Christmas Eve, 2020

That was the Christmas Eve sunrise. Actually it was much more beautiful than that; that’s the best my phone and I could do.

After my walk I got 2 loaves of sourdough bread shaped, baked, and ultimately delivered, masked of course, to neighbors. I’m really enjoying making bread, and especially giving it away. If it’s here I’ll eat it all. 🙂 (I’d made a loaf with rosemary and roasted garlic I gave to a friend several days ago for an early gift.)

I also made 25 meatballs and a huge pot of sauce. Then I put together this lasagna. It’s ready for the frig; I’ll bake it tomorrow and enjoy it with my son.

Here’s another bit of my handiwork. I made this valance from 10 pin loom squares, woven with a hemp-cotton blend yarn.

I’d seen it on the Schact website a year or more ago, and was waiting for the right place to have a reason to make one. My newly painted and updated bathroom provided that. Like almost everything in life, it took longer to make than I’d hoped. Working on the pin loom with a yarn that has absolutely no stretch was challenging, although I did get better at it as I went along. And I only needed 10 squares, so it was totally do-able.

Then I had to starch the squares. Not having starched anything since high school, I looked online and found a recipe for homemade starch (cornstarch and water).

I still can’t show you most of the gifts I made for Christmas, and now I know that two of my boxes, despite being sent Priority, aren’t going to arrive until after Christmas, so I figured I’d show you what I can. The box with these was delivered to West Virginia today, and while perhaps not yet opened, those friends don’t read my blog so it’s safe. 😉

If you read my blog with any regularity you know I always have socks on my knitting needles. And I have a wealth of hand knit socks in my drawer. So a few months ago I decided to repeat a gift from a few years ago for a dear friend of 40+ years and her husband. I knit them each a pair of socks.

Chuck’s socks are my basic ribbed socks all from toe to cuff. Knit in self-striping yarn, with a solid for the cuff to make them long enough.

Anne’s socks are my new favorite lace pattern. I’ve made myself 2 pair in this pattern, and find them great – both soft and well fitting.

I spent a bunch of time today reading. So nice to just sit and read. A great way to spend the holiday, if you ask me.