Christmas, Here and Gone

Yes, Christmas did happen, and in the snap of a shutter it was gone again.

I didn't get too many good shots on the day. I find it difficult to remember to take pictures AND open presents, and gifts always manage to win that kind of competition anyway. And my, my, my, but there were an awful lot of lovely gifts.

Here's a few highlights:

Elly hand-dyed some yarn especially for me.



It's sock weight and in very beautiful colours called cyclamen, hyacinth and silver birch. It has since been wound into a ball, and I think it may become a beret in short order.

I received this gorgeous little watercolour painted by Vanessa Cabban (I bought this from her etsy shop a few weeks back, but being so close to Christmas, Nigel made me wait to see it up close and in person - isn't he cruel?).



I highly recommend checking out her etsy shop (lovely little watercolours) and her blog (her writing is adorably sweet).

And Ian loves his new fish hat.



In fact, he wore it almost continuously the first two days - that's him showing off his new iPod (IPod ipod Ipod?).

Nigel's really big gift to me was the most fantastic legal document, in which he promises not to complain (in my presence) of the cost of our upcoming house reno. I'm tempted to reveal to him now that this may be the house reno, to top all house renos, and perhaps the shear size of the bill will get us on the evening news, but then again, maybe it's better to leave a few surprises in a marriage, yes?

Nearly There

Christmas is coming along almost perfectly around here. Elly arrived back home safe and sound, and amazingly only a half hour late. She had to make a change of planes at Pearson airport in Toronto on Saturday afternoon, and somehow she managed to be one of the few lucky ones who sailed through with no cancellations and almost no delay. She was very lucky. One of her friends from Dublin got stuck in Heathrow and then Seattle as she tried to travel back home to her family in Spokane Washington. Poor Kalen, I hope you managed to make it to your family by now.

I've finished all my Christmas knitting, and I've decided to show it off (I'm fairly sure Elly and Ian will be too busy over the next day to check out my blog).



For Elly I made the Celtic Cable Neckwarmer, a free pattern available from Storm Moon Knits. The pattern called for worsted weight yarn (hooray, for worsted weight - it knits up lickety split), I used Mirasol Miski (that's 100% Llama, and oh so soft to the touch) in the classic colour for cables, cream, and finished it off with three vintage vegetable ivory buttons.

***Now Elly, I know you like everything matchy-poo and I realise the buttons don't match,but if that drives you crazy we can take them off and add something else, like a matched set of wood or mother of pearl buttons, don't panic***

And for Ian, who happened to see the Fish Hat from the latest issue of Knitty and longed for one of his own.



His wish has been granted. Hooray again for worsted weight yarn. Made form Fleece Artist Blue Faced Leicester Aran in a green colourway with shots of brown and turquoise and a little bit of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in black for the fins and lips. This pattern was fairly easy and I think the results are quite hilarious.

I've got my fingers crossed that they'll both like the choices I made for them.

And here are two gifts to all of you.

Though I'm none too sentimental and pretty much completely irreligious, I have a fondness for certain Christmas Carols, so here's one of my favourites:



And here's This for all the kids.

Happy Christmas everyone!