Java Blue

Here's another piece I made for the Art Bead Scene monthly challenge. The lovely lampworked beads are called "Java Blue" and they were made by Lezlie Belanger of Canterbury Keepsakes. The combination of chocolate brown and blue is one of my favorites and, as usual, Lezlie's stringer work is so beautiful.

The Husband and the Short One both came down with a stomach bug on Friday and, as a result, we spent most of the weekend at home feeling under the weather. Just as well, as the snow/freezing rain that hit us wasn't really conducive to going out and doing much. However, despite feeling not quite himself, the Short One still managed to make the amazing discovery that Mama is ticklish. I spent a good part of Sunday trying to get chores done while Someone kept sneaking up on me, running tiny hands across my middle and giggling uncontrollably as I jumped five feet straight up and yelped (I really am quite ticklish). Considering that he spent other parts of the day trying to stick his fingers up my nose (what is going through his mind at times like this - I would give good money...), it was still a lively weekend from my perspective.

My mother, who is visiting, decided to make Christmas ornaments out of felt for the SO, since we're not putting anything on the tree this year that is remotely breakable. After three nights of cutting, sewing and stuffing little trees, snowmen, apples, etc., etc., she's discovered what you and I already know - Handmade is Hard Work.

Speaking of which, how is everyone coming with their handmade Christmas gifts? This is the first year in a long time that I'm not knitting like a fiend for the holiday (probably a relief to all of my relatives - I'm never really certain that they want hand-knit gifts for the holidays. I just take advantage of the fact that they're my relatives and can't really complain when I give them hand-knit gifts.).

Just out of curiosity, does anyone knit gifts for their spouse/significant other? The Husband was in line for a sweater of his own, but then the Short One arrived, and he got bumped down the list, again. With apologies to H, it's a sad fact that I'd far rather knit a sweater for someone less than two feet tall who wears sunny pastels than for someone who wears a size large (Mens) and only seems to wear dark brown clothing. (Okay, this is a slight exaggeration - he likes charcoal grey, too.) Also, I've never completely recovered from knitting him a scarf when we were dating. He kept telling me he wanted it longer so he could wind it completely around his neck at least once. I think he tried on the Work in Progress and told me it was too short at least three times. After knitting the same pattern for an eon and a half, I finally finished blasted thing. When I asked him how he liked it, he replied, "Well, it's a little too long..."

I actually bought some really nice cashmere yarn on sale in July (July is a good time to buy nice yarn around these parts - just saying the word "wool" seems to make everyone break out in a sweat). I think I will try to knit H. another (shorter) scarf with it this month, but that will probably be my only holiday knitting. I can't tell if I've been liberated or if I'm just being a wuss this year. Probably the latter.

Have a great week, everyone. Thanks for stopping by.