Peace, Hope and Bright Spots

It's been a short, confusing week.  I tried to cut back on work and make this a holiday week, but I haven't had nearly enough time for knitting.

I had aspirations of uninterrupted hours all to myself, but somehow that vision never materialized.  There's still a chance.  The long weekend is here, and I have plans to make up for lost knitting time.

The world is crazy, chaotic and hectic right now.  As we look ahead to a new year, may we all find peace, hope and bright spots.

I did manage to finally decorate the tree, and we've all been enjoying it.  This week's color inspiration . . .

More red and green.

Holiday Cheer

It's been a busy week, and that's without any holiday prep.  The yarn is all dyed, dried, twisted, labeled and shipped.  If you're waiting on an order, you should have received an email with tracking information.

I've been making daily runs to the post office, but you might need a dose of patience when waiting for your delivery.  The USPS people are working long hours right now, and believe me, some of them are crabby.  I've seen it firsthand.

If you're doing last-minute shopping for knitting friends or want to add something to your own holiday list, gift certificates are still available.

They come in any amount and are sent electronically. You can place your order here.

I'm off to get our own festivities in order.  If you're celebrating over the next few days, enjoy your time with family and friends.

Pomegranates are this week's color inspiration.

Shiny orbs.

Slow and Steady

I'm slowly making progress on holiday preparations.  I don't have high expectations from day to day, so anything I can cross off the list is a win.

Today I managed to set up the tree.  It's quite a bit taller than I am which begs the question why did I buy such a big tree.  I really could have used an extra pair of hands, but that would have been too easy.  Let's just say it took a bit of creativity to get it in the stand.  The tree is upright and relatively straight.  Decorating will have to wait for another day.

If you're headed to the Inman Holiday Market on Sunday, you'll find us in the tent in the East Cambridge Savings Bank parking lot.

This is a great way to support small, local businesses. You'll find more information here.  I'm looking forward to this festive event to wrap up the year.

This week's color inspiration . . .

Little bits of red and green.

The Season of Lists

This time of year can be very chaotic, and survival requires a certain level of organization.  I'm still trying to pull it together over here.

Earlier today I stopped at the grocery store for a couple things.  While I was there, I had the bright idea to grab items for my holiday cooking.  I didn't have a list, so of course I came out with a very haphazard collection of groceries.

I clearly need to invest some time in a complete breakdown of menus and necessary provisions, but I'll save my list making for the morning.

Tonight I have other priorities.  I'm going to finish this cowl.

Hat Season

It's that time of year.  Hat season.  I always have a couple different hats on the go.  Hat projects are small and portable, plus they're usually a quick knit.

I have several new hats I want to cast on, but this one is getting my attention right now.

Woolly Waffle Hat (Ravelry link).  

It takes two colors of DK weight yarn.  So many color options!  Picking and choosing is always half the fun.

Delightful Dot Cowl

This project has been off the needles for a while, and it even made an appearance at a couple fall shows.

Delightful Dot Cowl (Ravelry link).  This cowl is made by knitting a tube with fuzzy dots.  The twist is added at the very end.

Kits are now finally available on the website.

These kits make a great gift.  Give one to your knitting buddy or treat yourself to a colorful project.

This week's color inspiration features a sheep in a jumper.

Festive red.

Sprinting

I'm checking in with a mid-week post, and I have to keep it short.  This time of year always feels like a race to the finish line.  I had a decent plan in place, but things have piled up.  Somehow I still have a lot of loose ends to tie up before the holidays.

In the midst of all the chaos, I've managed to knit a few rounds here and there.

This is a quick cowl I'm working on.  I've made some adjustments, and now I'm concerned about running out of yarn.  I'm anxious to know how it will all work out, so I keep knitting . . . faster, faster.

One More . . .

My final in-person event of 2023 is coming up.

If you're in the Boston area, you don't want to miss this festive market.  There will be a great group of vendors on hand.  Tackle some of your holiday shopping or treat yourself to something special.

I'll be set up in one of the Inman Square storefronts, and I'll post an update on Instagram when I have the exact location.  Don't miss this opportunity to support small, local businesses.

It's Coming

I feel a strong case of startitis coming on.  So far this week I've queued a few hat, mitten and cowl patterns plus sorted yarn options for said patterns.  But that wasn't enough.  I also dyed yarn for a new sweater.

I'm in the midst of a busy stretch of dyeing and have to show some restraint.  But once I wrap up the dyeing, I'll be free to knit with reckless abandon.  Until then, I lined up this project.

There's nothing like a new hat to take the edge off.

We're slowly slipping into winter, and the last of the leaves have been collected and hauled off.  I'm savoring one more leaf shot for this week's color inspiration.

 Nature's colorful carpet.