Scrappy catch-up

 Yes, I've put up this picture before but it's here again, to represent the fact that I did manage my self inflicted (and I use the word advisedly) goal of knitting a pair of these socks for Christmas Day for every adult member of the family who will be gathered (hopefully) round the Christmas tree in Toronto. Five pairs of almost identical socks. It could have been a bit of a chore, but there again what else am I going to do while I'm sitting watching TV in the evening? The problem of actually finding anything worth watching is a subject to which I shall doubtless return but the latest Dr Who? - epic fail in this house. At least we stuck with it; there have been countless drama series recently where I've watched the first and sometimes even the second, episode and then given up because I just didn't care. 

Talking of Toronto there have ben several changes to the testing system for Canada in the past few weeks. It keeps us on our (anxious) toes. With omicron running rife we are anxious about failing the pre departure test to go, which would be hugely disappointing, but we're keeping ourselves to ourselves. We're both boosted and son no 2 gets boosted today and is under strict instructions to keep out of people's way as much as possible so we can only hope we'll be OK. 

We did LFTs the other day. Well the OH did; I failed miserable in my attempt to get any solution out of the bottle and into the testing device; another go this afternoon. I'm still inhaling Vick like someone addicted to eucalyptus, I exp0ect one day soon I'll look in the mirror and see a koala looking back at me. 

Son no 1 tells us there is snow in Toronto and the temperatures are very low. This does not fill me with joy as I am no good in very cold weather, unless all that is expected of me is to curl up in front of a fire with a good book. We are now frantically taking stock of thermals and gloves, hats and scarves. In this connection I have cast on a hat for son no 2 who generally doesn't wear them because 'they make my head itch'. Join the club and pull on a hat so your ears don't fall off from frostbite. It's just a basic beanie which I cast on on Friday and hope to get finished today. 

The photograph is really just to show off the daisy stitch marker from my advent because I only caught the very top in  the photo the other day! 

And so to recent advents

This was day 10 which included the German advent swap parcel; there are only nine of these spread throughout the month which is why there isn't one every day! The top mini-skein came from that. It's a lovely wool/silk mix and a gorgeous colour. Under that is the Giddy yarn mini, and it's Aslan. And oh look, I had forgotten I'd put the daisy stitch marker in that photo! Oh well. The day 10 stitch marker advent was actually two, a clear one and a pale amber one. 

Day 11 was yet another teal colour, this time splashed with purple, called Edmund's Betrayal , and the stitch marker is a very solid little silver cat. 

Today is Day 12 and at last we get a red! Christmas comes to Narnia is the name and the stitch marker is a companion to the one on Day 6; a white cat under a wisteria. Really pretty.