I finished up the Skully Sox Christmas morning. All I had left to do was the toe decreases. They fit well, he likes them and they were kinda fun to knit.
I switched to using 2 circs to make these as it's so much easier to add the color work using circs than trying to keep the floats loose enough using DPNs. I think it might be a bit faster to knit them on DPNs as one can knit half the stitches before switching to the other set of needles. With DPNs one can only knit a third of the sts at a time, if using 4 needles, and 25% of the sts at a time if using 5 needles.
However, I still like the whole process of using DPNs, so... And I think a sock in progress looks so mysterious on DPNs while two circs just looks....messy.
I CO some fun projects last night. I was really enjoying seeing all the mini sweaters on Ravelry so I decided that using the Weasley Cell Phone Cozy, I'd make some as favors for gifts through out the year or maybe hold on to them for Christmas. The pattern has a draw string on it, and I thought they'd make great holders for some candy or a small gift. Pics when I get one done.
Had a nice Christmas. Youngest and Oldest sons were here for dinner and Oldest son spent the night. He's snoring behind me on the couch. We had our traditional turkey, dressing, smashed taters, green beans, broccoli, and home made fudge.
Youngest Son got the new electronic Monopoly game. Uses credit cards instead of cash and everything is in the thousands and millions of dollars. It was no fun at all. It was close to impossible to keep track of one's money and all we did was keep passing our credit cards to the banker to make transactions. It must be what it's like to be Paris Hilton. Just keep spending money without out a thought of how much you have one way or the other. I suppose if one was buying stuff one wanted it would be a bit more fun, but.....
Third son called from TN and said the fulled clogs I'd made him and DDIL fit perfectly! And youngest grandson liked the felted balls I'd made him. Nice to know gifts fill their intended purpose.Third son was mostly happy about how slippery they were!
(My XMIL used to knit slippers for our entire family each year.
The kids took turns sliding down the hall with them. (Even though they were all raised in the desert, they have Minnesota genes for ice skating!) So my son was happy I was renewing the tradition. Fortunately these will last a couple of years compared to the ones from his childhood that barely made it through the winter. Who'd a thunk you could wear out acrylic slippers in just one season?
Hope you had a good holiday and I'm thinking of you all as I sit and sip my St. Brendon's spiked morning coffee!
This really IS the last pair of slippers this year. (I hope...) There is the wisdom of not using two different kinds of wool yarn when fulling. I used Elann Peruvian Highland on the toes, and Colorado Vail for the foot. Probably because it's white, the Vail just doesn't full as well. However, they still turned out okay with a nice firm toe!
I CO a shawl yesterday. Now I've CO many shawls and frogged them all for the most part. And I've never finished one for myself (or anyone else for that matter.) So why I'm doing this, I don't know.... This is the Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl. I remember seeing this pattern when I first started knitting and deemed it far to complicated for my little knitting brain. Well, with a few years knitting under my belt, it's not hard, it's relatively easy, and it's so very pretty. And it's a great way to use up bits and pieces of yarn. This one may see completion as I've learned the value of "brain dead" knitting. Sometimes ya just need an uncomplicated project to while away the hours.
All my nice wool socks are really coming in handy! In the desert we don't have basements and houses are built on concrete slabs. When it gets cold and rains and rains and the water creates swimming pools in the back yards, the concrete gets cold. Consequently those of us that walk upon the carpeting laid upon that concrete get cold feet. As I said, "All my nice wool socks are really coming in handy!" Those along with the felted clogs F made me, keep my tootsies nice and toasty.
My skepticism was uncalled for. The dryer did arrive and it works! Imagine that! This is the first dryer in years. Except for the solar one I had for awhile. Which was okay, unless it rained.... I digress. It's here, it works, and I've got the laundry almost caught up! I'll go back to doing smaller loads more often now instead of huge loads once a week.
Great progress on the last pair (I hope) of fulled slippers for Christmas. These are for the Eldest Grandson and look like they'll fit once I full them.
I even worked a little on the 2nd Work Sock for 2nd Son. If I keep on track, I'll have 99% of my Christmas knitting finished this week.
Most of yesterday was filled with cleaning out the laundry room to accommodate aforementioned dryer. Lots of stuff went into storage, the small freezer was moved out of the laundry room and things were moved and cleaned under. Once the dryer arrived, we realized we had to disconnect the washer and move it out of the laundry room, put the dryer in, connect it all up, then move the washer back in, and hook it up again. But it was all worth it to have the dryer!
One of the found items was my hoard of crayons. I love Crayola Crayons. I rarely (read never) use them, but I keep buying them. Anyway, I gave Youngest Granddaughter some of them and a pile of scrap envelopes (Eldest Granddaughter spent a day of licking and sealing them all!) She was in heaven!
Remember all those felted slippers I made for the Grands for Christmas? Well, I just couldn't finish the last pair...Big Block! (I really hate working with huge needles (anything over size 10).
Night before last I frogged the one that was nearing finish and CO another one made a bit differently. That one is about 80% done and the second one almost 50% done. I was running out of the yarn, so weighed the left over yarn, and the almost finished one and they weighed the same. So I put the first on hold, started the second. They'll just have different colored toes!
Now I'm procrastinating on finishing up the Work Socks for 2nd Son. :::heavy sigh::: Again, there is only a good day's knitting left on them, so I know I'll finish them before Christmas Eve, but....they do hang over me. And not "by the chimney with care" either! 
People a couple of doors over are supposed to give us a dryer today. Which means the laundry room has to be cleaned out to make room for it. Which means there may not be much knitting happening today. Being the eternal skeptic, I'll believe we're getting it once it's installed. If we do get it, it'll be the best Christmas present I could ask for. Hauling wet laundry out to the car and off to the laundromat is such a pain....
Youngest Daughter's alternator went out. It's only a year old, and if she can find the receipt, we can trade it in for a free new one. :::Fingers crossed:::
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The kids took turns sliding down the hall with them. (Even though they were all raised in the desert, they have Minnesota genes for ice skating!) So my son was happy I was renewing the tradition. Fortunately these will last a couple of years compared to the ones from his childhood that barely made it through the winter. Who'd a thunk you could wear out acrylic slippers in just one season?
