Unraveled Wednesday, December 8, 2021

 Good Morning All,

How are you this morning?  I'm doing well.  In a bit I will manage to get dressed and then head to the office.  I don't plan to stay all that long - just thru the virtual Christmas luncheon we are having.  I need to get with Tom from IT about an issue and, of course, I have my personal packages to ship out via UPS.  My plan is to do a little shopping on the way home for someone I still need to buy gifts for - that would be Fletch.  Aside from finding some things for him, I believe my shopping is finished!!  Woo-Hoo.

Yesterday we talked a bit about a Christmas tree and what to do this year (Mabel was up on the banjo again yesterday!!).  We've come to the decision (I think) that we will get a table-top tree that we can set up in the living room.  One advantage of doing this is that it will not require moving furniture.  I've told Fletch he is in charge of that item.  After all, he brought home a gorgeous bouquet yesterday, so he does know how to pick out things!

Pretty, huh?  As usual, just ignore all the junk on the table.  But please note that the "Fall" tablecloth has been removed and a Christmas one put in its place.  I still have not done any other decorating, but I will...eventually....

Meanwhlie, it's Unraveled Wednesday and once again I am linking up with Kat and all the Merry Unravelers to talk about making and reading.  You may recall that I've had dismal luck with my final knit Christmas gifts.  None of the fingerless mitts I was attempting to make turned out.  Instead I picked up the yarn I had chosen for Bonnie's gift and knit Napping by the Fire which is a free pattern on Ravelry.  It is a pattern for a headband, but I've discovered it also makes a cozy cowl.  I added an extra repeat of the pattern to make it a bit wider and I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

The pattern doesn't jump out at you, but it is visible (click to enlarge).  The above picture was taken once I had let it dry and took it off the blocking mats.  I did not get around to sewing the two ends together, but I will do that (perhaps) tonight.  This is such pretty yarn (fingering weight, 100% merino wool) and reminds me of The Painted Desert.

Once I finished that I was going to try to find a pattern to knit for Leslie and I decided to not bother.  I have other gifts that I am sending her and I just didn't need or want to do a deadline knit.  I will make her something out of that pretty purple yarn, but perhaps I will send it to her for Valentine's Day or for a "just because" gift.  It will happen...just not for this Christmas.

On the reading side of things I finished Georgia which was ok.  Believe I have already mentioned that it wasn't exactly what I had hoped it would be.  Most of it felt like a cheap romance novel, or a bit of "chick-lit," but the end which seemed to be more about her art was better I thought.  Now I am in the midst of The Kill Artist which is the first in a series that Kat had recommended.  I'm a bit more than halfway through the book and it is definitely holding my attention.  There are a lot of characters though!  I've put in a request for some other books from my library and hopefully they will come in shortly.