As of today all of my previously assigned Christmas knitting is complete. The shawl has been knit, grafted together, ungrafted, had 2 repeats ripped out and regrafted. 
It is awaiting a bath as soon as I finish this post. Francis for myself was blocked and then I decided I didn’t like how the sleeves turned out so I ripped them back to the elbows and low and behold I had enough yarn to make long sleeves! I will do the happy dance tomorrow once it finishes drying and I can cut the ends and weave them in. Saturday is my office Christmas party. Hopefully I will get some nice pictures of the shawl in action there to post next week. The boy will be home most of next week and the following week so chances are good that we will be able to find some nice sunlight to take pictures in during my lunch breaks. I have two presents left to sew on Sunday and some candies to make. So I may have decided I have plenty of time to whip out another Christmas present. I cast on tonight at knit night and it involves some very fun Rainbow roving from Yarn Chef. I can’t wait until after Christmas when I can finally blog about all the items I have been knitting.
Monthly Archives: December 2008
FO – Bustah’s Hat
The holidays are a fun season for me because well I don’t get to celebrate JUST the holidays. I also get to celebrate the birthdays of three of my favorite guys. 
The boy – Nov 29, my youngest brother (Bustah) – Dec 16 and my younger brother (Mr Ban) Jan 1. Last year for Mr Ban’s birthday I decided to make him a hat and scarf set. So I wanted to make something for youngest brother this year. I really wanted to make him a hat with ear flaps but since I am not hip enough to know what’s considered cool at his high school and seeing as how he’s a freshman I went pretty basic instead. Behold we have a birthday hat!
The ribbing in this hat allows it to expand to fit all sizes of melons.
Description: Bustah’s Hat
Pattern: A Hat Fit For a Boyfriend by Stephanie Nicole
Yarn used: .44 Skeins of Sol by Yarn Source colorway 13 (100% wool) 100 g / 220 yds
Care Instructions: Hand wash
Needle Size: US 8 (5 mm)
Modifications: None
Finished Size: Big enough to fit every head I have placed it on.
Date Started: 10/25/2008
Date Completed: 10/26/2008
Notes: No notes, this hat knit up quickly and painlessly. I also really like how the construction on the top allows the hat to stay on your head rather than ride up. I may have been testing it out on a cold day…
On my melon it covers my ears. Probably not on Bustah's melon.
I rather like how it all comes together on the top. It stays on your head instead of riding up.
Sleigh bells ring-a-ling
Christmas is coming closer. I am going to be a little brash and declare my Christmas knitting complete. I do however have a wrap for myself to finish knitting for a Christmas party on Saturday. I will be knitting away on that in the beginning of this week. Hopefully I will be able to get it seamed up no later than Thursday so I can wash and block it on Friday. As for my Christmas shopping, I have 3 people left. One person may be all set just waiting for the word on that one. 
So Christmas tasks left to do:
- buy the last 2 purchased gifts – once I become inspired. Inspiration strike me now!
- sew 2 quick projects – really all I have to do is sit down and do them.
- clean the house for the deluge of extended family – the boy is being awesome at working on this a little bit each day
- hunt down the precise location of the boy’s present – it’s being shipped to me from somewhere.
- make candies – just for funsies for the boy and I to do.
- embroider 2 faces – I need to not forget to do this!
So if the knitting goes well by the end of the week there should be some FO posts. How are your holidays shaping up?
WordPress 2.7
I upgraded my wordpress today. Wow it just looks so clean and streamlined behind the scenes. It almost seemed weird to see the same layout on the public side. Let me know if anything has run afoul.
The arrival of the bookcase
Monday night I got a phone call during a conference call. I quickly silenced it so as not to interrupt my other call. Upon listening to the resulting voicemail I received very fantastic news. My bookcase had arrived and was ready for pick up! After a flurry of phone calls and emails to the boy he agreed we could go pick it up that night. My friend serendipitously canceled our dinner plans so I was free to go right after work. The boy got home, changed out of his uniform and grabbed a few blankets as we headed out the door. We picked up the bookcase and saw a number of other pieces we wanted to purchase at some point in the future when we hit the lottery or something of that nature.
Once we got home, we got it upstairs and in the hallway. I disassembled the old plastic shelf set while he put the truck away. Then we moved my new bookcase into the office and I loaded it up. It looks marvelous. It holds everything with room for more. It fills up just the right amount of that wall space and it has already made this office look ten times cleaner. (I am sure my cleaning up of the office has nothing to do with that. )
Here it is:
Full shot of the bookcase. Look at all the empty space.
Detail shot of the molding at the top.
Can you tell why I am so pleased with it? Maybe my window seat will be built soon to finish the room? One can always dream.