Goodbye 2012

Goodbye, 2012!

Today is the last day of 2012.  I think it's appropriate that I finish up my scarf and get it blocking before the clock strikes midnight.  It is a self imposed deadline (there's that dreaded word again).  I must finish this scarf before the end of the year and I'm oh so close.

And . . . I'm done.  There it is.  So pretty, a bit scratchy but DONE.

Solveig

Here's the scoop:
Yarn: Loðband Einband / Icelandic Laceweight
Pattern: Strik by Vedis Jonsdottir 
Published in Einband Icelandic Lace

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!

Memory Lane

While browsing my Ravelry notebook, I came across this little sweater I made and I thought to myself, in a lilting southern accent, "My goodness, I have a beautiful niece."  And then, "That is THE cutest little sweater I ever did knit."   That might have been Scarlett O'Hara.

 Soooooh (that's a Minnesota accent) It's sort of cheating to bring up knits from a million years ago and pretend like it's a new knit, but since it's so cute and I really don't have anything new to post regarding fiber artsy stuff, this will have to do.

My little Lizzy moved away to Utah.   I miss her terribly, but we all make a valiant effort to see each other.  Oh, and I gave her the sweetest little toy mouse.  I'll tell you all about it in the next post.  Am I sounding southern again?  Debbie H. - do I capitalize southern?

If you'd like to make an adorable sweater like this for your favorite little one, here are the specs:

Cable Yoke Jacket
by: Kyoko Nakayoshi
Needles: US7 and US8
worsted weight yarn -

GREAT pattern - online help if you get stuck, but you won't.

Ice Time

Remember when I got those contact lenses for the first time in my life. . . hmmmm . . . back in October, I think.  Getting them in has been a trial.  I managed to get them in myself two days in a row over Christmas.  Tenacious vanity won over easy practicality.  But now I keep losing my glasses.  So this morning, I tried to get them in without glasses and it's the blind leading the blind only it's just me and myself because I got a little cranky with Mr. and he left for work and so it's just me and my blurry fingertips and somewhere on there, an invisible contact lens.

Anyway, found my glasses, so it's back to easy practicality.  It's a million degrees below zero here in the tundra they call Minnesota.  However, it's never too cold for our state pastime.

Last year, the lakes were frozen and there was no snow, so it was like having the world's largest rink.  This year, we had (ok, my brother-in-law) to shovel a little rectangle to fit the family and someone got a little crazy and shoveled a path along the lake.

Even our dogs play hockey.  True story.

Merry Christmas (a day late and a cup of coffee too short) to all of you and happy holidays to the rest.
ps.  If you're wondering about my knitting, I did not finish the scarf for my niece.  Instead, she'll be getting a nice little package in the mail.  Hopefully before New Years.

Þorláksmessa

Tonight we celebrated Þorláksmessa with my husband's family.  My sister-in-law and her family hosted all of us at their beautiful home - decked out for Christmas. 

Þorláksmessa is an observance of Iceland's only saint and is always celebrated on the 23rd of December. 

Þorlákur was a 12th century Icelandic bishop, who was revered as the patron saint of Iceland after his death in 1193. He was (finally) canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1985. - Jol in Iceland

Traditionally, we would have eaten fermented fish, but in reality, no Minnesotan of sound mind would consider this a meal.  I've tried it.  I don't want to talk about it.  As with most immigrants, our family has modified certain elements of tradition because of what is available (and edible) here in Minnesota.  So the menu will include hangikjöt (smoked lamb), creamed potatoes, sweet/sour red cabbage and fried flat bread called laufabrauð.  

I just learned tonight from my mother-in-law that the cream was used to cover up the potatoes which were 

often bruised, rotting and 'unsightly' this time of year.

Those are my twerps.

That's Lumpy and me.

Good times.

All is calm. . .

What is everyone up to tonight?  I feel like the Christmas deadline is looming and the fact that I think of it as a deadline makes me mad.  But there it is.  I have the Robert Frost poem replaying in my head,

"And miles to go before I sleep.
And miles to go before I sleep."

Screw it.  My house may smell like stale laundry and the gifts are not under the tree but unwrapped and stuffed in big store bags in my basement.  But gosh darn it.  I want myself some peace and quiet.  And just now . . . right this very moment, I have it.  To my left, a football game is bounding along with a father/son audience.  In front of me, my girl child is reading a book.  A real live book . . . on my iPad.

And over there, at the kitchen table sits 12 year old Lumpy and his online medieval battlefield game.  Just now he moves in front of the fire and tries to displace her majesty.

And I in my kerchief am merrily (yes, merrily) knitting along on a Christmas gift for my gorgeous auburn haired niece.  She will love this.  She's cool that way - being a college kid and all.  She appreciates the hand-knit variety.

Merry Christmas to you Christmassy people.  And for the rest of you:
" Happy Festivus for the rest of us."

Dreadlocks and Redheads

Nothing like a little dreadlocked Anne Lamott to invigorate my holiday spirits.  She spoke at a local church here in the Twin Cities.  She was a delight and a breath of warm air (she flew in from Cali).  She makes me think of what a really cool aunt/mom would be like.  I want to be a really cool aunt/mom with dreads but they sound like a lot of work, so I'll stick with my boring mom hair.  I'll just be a kind-of-cool aunt.  

And up there, I'm working on a lacy scarf with some gifted Icelandic Lopi.  Remember those cool Icelandic ladies and the pope I spent the evening with at the Italian restaurant?  They gave me this pretty yarn.  Aren't they sweet?   That's the true color, thanks to my nifty camera.  I have a beautiful red-headed niece who may bet getting this for Christmas if I get it off the needles on time.

Spam-a-Lot

If you blog, then you get spam.  It shows up as comments and sometimes, it's worth sharing.  This is probably my favorite SPAM comment so far.  I wonder who/what does the translating.  Be sure to read to the last sentence. Enjoy:

"Many thanks most for your exciting as well as helpful opinions up to now. Considerably food regarding idea. A few attention grabbing strategies plus viewpoints all about. I can't state that To be sure with everything else which you point out when i didnrrrt admit the actual legitamecy of this write-up We would often be not aware in your understanding. Here is my homepage Treatments For Genital Warts on Kleiner - Icelandic Doughnuts"

Change of Plans

Plan A:  Up and early, dressed in your Sunday best and pile into the car for an Icelandic Christmas celebration at the decked out Swedish Institute.  

Plan B:  Light a fire, pull out the sleds and snow pants, slow down and enjoy the first true sight of Winter.

More often than not, Minnesota looks like a picture postcard of winter by November.  This year we've been enjoying and lamenting (we're a confused bunch) the warm, dry, unusual season.  Here was my drive to work a few days ago:

And here we are today. . .

HOORAY!