Happy Holidays

Today marks Christmas, and I hope everyone has had an enjoyable and safe holiday. I got to spend a happy day with friends and family. The knitting I finished was appreciated, and so I couldn't be more elated. Here are the finished pictures.

Hemlock Ring Blanket:

I have never been so proud of a creation. I think this is probably the most beautiful thing I've made to date, and my parents are proudly displaying it in the living room. I love it so much, and I'm so glad I could give to people who I love (and who will appreciate it!)

I ripped out and re-knit from the end of the gusset on one of my Dad's socks last night...it takes a lot longer to knit half a sock than I thought. My Christmas knitting was done today at 6:02 AM. I was gifting at 11:00. I would like a nap, but I am so satisfied with the way things turned out. My younger brother ended up with only one mitten (and a matching one I drew on a piece of paper), but he appreciated the first one and is ready to have the other one. He still gave me a big hug and a thank you for his lone mitten.

I knit the entire Nereides for my Grandma over the course of a few days, and ended up doing the fringe last night while playing games with my family. It too, looks beautiful.

My grandma wore it all day. She absolutely loved it, and loved that I made it (on the needles she gave me!). I wanted her to know that her needles had been passed on to someone who was going to use them!

My parents gave me a college-cookbook (for those of us with little money), and a basket full of cooking basics so I can go home and make cakes and cookies. Hooray!

Nathan, that oh-so-sweet man in my life, presented me with this:

If I remember correctly, this is a 1.4 oz Chestnut and Mesquite top whorl spindle. The initials of the maker are written on the shaft of the piece, and the colors of it are beautiful. I love it. The yarn on it is a sample - I tried to spin with the tiny little bit of fiber attached to it, but it just sort of wilted away. I'm going fiber hunting tomorrow.

I think I was more excited to give my gifts this year than I was to get them. I was so focused on getting everything done in time and making sure X item would fit X person that I think I kind of forgot that people might be getting me things too. It was almost a surprise to see the kind things the people in my life presented me with. I had so many practical gifts this year. I got absolutely NO JUNK gifts whatsoever. This is glorious. I will use every last thing I received. This is the first year I can say that! I mean, even my stocking had a knitting magazine and an investor's magazine in it. Everything was useful.

I wanted to end the day kind of reflecting on the last few weeks. I mean, now that it's all over and done with, what exactly do I do? There's no more deadline to meet, and besides another mitten for my brother, I get to stop and relax and try to make my hands look like hands again (not claws). Giving things I've truly put my love into this year made them so much more meaningful. I loved it so much. I look forward to knitting for my family again in the future. But until then...

I think I owe myself a nice pair of socks.

Happy Holidays.