Christmas Tree Progress

Well I decided I was feeling better and I desperately need to get a few groceries so ran a couple quick errands, did a load of laundry and then spent a good about of time staring at the tree trying to figure out which strings I need to cut out of the Christmas tree to get ride of the ones that were burnt out and also the string above them that flickered at will. 

 

Note there seems to be three large branches in about the middle that are dark – there are actually more and then about the next foot of tree up from that had a case of the flickers.  So I pulled to very top section off (which was above the flickering and lit up correctly) and the I got out my trusty scissors and made a few snips but most of it was time consuming untwisting and unwinding.  I have to say, they really had those lights securely wound into the branches — a little better than they needed to! LOL I was about to call it quits and decided I’d do two more branch sections and finally found the end I was searching for.

 

This is what I ended taking out of the tree – that’s a lot of lights for the 1/4 or less of the tree that I took them off of.  I did NOT put that many lights back in but here it is – in all it’s light glory with ALL the tree lighting up and nothing flickering.   I still need to go back and fluff a few more branches but its ready for when I decide to pull out the ornaments.

 

  But that’s too much work for one day and I’m not in a hurry to get the tree decorated — I’ll enjoy it just glowing in the corner for a while.

One thing I did get in the mail this week was FREE yarn!  Eat.Sleep.Knit puts scratch off cards in all their orders they send out.  Sometimes it’s $5 off your next order or higher dollar amounts, sometimes there’s kits of various types or a free hank of Malabrigo yarn of your choice.  Before their Black Friday sale I had sent in three tickets to be added to my account – two for money off next time I buy andone for free yarn.  The free yarn I chose was piedras colorway.  It’s a little washed out in the flash but pretty shades of greens, browns, burgundy, grays, golds — lovely fallish colors.  Gotta love free yarn.

Saturday Dec. 8

It’s been a busy week and then Thursday night I caught an evil stomache bug that has been going around the office.  Chills, fever etc (I’m sparing you the details).  Every time the aspirin wore off the chills started again.  I spent yesterday in the chair covered up with several blankets attempting to watch a movie — which I started over about five times but kept falling asleep so haven’t really seen it all yet.  Too sick to even knit so you know it was bad.

But today, I ‘think’ I am greatly improved — at least I hope so.

Several people have asked about where to get the Ruffled Neckwarmer pattern.  I’ve listed it several times but there’s the link to it again.  It is super easy and very cute and you could still whip one up as a holiday gift.  I’ve got a second one I’m working on in a slightly thicker yarn. This one I’m going to make the ruffle a bit wider on I think.

I haven’t had time to do any sewing, did a little bit of knitting on a scarf on the way to and from work, but mostly my evenings the last week have been madly working on two new quilt designs for Hoffman California Fabrics.  My Cardinal bird was just perfect for one of the fabric collections for next year’s christmas fabrics so for those who asked for the bird blocks – at least one of them will be making it’s debute in the future.

My christmas tree still has not had the dead string of lights pulled off it (or cut out of it since the prelit trees have them wound in the branches very  tightly) and I need to pull out the other string that’s got a case of the flickers before I can finally put in new lights (which I did buy) put the top section on the tree and decorate.  The apartment is a mess, there’s laundry to do…hmmmm yes things are a bit out of control around here.  Think I’ll just go back under my nest of quilts and try watching that movie again! LOL

Earlier this week I did find time to order a bit of this yarn – the Seasoning Series – I got “childhood revisited” and “vacation day”.  I love socks with coordinating heels and toes so this yarn is just perfect.  And I also ordered a Loopy Cake to make this Waves Cowl.  I generally don’t go for pastelly colors but I think this pattern will be very pretty in them.

Now to hit the shower and make some coffee and see if I’m really feeling up to snuff.

Oh and one last thing – Jean Stokes emailed and said I could share her photo of her CTS quilt.  Didn’t it turn out lovely!!!!  Thanks Jean for sharing.