Christmas Knitting Journal--Day Five

Last night I awoke shortly before midnight after a nightmare and was still awake when the power went off just after 1 AM.  (That was NOT the nightmare...!)  Since I would then not be able to sleep I got up, found my headlamp and went to the pantry to take down a battery-powered lantern from the top of the freezer and thus being prepared, went to the Upper Regions where all my knitting doodads are located. I picked up the second convertible mitten and started on the thumb.  When that was completed I began the fingerless glove insert.

Around 4 AM the power came back on.  Time to hit the hay!

When I leaped out of the bed (well, "leaped" is a bit of a stretch...!) to answer the telephone, I discovered that Grammie-services might be needed in the afternoon.  Yay!  One of my best times.  I love spending time with the children.  They are such a delight. I wish more of them were close so we could develop a stronger relationship.  Well, from my end, I feel very close and adore them all.  From their end, they have very little opportunity to know me and their grandfather except through conversations.

Anyway, back to the subject!  I spent some time working in the kitchen then more time organizing my knitting needles, especially the short glove double-pointed needles, which I put into labeled snack bags.  The ones I needed for the remaining knitting projects I placed in my take-along tool bag.  That was very satisfying.

It turned out that the Grammie-service was not needed this afternoon, and a major snowstorm put the evening potentiality out of the question...so, home for knitting.

The first project was to throw the stegosaurus into the washing machine to felt.  After twenty minutes the major part of it was beautifully felted.  Unfortunately a lot of the stuffing moved into part of the tail, giving the tail are rather pregnant appearance as well as not felting properly.

After pulling out much of that "tail stuffing" I put the stego back into the washing machine for another ten minutes of felting.  This time:  same thing!  So, I pulled out some of the unsightly bulging, trying to shove some of it back into the body which is now rather depleted so the stego looks like it is going through a bad spell food-wise.  I decided that this guy is going to have to be it as I don't have materials to make another one and I don't have the time.  Perhaps this creature will be loved, even if it is at the end of a starvation cycle.

Next I put some Red Velvet Cookies in the refrigerator to chill for two hours and picked up the last convertible mitten and went to work.  At shortly before 11 PM I finished weaving in the last end.  These mittens are adequate but I am still not satisfied.  I may try to perfect the pattern with my knitting, but some other year.  I do have one orphaned convertible mitten....the prototype, which I may finish sometime, but now...on to the gloves-with-mouse-faces-on-the-fingertips...but that is a project for a new day.