Happy Boxing Day

Leave it to the Canadians to have an extra day to box up your gifts and get the house in order. If only we had that holiday.

On Christmas Eve, I received my first package from Spunky Eclectic. Sock yarn in 80's Party Dress colourway. I'm not so sure it suits me. It was a nice treat, though.

This Christmas, I didn't receive most of the fiber-related gifts I asked for. Alas, no spindle. I was expecting that. Maybe next year I'll put all the things you need to make Meth on my list. My love for knitting and spinning has been labeled "an obsession." I guess it's all in how you look at things. I call it a passion.

I did receive Nigella Express for Christmas. Tonight, I'm making Red Shrimp and Mango Curry for dinner. I'm off to work on Lady Eleanor. Entrelac is a new technique for me. It looks difficult, but it's not hard at all.

I leave you with a picture of a puppy bum.

Christmas Crap

I believe it's a wrap. Yep, I've got everything done, including the wrapping. This year, I made gift giving easy by stopping off at the Licorice Door to get booze. Buy it, stick it in a gift bag and Bob's your Uncle.

So, now I can sit back and relax. I'm not spending much time cleaning this weekend. It always seems like the house turns into a wreck on Christmas Day. So, I figure I'll just get to it then.

We had another snow storm last night. Both of us were nervous because the lights flickered many times. And since it was about 18 degrees, the house would get mighty cold fast. Even though I wanted to have a fire, I'm saving the wood in case we have another stupid power outage.

I haven't been up to much besides getting the Christmas Crap done. In addition to shopping and wrapping this also includes last-minute blocking and finishing of knitted projects. I try to steer clear of knitting projects close to the holidays. I try to knit them throughout the year to have on hand for birthdays and Christmas. Less pressure. That being said, I cast on and finished a hat. I'm not sure that I will use it as a gift. I think my yarn choice was bad for this particular pattern.

Sam loved the French Onion soup so much he made it himself during the week. We have both been inspired by the current Cook's Illustrated and Fine Cooking magazines. Last night we made Cobb Salad Wraps because I was craving blue cheese.

The parental units are not having Sunday Dinner tonight because Christmas is so close. I can't remember the last time they did not have a Sunday Dinner when they were home. That leaves me all day and all evening to putter around here. Tonight we are either having Chinese Pork and Shitakke Mushroom Wraps or Sweet Potato, Chipotle and Apple Soup.

Yesterday was the Winter Solstice, which means that the days will now get lighter. Thank goodness. I am really hating seeing night time come around 4:30.

Caitlin sent me pictures of the knitted items I sent them. I see that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

I've Got the Power

For now anyway. We lost our power at about 5 a.m. Wednesday. The reason that I knew this is because the stupid janitor at the elementary school we back up to was running the snow blower at 4:30 a.m. Always the optimist, I figured that it wouldn't be long before it was restored. However, it was around 11 p.m. when it came back on. So, I took the day off and watched the temperature drop. Once it dropped about 10 degrees, I built a fire. Without power and very little sunlight, there's not much to do. But, I had my trusty Beagle and wiggly Basset to snuggle with.

I managed to finish the Corporate Camouflage shawl. I really like it. It was an easy knit. I'm thinking of making another. Maybe with some of my hand spun yarn.

I joined the Spunky Eclectic Fiber club, so I will be getting fiber to spin in January. Hopefully, I will get the spindle I want for Christmas. I also got the pencil roving I bought from Etsy. in the mail.

I'm back to working on the KP&S Top-Down Cardigan. The weather is perfect for a nice thick cardigan. I'm going to make French Onion Soup for dinner tonight.

Ice, Ice, Baby

The ice storm hit. Thankfully, we still have our power. It's days like this that I'm glad that I work from home. Since the weather was so crappy, I've just been puttering around the house. We recently made an extra tray of chicken enchiladas just for this occasion. Piddles has had an awful time trying to get around in the ice. She's already uncoordinated. The ice has just kicked it up another notch. Precious and comical.

In my surfing around the Internet recently, I've located the Menu For Hope charity. Food bloggers have put together prize packages and for each $10 you donate you get a raffle ticket for the prize of your choice. I realize my very small readership isn't much interested in cooking, but the prizes are fabulous. I won't tell you what I've bid on, because I intend to win it.

