I stole this from Dianna who I gather got it from many others. It’s been making it’s rounds.

Christmas Meme

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? If I could just put something under the tree without any covering I would. And I have but I get made fun of. So I use some cloth bags and some paper because the girls like something they can destroy.
2. Real or artificial tree? I have a metal tree that I got as a gift when I worked in California. I worked in the office of a plant that made metal racking. The guys made metal trees one year ( I don’t know if management knew) and I was lucky enough to get one. I’m told it’s small and flat and not a really good tree, so we get a real one that everyone can take part in decorating.
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the weekend before Christmas
4. When do you take it down? Anytime between the 26th and the 30th. I like to have it down before New Years though I’m a slacker where household duties are concerned so it doesn’t always happen.
5. Do you like eggnog? There isn’t enough Rum in Maine to make it palatable
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My pony. Did I make you jealous for a second? No I didn’t get a pony for Christmas. I did grow up on a farm and I did have a pony though. You’ve put me on the spot and I can’t remember what my favored Xmas gift was. Maybe Mom remembers. Mom? Are you reading?
7. Do you have a nativity scene? No.
8. Hardest person to buy for? I don’t like to buy a lot of gifts so I’ll say the hardest person to make stuff for (which is what I like to gift) would be the husbeast.
9. Easiest person to buy for? Myself - oh um, right…. My girls.
10. Worst Christmas present you ever got? Meat of the month. No really, I don’t know if there even is such a thing. I can’t say that any gift is actually horrible because there is a kind thought behind it all. Though there were a few outfits purchased for me whenI was a teen (and less mature about the gift not just being about the material item), that I remember feeling were terrible.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? I call people. If I had time to write a personal letter to each and every friend, I absolutely would do that. A simple signed card seems so impersonal (and I have such little time that’s all I can do). So I try to call those that I can. I can talk and work at the same time.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? Bad Santa. haha - no. Um…. The Grinch
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? For the girls I start to pick things up at the fall fiber festivals. Yes, my life really does revolve around fiber. The fiber festivals to me herald the coming winter and holiday seasons.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.
15. Favorite thing to eat on Christmas? Spring rolls that I make. I usually only make the all out special ones for Christmas.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear or one color. Multi colors bug me for some reason.
17. Favorite Christmas song?The Ramones - Merry Christmas (I don’t want to fight tonight)
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.
19. Can you name all of Santa’s Reindeer? Nope, the brain seems to want to remember other things.
20. Angel or star on top of tree? For a few years it was a fish head (you had to be there). I suppose a star works just as good though.
21. Open presents Christmas Eve or morning. One Christmas eve and the rest in the morning.
22. Most annoying thing this time of year?Mean people. It used to be that people were so much nicer this time of year but now everyone just seems so much more stressed out and a little more mean.
23. Do you decorate your tree in any theme or color?We hang lots of old toys and action figures. That’s the only real theme. We have a few real ornaments too but it’s mostly actual toys that we’ve attached wire or ribbon to.
24. What do you leave for Santa? A naughty magazine and a bottle of vodka. Ok, not really - Santa is still all PG in this house. Chocolate chip cookies and Hot cocoa. I wonder what kind of presents I’d get if we did leave out the X-rated goodies.???

I’m working on an update- 3pm this afternoon.
I got Nana Boogie to update her site too with more sheepie stuff.

Can you believe it - only 13 days for you Christmas folks. Most people celebrating Hanukah hit their deadline last week. Not that anyone doesn’t appreciate a gift no matter when it arrives….

Today lets talk about the stuff made from cloth.

Mom has her Etsy shop up finally and she has a few sheepy things in there - A Pillow and a Quilt among other things.

There is a Secret Keeper in sheep that is quite cute

Of course there are stuffed Lambs, and Lamb blankets and other just adorable Lamb Lovies

And of course there are the ever popular… Bags. Much of what I found was on Etsy because I was looking for something unique but there are a few that are pretty darn cool that were main stream finds.

Cubes!
Sail Bags Made from Sails, you know, from ships.
Robot Pouch - He’s just cute.
The Purl Pod
Petal Scrunchie Bag
Fitter Knitter Bags
Beautiful Bags
Unique Satchel
And there’s The Baggler to carry it all. Miss Sheepish Annie herself recommends these and they’re made here in Maine. Think of how many bags you can carry at the next sheep and wool festival.

