More Christmas Goodies

Dianne, Lara, Linda and I had a wonderful post-Christmas lunch on Monday afternoon. We met at The Station and I had a great time. It was so nice to just sit, chat, laugh and catch up. After the meal, we exchanged Christmas gifts and I was floored by my friends' generosity. Linda brought back an excellent, Rhinebeck mug that reads, "Yarns Knit Friends Together," a gorgeous skein of Katia, the sparkling snowman and

a car magnet that I had been coveting. :) Again, many thanks Linda!

From Lara, I received a bar of "Knitter's Cream" soap from Bradeen Farm in Maine. It smells good enough to eat and feels wonderful on my skin. The sheep & cart are now atop my yarn shelf in the corner of my living room and book thong (with attached teapot charm) will soon be used on a new book. Beneath these gifts is a Noro Iroho neck warmer (the likes of which only Lara could knit). :)

And last, but not least, a Lantern Moon sweater for my key chain. Thank you so very much Lara!
I was overwhelmed and again, Dianne, Lara and Linda, thank you!

I've been hard pressed to find knitting time lately, but I did manage to work on a couple of projects between Thanksgiving and New Year's. I cast on and have gotten this far on a pair of "Warmest Mittens." It's Classic Elite Skye Tweed on size 4 and 5 needles. I'm such a loose knitter that when I actually have to go something "tight," I switch to significantly smaller needles.

The pink pinwheel is all but done. My friend and neighbor, Muriyea, is going to teach me how to do a pretty crochet trim to finish off the blanket and then, at long last, I'll be done.
For the Knit Night I missed, I started a button flange cabled pillow. It looks very orange-y here, but it's a terra cotta color.
And then I indulged in a bit of 50% off sale yarn. Over Christmas, Andie ate hard candy and popped two of her braces-related rubber bands. Since I had to drive to Lynchburg to get the bands replaced, I made the trip worthwhile by stopping at Backstitches. The big red "SALE" sign was the hook and I just couldn't resist.

The four skeins are Cascade's Bollicine (wool, acrylic & alpaca) and I'm going to use them to make either mittens or man scarves. I also bought some red sock point protectors and a pair of scissors. The Fantasy/Dark Horse yarn is for more Pine Ridge Afghan squares.
I hope all of you have a wonderful New Year!