7 Quick Takes Friday

~1~

It got cold here yesterday!  We had rain while everyone else had blizzards the other day and now it's just cold.  So, accordingly, I sent my faithful helpers (who all but refuse to wear long sleeves, jackets, and socks because they're so warm) outside to work on the Christmas lights.  It was too cold for me to be out there!

I had had them string the lights along the driveway on Wednesday when it was a balmy 65 degrees.  But they were all red and we didn't really like the look.  Frankly, it made me think more of the entrance to Hell than of Christmas!  So, despite our meager budget these days, I  bought white lightbulbs to replace half the red ones with, and now, thanks to my wonderful boys who did all the cold work, we have alternating red and white lights lining the drive.  Much better.  I like candy canes better than Hell.  Don't you?

~2~

We'll be putting up our Christmas tree on Saturday.  I hope.  We were just talking about all the goings on this weekend!  We probably won't decorate until KT and Hitch come home later in the week, but it will give me time to slowly put the lights on and NOT STRESS about the whole Perfect Tree thing.

Anyway, that gives me just a couple of days to make my new tree skirt.  "Wow, that woman is so crafty!  How does she do it all without stressing?" you are saying to yourself.  Lol.  I stress, but I try really hard not to by cheating.  Yes, you heard me, by cheating.

Let me tell you a story, years ago, I don't even remember how many, I started crocheting doilies.  My MIL has a couple of very nice ones that I made; I was looking at them last time I was there and wondering if they were the ones I had made because they looked so good and antique-y.  Er, vintage.  I loved the lace, so I decided to use a heavier cotton and make a zillion more doilies, hexagonal ones, crochet them together and make a twin-bed coverlet.  I probably don't need to tell you that I never finished.  I think I still have the pattern downstairs, but what's the probability of my finishing this 10 year-old project?

So, since we're doing a White Christmas this year, I need a white tree skirt.  I'm thinking I'll take my coverlet and use it.  I can use it "as is" and just wrap it around under the tree, or I can snip and unravel judiciously and actually turn it into a skirt with a slit for the tree trunk.

What do you think?  Use it AS IS, or turn it into a tree skirt.  Of course, reality and stress may dictate the AS IS route, but we'll see.  Let me know how you vote!

~3~

I did a lot of knitting yesterday.

Dh naively said to me after finishing his socks that I wouldn't have anything to knit now......

hahahahahahhaha!

I started working on this sweater again.  I'm doing the sleeves.  I had one on the needles and I decided it would make sense to knit both at the same time, so I cast on the other one and caught it up with the first. I got quite a bit finished yesterday while watching Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which we rented from the $1 box at Publix.  I'm loving the 2 sleeves at once concept (which I got from someone else; I didn't think it up on my own!).  It helps to ensure that they both end up the same size with the same increases, etc.

Stockinette is sooooo much faster than knitting patterns!  And I'll tell you again, that I love this yarn I'm using.

~4~

About our White Christmas we're having here...making snowflakes and all that....I went to a craft party at my friend Kathleen's house on Sunday.  She's making snowflakes, too.

The Most Beautiful Snowflakes I Have Ever Seen.

Seriously.  I wish I had pictures.

Kath, I want a tutorial.  Put it on your own blog, or put it on mine as a guest post, but I really want to know how you make your snowflakes. TMBSIHES!*

Please?  Pretty please?  Come over to my house on Sunday afternoon while the Squires are out and I'll photograph the process!  You don't have anything else to do, do you? ;-)

~5~

We're still praying that St. Andrew Novena if you want to add our intentions to yours!  We'd really appreciate it!

~6~

I know I gave up reading for Advent, so I could concentrate on knitting and other projects, but you know, there are just those little pockets of time where nothing but a book will do.  Like sitting in the car for 5 minutes waiting for someone to get in.  So, now its Anne of Green Gables.  Again.  Charming every time.  Funny.

Who else is a fan?  And if you love the movies, you have to read the books.  They're so much better!

~7~

I'm ready for Christmas break to start.

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*TMax said no one would understand that this means "The Most Beautiful Snowflakes I Have Ever Seen!"  You did, didn't you?