I love holidays....

I know were not actually at the holidays yet, but it feels like it. I have a group of friends at work and we have so much fun, (they are all learning to knit) we have dinners and party's planned all the way up until Christmas, I'm the only English one, so I benefit from trying all the wonderful food that each of us cooks. Last weekend was firstly Carmen's farewell party on sat night, then our Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday, my first, and boy was it wonderful, I've never had pumpkin pie before, but I think it might become a tradition. Then yesterday was our German Gingerbread party, where we had so many different kinds of ginger bread and tea. Today for dinner we are having a traditional Spanish dish with beans and chorizo and lots of other things that Carmen is cooking us. Then  on Wednesday we have our social psychology tradition where we all go for lunch somewhere nice, and then late afternoon after plenty of food and wine we all go ice skating to the winter wonderland in Cardiff. OK, were not done yet! Friday is our staff party with a delicious Christmas menu...welsh style! (I love this party, the lecturers always let their hair down and there's enough bad behavior to keep us entertained for months.) Then Saturday night we are having a Mexican party, to say goodbye to my special Spanish friend Sole. Then of course we have Christmas. Let's just say I'll probably be rather fat after that. Oh and not forgetting our stitchn'bitch Christmas party. I've never had a  year like it, and will probably never have one again, so I wanted to document it.

So in the spirit of things I put up our Christmas tree, yes I know I'm a Buddhist, but I like to use the excuse that we are celebrating the pagan festival of winter solstice.

Here it is:

So knitting anyone? A couple of weeks ago I spun some yarn, and gave it to Carmen to work her 'I can't read patterns but I always make amazing thing's' magic and this is what she made:

And here's a picture of the back of my head with it on!

It is so warm!

OK then this afternoon we were putting some kits together for the shop when she spotted some fleece which she loved, so I thought I would spin her something a bit special because I won;t have the pleasure of her company because she goes back to Spain next week. So I spun her a very thick yarn with a serious amount of silk in it. Silk always seems like you should spin it thin because it's special but really it spins up so well when it's thick. Here's the result:

The shiny turquoise is the silk! I can;t wait to see what she does with it.

I will make some more like this for the shop, its so amazing.