Ahh, Christmas

Good morning, everyone!  I'm sitting on a chair, watching Bluto and Penny fight for what appears to be the only bone not sliding under furniture on the pergo flooring, and doing as much reflecting as I ever do on Christmas.  That is to say...not much.

I get the big deal...I do.  I am just not a fan of how expensive the rituals are, how greedy many seemingly-decent children (and adults, really) can become, and how out-of-control some shoppers can be.  But the family part, the dinner and togetherness part, and the "take a break from the daily grind" part...I'm all for it.  I'm even all for church visits if that's your thing...I went into St. Williams Parish at 2600 N Sayre last week, and I asked if I could cantor for them again.  The organist was almost dancing, he was so happy...he hugged me twice.  I have a deep appreciation for church, for togetherness, for giving, and for remembering why we gathered in the first place.  I do not have a deep appreciation for what commerce has done to Christmas.

It's okay, though...I don't begrudge others, or anything.  My point is that I'm not sitting in my chair and looking at a Christmas tree.  I'm actually sitting here, wondering what time I should wake up the husband and make him clean up the torrential mess he made in the kitchen.  THAT is the important stuff holidays are made of, people.

I have one more week until it's time to start spitting out a scarf pattern per month to my subscribers...it's not too late if you'd like to join!  Here is the link...just use the coupon code "NEWKNITS" so it's only $29.75 instead of $35.00:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83297166/scarf-pattern-of-the-month-series

You'll also have until about March or April to join...once it becomes a wash to buy the patterns (as opposed to getting a discount for the whole series), I'll stop offering it.

I have to finish one of the scarves today or Wednesday (my next day off), actually.  Meanwhile, I'm looking at my still-unpacked house and I came to a conclusion this week.  You know those cute ruffle scarves that are made with one skein of yarn?  Some examples of the yarn are Triana, Flounce, and KFI's Ripple.  Well, I have determined...with no scientific evidence whatsoever but a ton of personal biased opinion...that these scarves are easier to knit if you are an English-style knitter.  English knitters tend to hold the yarn closer to the needles, and they can more easily just manually shoot the needle through the holes in the yarn with more ease because they have a better view of that side of the yarn.

You don't have to believe me...I didn't even take a poll for this one.  Seriously.  But I know that I finished six inches of a ruffle scarf in about fifteen minutes, and I determined that part of the reason was that I could see the yarn so much better than a picker.

So yeah...my plan is to eat and knit at Mom's house.  It's just like any other Christmas.  Have a good day.