Thursday, December 29, 2011

Time for the monthly check-in


Well, the holiday season is almost over. I hope everyone had pleasant days & no family dramas.

I had a good Christmas. Everyone seemed to like what I got them, and dinner was delicious as usual. I received several things on my wishlist including an awesome remote control flying shark. I especially like the pirate flamingo we got from my sister; and the ninja-shaped beeswax candle that we received from our youngest nephews & niece. I suspect that they made it themselves with a little help from their mom. Not as many people as usual at The Boy and The Girl's place, which worked out well since everyone had chairs & it was easier to talk to people without having to shout to be heard over the hubbub. All in all, a very enjoyable day.

As you can tell by the photos, I have finally finished the praying mantis. It's an amazing design, which is not surprising since Hansi Singh is an amazing designer. The eyes were the hardest part, I think. If I make it again, I'll pick up 9 stitches across the face & 6 along the two edges, rather than the 11/5/5 configuration called for in the pattern. I'll also use a lighter green for a more realistic look.



I also finished my tote bag, or as I like to call it my "old lady bag." The colors are wonderfully garish, and it's a lot bigger than I expected it to be. As usually happens, the project came to a stall when I had to sew in the lining & handles. I'm always so excited to get started on a project like this that I forget how very, very much I hate to sew. Perhaps next time I can work out a trade with someone who likes it.



I've been on vacation this week & am enjoying it immensely. Most of it I've spent wasting time on the computer, but I've also done a bit of knitting, some reading, and watching "Mythbusters" on Netflix. I even got some housework done, go figure.

Oh! Almost forgot. Our new neighbors had a housewarming party last month. While we were there, much to my surprise two people from our Faire guild walked in! Imagine that--new neighbors move in, and we end up having friends in common. Small world, eh?



Lastly, I got totally spoiled by my swap partner! Gorgeous sock yarn in fall colors, a pattern book, a Frazz cartoon book, raisin-free trail mix, a crocheted bag shaped like an acorn with a little squirrel charm on it, squirrel stitch markers, a crocheted market bag, needle case with two sets of needles in it, and TONS of dog-poo bags. She wrapped each individual item in its own plastic grocery bag since I'd complained that we can't get those here anymore due to a city ordnance. She really put a lot of time & thought into the package.