Seven Things

The knitting has not been going terribly well. But in a properly festive holiday spirit, I present...

Seven Things That Make Me Happy

1. The shiny new cast iron skillet TB gave me. Cast iron has many virtues, including heat retention and an almost perfectly non-stick surface when properly seasoned. But mostly it excels at frying the shit out of large hunks of meat. The eating, it will be good around here.

2. My friend Kelley, who told me "I planned to buy you yarn, but then I found Jesus." This finding Jesus thing seemed wildly out of character, until you realize that by "Jesus", she meant this figurine, a most stellar addition to my religious kitsch collection.



3. Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies from TwinKnit. I am not a baker by inclination (measuring things not exactly being my strong point). But spicy chocolate cookies with cayenne pepper? Dude. So damn tasty.

4. These socks. Standard sock pattern in Trekking XXL, and a Jaywalker (yes, it's too small, thanks for asking) in Knitpicks Bare Koolaid-dyed by me.



The Trekking is particularly charming, because the color shifts imperceptibly moment-by-moment. I thought this would make me knit faster to get to the next color change, but actually I just stop every thirty seconds to admire the colors. Wouldn't you?



5. Harmony wood DPNs. Sharp, slippy-yet-grippy and festively colored. Possibly the Perfect Form of sock knitting needles. I love them so much I split up the set between the two pairs of socks, so I could always be using at least three of them at a time. I suggest DPN sock knitters buy themselves several sets ASAP.

6. Glitter glue pens.

How have I lived this long without glitter glue pens? Take a little poster paint, cheap cardboard boxes from Michael's, a glitter glue pen, and the images of your choice, and you get something like this:



7. The single best Christmas card I have ever received (thanks, Craft Pirate!).



So happy holidays, everyone!

I'll be back in the New Year.