Thursday, December 27, 2007

There Will Be Yarn

Minneapolis--Calhoun Parkway
I am pleased to report that the Curmudgeon and I are spending a lovely winter break with Peeper-Lou and Tween Thing in the Land of 10,000 lakes, where we have been enjoying many holiday delights such as….

Trifle:
Trifle!

Christmas Pudding:
Christmas Pudding!

Yorkshire Pudding i.e. Popovers:
Yorkshire Pudding!

Seeing movies every night: So far we’ve seen No Country For Old Men—grim but fantastic, There Will Be Blood—the Curmudgeon’s favorite director, a spectacular film, Juno—a Minneapolis stripper/screenwriter hits the big time(!), and tonight it’s The Savages. Philip Seymour Hoffman. Need I say more?

There has also been knitting, talking about knitting, and the giving of hand knitted gifts. None of the A.D.D. Knitter Holiday Hand Knit Gifts of 2007 ™ are overly impressive in any way, mind you, but they were appreciated by their recipients and therefore fit the bill:

Big Print Socks!
Worsted Weight Big Stripe socks
Yarn: Schoeller and Stahl Big Print
Pattern: Just Basic Cuff-Down Socks
Needles: Size 6 Magic Loop
Comments: For my 81 year-old dad who is slowly fading away due to Alzheimer’s disease. He loved these socks, and so do I.

Rowan Chunky Tweed Hat!
Rowan Chunky Tweed Hat
Yarn: Rowan Chunky Tweed, lost the ball band ages ago and don’t know the color
Pattern: From Ann Budd’s The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns
Needles: Size 8 addis
Comments: During this trip we have learned that ages ago there was a huge flood in Holmfirth (where Rowan is produced) that killed several of my mother’s relatives, so the yarn was a point of conversation and allowed everyone to note how lucky some of us have been in our lives.

Rowan Plaid hat!
Rowan Tweed Almost Meathead
Yarn: Rowan Tweed, one ball on sale at the Skein Attraction
Pattern: Meathead
Needles: Size 15 addis
Comments: I ran out of yarn before I could give it the full-on pointy head treatment, but this hat took me about 2 hours to make from start to finish, so naturally I love it.

Of course no trip home would be complete without trips to Borealis Yarns and The Yarnery in Saint Paul, so stay tuned for an exciting account of gift certificate tomfoolery!


29 comments:

Yarnhog said...

Would I be correct in deducing from the expression that the red hat is being modeled by "Tween Thing"? (My favorite-ever nickname, by the way!)

Karen said...

Sounds like you are having a great trip. And yarn in the next post?? I can't wait!!

Sourire11 said...

mmmmmm trifle... mmmmmm....

Anonymous said...

Great gifties! Sometimes the simple things are appreciated the most. Have fun shopping!

Chronic Ennui said...

That snow scene is just beautiful! I love your dad's socks too. The combination of colors is very cool. The hats are great, but your daughter's expression is priceless. Glad you're having such a good time!

Anonymous said...

I thought to myself without even really thinking that the first picture looks like Lake Harriet from the southwest corner, although I don't remember there being a railing there. Then I read farther and checked back and discovered it was Lake Calhoun. Close but no seegar :)

I love those socks, too!

peaknits said...

Wow - the food, the yarn, the projects - all good!

Sonya said...

Yummy! You guys are certainly eating well. My envy of your daughter's eyelashes continues.

Anonymous said...

My sister lives out in your neck of the woods -- it's nice to have someone who welcomes your knitted woolen gifts with open arms! :)

weezalana said...

Mmmm...foood...

Mmmm...fos...

P.S. LOL on the trademark!

Anonymous said...

More yarn to burn in 2008, eh ? Hoh hoh hoh.
I love the dad's socks, too. But it's notorious I'm not the girliest girl ever. Oh, I think the snapshot of Tween-Thing deserves the opening of a worldwide gallery. You know, parenthood's solidarity.
;-)

Lolly said...

I am jealous of all of your movie watching! how fun! great gallery of knits :)

Lisa said...

Certainly sounds like you had a great Christmas. The handknits gifts are great and I am sure very much appreciated.

Anonymous said...

I love, love, love the big stripe socks.

Alzheimer's disease is truly a sad disease; it robs society of so many beautiful people.

Sarah said...

The look on the meathead model is priceless -- I can't tell if she's annoyed that you were taking her picture or because her hat wasn't all-the-way pointy.

Jodi said...

Gorgeous snow picture! I wish I were in MN enjoying all the white stuff -- snowshoeing or cross-country skiing at the Hyland Preserve sounds heavenly.

Enjoy the rest of your trip, and clean up at the marvelous yarn shops!

sophanne said...

I wish I could move into some simple holiday knitting. I might actually do some. I made a sweater with Rowan Big Wool and addi 15's. What did you think of those 15's with the tubing that reminds me of what you use to clean the fishtank with. My right hand ached from the pull- any tricks to making it slicker?

Romi said...

Mmmmmmmm. That looks yummy! Nice knitting too. You made me lol with the "Tween Thing" nickname! Bwaha!

schrodinger said...

I'd be jealous of the trifle, but I already had some - now the yorkshire pudding on the other hand.....

Glad you're having a great time.

Kirsten said...

It sounds like you are having a really nice holiday!

The photo of Tween Thing(?)(or is that Peeper-Lou?) in the Meathead is priceless! I have seent that look on the faces of my daughers more times than I care to count! She's adorable!!

a friend to knit with said...

yumm and yumm. the food and the knitted goodies!
hope your trip is going well!
and i am so sorry about your father. such a terrible disease.

YawnOver said...

Love your dad's socks :) Tween thing's facial expression is priceless.

...Sarah said...

Christmas looked like a total success ! Glad you got all your list completed. I think the lesson should be "destash and ye shall be rewarded with more to stash".

And that is a very cute photo (for someone who does not like to be photographed.)

Anonymous said...

Awesome pictures! That food looks delicious.

Boyfriend and I saw Juno this past week too, and I really liked it. And when it was over, this totally crazy guy in the audience went off on a rant monologue about teen pregnancy. It was like, second show!

Robin said...

Great pics - I love the outdoor wintry views. I've been watching lots of movies and sitting around, knitting, drinking wine. Sounds like you've been having fun!

Knittymuggins said...

Your Dad's socks are so sweet! And it's obvious how much you love him ;) Very cool. Hope your holidays were wonderful!

knittymuggins

WonderMike said...

The Tween Thing pout is priceless. Such a supermodel in the making. And I loved all your hats and socks. Fine gifts indeed.

~Kristie said...

YUMMY food and YUMMY FO's!

interneta veikals 1a.lv said...

Mmmm, that trifle looks so tasty :P