Finally...I can get back to my knitting.

It is 7:45A on December 25th. After five weeks of holiday craziness, I feel as though I have my life back today. I'm sitting here with a cup of coffee having chosen Glenn Miller as the soundtrack to this morning's blog entry, and will be reporting on a new project shortly...

Last night my friend D and I volunteered to cook and serve dinner at a homeless shelter up in Salem. It was a really great experience, and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to participate. I think we served about 100 meals. I burned my finger, and ruined the clothes I was wearing. I haven't worked in a kitchen in years, and I'm not sure I was thinking too clearly when I headed up there in the clothes I wore to work (oh yeah, Einstein - wear the Eileen Fisher jacket. You don't need that anyway). My first chore was to finely chop three big garlic bulbs. Even after a shower last night and the passage of 16 hours, my hands still reek. I used a really nice chefs knife though. Nice weight and beautifully balanced - it made me realize that 1) all my knives are total crap and 2) I probably haven't even held a good knife since I was in hotel school 25 years ago. (Note to self: Get yourself a decent knife.) So I chopped garlic, D and I blended about 20 gallons of curried cream of butternut squash soup, I helped w/ the cacciatore sauce for the chicken, watched someone make caramel sauce, stirred the soup (forever) so that it wouldn't break or scorch and then helped to plate all the meals assembly-line style. It was awesome. All the residents and people there for dinner were so gracious and appreciative. I wish I could do more, and will make an effort to do more in the new year.
Check out my new orchid! It was a gift from my cleaning lady. I'm not great with orchids, but I know I won't kill it. Last year, she gave me a plant that was mostly dead when she came back two weeks later and all evidence of said plant was gone when she came back two weeks after that. I was so embarrassed. Total planticide in three weeks flat. I love orchids. I have two others, but one has been dormant for two years now I think. I should probably read an orchid book or something instead of just cursing it.

Last night I cast on Jennifer Hagen's Shredder Pullover. http://www.knittingdaily.com/media/p/37399.aspx It is a man's sweater but I'm making it for me. I had the opportunity to meet Jen over the summer when I was in Seattle on vacation, and it was one of the highlights of my year. I went over to D's last night after the dinner for a couple hours of knitting and watching Weeds. The Shredder Pullover is knit from the neck down, and the pattern starts as soon as the first row is joined in the round. I've screwed up the count on the second row twice now. I think I just have the markers in the wrong place, but I'll have to spend a couple minutes of quiet time to get this straightened out before D gets here later and I'm distracted by the Weeds/Dexter marathon we have planned. I'm using the yarn that I had originally bought to knit the Owl sweater, but I've decided not to make that one after all. I really don't like yoke sweaters. I have giant shoulders and a large bust, and I find they just don't fit me right. When I saw the Shredder Pullover in the most recent Interweave Knits, I loved it immediately. Then when I saw that Jen Hagen designed it, I knew it was meant for me. The yarn is a lovely dark gray color (pewter) and matches my Uggs perfectly. I do that matchy-matchy thing, so I'm really psyched to get this show on the road.

Okay. I have to make one final batch of nut brittle, so I'm signing off. I hope everyone has a nice day today celebrating in whatever way you see fit.