The Home Stretch

In response to my brother Tommy's comment on the last post: You should know that all Algier Family Christmas trees lean, a bit. It only leans a little, not nearly as bad as some in the past. This year's is an example of a good pick. Seriously, do we all need to be reminded of the Christmas tree that was wired into the wall? And it still managed to look like it was going to fall forward. A real tree has imperfections, that's what makes them so great. So back off pal!

I finished Bridget's Mittens (aka Project 3-modified) yesterday. I also managed to crank out a Calorimetry to match. Just have to attach a button and they can be wrapped.

Still chugging along on Project 4. It'll be done tomorrow most likely. Debating on whether or not to go forward with Project 5 - several comments by the recipient have me rethinking. We'll see.

Speaking of finishing - take a look at Wrapping Central.
And as for cookie baking, go have a look at Ellie's blog to see how I spent my evening yesterday. Let me tell you the story of the Green Christmas Tree cookie dough. We decided to double all the recipes. No problem. Let me say that Ellie does not have a mixer. "This one thing you must remember or nothing that follows will seem wondrous." (from "A Christmas Carol") So I start with the butter. All three sticks. Then add the sugar, 2 cups, and 2 eggs. Then the almond extract.

Then, I pause and try to remember how mom continues with her recipe. Does she add the green dye now? Or wait til later? Hmmm. Ellie and I conclude, it goes in at the end. So I begin to mix in the flour. All. Seven. Cups. By. Hand. After 5, I gave up on the spoon and started with hand kneading. By the time it's all in, we've decided that it's going to be tricky to get the food coloring in. Hmmm. Call mom. Mom says she adds the color before the flour. Mom would have been laughing if she hadn't been sick and feeling yucky. Can you hear her laughing? So, food dye kneading commences. And continues. And continues. And continues. And finally, after 20 minutes with both me and Ellie working on small chunks, it's green enough.

And then, we pull out the cookie press. Now, I won't mention the brand of the press, but they like to throw fancy smancy little parties where you feel compelled to spend more money than you should on kitchen supplies. The dough goes into the press. The press is properly operated (we checked the directions). No green Christmas trees come out. Repeat. Same effect. Grr. So the endeavor is abandoned. For another day, when a KitchenAid mixer is available to beat it into submission. And the cookie press from mom (circa 1972) can crank the little devils out.

The evil green tree dough is still in time out in the fridge right now, soon to be dealt with. So I leave you with the promised photos of my Christmas cards, hope everyone enjoys them!
P.S. I found some absolutely gorgeous yarn at KotS yesterday. So pretty! It's Cascade Pastaza. Like my favorite color ever.

O Tannenbaum

So what have I done since my last post? I decorated the Christmas tree. You'll remember what it looked like from the last post. Here it is after Phase One: The Lights.

And after Phase Two: The Ornaments.

And after Phase Three: The Tinsel.

Sorry for the not-so-fabulous photos. It is really hard to capture the essence of a Christmas tree. Some I tried with the "Fireworks" setting, some with "Night" and some with different daytime lighting. But none of them are able to do it justice. Oh well. And for any of you detail-oriented people, no, there is no star on the tree. I have yet to haul up the ladder to put it on. No mere step stool is enough for anyone in this house to reach the top.

I've also finished making my Christmas cards. Photos later this week when hopefully, most of them will have been received.

And I finished some Christmas knitting! Project 1 is done, needs to be taken off the blocking apparatus. Project 2 is done. Project 4 can now proceed because I have the measurements I need and foresee that it will speed along now. And I started Project 5, to go with Project 1. Also a quickie (at this stage in the game, it had better be). And as for the mittens. Here's where I'm at:

So, all in all, I think that I'm doing pretty well in the Christmas knitting department. Not stressed at all (yet). Most of my shopping is done as well. A few more things to work out, and it'll be great.

Goals this week: finish shopping, wrap presents, bake cookies, finish knitting.

Attack of the Behemoths

It is a long proven fact that I am short. I don't argue with the statement, 5'4" is considered short to almost the entire world. That said, things this week seem to be gigantic. Take for example, the Christmas tree.

I went and helped pick it out, but somehow it didn't appear to be this ginormous when it was out amongst all of it's brothers and sisters. Yikes. And as I've mentioned before, I get to decorate it. Double yikes. Here's a perspective picture, you know, in case you're not able to absorb the massiveness of this tree.

Lights and ornaments will go on tonight after work. And now on to happy news. Guess what this is:

Wrong, it's not just ice. It's ice from my brand new ice machine that is located in the training room that I am inhabiting for the winter season, and not ice from my beloved ice machine way far away in the ice rink training room. Now, to most of you, you won't understand why I'm so excited. Let my explain. Way back in September, early September, the old ice machine went on the fritz. Again. It did this last year too. And the volleyball team would complain that they couldn't get ice because it would randomly stop working. If you unplugged and replugged it in, it would work, a few times. And then it was kaput. So I called the maintenance team so they could look at it, and told my athletic director that a new machine might have to be ordered.

He, of course, didn't want to hear that, and said that the maintenance guys would be able to fix it. A few weeks later I finally got a hold of head maintenance man, and he explained that it could not be fixed within a reasonable price range (mind you, a new ice machine is in the budget for the new training room after they completely redo the gym, which is supposed to happen soon, so $700 for refrigerant for like a year isn't really reasonable). So he says that he told the AD that a new one was needed. A month later, I finally move into the training room, and have no new ice machine. So I track down the AD. And he says he didn't know that we had to get a new one. Groan.

