Holidays and knitting

Dear blog, It is nearly midnight on December 22nd. Christmas is so close I can taste it. I hope everyone has been having a pleasant holiday season, I certainly have been enjoying mine. There is snow everywhere which is rare for us, and all of the kids are enjoying playing around in their big coats and hats and snow boots. I enjoy being surrounded by my family, we're having lots of fun, eating good food, watching good movies, and trying to learn Na'vi, the language created for the movie Avatar which came out recently. I know it's not knitting related exactly, but I'm finding it to be not only a challenge, but a deliciously geeky past time. I have nothing but respect for the creator of Na'vi, he's clearly a mad genius in my book. I would only suggest that perhaps he need not have tried quit so hard to make it sound so 'exotic'. Today I found out that I am totally incapable of rolling my R's. I spent hours asking other people to demonstrate, and making the most ridiculous noises, spitting, gurgling, blowing raspberries, and in general making a complete fool of myself; Sounding like a dying car engine or an air mattress with a leak. I'm sure this wont be the last of the road blocks in this language's phonology!

I never did post pictures of my fetching gloves. I will get around to it eventually, for now I'll just say I have been convinced in the power of blocking. I used to imagine that blocking was only ever really important when you were knitting fancy things like lace, and I certainly felt that it was unnecessary for cables. However after blocking the Fetching gloves I realize what a terribly ignorant misconception that was. I shall be blocking all of my knitting from now on. (with exceptions for the acrylic stuff, of course.)

I'm nearly done with the Empress coat. I felted it yesterday, and let me tell you the sweating that went into it....
It was so easy. All I did was stick it in a pillow case, put it in the wash, and forget about it. Later after the wash had finished I pulled it out, lay it out flat on the floor, and let it dry. Just moments ago I had my mom try it on, and it seems to be a perfect fit. I can not say how both delighted and relieved I am. Just a few buttons and a quickly knit belt are all that remains before this project can be crossed off my list and graduated to FO status ^__^

Cheers,
Theo