Thanks, Elann!

I'm having one of those weeks.  The kind that starts as a glorious blank slate.  No commitments, just a long list of holiday prep plans.  It all looked so manageable...even, dare I say it, fun!  A week alone...just me, my sewing, my knitting, my Christmas cards, my up-but-as-yet-undecorated frasier fir, baking plans, a shopping list, gifts & wrapping paper piled on the dining room table.  Throw in a little gently falling snow, some Christmas music and voila!  Dream week.  *Ahem*  Let's just say that falling snow needs shoveling, deadline projects sometimes go awry and the clock seems to tick faster at this time of year.  Doesn't it?

That Little Scarf, Silke Tweed

When Anne posted That Little Scarf last week, I saw it as the perfect solution to one of my Christmas gift conundrums.  Click! purchase! download! and head right out to find some yarn and get this project on the needles.  It was difficult to find something in the right weight (fingering) that met my color/wooliness preferences (neutral/not so much) and I ended up with GarnStudio's Silke-Tweed, which I've used successfully in a previous lace project.  Because of its gauge, I had to reduce to number of pattern repeats to use the recommended needle size and I could quickly see that it wasn't really working.  That Little Scarf definitely needs a finer, springier yarn to show off its pattern to best advantage.

Plan 2.  Drop everything and head out to yarn shops hither and yon in search of perfect yarn. (I can see now that this may have been the beginning of the unraveling of my week, so to speak.)  No luck.  Hmmm...ponder quandary.  Continue to fixate on That Little Scarf or just buy something?  I start scouring yarny websites.  The Christmas clock ticks.  Did I mention that this gift is going to have to be sent?

Baby Cashmere

Elann.com to the rescue.  I crossed my fingers and ordered some Peruvian Baby Cashmere on Tuesday, figuring that I wouldn't have the new effort on the needles until next week.  It arrived yesterday...two days from computer order to mailbox.  Wow!  Thankfully, it's working out perfectly.  Just seventeen and a half repeats to go. 

Some things are getting accomplished around here.  Carole's fantabulous Polish Teacakes are cooling in the kitchen now.  (The international dispatch batch.)  And the house is decorated, pretty much.  I'm starting to feel the crush of mailing deadlines and social commitments.  M is straddling two regional offices, both of which have their holiday parties this weekend, so that will take care of the next couple of days, between prep (out of the jeans, into the stockings) merriment and travel.  I just may be able to knock off the scarf on the roundtrip, though.  Hope you all have a great weekend! 

Edited to add:  Med Pinner, a blog from Oslo Bergen, Norway, has just put up a new post featuring a gorgeous, GORGEOUS new Latvian mitten.  Oh.my.  Must finish my Christmas knitting and get back to my Latvian mittens! 

Comments

[Chris]

Two days - wow, that's amazing service!

[Ann]

Ups, not Oslo, Bergen ... big difference for us over here ;)
Hope you get everything right for Christmas :D

Let's talk suddenly

[anne]

oooh, i love the elann cashmere and those cookies look divine!

[Carole]

Time to make the teacakes indeed! Mmmmm!

[thehomelyyear]

Hi, your week sounds really busy, but doesn't the time just go too fast. I booked 4 days of work, but apart form a couple of shopping trips, seem to have accomplished very little...I have had to contend with a cold as well though! Happy preparations!
Margaret and Noreen at THY

[Geri Barr]

AND . . . you still make time to post! That's the bit I like! I wish I knew where to send my special 'Craft' biscuits - I'd love to send you some.

[kathy]

I'm just going to start linking to your posts from my blog because you keep writing about things I'm doing.

I made a batch of those cookies yesterday and we ate them all. My mom makes them every year. We call them thumbprint cookies. My mom has significant Polish heritage so she'll get a kick out of the other name.

[sammyjo]

yum cakes!!! The scarf looks good im glad you found a better wool to use.

[blackbird]

When I read your blog I always imagine myself in your position. Of course I can't knit, so I mean, alone in the house - K off in Chicago (LOVE Chicago) and me, here, with clean floors and a list of interesting projects to do.

I don't know why I assume your floors are clean, but WHY do I always have to drive a kid someplace or vacuum instead of sitting quietly quilting. WHY?

[Kris]

tick, tick, tick... The clock here is ticking very fast too!

Hope you get it all done. (Hope I do too!)

[christina(apronstrings)]

oh.so.pretty.
and yummy.

[Cindy]

Not sure where you live (I'm off the beaten track in central BC), but my order arrived as quickly as yours - I thought it was just good timing, but perhaps that's just their service!

[Cindy]

Not sure where you live (I'm off the beaten track in central BC), but my order arrived as quickly as yours - I thought it was just good timing, but perhaps that's just their service!

[Glenna]

Your week sounds lovely, even if that clock ticks faster and faster. Funny--and I looked at your picture of the Renwick & that's the view out my office window! (We're slightly catty-corner to it, not directly across the street). Cue Twilight Zone music....

[Kelli]

So you got the scheduling, shipping and knitting Gods to all work in your favor in the same week, no less? Wowie! I'm thinking you might return from one of this holiday parties to find a flock of elves packing up your house and signing the paperwork with the realtor. {Point I'm trying to make: awesome luck!}