Well, I picked up the spinning wheel. Everybody in the house has shown interest, but considering our combined knowledge (zilch), I’m thinking this will be a fun learning curve 🙂
My DH has christened the wheel Kylie. Because she’s “spinning around”. The Aussies will get the joke, I’m not sure about the US people. I’ve reserved some spinning books at the library, and once we’re back from our trip, will begin learning in earnest. The wheel has no identifying marks at all, so I have no idea how old it is, or who made it.
I have two pics to show. This first one is of Emily on her first day of Kindergarten, 29 January 1998.

This one ws taken today, Em’s last day of Year Six, the end of Primary School.

A day of mixed emotions. The time has flown, and I can’t believe that she’s heading off to High School at the end of next month. I’m proud of the young lady she is becoming, I just wish it weren’t happening quite so fast.
The school makes a big deal of the last day. Fifteen minutes before the final bell, the whole school lines up in two lines, and makes a long arch for all of Year Six to walk through. Em had a bit of a cry, most of the other kids are going to the local High School, and she’s going to the Catholic High School, but she’s also excited about moving on.
Google obviously knew I needed a boost – more Polar Bears today! 🙂

Hmm.. it seems that I bought a spinning wheel. Now, keep in mind that I bought a drop spindle and used it once. Also note that I have never even actually seen a real spinning wheel in real life.
I had been watching them come up on eBay for a while, mainly out of curiosity. This one came up, and is only 45 minutes from my home. I had to go out an run errands this morning, so I bid $110 on it, then went out, fully expecting to be outbid.
I won it.
I have nowhere in my house to put it. I’m not quite sure yet if I’m sorry I won it. When will I ever get time to spin??? Anyway, we’re going to pick it up tomorrow morning. I think it’s an older style Ashford Elizabeth. It says it’s an “Elizabeth” style, and it looks similar to an Ashford Elizabeth.

Anyway, for now it has to go into the garage, purely because there is nowhere in the house to fit it.
In other news, I finished my Mondo Cable and it is blocking as I type. And then I realised that I hadn’t shown my Neckdown Pullover. Here she is, all done 🙂

I hate having my picture taken, btw.
I’m pretty happy with the finished sweater. The pattern was Knitting Pure and Simple’s “Neckdown Pullover”. I used Plymouth Cottrica from Elann. I wan’t too impressed with the yarn in the skein, but it knitted up quite nicely. 🙂
Christmas presents are wrapped, now we just have to pack our bags for our trip. I have a tiny car, a Mazda 121 bubble. We have to fit 3 of us, luggage for a week, and christmas presents in. Lucky Em doesn’t take up much room in the back seat 😉
And have you seen the Google holiday logo today? Polar bears!! 🙂

Christmas is madness.
I went to the shopping centre today, despite swearing that I would *not* go back until the new year. I wasn’t christmas shopping, I was clothes shopping in preparation for the vacation. I detest clothes shopping. Anyway, it was hot and crowded.
That was most of the day, but I got a little knitting done!

I’m looking forward to wearing these socks, so I’m working on them quite a bit. This is the first time I’ve worked with the Lorna’s Laces, and I lurve it! I’ve got a nice little collection of it now, and it’s beautiful yarn to knit. I see many LL socks in my future.
This is the progress on my Mondo Cable tank.

The colour in the pic is way off. It’s a much brighter colour, a lot prettier than this. This pic makes it look very washed out. I’m enjoying knitting this, too. The yarn is a little slippery, but overall it’s not bad. The pattern is easy to follow and nice to knit, as is usual for Bonne Marie!
Yes, my nails are long! Well, actually they used to be longer 🙂
They are my sole indulgence (Well, apart from yarn!) And for all the people who asked how I work with them – I have had them for so long, they are like an extension of my fingers. Honestly, if I break one, I can’t do a thing. They are no problem in my knitting or my sewing, and as for housework? Well, I try not to do any. 😉
Just for Norma, I’m going to grow them even longer now, and paint them red! 😛

I have a confession. I was dubious about the sock yarn and the beads together. I looked at them in several different lights, I picked them up, I put them down, I pondered.
Today I cast on the first sock and got busy while watching “Cats” the musical on cable TV. And I have to confess, I love the yarn and the beads together!

The more I knitted, the more I liked them. It’s not a colour I would normally pick for myself, and needless to say Em wants it for herself, but I love it now. 🙂
The pattern has an extremely short cuff (at least for me), and I considered making it longer, but I figure if I keep it short, I may be able to get a pair for Em too. Of course, I could just buy another hank of yarn, but why not try the shorter cuff – I may like that too.
Norma posted yesterday about having a laid back Christmas. No stress, no fuss. No nothing.
I agree.
Here is my Front Door.

No wreath.
Here is my Christmas Tree corner.

No tree, no gifts. Well, they’re mostly bought, I just haven’t wrapped any. 🙂
Here is my one and only, lonely Christmas Ornament.

A polar bear, of course! He sings a jazzy version of “Santa Claus is Coming To Town” Indeed he might be, but you wouldn’t know it at my house.
Of course, we are driving 1300km (800 miles) to visit the in-laws, and won’t actually be here for Christmas. That’s how I convinced Em that we didn’t need the tree this year 🙂

The yarn for my Beaded Sock for the sixsox knitalong finally arrived 🙂
However, I got a bit of a surprise when I opened the envelope.

Can you guess what colour this is?

That is correct. Pale Pink. Jeez, I’m glad I didn’t order Hot Pink. I thought they’d sent the wrong thing until I checked the label. I’m a little concerned that the beads don’t look as pretty as I’d hoped, but I’ll push on. Mainly because I’m too lazy to hunt down others, and because I want to start the freakin’ socks!

Pale pink, indeed!
Didn’t get much done today. DH has had a recurring ear infection that has been bothering him on and off all year. Considering his previous medical history, we don’t stuff about when he feels ill. He’s been in pain for a couple of days, so off to the local doctor today, who advised him that he had fungus growing is his ear. Like little mushrooms were the doctors exact words. Ewww. As I told DH, it just proves that his job keeps him in the dark and feeds him shit 😉
Anyway, we then had to drive 25km into the middle of a shopping centre in the week before Christmas to DH’s Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist to get some special anti-fungal powder that I get to blow in his ear.
Lucky me! 🙂