Well, Happy New Year to All!

The Christmas knitting is complete (as of yesterday) and I think the girls are all pleased with their chunky cowls (super bulky yarns knit on super big needles being so chic this winter!) and striped fingerless mitts.  The mitts are so striking (and clever — bias-knit garter that hug the hand beautifully) that I am making a pair for myself now.  

5-year-old Owen had requested knit socks for Christmas and got them, of course — with lightning bolts duplicate-stitched on the sides.

And while it is not unusual for the Christmas knitting to hang on a bit after the Holidays, I confess that this year other aspects of Christmas are lingering as well.  Traditionally, we leave our trees and decoration up until Epiphany — and this year was no different.  However, after taking the trees down and stuffing them into the minivan, George immediately came down with a horrible chest cold.

Under the circumstances,  I could hardly expect him to haul the trees to the dump or drive out to the storage unit to retrieve the decoration bins.  So, the trees continue to occupy the car and the decorations continue to occupy the house!  I couldn't ask him to crawl out of bed to disconnect the outdoor lights either — so they continue to ignite themselves every evening too.

And so, surrounded as we are by our woodland Christmas decor, why not keep playing the Pandora Holiday Jazz and George Winston Christmas stations we have been enjoying so much these past few weeks?

Meanwhile, I am waking and shaking the projects I set aside before Thanksgiving — which is just about the right amount of mental challenge for long winter evenings.  And during the days when I am out and about in the frigid cold, I have been happily wearing my wooliest woolies!  It is gratifying to be a knitter in winter 🙂