The Year Closes Softly

Y'all, it's been a shit fucking year.

You're mostly aware of the trials, tribulations, disaster, and the like we've dealt with. So I'm not going to restate it here.

The only thing I want to talk about is the beautiful thing I ended my year with.

I decided back in the fall that I was going to spend the month of December making something for ME.

No frantic Christmas present making, no commissions. Just something pretty and lacy and wonderful that I could wrap myself in for the winter.

I wanted it to be winter themed. Something that evoked visions of ice-coated windows, snow piled high outside. And it HAD to be done by the Winter Solstice.

So I settled on Winter Largo.

And seeing as this was a present to myself, I wasn't skimping on the yarn.

So I made it with my pure cashmere from a kickstarter I backed.

And, my stars, I NEVER could have dreamed how amazing it would turn out.

Yes, the pattern itself is lovely.

But nothing... NOTHING compares to how FUCKING UNBELIEVABLY SOFT THIS THING IS!

I'm serious. I want to *cry* when I touch it. I have NEVER had something so amazing against my skin.

I had debated about adding the beads the pattern called for, but I am *so* happy I didn't. It would have detracted from the feel of the cashmere.

I didn't try to Ashtan it at all. It was a fixed pattern, no way to make it bigger.

Annnnnnnd... it still came out huge...

Okay, I *may* have lied about not having magical powers...

I was actually worried I wouldn't have enough yarn, but I ended up with just over 100 yards left.

So... I took a little bit of it and made a wee little something for my darling Renee.

Because everyone obviously needs a cashmere stocking for their tree.

Anyway, it's Christmas Eve. So I'm going to leave off here for now. Get myself some sleep and then take the time to enjoy my favorite time of year.

The snows come back, the new year begins.

And we move forward.