So, finally, December 11, I have a working ice machine. It only took 3.5 months. And I no longer have to sludge through slush down to the rink every day to get ice for water and injuries. Yay. But, this is no ordinary ice machine. It's a monster of a machine.

See. Everything is humongous this week. It's over 6' tall. Wanna see the best part?

See that? It's got a spot to hold the ice scoop. So hopefully, my wonderful little angelic athletes will be able to resist just tossing the scoop into the depths of the machine, never to be seen again. Note the depth, and how full the ice is after running all day. Seems slow, but it's not.

And now for a bit of knitting. Thanks for hanging on this far. So, Christmas Project 3, after much internal debate, is now a St. Patty's Day surprise, and therefore, on hold for a little while. But I still needed a gift for it's intended recipient. So, I give you, the amended Christmas Project 3 (I can show some pics because giftee doesn't read this blog).

It's the Double Irish Chain mitten pattern from "Favorite Mittens" the fun book that Ellie brought back from Jersey for me a couple of visits ago. Love them, but I'm finding that I love all things Fair Isle, especially when I'm doing the knitting. I think it's just amazement that I can do it. Would've gotten more done last night, but I decided to work on my Christmas cards. I show pictures later, when people have received them, so as not to spoil the surprise.

Back

So I have returned from my brief sojourn to NJ. A bunch has happened since my last post. My brother Tommy, the Marine, came home on Wednesday. It's been a year and a half since he's been home so it's great to see him. Tommy and I went out to Perry so that he could meet his nephews (that's right he's been gone since before Elliott was born) on Thursday.

Sadly, my volleyball team lost on Thursday - 16-14 was the final score in Game 5 - talk about a heart breaker. And then, my football team lost 23-0 on Friday. I don't know what happened exactly - I'm sure I'll hear about it today when I get to work. In some happy news, the Steelers made a come back and beat the Browns yesterday. Would have been a GREAT game to be at, but I wouldn't have traded meeting my beautiful niece for season's tickets.

And that brings me to this weekend. No problems getting to Newark. The rest of Friday was spent playing with Charlie and listening to Sarah periodically scream (she has an excellent set of lungs). Saturday, Ellie and I took Charlie to Gymboree - we had a puker, and a bloody lip, and one meltdown. Otherwise, it was great. Then it was nap time, so that when he woke up we could have his birthday party. I think that the pictures say it all about the party.

Sunday brought the baptism. I won't say anything about the ceremony itself - I was unable to pay much attention to the deacon, much as I tried. But Sarah was beautiful. Tom and Ellie didn't have much to do, but they make great godparents.

So now I'm back home. This week may not see many posts, I'm puppy sitting at Bridget's this week. But I'll do my best. And onto some knitting. Not too much to report. I frogged my Steelers sock after last post. Spent the whole MNF game (which was fantastic) working on a new one, using the Monkey pattern. Forgot how much I love this pattern. And last night on the flight back, I finished all but the grafting and sewing bits. Thank you TSA for not allowing scissors. Here it is:And waiting for me when we got back late last night... a box from KnitPicks. Which had Palette yarn in shades of blue for some Fair Isle mittens:
And some Wool of the Andes for some worsted Fair Isle mittens from a great book that Ellie got for me - thanks a bunch Ellie!
It also contained "Knitter's Almanac" by Elizabeth Zimmermann - can't wait to make a February sweater, and a magnetic chart holder for my lace patterns. I've done part of Mason's border, will probably finish today or tomorrow, and then it's Steelers socks and SotS, until I'm a bit more caught up with the stole. I don't like being so far behind.

The One with Lots of Pictures

Happy Belated Halloween! Sorry that I missed that day - was busy with work. No candy passing out for me - I went instead to the regional volleyball game for my girls - nail-biter, I tell ya. Went to five games - I hate fifth games, they only go to 15, so if either team manages to get up a couple points - it's so hard come back. But they won! Sadly, their next game is at the same time as the playoff football game this Saturday, so I'll be at football and not volleyball. Busy week, seeing as basketball and hockey started this week too. First hockey games for me this Sunday - Yippee! (read the sarcasm that is actually there).

So onward to the photos. These are of the jewelry that I made this weekend - I was feeling crafty on Sunday, and in need of some instant gratification. Was also in a purple mood obviously.

And on to some knitting. I made some mittens this week - in like 2 days. They were so crazy fast, and they're going to be so warm. Just in time for this weekend.
And here is the new and improved Odessa hat. I ripped back last night and re-cast on and decided to use bigger beads, 1) so you could actually see them, and 2) so that they could actually go easily onto the hat itself. I was so tired of fighting with those other little pink beads.
This is how far I've gotten on my poor, neglected Steelers sock. Will finish quickly though. At least it's not as neglected as the Secret of the Stole.
Okay, here's the interesting ones. Here's Flore, finished to the point that I didn't sew in the ends, and didn't yet tack down the petals like they're supposed to be.

And now, let's see if anyone can figure out what's wrong with this picture? Hmmmmm??? I'm thinking....

Maybe it's a bit too big for the sweet little 15 month old that it's supposed to be for. Hmmmm.

And now for a new, larger photo of Miss Sarah. Lucky Ellie got to go visit for an extended weekend.

And if this isn't the best costume I saw this year... C4 as Dash! (the exclamation point is necessary for correct pronunciation of the name.)