Solstice

Finally, the shortest day of the year. Now the days will get longer, even as the weather grows ever colder. Cookie baking is almost over. The trees are half put up.

I will put it in writing, I hate putting the lights on my trees. It takes me forever, and by the time I get done I don't feel like dealing with the ornaments. I love how the tree makes the room glow. I like looking at it. I don't even mind taking it down for the season, but I really don't like the initial installation. And this year I couldn't manage to bribe any of the kids with the promise of cookies. (No, they wanted cash. Not in the unemployment budget.) So I'm listening to music, or books on tape, drinking hot cider and sucking it up. The lights are on the main tree, and the ornaments are started. I just haven't made up my mind as to a theme. Antique ornaments, space ships, buildings colors, travel souvenirs, I just don't know. Yes, I know this means I have way too many ornaments. And yes I'm procrastinating by writing this post.

Done

One of the results of the studio re-org was 7 large bins of WIP. I have been slowly working on turning them into DONE projects. Recently completed a cardigan in SWTC Phoenix. This is one of my patterns. It has set in, 3/4 length sleeves, a shaped torso and garter stitch edging all around. Since I never bother to button a cardi, I didn't put in button holes. Also in the done pile a lace scarf handknit from quivit, a pair of socks in a lace pattern, my own design; a hat in yummy yak yarn with a braided band; and several scarves.

No wonder

Winter seems to have arrived in my neighborhood, or at least it is now consistently below freezing every night in the long range forecast. And after a long relatively warm fall the sudden drop in temps is down right COLD. I actually had ice in my recently emptied water garden containers late this afternoon. (Okay so it rained after I emptied them last week.)

Despite the brilliant blue skies this afternoon, I actually hauled in the planted containers that overwinter in my unheated garage. It is detached from the house so it does get cold, but the plants don't have the temperature shocks of being in the sun and then below freezing temps. It's a block garage and it just seems to stay a fairly consistent temp all winter. The plants live and their clay pots don't break, so I'm happy.

I just looked at the thermometer in the master bedroom and it says that the room is 74 deg F. I know that thermostat downstairs is set for 70. But the upstairs got new thermal paned, tight fitting Pella windows when I renovated it about 9 years ago, so it stays much warmer. No wonder I like working up here.

And the work on UFOs continues. I've been making real progress on the top down sweater from Knitting Classic Style. This is the cover sweater, and I happen to have about 30,000 yards of undyed chunky yarn from the family sheep. Yes this is more than 17 miles of yarn. I need to find more patterns for this weight... Or I need to felt whole flocks of sheep.

Also working on my braided hat from Bijou Basin. Oddly enough the only modification I've made was to graft together the ends of the braid that forms the band. Yes, it was fiddly, and probably a bit anal on my part but there will be no sewn seam on this hat. It feels warm in my hands. And that's pretty nice right now. I really should take some more pictures and post them.