Lots of mysterious knitting going on around here.
I was going to teach a class in fairisle technique at my LYS this Saturday, but no one signed up. We were going to make Xmas balls. I had a few examples in the shop and everyone loved them. But no one wanted to take the class.
::Phew::
Meanwhile I'm gift knitting, as I am sure you are. And test knitting for a friend. And trying to knock out a stocking for the Mister since the dog ate his last year. Serves him right for leaving his chocolate orange in the toe.
The dog is fine, thanks for asking.
But I have pledged to keep it as streamlined and easy going as possible this year. No cookies yet, but there's plenty of time. I'm sending cards, giving the older kids certificates to their favorite store rather than guessing, and maybe we'll get the tree this weekend only because the Boy is apoplectic with worry that I might forget. I should be so lucky. I might hang a wreath. I might not. My neighbors are getting positively grotesque with the greenery and the tasteful Williamsburg fruit plaques. It's like someone let off a Martha bomb in my town. I might have to get me a blow-up snowglobe Rudolf if I see one more pomegranate.
this christmas ball is awesome!!! :)
Posted by: Jen da Purse Ho | December 06, 2006 at 11:44 PM
Please get a giant inflatable anything. Pretty please?
Posted by: Juno | December 07, 2006 at 12:20 AM
That is a beautiful ornament you made! I definitely would have taken your class. Me loves classes. Perhaps a giant wreath placed strategically over the window facing the neighbors? That might help...
Posted by: carrie | December 07, 2006 at 04:13 AM
Love the ornament. That would be nice to try. Gift knitting is all I'm doing - mostly fingerless gloves in all sorts of different yarns and patterns. Took out my cards, address book, stamps, cool pens. Addressed 3 envelopes and decided I've had it with cards. No tree, either. Maybe next year.
Posted by: Julie | December 07, 2006 at 07:41 AM
NO! NOT THE BLOWUP RUDOLPH!!!
Posted by: Teresa C | December 07, 2006 at 08:00 AM
Snicker. No Martha bombs here in Brooklyn, but my neighbors have added a second blow up Grinch to their porch this year. Which oddly enough amuses me every single day.
Posted by: Cassie | December 07, 2006 at 08:17 AM
I would have definitely taken the class to make ornaments! I think the one pictured is fantastic!
Posted by: Bonney | December 07, 2006 at 08:24 AM
Yup. Love the ornament! It's a tasteful contest around here too...lots of little white lights, nothing ever blinking...until you get down North Street to the house with 10 INFLATABLES!
Posted by: Mary Beth | December 07, 2006 at 08:47 AM
I can never decide if I am relieved to only have to put on the menorah or kind of sad that we don't get to do that huge display! (You just can't pull off the Irony Christmas Decorating if you are Jewish!)
Posted by: The Purloined Letter | December 07, 2006 at 08:50 AM
If you're lookin', there's about 14 EXTRA blow up Rudolphs (not to mention Frosties, Santas, Wise Men, Elves, and the ever-popular glowing baby Jesus) in the yard a few doors down from me. You want I should lift one for you? I'll trade it for a class in fairisle Christmas balls.
Posted by: Kellee | December 07, 2006 at 09:18 AM
How about one of those inflatable snow globes? I'm a bit relieved, I live in a town that looks like it was decorated by drunken wal-mart employees, but my street is the picture of tasteful. I wonder if this correlates to the fact I live on the only street that had signs for the republicans last fall?
Posted by: Amy | December 07, 2006 at 09:30 AM
Giant inflatable thingy, or maybe the candy cane fence complete with red lights? I love Christmas displays.
Posted by: Kat | December 07, 2006 at 10:10 AM
Love the ornament!
Posted by: Laura | December 07, 2006 at 10:12 AM
ooh i think you need to get a giant inflatable snow globe. tasteful christmas decorations are lovely but sometimes you just have to express your inner cheese ball and christmas time is thee perfect time for that.
Posted by: maryse | December 07, 2006 at 10:24 AM
You put chocolate oranges in your stockings? Awwwww, a real Christmas tradition passed on to the third generation! I taught you well, love. Ornament is DE vine!
Posted by: mom | December 07, 2006 at 10:35 AM
Just want to add my exclamation as to how cute that ornament is!
CUTE!
Re: Neighbors and decorating for Christmas...
You might enjoy Mo Rocca's commentary on Christmas:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/03/sunday/main2223618.shtml
Posted by: Teresa | December 07, 2006 at 11:13 AM
Come to my town if you want to see some old-school decorating. My next-door neighbors' lights can probably be seen from space!
I like you even more now that I know you appreciate chocolate oranges. I swear you and I must be the only ones. Nobody else I know can stand them!
Posted by: Beth S. | December 07, 2006 at 11:17 AM
Wow, I love that new photo you've got up there as a header. Look great!
Posted by: Cheryl | December 07, 2006 at 11:41 AM
And here I was wondering what I might possibly still have time to make...
Posted by: Lucia | December 07, 2006 at 12:19 PM
One of our friends called last night to say she was going to take her daughter and her daughter's friends on a tour of the town's Christmas lights, and I said (after I hung up), what's the point? There's nothing fun to look at. Any chance you can get Santa and the reindeer up on your roof? Imagine how much the Boy would love that!
My mom always put chocolate oranges in the toe of our stockings, too.
Posted by: Martha | December 07, 2006 at 12:21 PM
We always got tangerines in the toes of our stockings. I like the idea of chocolate oranges, though--especially the *dark* chocolate oranges (the mint ones kick ass as well).
Posted by: Melanie | December 07, 2006 at 01:17 PM
Martha is conspicuously absent from Texas, believe it or not. We live in an area full of eight-foot-tall nylon snowmen and Santas inflated by air pumps and four-foot-tall penguin-filled snow globes with blowers for their polystyrene blizzards. The classy folks stick to life size lighted reindeer. Chasing lights abound. As you can imagine, this is paradise for a two year old every time we go out for a walk.
Posted by: Brynne | December 07, 2006 at 01:55 PM
Blowup doll Santa on the roof. Please.
Posted by: Laurie | December 07, 2006 at 02:19 PM
A blow-up Rudolph! You make me laugh! :0)
Posted by: Charity | December 07, 2006 at 03:34 PM
I, for one, love the blow-up snowglobes. Very very classy.
Posted by: Theresa | December 07, 2006 at 04:24 PM