Hedgehog Knitting: Until Spring: Yours from a Pile of Knitwear

Happy December 1! Along with being Sibling-the-Elder's natal day (Celebrations! *confetti explosion*), it's where I finally begin to embrace winter.

There's a shift when one reaches December. Up until now, everyone has been clinging to vestiges of fall. It can't be this cold, it's not even December. How can we be preparing for Christmas, it's not even December (that one from the Philosopher who is obviously not knitting for the holidays)? I don't want to wear my super warm coat, it's not even December (that'd be me).

Now, the final month of the year has arrived. With the temperatures plunging overnight, everyone woke this morning and acknowledged that it is winter replete with the extra darkness, and the need for layers of wool. Winter hats, scarfs, and mittens are beginning to be our primary source of color among the many black wool coats. There is excitement about holiday traditions ahead, along with some trepidation, While we haven't had much snow yet, it's obviously on it's way and pressing that need to replace snow boots that were relinquished last spring after nearly a decade of service.

On the yum front--we're eating at lot of cookies at Chez Hedgehog. A couple of weekends ago, LabMouse arranged a cookie baking day. A half dozen of us showed up, ingredients and mixing bowls in hand, to take over the kitchen of a suburban Lutheran church. It's been some time since I spent a day cooking with women and I was a little worried walking in, only knowing two other people there. But no trouble-- there's an ease immediately created by "d
oes this need more flour" and "how many spare egg whites do we have now?" and we had a lovely 9 hours baking. Below is about 3/4ths of what we made. I have one tub in the freezer, I took a couple dozen to Friendsgiving, and we're still noshing away...

(Photo by Tina Griffin, used with permission)

And the knitting continues apace. While I didn't actually wipe out all of the project bags as hoped, I did located another empty project bag, shifted around some planned holiday knitting to take advantage of a mostly finished product, and started my Loopy Academy Hat. I'm through the brim and chugging through several inches of stockinette before the crown decreases.