Decking the Hall...

Well, it took a while, but I finally got all my decorating done!

Behold, the majesty of the holiday! (I was watching Creepy Canada when I took this photo this morning).

Really sets the mood, don't you think? BTW, that's an RCMP Nutcracker there. My nephew got that for us last Christmas. I think it's pretty cool. His Sam Brown has come unglued though. The mini-stocking I just happened upon. It was in a a misc. box with some mini-Sharpies that I was after. And the screw was already in the wall, so, ya know...

So we're the only house in our neighbourhood that doesn't have any lights or decorations up. I'm sticking steadfast to my 'not in the house/no decorating rule'. Just seems a little silly to light up a house from the outside that is dark and desolate on the inside. I'm currently being accused of some serious humbuggery (that just doesn't sound right, does it?). So in an effort to compromise, I went looking for my spotlights in the Christmas decorations and they seem to be MIA. I know they're around somewhere, as I am also missing large quantities of decorations themselves. Anyhow, I may still go puchase at least one spotlight in an effort to at least be neighbourly. The house does look rather menacing with just a singular porch light on at night.

In other news, here's Hank:



I think he's pretty much doubled in size since we brought him home. It's getting harder to pick him up and have a cuddle. Which is why he decided that today was the day he ought to learn how to get up on the fouton by himself. I had instituted a strict no furniture rule prior to bringing the little weirdo home which the constable promptly violated. So the rule got ammended to no couch, fouton okay. Whatever keeps him quiet and satisfied...plus he looked really cute and wanted to be with me for purposes other than biting. I couldn't resist.

In crafting news, I finished the mom slippers:



Pre and post felting. This magical process never ceases to amuse me. Even post felting though, they look rather gigantic to me. My mom has size 9 1/2 feet, which are quite wide at the toe, and seeing as the mediums fit me very well with my size eights, I thought I'd better make the large size. It's hard to judge when you can't see them on an actual person. Anyhow, the first felting session I somehow forgot about them and they went through the full spin cycle. Yipes! Bad scene. They had felted back onto themselves. I tried blocking them out, but they looked really awful. This morning I threw them in a delicate warm cycle and grabbed them before the rinse. Still a little kinked up in places, but overally, much more esthetically pleasing. They may need some encouragement in the drying department as I hope to still send them off tomorrow.



I finished sewing the soles on mine last night and now my feet are so comfy! These really are the prefect slipper.

Today's project will be a couple of dishcloths to round out my mom's gifts (she loves these things and I can't stand making them but every once in a while...perhaps I should enlist Heddy to knit them up for me) and this:



I knit this hat umpteen years ago for my sister for Christmas. I was just starting to knit seriously, and as you can clearly tell, I was in some serious gauge denial. I had this and a matching scarf which was knit quite tight using too small a needle that ended up being too short because I ran out of yarn and couldn't find more. So she got a practically useless scarf (which she does actually wear, bless her heart) and a gigantic hat. The minute she put it on, she, as well as I, just about died laughing. It was hilarious. At some point, I reclaimed the hat and promised to somehow fix the problem. She's asked me over the years to fix the scarf as well, but it is still in her posession. Anyhow, I went rummaging for my own winter wear today and came across the infamous hat. If it were wool, I'd felt it and the problem would be solved, but seeing as back in those days, Zellers was my exclusive yarn dealership, I know for certain it's acrylic. So I'm going to rip it out today and see if I can't knit something respectable out of it. Not going to make it for Christmas mind you, but hey. Maybe next year I'll do the same to the scarf!
(I've buried my chin in my hoodie in the photo due to a horrendous acne outbreak...I blame the dog).

So that'll be my day. Quick check out the window seems to indicate that this big storm we've been hearing about may have started. Hope no one is stuck on the roads!

Until later...