But wait! There are a few more finds.
Holders and Bags at Lauging Hens.
Needle Holders

If you want to make your own cutie stuff with cloth or you know someone you can wrap up cloth and call it a gift (raises hand)…
Cutie pie sheep, Some realistic Sheep and some with their Sheep dogs. If you want to get away from sheep, there are Knitting words. And then there is this stuff HERE I might have a couple yards of it in each color.

And so it’s not all just about gifts - I have finished some spinning.

Glaciers wool blend that I got from Amy at Electric Sheep. I spun it as a thick and thin that came out about 300 yards for 8 ounces. The bummer though is that I spun it on the Schacht Matchless and it’s in 4 hanks. If I had chosen to spin on the Louet, it would have been in 2 hanks. I really was disappointed to find the Matchless didn’t hold more yarn.

I finished the spinning for my shawl too:

The multi colored stuff is from Hello Yarn’s Fiber club - it’s 4 ounces of Baked Alaska in Romney. The other stuff is 10 ounces that I dyed to match. All together I have almost 2000 yards. I’m shooting for a giant shawl with this one. Adrian had dyed more so I have another 8 ounces of Baked Alaska coming. I don’t think I’ll need it all for this project but I like this colorway so I’ll surely find a good use for it. Maybe I’ll make matching hats and mittens then I could be all matchy.

Yesterday Margene blogged about her winter outfit. I often dress in a similar fashion. At night I don the big pea coat but days I often wear more comfy outfits so I can shovel or hustle kids along. Except I don’t think I pull it off as well as Margene. I have not got a spot of wintery clothing that matches. I think after my holiday knitting is done, I’ll be making a more matchy set of hat and mittens at least.

It’s snowing again.

Glorious isn’t it? I knew it was coming and it just made me really want some chili. I’m sure I blogged a recipe for chili before but it changes every time I make it so I don’t think it’s all that redundant to blog about the one I’m making for today.

Soak 16 ounces of Black beans overnight. Drain and rinse.

In a large stock pot - saute 1 large onion. Then add the beans and enough water to cover. Boil on medium until they’re soft. At the same time in your crock pot (Or wait if you are using just one pot on the stove) put in 2 quarts of tomatoes. I used the ones that my Mom had canned at the end of the summer. I add in garlic (amounts will vary to your taste, I add in a lot) and let it simmer for the same time as the beans are cooking.

I took out 1.5 cups from each pot to make other things. Beans will be used in tacos or on salads the rest of the week and the tomatoes I’ll use in a small soup for lunch.

Combine the beans and the tomatoes. Add in about 3/4 cup of TVP, Red Pepper flakes, Cilantro and Chili powder
to taste. Crock pot or low simmer for 5-8 hours. Mine will probably be there for 8 hours. Chili can sit there for more time as long as it’s not burning.

Fiber stuff.
Because we all know beans aren’t enough fiber talk for any of us.

I think the weekends are getting shorter. I seem to be accomplishing less “me” stuff. I did a bit of spinning but the rest of the time was spent daydreaming about new designs and working on the vest for Miss 7 going on 20:

If only I hadn’t fallen asleep on the couch while knitting….

A couple of weeks ago I decided the shop needed a wreath. I had an idea to make one out of fun fur. But then the thought o knitting with fun fur…. well. Most of you probably understand that feeling.

So I thought of a scarf that my sweet Aunt made me. It’s a prefectly green fun fur scarf. Well, it just had to become a wreath. I took a hay wreath (a styrofoam one would be jsut as good) and I pinned and stretched the scarf all around the wreath. Then I tied a bow over the spot where the scarf met ends.

Cute no? I have a desire to make more. So I’m going to take a couple of commercially knit scarves and make another for my home.

I actually have knitting done too:

I’m 2 inches away from starting the arm holes. Hopefully I’ll have this done soon. Though I’m itching to get some spinning done so I might end up setting this aside for a few days so I can get a pound or so of fiber spun up.

Have a great weekend - stay warm.

**EDIT** They’re gone again - The next batch will be here in January.

I had 2 come in and one is on it’s way out the door.
If you know your Sesame street, you’d know that one is left……


Quick, come try it out before it’s gone too. I don’t get more in until January.