The Professor!

Today is the birthday of JRR Tolkien, and fans all over the world raise a glass to his memory. Right now, I'm in the middle of a good deep mug of cider, but I'll probably raise another toast in ale later tonight :)

When I think of all the different things I've read, and all the ways they have influenced me, JRRT's works are some of the most important. In almost all that I do, I can find reflections to the Silm, or the LOTR, or even The Hobbit. I love his style, his stories, his choice of words, his imagery. If I got nothing else from that long ago, ill-fated relationship in college, I got introduced to Tolkien and his world. Thank you, Brian!

In other news, I did finish most of my Christmas gifts, but I didn't finish the mittens. I had some...trouble...so I'm still working on them. The cowl I made for my brother was too orange, so I made him a green one with Madelinetosh and Cascade 220. He loved the green cowl, but also liked the orange one, so he got both! My other brother liked the scarf I made for him; it was a heathered navy Cascade 220. He actually wore it to work, so I think he really liked it and wasn't just being nice. My aunt and grandma liked their keyhole scarves, and I think my other aunt and cousin probably liked theirs as well; at least, I didn't hear about how they hated them.

Now that 2011 is here, I really want to crank out some more socks for me, DP, and maybe some of the little nieces and nephews I have running around. I do want to finish my Uinen, and I saw a gorgeous sweater on Knitspot that I'll have to make for myself or DP as soon as Anne publishes the pattern. Last year I made several cardigans, but none of them were perfect. This year, I'd like to make one cardigan that fits really well, and one pullover that I can wear with no undershirt (if I'm so inclined).

Forward!