Wednesday 24 November 2010

Back on track

After a wonderful week away in Vancouver I am back home, back to work and back on track. We are super busy, working away all day, however despite all the important work things that I need to be doing I am now currently totally obsessed with getting organized for Christmas! We even got our Christmas tree last night! I am beyond excited about it. After much deliberation we decided to go the artificial route, my family switched to an artificial tree years ago, so I don't have the same nostalgic connection to real trees that many people have. With the artificial tree, we can re-use the same tree year after year, we can put it up early and leave it up late if we want to because there is no risk of it dying, and my favorite part is that you can bend and manipulate the branches to easily hang ornaments in every single spot on the tree. 

Chris & Tanis circa 2006
So, our tree is up! I am so excited to have our own house and our own Christmas tree! Chris and I put up a little Charlie Brown Christmas tree in our first apartment the first Christmas we lived together, (and that little number cost us around $25, so going the artificial route we'll definitely save money in the long run) but since we always spend Christmas with our families at our parents houses we haven't felt the need to put up our own tree for the past couple of years. Even though our tree isn't decorated yet is already feels so warm and festive! We don't have many ornaments, but I have plans to make some this year, which I'll fill you in on once I get that ball rolling. We also have to put up our outdoor lights, I'm getting all giddy just thinking about the holidays! I may not like Halloween, but I love Christmas!

While I was in Vancouver I got a bit of Christmas knitting done. I knit one sock for my dad in Anne Hanson's Cinder Block sock pattern in TFA Purple Label Cashmere sock yarn in Olive.

Cinder Block Socks

I also started (and am now close to finishing) a Just Enough Ruffles Scarf for my mother in law in TFA Purple Label Cashmere sock yarn in Poppy. I'm knitting this with two strands of yarn held together and it is so delicious! Thick and soft and red luxurious. She's gonna love this!


And though this last piece isn't for Christmas, it is gift knitting; I have a friend expecting a baby girl in February and her baby shower is at the beginning of December. Last night I went through my DK weight scraps and picked out all the pink and purple leftovers and cast on for a simple baby blanket. I'm really hoping that I can finish this in time, it may be very simple knitting, but it's a lot of knitting! I'm hoping that Chris can help. I'm planning a wonky log cabin style blanket that turns out something like this.
Baby blanket - day 1