So tired. So very tired. Packed many boxes, stuck stickers on everything, ran like hell. It's in God's and the movers' hands now, and Not My Problem. Went Christmas shopping, sat in much charming Orlando traffic (we have all the annoyances of a major city, but few of the perks). Everything strained while loading boxes the past several days stiffened up while sitting in the car, I was creaking when I got out of the car at Target. Called Boy and said No Tree Today, Maybe Tree Tomorrow. I cannot face wrestling a big green monster at this moment. Sounds like too damn much work. I may have to spend the evening with my muscle relaxation therapist, Jose Cuervo, and his lovely assistant Margarita Mix. Boy and I will get the tree tomorrow, and my friend L and I are doing Vigil Mass and either our usual pizza afterward or she can come back here and we'll order takeout and decorate with the aid of Jose and his assistant.

I'll put the knitting content here, so those who actually expect to find something like that won't have to wade in any deeper. The French Market Bag pattern from the new Knitty is on my desk at my side even as I type. I'm looking at the needle size and thinking that this Cold Harbour Aran of which the designer speaks must be rather on the thin side, since she's using a size 7 needle. I am a very loose woman, knitting-wise, and I would use a 6 or 7 needle to knit something like Cascade 220 normally - I go up to a 9 for a single strand for felting purposes, and an 11 for double strands felted. So if she's felting this stuff after knitting it on a 7.... So now I'm intrigued enough to want to make this bag in Cascade 220, on size 9 needles, to see what size it would be. I'm still thinking about double stranding on 11s or 13s and making a big version of this bag, but I think a single strand version might be a worthy experiment. And yes, I happen to have some in the stash.

The rest of this is going to be nearly all about shopping and clothes and stuff, so you people looking for knitting content (God knows your expectations should be low by now) may want to bail out now. Don't say you weren't warned.

Shopping - bought a couple of gifts. This is not going to be a big gift year, the kids need money, not more stuff, but I am not going totally Bob Cratchet about it. Didn't even look at clothes - walked through Bloomies and saw few Sale signs, turned and left. Went to J. Jill and realized I have become re-educated by "What Not to Wear" - once upon a time I would have looked there, but now I realize that their clothes are too boxy for me. I'm not the teeny barely a size 8 I once was, but my overall shape hasn't changed, it just expanded into double digits, and I should not wear large boxy things because with my boobage it makes me look like a tank. And on that note, Spiegel sent a Spring preview catalog, and I am in heaven! It's been years since Spiegel has had things that really turned me on, but I just flipped through this one casually and spotted three dresses I want. Great stuff, great stuff, especially several of the dresses. Clean lines, feminine but not fussy, and a nice length, neither up to the ass nor dragging on the ground, like Coldwater Creek's dresses (and I'm not that short - I'm 5'5" - but I drown in those clothes). I haven't worn a dress to work in years - Beloved Boss would fall out of his chair and make some wiseass comment, I'm sure - but I have an urge to start wearing dresses like these. So there.

After Christmas will be clothes time, during the after-Christmas sales Girlchild and I will be hitting the stores, and Spiegel is definitely getting an order. But I did spend like a drunken sailor today at Crate and Barrel, and I am sure I'll be back there before the 25th. Normally Target is more my speed, but Target let me down this time - I was in search of real margarita glasses, and all my Target had were those cutesy things shaped like cactuses, or rainbow striped - thanks, I just want a basic glass. Crate and Barrel always comes through, and they did, for $2.95 apiece. I was pleased.

Applause and Hugs to Girlchild, who reported that she managed to get 100% on one of her finals, which will help offset the GPA damage from the classes that were total disasters this semester, like, uh, the rest of them. Looks like quitting the job was a good thing, she's able to study and catch up on important things, like Will & Grace and Scrubs.