Thanksgiing

I finished and gifted the Santa Vest to my Dad. He loves it! It fits perfectly, and it looks great on him. He has requested a matching belt pouch for carrying mini candy canes for when he's visiting with children at the hospital, etc.

Here is the requested pouch, knit and felted and ready for a button. I should have it in the mail to him by Wednesday, if all goes well. I think I'll make a button with polymer clay - something that will look like a mint or something, don't you think?

I've also gotten lots of good "notes" and tips on what makes a good knit hat from "the boys". Dad, my brother, and my brother-in-law all coached me one morning while my brother made breakkies (wearing the hat I made for him last year). I even have a "perfect" hat, according to my brother, to use as a guide. I've now purchased appropriate yarn for his hat (he is the pickiest one because he needs things that are historically accurate for the 1840's), and will start his hat soon. I've gotten him some great reddish stuff that I'll knit to spec.s in a very tight gauge. Also, I've been overestimating his head size, so with this sample hat I'm more likely to get that correct.

In the meantime, I'm doing some mindless knitting. I've started a "more perfect" hat for my b-i-l. He's a rabid Buckeye Fan, hence the red and gray. I had already purchases this gray - baby alpaca grande - and have the red leftover from Santa clothes. My change is that I'm using smaller needles (9 instead of 10.5) so it'll be a denser gauge, and I'll knit it longer so he can roll it up more and be able to cover his ears with several layers if needed.

I've also decided to knit up some washcloths for quickie gifts for folks like my boss and hostesses of holiday parties, etc. They're easy, quick, and turn out lovely. I have a friend who makes soap that I might hit up for some bars to add to the gifts.

The long weekend at Mom and Dad's was really wonderful (despite having horrible intestinal problems as a result of my long-term dosing of heavy antibiotics), and despite hubby having a terrible toothache that has turned out to be a terrible infection requiring a root canal. Poor thing! Since we've got home, I've made 8 batches of jello and 2 kinds of soup, just to get him some nourishment until he can be worked on.

I'll be reporting on my fancy hair and my 25th HS reunion and meet-up with old friends in a subsequent post. I can only upload 5 pics a day, and I've already reached my quota.

I spent a great hour this evening at Starbucks. I used a gift card I happened to have, so it seemed like free, and it was enjoyable. I get a sick satisfaction out of ordering my coffee in the wrong order. Tonight I said "I want one of those peppermint mochas, but can you make it decaff? Oh, and I'd like it to be lowfat. I'll take a super large." LOL The Barristas had to repeat it in the correct order several times hoping, I'm sure, to teach the uninitiated what it should rightly be called. Blah to that! I will continue to call it Extra Large! I will continue to say it in whatever damn order I please! So there! Mike says I'm evil. (mwuahahaha).