Don't Shoot Me Santa

Normally, I love Christmas . . . love it! I get into the holiday with songs and cookies and anything else worthy of a ho-ho-ho. This year? Bah humbug! Carolers? Get off my porch! Christmas lights? Why waste the electricity! Tree? Would a branch do? Even Betty outed me to her aunt in her comment to the last post. See what a mean . . . I am turning into Scrooge. Let's hope it doesn't take a visit from Christmas's Past, Present and Future to solve the problem. How do you combat the "holidayitis"? Suggestions?

Betty and I went to see The Golden Compass last night; she is a devotee of the books, and I am a recent convert. Not having completely finished the first one, I enjoyed myself in the movie. The movie met Betty's expectations, but she was disappointed in the ending. "Mom, it would have lasted ten more minutes to actually finish the book," and then she proceeded to explain the rest and sounded like a geek doing so (her words, not mine). On the way back, we drove through one of the more enthusiastic neighborhoods for Christmas lights. One house looks exactly like a gingerbread mansion - exactly - but went a bit overboard with the animatronic reindeer and Santas. Just for shits and giggles, I drove Betty past the house I like to call "The Island of Misfit Blow-ups" so she could do an accurate count. Twenty-four (24, people!) holiday blow-ups encircled this house, ranging form Santa Shrek to Homer Simpson to teddy bears popping out of packages. Not sure if the folks inside were counting on the blow-ups to protect them from Robot Santa or the Kwanzaa Bot or Chanukah Zombie or all three, but it was a bit surreal driving past.

Rockin' the pensive look, no? Bar project on my mind and head

Knitting is moving at a slow pace. I am making steady progress on my secret Santa's scarf out of School Product's sublime baby camel. Knitting with string is an odd sensation, but the bloom on this stuff is divine. Still don't know how they do it, but keep it coming. The only issue I am having is how long to make the sucker. I don't want it "wrap around your body three times" long, but I also don't want it to appear as if I am being cheap. I think I'll go for a standard 48 inches and hope for the best. A few weeks ago I cast on for my bar project (keeping pretty mum about it) to the point where my hands hurt so badly. That will be the next priority once the scarf is done as there is a pretty specific deadline for it. The trellis and vine shawl is done save for the edging. I might take that to Mountain Knits and Pearls for a Ravelry get together with the Northeast Pennsylvania Knitters group.

Secret Santa Scarf (SSS) in progress, but not much

Considering I should be revising my students' papers right now, I guess I won't get much knitting done this weekend outside of the NEPA Knitters afternoon. Hopefully my mood will improve as the holiday nears, but I'm not holding my breath. It might take more than a couple of eggnog shooters to get me in the merry making mood. I'm sure a few hanks of cashmere would do fine.

Ava

PS - Anyone knit a sweater out of Rowan's Knits for Him yet? I had the Flyer look through it and pick out some pattens. He narrowed it down to two, and I made my choice. Now if I could just arrange a blizzard, we'd be set.

Comments

[lola]

You could just have a baby? Gus keeps my Scrooginess in check. I still don't like it, but how can you really hate it when you hear a little kid sing "Thumpity thump. Thumpity thump" when hearing Frosty the Snow Man?

Did you buy the Men book & love the bar project, what is it?

Off to the couch. I was sick all day yesterday. All fuckin' day!

[Ava]

A) no baby from this womb and you know that
B) yes, I bought the Men book and narrowed it down to one project that will keep me interested and the Flyer warm
C) none of your damn business nosy-rosy!

[Shannon]

On the street I used to live on the first house which had this massive corner bit of front yard started filling up the yard and any space they could hang something on w/ lots of lighted and animatronic xmas things; then came the blow-ups. Every-freakin' year I swear they went to Target, K-mart, and Wal-mart and cleared out all the clearance xmas items. Then they started doing the same for Jesus's resurrection... no blow-up Jesus though.

[Tricia]

Love the bar project having seen it in real life now. It is really, really lovely! Now that I have rubbed that in, cut yourself some slack as far as being scrooged. I wouldn't teach in the middle school for nothing especially this one, the weather has been absolute crap, the construction and detours in this town are enough to make anyone crazy and as for Christmas blowups. Well my eldest has a blowdart gun if you ever feel the need. Seriously those things are around $100 each. If you have 24 of them take $100 and give it to your favourite charity and do your neighbours a favour. Enough rant from me!
Tricia

[Kirsten]

I'm in complete denial that Christmas is actually coming. I'm considering going out and buying a fuzzy pink tree. That should get me in the spirit, no?

All three of my kids loved "The Golden Compass". DD#2 is the only one of us who hasn't finished the series. We may try to see the movie next weekend. Usually DD#1 gets furious when beloved books are made into movies. But for some reason she seems to be okay with it this time.

What pattern is that Bar Project?

[jenifleur]

I've never looked so forward to January. How can normal people enjoy christmas when it's shoved down their throats starting before thanksgiving? It takes a mental patient or some really good extra strength prozac to sustain any semblance of enthusiasm.

I have had the book for a few weeks now, but not started anything. I'm waiting for a perusal/raised eyebrow of interest from the receiving party when he gets home first, but I have a couple of preferences.