Straightfork Farm: Beautiful Weather is Hanging Around

After some rain last week, we have enjoyed some truly fabulous weather for early December. Blue skies and temperatures up into the 50's. No complaints here. We have had no measurable snow so far. There was a very light dusting one morning last week on the deck, but it did not even stick on the grass, as the ground was too warm. This nice weather is supposed to continue into the coming weekend, I believe. However, I will be traveling to Michigan with my mother to visit family and meet my brand new second cousin. I am looking forward to that and I hope the weather stays nice for our trip. I'd prefer not to have to drive 7 hours in snow coming home.

This past Saturday I had a booth at the local Christmas Festival in Woodsfield. It was a very successful day and I sold all 5 pairs of those fingerless mitts I made. I guess I need to have a couple more than that for next year. I wish I could be disciplined enough to make a pair a month. I think I will try for that.

Then on Monday, I went to the Christmas Party for POTC, the Parkersburg Obedience Training Club. There was also an award ceremony, and Grover and I got a plaque with title tags to hang on it. I have yet to put everything together. NA is Novice Agility, NAJ is Novice Agility Jumpers, and OA is Open Agility. We have since earned our Open Agility Jumpers, but we will not get that award tag until next year (and hopefully some more). Our next trial is a little over a week away.

Otherwise I have not been too busy. I've been getting my Christmas preparations underway, but there is just not that much to do. I don't shop much any more. I've had a rather Grinch-ish attitude about Christmas since my boys both moved out west. I just cannot get excited about it.

I finished the socks I have been working on for Sam. I'm glad they are done. I am not a huge fan of knitting socks. I like to wear them, but otherwise I find the knitting somewhat tedious. Its a good thing they don't take too long. These came out quite nice.

I have a couple of other things I am looking forward to knitting, one of which will be a big project, a sweater that is more like a coat. And a 3 color shawl I just started. I am using some yarn I had in my stash. Th yellow color I think is downright ugly. I bought it in a kit a couple years ago and did not know exactly what the color would be. It is an UGH in my book, but I think it will go nicely with the 2 other colors. I'm not overly fond of the green either. Sometimes when you order yarn online the colors are just different in real life than on a computer screen. However, I love the variegated. I won that from a podcast contest.

My rug loom is naked right now. I will get to work on that next week. I want to try something new.......My small loom at home is ready to weave on, BUT I need some parts for the loom to make all 10 treadles functional and I cannot proceed with my project until I get them. They are on order. I was hoping I could finish the project that is on the loom before Christmas, but I don't think it will happen. It has been one of those things. I had hoped to have this project done by Thanksgiving, but one of the yarn colors was back-ordered and took forever to get, so then I warped for my first ever 8-shaft project, and I don't have enough treadle ties, which never occurred to me until I wanted to start weaving. Ah well.