An Early Visit from Santa

Yesterday was a lovely, leisurely day. My landlord was next door, helping the new neighbors move in about 10 days ahead of when we both thought it would happen. The plumber was there, connecting their gas fireplace, and he swung through here as well, checking for gas leaks and finding none. So that was good.

I’ve met the mother, who seems very nice. It’s a little strange to hear signs of life from next door, and I like it. This is a very old duplex, so if they open or close a door, the frame creaks over here. And presumably vice versa.

I spent most of the day on the couch, watching movies and knitting. [I did do a little bookkeeping, tweaking my budget spreadsheet for next year.] I am three pattern repeats from the start of the toe decreases on Willow’s sock. And I did something creative with the patterning on the toe portion of the first sock, so it will probably not be my best choice for church knitting today.

I have yet to hear back from Lark on my idea for her scarf/shawlette. She had a wrestling tournament yesterday, and her phone may still be charging. So I will take that ball of laceweight silk yarn that has tried to be something, at least twice and been frogged both times, and start something mindless for myself. There is a cowl in the Winter 2010 Interweave Knits which is designed for self-striping yarn. You knit a verylongstrip on the bias, and then you join it together with a crochet hook and chain stitch. I will tweak the gauge and the number of stitches and attempt one for me, and a smaller one for Blessing, as the yarn is peacock blue and teal and turquoise and caramel brown. It should go with her teal sweater very nicely, and I can envision variations on the theme which would make it my own design and therefore suitable for me to reproduce in doll-scale.

The new guy and I exchanged Christmas presents last night. I parked my car next to his at the dance, and I left at 11:00 so I could pick up milk and a few other things before the Sabbath. [I told you that I had a bad case of finish-itis. I didn’t leave the house at all yesterday, until it was time to head out for the dance.] I gave him a seasonal ceramic plaque, which he tells me is now hung up in his living room along with the last 7 candy canes he did not hand out as Santa Claus last night. He gave me a gift card to Michael’s and a miniature teddy bear for Chutzpah, which Mel-Mel Chan helped him pick out.

Behold:



The bear is about as long as my little finger, and fully-jointed. Just precious. So far there is no grumbling from the other resin kids that she has a bear, where’s mine?

So, now I’ll be able to replace my hot glue gun and get some other things I’ve been wanting but couldn’t quite justify.

Says he: You’re a hard woman to shop for.
Says I: I am at that.
Says he: Michael’s has yarn.
Says I: No, yarn stores have yarn.
Says he: I’m sorry.
Says I: No, I’m tickled! I have quite a list of things I’ve wanted and needed that Michael’s has, and now I can get them. This is great!
Says he: (big relieved grin)

He did put on the Santa suit, midway through the dance. I got to slow-dance with Santa Claus. And while he was still in civvies, one of our mutual friends walked up with a camera and a sprig of mistletoe and coerced him to give me two pecks on the cheek.

It doesn’t really count as a first kiss. That, if it ever comes, will be voluntary, mutual, and undocumented.