs.

Tonight I'm going to be in the DKC Work of Our Hands Fashion Show wearing my Fair Isle Cardigan .

Tomorrow morning - Christmas Coffee with the circle of friends I developed over the time our kids were in Elementary School.

Tomorrow night - Funeral Visitation with the family of a very dear, very old friend. This fellow introduced me to My Beloved. He spoke at our wedding while his ex stood up for me. She also attended at the birth of Number One Son. When we were first married they were our best "couple" friends. We will know all the family in the room. I'm sure it will be very intense on every level.

Friday - Funeral Service early afternoon, Family Christmas Caroling Party at night broken by dinner with kids in the midst of their 6 hours of choral rehearsal.

Saturday afternoon - Christmas concert at Roy Thomson Hall as the kids belong to the Alumni for this choir in which they both literally grew up. (Darling Daughter rose from keen 4 year old soprano to touring and recording soloist at 16 with a gorgeous rich alto voice. (I'm allowed to say that I'm her mother but I'm not the only one who thinks so!) Number One Son sang for a relatively scant 5 years, rocketing through the ranks as boy sopranos must do until his voice dropped 4 voice part levels in 6 months at the age of 12. His colourful baritone can now deliver two octaves and he has a pretty decent falsetto to boot. (Whatever you do don't tell anyone he goes to school with about any of this...I'm told widespread knowledge of this information among his schoolmates would not be good for his social status!) Anyway, this choir thing dominated our lives for a decade and a half (think AAA level hockey) so diving back into it requires no small amount of energy. Plus tradition has it we drop the kids at the hall at 8:30 for their 9:00 call time (4 hour dress rehearsal) and then spend the morning together, having a lovely Christmas lunch just the two of us prior to the concert. By the time we get home afterwards its dinner time. so Saturday is a preparation write off.)

Sunday - Sel and Poivre hosts Christmas for the 18 In-Laws for which will naturally demand a fair amount of the day before preparation that will be impossible to do. (See above note on need for To Do Tatoos.)

Really though its not Christmas To Do's at issue - gifts, wrapping, baking prep, decorations inside and out and two real decorated trees in the house is all taken care of and on track. Its household stuff that's at issue. Not the least of which is whether the new sectional will arrive in time for the weekend and if it does, what do we do with all the furniture currently in the room that we really can't dispose of yet in case the new stuff doesn't arrive. Two large armchairs and a huge chesterfield by the curb isn't really the festive look I'm going for at the front of the house.

And when exactly can I get the week's laundry done because nothing can happen in there until the furnace repair that should have been done two days ago happens today (hopefully, finally.)

And most concerning, I had a big spill in the oven last night that requires a thorough cleaning of the thing before it can be used to undertake the mountain of cooking and baking I need to do in the few free hours I have between now and Sunday.

You don't suppose posting right now is a bit of an avoidance technique do you?

Oh and as for knitting - yup, 'been at that - in fact I've completed two hot water bottle covers for absolutely no reason at all other than to just have the relaxation of doing something - anything unrelated to the unrelenting To Do List. I'll have to post about them but only after I get the oven cleaned, the laundry done, etc. etc. etc....

"Orange You Glad" Headband FO

Pattern: My Own "Orange You Glad" Headband

Yarns: Sheldridge Farm W4 Soft Touch Silver & Nature Spun Worsted "Orange You Glad"

Needles: 4.5 mm Circular

Start:December 2, Finish: December 4, 2009

I wanted this headband to be just wide enough to cover my ears and I wanted it warm so I made it double thickness with garter stitch on one side and stockinette on the other.

I wanted it tight enough not to slip when I'm walking/running but loose enough not to bug me across my forehead.

I also wanted a bit of thickness to it but not so much as to make it tube like because I wanted it to lie flat.

I chose left over worsted that pretty exactly matches the coats I wear when I walk. BTW the shot below is the most accurate as it relates to colour.

