A New Fast Test Knit: Christmas Angel

 As I was furiously knitting along the bottom border of the Love Knots Blanket test knit at my sister's house over Thanksgiving, I glanced at Yarn Pond and found another test knit that looked quick and easy.  It was a Christmas Angel ornament for the Christmas tree.  I applied and was accepted.

The angel was expected to be knit in #10 Crochet cotton on size 0 or size 1 double pointed needles.  I did not have them, and certainly did not have them in North Carolina with me,  so I ordered ChiaoGoo double points that would arrive the day the test knit was supposed to be completed.  Oh well.  At that point I had not yet been accepted into the knitting pool, so this purchase was totally "on spec".

The next day I checked and found that I HAD been accepted.  The only yarn I had with me at my sister's house was the worsted weight wool from Hilda Yates that I was using on the Love Knots Blanket.  I did have a circular needle free so I cast on and started.  The knitting was going a little slow because of the number of stitches being stretched over the needle. The next day after going with my sister to her hair appointment (where my hair was cut, too...think modified Dorothy Hamill haircut...looked great when he got done.  Not so great today, but...oh well.) I realized that I needed some of the right sized double points if I had a prayer of completing this project.

We went to Hobby Lobby where I found exactly the right needles with nice sharp points like the ChiaoGoo needles at one-third the cost!  We also found gray thread that I needed and a Christmas tree that Dear One hoped we would get but was reluctant to pay the price.  We got the tree.  As it turned out they were half-price.  Since it was Black Friday it turned out the trees were half the price of the half-price!!!  Dear One was really happy.  The tree is very skinny which is what we need for our front porch where we want it.  Yes, of course it it a fake tree, but that is fine down here. I don't want to bring any unexpected wildlife into the house down here!

Speaking of wildlife, when we returned from North Carolina on Saturday night we found that "someone" whose name will be excluded to protect the guilty, had left an open sleeve of Ritz crackers on the island.  It was CRAWLING with ants!  Just plain disgusting.  We had a hard time killing them.  I finally ended up spraying them with vinegar water.  I had hopes they would die out.  Not so.  We may have to get the exterminator...

This is the Christmas angel completed.  Instead of crocheting a string hanger for the top I knitted an I-cord ring.  This is natural colored yarn though it does not look like it.  There were a few issues with the knitting but I did manage to get it eventually.  It helps to actually read the pattern...and have the instructions sink into your brain clearly.  I will probably make another one.  If I had been using Number 10 crochet cotton and size 0 needles, I am afraid I would have been a quitter....  Now having been able to take out the thick wool yarn a dozen times (at least!) I think I might try with the itty bitty needles that came today...just not right away.  Still have a bit more Christmas knitting to do, and then the Love Knots Blanket test knit.