YOP - Week 26

Merry Christmas, Dear Readers!

First things first - I can now show you my Christmas illusion knits:

for my daughter and her husband: (this is the name of their band)



for my niece:


for my brother:



for my son:


and I also made him a double-knit pot-holder - this is the chinese seal for the year of the ox - his zodiac sign. It is made out of hemp and he loves the one I gave him a few years ago and says he uses it all the time.






and I finished Yoda and his buddy the good-guy Stormtrooper




My Peace Cowl was finished at a lovely solstice Knit night with ten of my knitterly friends.



and I even wrote a poem about the evening.

Twas four nights before Christmas
And all through Cait’s house

Three creatures were stirring
Barnum, Simon and Mouse

The Stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that some Knitters soon would be there.

The stash it was nestled all snug on its bed
While visions of socks, shawls and sweaters danced in its head.

And Cait in her sweatshirt, Mary-Anne with her wine
Had just settled down with some cookies to dine.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
We sprang from our chairs to see what was the matter

Away to the windows we flew like a flash
Peeked through the blinds and then hid our stash.

The twinkling lights on last week’s snowfall
Gave some light to this solstice
This dark night of all.

When what to our wondering eyes appears
But a bevy of cars and nine knitterly dears

With Joan in a sweater so lively and quick
With pictures of Santa, also known as Saint Nick.

More rapid than eagles these women they came
And they whistled and shouted and we called them by name.

Now Belinda, Now Debbie, Now Judy (with coffee)
Now Marjorie and Ruth (did they bring the toffee?)

On Liz and On Marlie (had they come from afar?)
On came Elise (with her soup in a jar).

To the top of the porch, through the door to the hall
Come in, come in, come in one and all.

As beautiful yarns before us arrive
When they meet with our needles
(Or when we stash dive)

So into the house these knitters they flew
With baskets of food and some knitting to do.

And then in the room, we heard it so quick
The clicking and clacking of many a stick.

As we filled our glasses and plates all around
In Wendy came with a joyful bound.

She was dressed as from work from her head to her shoe
And her clothes were spotted with paint, glitter and glue

She greeted us warmly and wanted to talk
But Simon, the dog, he wanted a walk.

Our eyes how they twinkled, our voices so merry.
The food was delicious, the chocolates Cait carried!

We knitted and chatted
And laughed all the same

We looked at our projects
And called them by name.

We oohed and we aahed at all that we do
We talked of our Christmas, and peace cowls too.

As we knitted and purled and frogged a few stitches
Our projects all grew with very few hitches.

We spoke lots of words, for we had been asked
To bring peace to this night was what we’d been tasked.

The world needed peace this year most of all
And knitters ,the world over, answered the call.

A fine group of women ,we gathered outside
With our candles and cowls, our smiles so wide.

For a few brief hours our troubles abated
Our need for love and good friends more that sated.

And I heard us exclaim as we drove into the night.
Happy Solstice to all, And to all a good night.


(With apologies to Clement C. Moore)


I have two things on the needles as I head into 2017.

My Scottish Hap which is coming along slowly and surely - I am totally in love with this yarn. It is a BFL single and the colour and springiness of the yarn is amazing.


and a Runic Hat that I have decided to make that is knit with a lining it, but it is better TV knitting that the Hap - which needs a LOT of concentration.

So that's it for me.


I ordered some washable wool from Laughing Hen in the UK to make the Tree of Life christening blanket using the pattern Cloud Drift from Ravelry.

I seem to keep adding new projects to my list, but hey, there is still six months of knitting in this challenge so it is all good.

Blessings to all of you this day and may peace follow you through the 12 Holy Nights.