Of course any time you want knitting to neatly turn a corner you throw in a purl row right? The last garter row obviously provided that but then I continued into the stockinette section with the grey for one row to ensure a nice reveal of that colour on the orange side.

I'm pleased with how the gerry rigged three needle bind off worked to join orange and grey sides together. The edge is slightly unyeilding which keeps the headband from moving or slipping down as I move...

And its neat and tidy to boot!

For Anyone Whose Interested, here's exactly what I did to produce this thing...

I sized this for 1.5" negative ease. For my 22" head, at my gauge of 4.5 sts/inch I did the following...

• With grey yarn loosely CO 92 stitches
• Rows 1-15 Garter stitch.
• Change to Orange yarn
• Rows 16-34 Stocking Stitch.
• Row 35 Fold work in half lengthwise along line where orange and grey meet. Using the orange yarn, knit one orange stitch on needle together with a stitch picked up and knit from one row below the cast on edge of the grey. Knit another pair of stitches in the same fashion and then treat those two stitches as in 3 needle bind off (pass first stitch over second and off needle). Continue along entire length of piece until all stitches are cast off. In this way, top and bottom are joined and a finished edge between the two created. (Since the orange stockinette section will be slightly smaller or more narrow than the grey garter stitch side the cast on edge naturally lies flat on top of the orange section.)
• Join garter stitch ends leaving 15" tail of grey yarn
• Join stockinette stitch ends leaving 15" tail of orange yarn.
• Using contrasting yarn, stitch X's across seam (orange yarn on grey side, grey yarn on orange side.)
• Weave in ends and enjoy!

"Orange you Glad" your ears will be warm? I am!

And quite frankly "Hat's Off" to Nature Spun for putting the effort into naming their colours rather than just numbering them - it makes using them so much more fun!

Thanks for dropping by!

Eesti Trail Hiking Socks by Nancy Bush FO

Pattern: Eesti Trail Hiking Socks by Nancy Bush

Source: Favorite Socks by Interweave

Size: Men's

Yarn: Cascade 220

Colours: Red #8895 White #8010

Lot #'s: Red #1703 White #1693

Needles: 3.25 mm dpns

Start: October 21 Finish:December 2, 2009

Modifications: Colour/Lengthened Leg between colourwork and Heel/Added Colourwork at Toe

Blogless Barb was right when she predicted in the comments that the colour of the Cascade 220 would run. I did do the vinegar in cold water bath first just as she suggested and there was no running there. Despite that, instantly upon hitting the tepid blocking bath the water turned red. The effect in person does not appear as pink as it does in the photo. I don't think My Beloved will even notice. But if you're anticipating it and looking for it, there's no denying its there.

Nonetheless I LOVE the socks. I'm happy with the longer length provided by adding several rows between the bottom of the colourwork cuff and the top of the heel. (When worn I wanted them to be at least as high as the tops of the ski boots.) I'm also pleased as punch with the little colourwork band I added at the base of the toe which is made by working the pattern above and below the snow flakes back to back.

They are squishy and warm and the colour combination screams skiing - which is when these will get worn. I was working on them at a school parent meeting last week and the dad beside me snorted when I answered his inquiry as to who the socks were for. I guess he thought the red with white snowflake design wasn't sufficiently manly for a real "guy" to wear. Being ski socks I'm the only one who will even know the snowflakes are there. I'll get a glimpse of them in the wee dark hours when we haul ourselves up to make it the 2 1/2 hours to the hill in time for the lifts to open. At that hour and in that context I need all the help I can get to be happy about going out to hit the slopes and these socks will definitely aid in that regard.

I hope the fit is good! I won't know for sure until Christmas morning but for now its enough that I just LOVE these socks and I think My Beloved will too!

Now I'm off for my hateful walk actually happy to do it today because I'll be "test driving" the ear band I mentioned I was starting last week. Hopefully I'll have FO pics of that tomorrow. University Exams have started so time with my primo FO photographer will be even more hard to come by in the next few days than they have been in the last couple of weeks!

Have a great day and thanks for dropping by!