Knit the Dog

[...because if I ever run out of yarn--- I can just knit the dogs.]



Friday, December 26, 2008

A lovely day

We had a quiet Christmas and it was wonderful. Phil & I didn't get very heavy into presents this year-- he had a Blu-Ray player and some comfy slippers, and I had the promise of my very own ball winder & swift [back ordered] and carte blanche to buy some clothes in the post holiday sales. What more could a woman ask for? After a bit we went for a ride up to Milton NC where Thomas Day, the free black cabinet maker so well known for furniture and decorative woodwork in the early 1800s, had his workshop. Great to get out in the country for a bit and just chat. Of course I knitted-- I have very nearly gotten to where I can garter stitch without looking at my hands, just need to glance down now and then. Then we topped the day by going out to a new restaurant for supper-- no cooking for me, thank you very much-- and so it was. just the sort of holiday I like.

Family coming this weekend, so we will have some visitors (always good to have an incentive for cleaning) and Phil is home for yet another week. Sort of a foretaste of what retirement would be like, I think, and very pleasant.

And of course a pic of Cate-- in her first serious snowfall.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Where have I been?

It's hard to blog convincingly when you only write, like, once a month. Of course since my readership is minimal I don't have to worry that I'm actually disappointing anybody! So what have I been doing----
Taxes. Got to get ready to instruct the first week in January, and it is turning into waaaay more work than I had anticipated, and I am sort of behind. The problem is that doing taxes is interesting when you are helping real people but in the abstract, it's really boring. So I sloggeth on.
Knitting. Finished all my west coast items and shipped them off; made a pretty nice hat for Phil, with a touch of stranded work; making myself a neckwarmer and headband from the Rowan Cocoon, and a Joseph's Coat vest [my invention] from the Noro Kureyon I got at the sale. It will for sure be bright and cheery. I got "No-pattern Knitting" out of the library, and basically I'm making shapes and fitting them together. We shall see.
Doing stuff with Phil. We went to a neighbor's open house, small & a touch awkward since I don't know the folks from the other cul-de-sac very well, but it was enjoyable. Yesterday we spent the day over at Old Salem, the historic area in Winston-Salem that was settled by Moravians (of the Christmas cookies) in the 1700's. There was a lot more to see & enjoy than we had realized and it was well worth the admission. Phil's off for 2 weeks so we'll perhaps make another day trip. Tonight we go over to Mary's for the traditional McLoud Christmas Eve pizza-making, and tomorrow we're going out for Christmas dinner, and then over the weekend Phil's brother and his family are coming for a couple of nights, so it's pretty busy. Need to make some more cookies and get a ham.