tis the season

There's snow on the ground and twinkling lights strung all 'round town. Time for the knitwear to get put to use!

I brought the newly finished Fanning The Flame mittens to the Christmas tree farm for a picture. You may remember that I knit them on the wrong size needles, so they turned out too big, but I lined them with a barely-worn pair of mittens from last year and stitched them together at the cuffs. Now they're extra warm, with ragg wool on the inside and handpainted pretty sock yarn on the outside. This pattern was fun to make. It's my first modular knitting project. If I were to do it again, I think I'd modify the thumb placement, putting it at the center of the top arc of the fan so the fan juts out as a gusset. I guess I'm not a fan of the peasant thumb. Still, neat construction. I'd probably like them even better if I knit them with the correct size needles. ;-)

A friend sent a link to a recent family photo album and I was happy to see the hat I knit for their older daughter two years ago, worn through last winter until she outgrew it, now popping up to warm the noggin of their younger daughter!

Yesterday was a snowy day when we were especially thankful to work and learn at home. The guys made bagels and honey oatmeal bread in the mobile oven, then played a battle card game they've been loving. The girl continued her stealth elf projects, got a stylin' new haircut and an excellent Talbot's wool coat at Goodwill (woot!), and made gingerbread from an 18th century recipe. By evening, we were all settled in by the tree, enjoying the warmth of the wood stove and comforts of home.