Christmas 2010, with extra snow on top

As promised, the post with actual pictures...

The Texan came over for christmas this year, so we got to treat ourselves to a little getaway (I love chasing down cheap lodging) as soon as he arrived. The destination: a small village not too far away, close to a nature reserve. The snow held off until we made it safely inside, and we didn't even get stuck in the mud when the navigation turned us into the shortest but muddiest route possible.

At least I didn't turn right into a ditch...

Anyway, East Brabant had snow, as you can tell and yes, I hugged a tree. Live with it!

We even found the narrowest tractor ever!

A while later, when we got back to the house, it snowed more. Is it a myth? I'll leave it to you to decide...

WIP wednesday, a week of finishing and starting all over again

This week, the golden oldies are still where they are...

My scarf got a little work done on the way back from the airport, but I slept most of the time, so I'm still not half-way done with the supposedly superfast scarf. The last secret Christmas knitting didn't gain a stitch, but that's ok. (I'm being nice to me!)

I did manage to finish the pink monstrosity I posted about last week and even made its blue sister in time for the plane they needed to catch, neatly stuffed into the Texan's hand luggage.

The dreaded kilt hose were done on the second day of Christmas, so technically, that was on time as well. I'm just a little proud of the way they turned out!

After the Airport Trip, I finished the last bits of the therapeutic spinning, and plied all together into 500 mtr of coloured goodness. It'll probably become a Peak Island Hood (announcement for future WIP)

Since I didn't want this winter to pass by on unfinished projects, I started another one in a bulky yarn. O.W.L.S. Oh yes. Just this evening I finished the 2x2 ribbing (2") on 128 stitches in the round. So far, I'm loving the speed of it, but not the fact that the picture I just took refuses to sync from web albums to Picasa proper so it's not blogged this week.

In spinning news: I'm already trying to work out how to combine natural colours of wool into a Fair Isle project I haven't started yet... Oh dear

remember what I said about the laptop?

Oh yeah. At least that frees up the phone so I can play Angrybirds

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WIP Wednesday, back again

Last Wednesday, a week ago, I didn't do a WIP Wednesday. There were 2 reasons for it, the main one being that not one project got itself finished or even close to finishing. To be honest, none of them are very inspiring at the moment. This is bad, because it often leads to startitis. Instead of casting on more unwanted projects, I chose to buy more yarn. Yeah. Whaddayagonnado? It'll become an O.W.L.S. which I hope to finish before Spring.
The other, non-secret Christmas knitting thing that was going on last week was a full agenda. Yeah. again more of the same. Increasing work hours, therapy, teaching (being taken out to dinner to practise "ordering in a restaurant") and tidying meant there was little time left on the computer. The next day I got to get up at 5am to drive to the airport, drive back home after standing at the gate for over an hour with a Texan in the passenger seat. The day after that looked a little (completely exactly) like this from our hotel window.

On Monday it was back to work (such fun), and back to work on projects that will not be finished in time. Hurrah!
So now, another Wednesday, I've stolen the laptop back from the Texan for 30 min so I can post this, the newest secret WIP.
Don't smirk, it's a present and needs to fly on Tuesday. So there.

So now I just need the Texan to put last weekend's actual pictures on here and make this laptop speak with the printer. There might be a chance I won't go ballistic before the weekend, but I'm not making promises. I just wish I could spin all day.

WIP Wednesday, or can I have mulligan please?

We all have them. Weeks that start out badly, and never recover from it. It's only Wednesday, and I would really like to go back, throw my dice again and start over. (minus the one day, obviously)*

The past 8 days haven't tried their best at making themselves memorable in a good way. Memorable, certainly, in a screwed-up admin-y insurance-doctorish way, and it's best to just ignore everything that went wrong and pretend all is well with the world. Like the fact that just about every female I know, who is in a relationship and in my age-bracket, seems to be pregnant. Including Annie (follow her here) and myself, I can still count the number of non-preggers on one hand!

Annie has just pointed out that this means Options! Buy stocks in baby related items, start a daycare, or become the world's best loved aunt!**

There is a bit of a downside to this situation. There will be many more secret projects that can't be shown here. In fact, all of my own half-done projects have been patiently waiting in their respective plastic bags*** for weeks while I work on secret things for other people.

Tired and grumpy, I finally gave in to one of the few basic rules I've learned these last few months, and did something for me. Initially, it involved a lot of swearing. I attached some of the fiber I got from "the Belgians" to my leader and all was well until I stopped to guide onto another hook. Breakage, and more breakage until there was hardly anything left on the spool. After a bit, I gave up and spun some rough merino I had sitting around, in shocking pink.

If I run into you this week and accidentally bite your head off: I'm sorry and I'm working on it. Now if only I managed to get some sleep....

* If you don't need explaining, you must be a... person who hangs out with the kind of people I hang out with.
** Yes, I'm claiming all your unborn children
*** I am fixing this. I'll have actual project bags soon!****
**** Hurray!

WIP Wednesday, the secret edition

In which not everything is as secret as the title suggests. About 25% of it is "out there" in the public domain.

Like this, my superfast Snelle Jelle, after a design by Jen Reilly, who blogs here

Snelle Jelle is to replace an old scarf I made almost a decade ago, and which should be retired. That said, I might just wash it and see what happens...

In a while, a few people might get to recognize these pictures as their newly unwrapped presents. I'm not telling you who you are.

(muahahahahaha)

(that is my super secret evil laugh)

(I'm also stroking a cat)

I'll see you around next week, when it will be only 1 week until the even eviller DH arrives. There will be more secrets....