Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all around me was unfinished knitting not under the tree. The stockings weren’t hung by the chimney with care ‘cause the heels and toes had not a stitch there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds, but I had not finished the caps for their heads. Dad was asleep; he was no help at all, and the sweater for him was six inches too small.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I put down my needles to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, tripped over my yarn and fell with a crash.
The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow reminded me how much I still had to go. Out on my lawn, I heard such a noise, I thought it would wake both Dad and the boys.
And although I was tired, my brain a bit thick, I knew in a moment it must be Saint Nick!
What I heard then left me somewhat perplexed-ed, for not a name I heard was what I expected. “Move Ashford; move Lopi; move Addie & Clover; move Reynolds; move Starmore; and Noro - move over!”
“Paton, don’t circle round, stay in the line. Come now, you sheep, you’ll work out just fine! I know this is hard being just your first year, I’d hate to back to eight tiny reindeer.”
I peered over the sill; what I saw was amazing, eight woolly sheep on my lawn all a’grazing.
And then, in a twinkle, I heard at my door Santa’s coming across the porch floor. I rose from my knees and got back on my feet, and as I turned round, Saint Nick I did meet.
He was dressed all in wool from his head to his toes and his cloths were hand knit from above to below. A bright Fair isle sweater he wore on his back, and his toys were all stuffed in a aran knit sack. His cap was a wonder of bobbles and lace, a beautiful frame for his rosy red face.
The scarf round his neck could have stretched for a mile, and the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle. The backs of his mittens bore an intricate cable, and suddenly on one I spied a small label.
SC was the duplicate stitch on the cuff, and I asked “Hay Nick, did you knit all this stuff?”
He proudly replied “Ho-ho-ho, yes I did. I learned how to knit when I was a kid.” He was chubby and plump, a quite well-dressed old man, and I laughed to myself for I’d thought of a plan.
I flashed him a grin and jumped in the air, the next thing he knew he was tied to a chair. He spoke not a word, but looked in his lap where I’d laid my needles and yarn for a cap.
He quickly began knitting, first one cap then two; for the first time I thought I might really get through. He put heels on the stockings and toes on some socks while I sat back drinking scotch on the rocks!!
So quickly, like magic his needles they flew, that he was all finished by quarter to two. He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free, and over his shoulder he looked back at me.
And I heard him exclaim as he sailed past the moon “Next year start your knitting sometime around June!

While this christmas song is rather depressing, it's one of my favorites.

And I heard this one the radio today and just loved it. And it makes up for the whole depressing song above.

Merry Christmas!

It's the final countdown!

Holy crap it's December! You know what means. It's time to start freaking out about whether or not you'll be able to finish everything in time. And cookies. December is the month when the most cookies are baked! (I totally just made that up, but it feels true to me) For Christmas, I'm knitting 4 things. For my Mom, Endpaper Mitts and a pair of twinkletoes which I finished!! Well, mostly anyway. I just need to crochet a strap (I chose to make them like Mary-Janes) and sew on some buttons. For my Dad, a pair of knucks and a Bokaclava. I showed my parents a photo of the bokaclava, saying that it kinda freaked me out, (my friend and I agreed, it was the eye slits) and as soon as my Dad saw it, he said " Cool! Can you make me one?". This was the first time he ever asked for something, so I figured why not. He puts up with my fiber habit, he jokes that a drug habit would have been cheaper, and he's going to build me a lazy kate. And he loves the handknits I make for him. He wears the hat I made him for his birthday all the time. Which brings me to why I'm not knitting on any of the Christmas gifts.
Dad's birthday is in 12 days and I've been planning on knitting him a hat. In fingering weight. GAH. I'm convinced I can make it because I've knit a pair of socks in less then two days, so a hat should go fast too. I hope.
I finally got my Sexy space aliens skeined up, and I couldn't be happier with it! The roving came from The flying ewe on Etsy, it was 4 ounces of Corriedale.

I tried to not over twist the singles so that when I chain plied it, it would be rather soft. When I was spinning it up, I was worried the finished yarn would be mostly green and purple. But I was pleasantly surprised at how it came out.

It's about a dk/sport, and 240 yards. I think it's destined to become a hat and maybe a pair of mitts.