It's Christmas-time!

I know, I know, it's been so long since I've posted that I've almost forgotten how to do it. It's that time of year when we have so much more to get done, and also I've just been kind of revelling in feeling festive, which means a lot of "sitting and taking in the atmosphere". And which also means I still haven't written any Christmas cards or wrapped any presents. At least I have my tree up now. We've had the same one for seven years and it's still thriving, which is incredible, given my track record with tending anything green. Mind you, putting the tree up isn't a problem - it's taking it down again. One year I couldn't be bothered to take it down until March, as I'm often reminded by my friends. The tree became an adorned skeleton in the corner of the room. I couldn't understand why it offended so many people. I was 20 and had just bought my first house. I think it was my way of saying I could do what I wanted. Well, that and drinking brandy at 10 in the morning before a stint of the dreaded Christmas Shopping Experience. Not so that I was too much the worse for wear, you understand; just a little fuzzy around the edges. Sometimes I think I could do with that now, but I couldn't face drinking so early in the day. And not more than about two and a half units at once. Boring, I know, but I don't want my first hangover in twelve years. I'm rambling - sorry.


The above photo is of some completed knitting. Charles didn't own a scarf, which is very sad, as we do walk, and often high in the Chilterns where it's often quite exposed and very windy. So I knitted another Odessa hat, this time in Cashsoft DK, in Navy. That didn't solve the problem, so I knitted a scarf to go with it. In Cashsoft again, Navy and Ballad Blue. Just as well I hadn't been on the brandy, or it could have been green and yellow.


As you can see, it's a simple cable pattern, crossing this way and that to make a lattice (I particularly like the way the pattern makes a crinkly cast-off edge). The cashsoft is soft and lovely to wear, though it has a tendency to show wear very quickly, which makes me fuss terribly. The pattern was from Scarf Style; it's Braided Mischief by Teva Durham, though I didn't use the yarn suggested, or the same size needles. Mine was knitted on 5mm needles, with 54 sts. There was a cable row every four rows, so it was relatively fast to knit.

In addition to the scarf and hat, I've also knitted some self-patterned knee-high socks for Charles and half of one candy-coloured sock for myself. And now it's a race against time to get another Winter Companion knitted for my sister's birthday on Christmas Eve. This time there are many more beads (every four stitches and every six rows) and I've cast-on 25 % more stitches and used a 5mm needle, instead of 8mm. It remains to be seen how it turns out.

My Edwardian Lace Stole hasn't been touched for literally months and the red Forecast, for weeks.