So, what's been up then?

Well, a lot, if I have to believe the invoices I've been sending out. I've been working flat-out during November, and then sort of took December 'off'. Well, as 'off' as I can ever be... ;) It basically meant I still did my business translations, but there was no book for a month. And that was quite nice! It gave me some time to prepare for the SinterRAK, make decorations for the Xmas tree and to hand out to neighbours, family and friends in lieu of Xmas cards, decorate the house, clean the house for our Xmas dinner and just enjoy being home and with the kids. Which also explains the lack of blog updates ;)
We've been around each other a lot, and it was great. Although we can look like a chaotic bunch, we are a lovely chaotic bunch, and we love doing things together, which, with two parents trying to work fulltime and two kids going to school, isn't always easy.
There was some progress on the crafting front, apart from all those lovely decorations, though! I thought and thought and thought, and then decided to redo the sleeves on my Spoke. However lovely it was, they were just too short. Here's a comparison of new sleeve - old sleeve. See the difference?

Yup, that IS a difference! They are much more comfortable and at least now go all the way down to my wrists, which is much nicer! I have been wearing it as well, and as it is relatively short, it is making me aware of the fact that I still have some pounds to shift (plus the ones that I gained after my last attempt, oh, sigh... don't start)...
And here's a first picture of the box of hats. I've received about the same again in the meantime, but the box is in the attic, and it's dark, so I'll write a separate update on that next week, when I've knitted a few more myself! The colours are all amazing, such a bright box!

And I finally finished my Autumn Hat-Heels, just in time for Winter :D They are the bestest socks I've ever knitted! The fit is just amazing! And I realize now that 56 stitches is enough for my feet, whereas my calves actually like 60 better. With these socks, that's easily fixed. Next time, I have to try and pick up a bit more loosely and cast off more loosely as well. But otherwise, love love love them. The colours are amazing too. The yarn is Schoppelwolle Admiral Batik, a yarn I will definitely use again! I have to find a different supplier though, because I got them from Wolhemel, and they have sadly stopped trading.

Pattern: Hat Heel by Kathleen Sperling
Source: Knitty
Needles: 2.5 mm
Yarn: Schoppelwolle Admiral Batik
Alterations: 60 st for leg. Hat part extended slightly to fit around my ankles better.

The Hat-Heels were also on my feet when I did this:

We have ice, people! And it was/is great ice. In Friesland, as opposed to everywhere else in Europe (well, give or take a few regions), we have hardly had any snow, and it shows. The ice is as smooth as a baby's bottom, and if I had had more time and less knee trouble, I'd definitely been out there skating around trying to catch Sven Kramer in the act. However, I've had to make do with an hour on the Wielen, a lake just ouside Leeuwarden. We had all gone out for a skate, but first Big S's skates turned out to be unfit for use, then Batman's 'houtjes' just fell off his boots (still to big) and then Mermaid complained of sore ankles and cold. They must have more Irish blood running through their veins than Frisian, haha... As it is still freezing here, there might be a chance of me going out again tomorrow for a quick skate. There are a few great websites up to tell you where skating is safe, so apart from time and laundry nothing is going to stop me now! (Well, the dodgy knee might... yes, I know, it's that loose weight thing again).

Have a great New Year's, y'all! See you on the other side in 2011!!!