No More Fingerless Mitts...PLEASE!

Happy Post Holidays! Did you have a nice holiday? I must say that, as much as I enjoyed everything (and I was continually reminded of how superbly LUCKY I am in all ways), I'm really glad that it's all over (well, except for New Years') and I'm totally EXHAUSTED! The kids were crankier than usual (it might have been all the chocolate, cake and goodies that my parents brought over...hmmmm...) and I was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to be the "good hostess". Anyone else out there have the same experience?

We've had ONE SINGLE DAY with just the 4 of us since the 22nd. Every other day, we've had people staying over...mostly family...and then we're going to visit my family in RI on New Year's Day so that Tim can do the "Polar Bear" dip in the ocean. Brrr...makes me cold just thinking about it! I'm looking forward to the days when it'll just be the four of us again and even more to the days when it's just Ben and I at home during the day. If you're a stay-at-home mom, have you noticed how much more difficult it is to have your husband home during the week? I think I might murder him. (pick up your own damn dishes and clothes!!!) sorry.

I've also had a knitting-fingerless-mitts OVERLOAD and I will not be knitting anymore until at least next year. Not any sooner. I knit 5 pairs in the month of December. Hopefully, all of the recipients are wearing them. If not, they're OFF the knitting gift list. For good. Not to sound harsh or anything : P

Okay, so I'll leave you with little blurbs and pics of our holiday since the 23rd. Again, I am SOOO lucky. Any luckier and I would have to go and buy a Powerball ticket (which, for the record, I NEVER have).

Have a wonderful Knitting New Year!

G : )

1. Ben's cake (with Thomas the Tank Engine train that really works and goes around the track) and Ben opening up gifts...



2. My friends: Tammy, my sis Kim, Sarah (from knitting, who is still blogless) and Jackie at Ben's birthday party...



3. Mitts galore....Mike's Camoflauge Mitts and my mom's Fetching Mitts....



4. Ben and Tim on Christmas Morning....Ben in his new SpongeBob Jammies...oh, that boy is a HAM!...



5. Gifts to me...oh, that lovely, gimme-those-buns-to-squeeze-Ian got me.....a lazy kate to ply my spinning wheel bobbins from....



-a new RAZR phone in pink....



-awesome gifts from Jackie...Noro Kureyon for my Lizard Ridge and a beautiful pink wool/mohair from Steadfast Fibers....



-and the most beautiful swarovski crystal sheep magnets (in black and clear crystal) from Amanda...which I'm sorry to say don't have a picture right now because it came out incredibly blurry but, believe me, they are so pretty!

6. Here is the Space Invaders Hat that I made for Ian...now, I was going to write the pattern for it here, but I realized that if I did knit this again, I would do it a little differently. Because I knit the hat in the round and only had one space invader motif on the front, the colorwork was difficult and not at all attractive on the inside. I will have to modify it for the next hat...Tim wants me to make one for him but with a MegaMan on the front instead of the little space invader guy. So, here are pics of the hat knitting process:

-just finished the motif...



-graph I sketched up based on one I saw online....



-hat (inside view before weaving in ends...ugh)...



-final hat knitted...



-Ian in his hat, which I think looks awesome on him...



7. Tim in his new hat from one of the kits made by Jacey of Insubordiknit which was amazingly fun to knit and, which I think, is incredibly cool...I want one of them for myself!



-and a close up....



Whew...off to knitting!