Can you feel the love?

It's Friday and I'm loving the fact that my house is blissfully quiet.

That lump in the bed is the Greatest. He is sleeping after a hard night of answering domestic dispute 9-1-1 calls. It was after all Christmas last night, and that seems to bring out the best of the worst in family gatherings. He came home this morning and said he felt like he'd been working security on the Jerry Springer show.

Pork Chop has the headphones to her new mp3 player on for over 24 hours now and alternates between reading and drawing. I think it will be at least three more weeks before I see her without her new appendage.

Meaty is in his room playing with his ginormous Lego set where the baby can't smash his creation or eat the small pieces.

Bird is sprawled on the floor drawing in her new Leapster.

Sweet Pea is napping. (Wasn't I awefully brave sneaking into her room to snap that picture just for you? Yes. I am brave.)

When she is awake she is full of tears and other crabby noises. But since she is the only one making any noise I suppose I really shouldn't complain. This is the quietest my house has been since I've had children. I fear the antibiotics for her double ear infection are tearing her tummy up. And she gets a yeast infection rash every time she poops. If I were her, I'd probably be making crabby noises as well. I have accepted that her default setting seems to be grumpy. Even when she is feeling well she is discontent with her lot in life. That's why I love our Christmas picture so much. It is so HER. I love that kid.

All in all, I have to say, Christmas was a raving success. Each child declared that they were having the.Best.CHRISTMAS.E.V.E.R!

I'm loving that!

So, in unrelated news, I have a dilemma. (I'm all about the smooth transitions from one topic to the next don't-cha-know)

I was talking to my friend Katrina in the phone and I mentioned wanting to buy a specific yarn to make something for The Greatest. She so happened to have that yarn in her stash and offered to send it to me. In fact she said I would be doing her a favor by letting her get rid of it. Isn't she nice? Every one should have a Katrina in their life. And of course I'm such a good friend I was happy to help her out any way I could.

When my yarn arrived it contained several other goodies, including this yummy yarn cake.

I've never had yarn that was wound into a cake before. I *heart* it! I have added a ball winder to my list of things I am coveting (a list that includes outdoor fireplaces, front loader washing machines, pidgeon spikes, and now a ball winder). Isn't the yarn cake so cute?

When I talked to Katrina she had told me about this yarn. She described it as being brown with blues and greens. Did I want it? Heck yeah! It was brown with blues and greens. What's not to love about that?

So on Christmas Eve, when the children were tucked safely in bed, and The Greatest was at work, I decided to enjoy the peace and the tree and the lights and knit. Not the guilt knitting of projects half-done. No. I needed new knitting. Pleasure knitting. The kind of knitting you do when knitting is simply a hobby and not a way of life. I reached in the yarn cabinet and pulled out, no, not the yarn she sent for The Greatest, but my yarn cake.

The hours flew by as the yarn flowed through my hands. Pure pleasure! It might have been sinful. Not as good as sex, but better than chocolate. Possibly better than candy cane oreos. Pretty sock yarn and my harmony needles. Does life get any better than that? It was a good time waiting for Santa to come. The next morning I had this.

Lumpy lace. But when worn it looks like this.

So pretty. Sometimes I amaze myself with my ability to correctly follow directions and read a pattern. As I looked at my new sock it occurred to me that this was the first time I had seen the yarn in sunlight. All other viewings took place by Christmas lights. In the sun this yarn was brown and green and blue, and oh so much more! There was lavender and pink, and yellow, and orange, and different shades of blue. I simply adore the stockinette on the bottom of the heel.

Oops. Don't be distracted by my heel. I guess I need to spend some quality time with my ped egg. So don't look at my heel. Although it might be a good time to admire the quality of the pictures my camera takes. Look at how clear the lines in my poor dry feet are. Oh wait, focus, I'm trying to do something here. Sorry. Look at the sock heel. Admire the perfect line of stitches, the myriad of color on the tiny flap of knitting. It made me wonder if the smooshy, squishy, fancy lace was showcasing the yarn to it's fullest potential.

I have long coveted a Chevron Scarf. Might this be the yarn I have been waiting for? The perfect yarn for my Chevron Scarf? I mean, just look at all those colors. The COLORS!

I did not frog my half sock. I left the smooshy lacy goodness on the needles where it belongs. I didn't even cut the yarn. But I did leave a long tail and cast on for a Chevron Scarf. You know. Just to see. To satisfy my curiousity so I would not have to spend the rest of my life wondering "What if...."

What do you think? It's loud, but it is a skinny scarf and I'm kinda digging it. So what do I do?

Do I continue with the sock? It is a great pattern (Fawkes. Sorry for the Rav link, but that's the only place I know to get the pattern). If I don't knit it with this yarn I will knit it soon.

Or do I knit the long coveted Chevron Scarf?

Decisions, decisions. What's a girl to do?