United Nations World Food Program (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency: each year, they give food to an average of 90 million poor people to meet their nutritional needs, including 56 million hungry children, in at least 80 of the world's poorest countries. WFP -- We Feed People. Check it out.

Poor Little Kitten

I went to Whole Foods yesterday to get supplies to make a seafood gumbo. Now that the weather has turned cold, I've been taking out the hand knits to wear. Instead of a coat, I was sporting one of my heavier sweaters. I was also wearing the hand made fingerless mittens I'd just finished. So new that I hadn't even snapped a picture yet. Well, I took them off in the produce section somewhere. I remembered I'd left them about two blocks away from the store. But, alas. They were gone. Always the optimist, I've called a couple of times to see if they were returned. I hope you enjoy them, whoever you are. But, you can bet that I'll be checking out every one's mittens for a while.
It's a great pattern and they knit up quickly. I've already cast on for another pair. I'm using some of the yarn I used for the green Hyde Park sweater. I like them out of Noro Kureyon better. The first ones I made used some Kureyon with a lovely reddish colourway.
Ravelry has tempted me to cast on for a bunch of projects. Aside from the mitts, I've cast on for this hat. I'd better get back to the thick top down sweater now that it's cold. I'd really like to wear that instead of a coat.
I think I've got most of my Christmas presents. I'll have to run to a couple of stores in a couple of days when the weather gets better. Plus, I found a 30% coupon for Border's. Gotta love that. I feel a CD or a book coming my way very soon. Part of the fun of Christmas shopping is buying yourself a present or two. Over the weekend I bought some pencil roving from Etsy. If all goes well, I'll receive a groovy hand spindle for Christmas and try (again) to learn to spin. I figure I'll learn on a hand spindle and then move on to a wheel, if all goes well.
We attempted to make gnocchi over the weekend. What an unbelievable mess. It left the kitchen such a wreck I wondered if it would ever get clean again. I think we're going to try again soon now that the dust has settled.
Now that there is snow on the ground, the birds are using the bird feeder I have attached to my office window. This provides the cats endless entertainment, and I've enjoyed looking at the pretty birds while I clack away on my computer.
It's been a busy two weeks. Out to dinner at a glamorous French restaurant and a trip to the salon for a cut and color being some of the highlights.

Sunday Puttering

Slept in again. Aaah. Though, I did dream about work, which I hate. When I first started my position (a thousand years ago), I used to dream in Word Perfect. Control, Alt, F7.

I don't know how Sam gets the pets to keep quiet. They never listen to a thing I tell them, just like my kids. He says he threatens to beat the crap out of them.

The pot roast turned out wonderful. I think I'll always use Alton's recipe. Oh, I did not add the raisins. Yuck. I bought the supplies for California Rolls. Sam is practicing making sushi. Hopefully, we'll have those later on today.

I love, love, love the shawl pattern. It's just like the name of the pattern. Simple but effective. I think I needed a no-brainer quick project. The dog sweater and the slippers weren't that fun to make for me. Probably because I haven't yet seem them on the recipients. I've used four kinds of yarn for the shawl. Noro Kureyon, Manos del Uruguay, an artisan hand spun, and Malibrigo worsted. Now I understand the fuss about Malabrigo. The yarn is glorious. Soft, light, and warm. Maybe one day I'll make a sweater for myself out of it.

The pets thoroughly enjoy the fire.

A Saturday All to Myself

I did bet to sleep in, thanks to Sam keeping the pets quiet. It was snowing when I woke up. Ugh. But, Sam had a fire going, which seems to make things better. I started a pot roast, which is bubbling away in the oven presently. I usually make my mom's recipe, but Sam wanted to try Alton's recipe. We altered it, of course. I like having a saucy pot roast with veggies. We'll add carrots, potatoes, and parsnips. And serve it over noodles.
After the Thanksgiving dinner, we were all sitting around the table chatting at my sister's house. Sometimes, my sister will lead the conversation by asking my folks some questions about their childhood or early life. My mother always sang silly songs with her sister, who is now gone. So, my sister asked her to sing some of the songs she sang with Aunt Jean. My mother explained that most of the silly songs she knew were taught to her by her uncle. Being of Scottish decent, they were mostly Scottish songs. So, my mom started up one of her silly songs and then out of the blue Dustin joined in. He knew all the words of a very long silly Scottish song. My mom had sang this song to him when he was a very little boy. It was a special moment to hear them singing at the table for everyone.