Cowls and Yarn and... Ornaments

So today I decided to begin tackling one of my last Christmas presents on my list. My brother's long time girlfriend's scarf.

Which I just decided to make into a cowl instead.

I don't know... cowls seem cool and modern and scarves seem classic. So I decided to do something more modern because it seems more like her style. And the color is to die for. It's a rich teal color that is perfect with her skin tone.

So when I was researching different things to do I came across a pattern where you use super chunky yarn. Mine's a normal weight so it wouldn't work. But since I already bought the yarn for its color a couple months ago for a different (failed/postponed) project I didn't really want to go out and have to FIND the yarn. It's really hard to find chunky yarn, just in case you were wondering. And I work for Michaels. And we don't even carry that thick of yarn. I mean this stuff is supposed to be about an inch thick. AN INCH.

So I thought to myself... I have a little circle knitter (or whatever they're called... they look like this) and knit the yarn for it.

Then I sat down to watch some TV while I knitted and it took me about half an hour to get a foot down.

Now here's my geek side showing.

There are 15 days before Christmas (but I'll go with 14 since it's midnight.) That means that there are 24 hours times 15 days for a total possibility of 432 hours. That would make about 432 feet, or 144 yards of crocheting fabric. (I'm using fabric for lack of a better word.) Now that's not including the time I have to eat, sleep, go to work, and go to school... and the other time I spend doing other things. Let's say then, that I got about three hours of work in everyday. So that brings the amount down to 45 hours and 45 feet, which is 15 yards. Now the pattern that I have requires at LEAST 170 yards of material.

No go.

So I had this long strand of stuff that I'd done and I thought... hey. I can use this for the base of a scarf! So I started crocheting along the strand and at the ends tied them to make a circle. Now while I was doing that I didn't notice (fail) that the knitted bit that I was crocheting around had twisted. Oops. So now the scarf was spiraling. Now that won't work.

Then I decided... hey! Let's make a rippled scarf!

So far it looks pretty good... though I must say it has a kind of spirally pattern in the different layers I stitch that wasn't intended but looks interesting.

All in all I have about three inches (in thickness) of a cowl done and  it took me three hours...

Deer Lawd... Thank God I can crochet fast...

Anyways yesterday afternoon we bought a Christmas tree. Today I invited Der Boifriend over to help decorate it.

He wasn't much of a help. He unwrapped the ornaments and went on chatting with my mom while I put up everything. My mom told me how to put the lights up and then, as she puts it, "Managed" the work we were doing.

So you know how you forget what kinds of ornaments that you have until you unwrap them? Well apparently I had a HEDGEHOG ornament. It's so cute! It's made of wood and the shells of (I think) pistachios. I saw it and I told my mom that when she dies I get it. Then she reminded me that she bought one for my brother and I to have one Christmas and gave it to us as stocking-stuffers. Sure enough, my name and the year was written on the bottom of it.

SCORE

I've always wanted a hedgehog.

So now I have about ten ornaments people have given me over the years, including that one and a gaudy one my Oma gave to me that is huge, heavy, and plays music when you wind it and open up the doors. Let's just say that one's just for making sure that the tree doesn't topple over...