let it glow

Posted on annePosted in book reviews/events, food and garden, projects

i just got around to photographing our favorite seasonal light display . . . i wouldn’t let you down!
next to them we are completely boring

we console ourselves by telling each other that we’re letting them have the limelight, plus, we’re saving energy. we are content to have our house be a reflector of second-hand glow. and, now it turns out we can enter a contest with it.

and we have plenty of sparkle inside.

tonight was our traditional feast of fishes, a large dinner of many courses, each containing fish in one form or another.
we had calamari

smelts of course

and baccala

and beckie’s favorite, salade of oranges, olives, and anchovy with black pepper

and she’s right; it is SO good—david got the best oranges ever. the ingredients don’t sound very compatible but the combination of salty, sweet, citrus, and pepper is amazing . . especially with the smelts.

beckie and mark joined us, along with their daughter and grandson.

baby’s first internet moment of fame.
he’s actually even cuter than this, but because he insists on being a ham for the camera, all the shots were blurry.

i know you’re all interested somewhat in all the the food information, but i also know what you REALLY want to know . . .

YES. i finished the sweater. i got it done last night (the 23rd) and even washed it. i have to confess i was sweating it when the power went out for three hours last evening . . . . but all was well; i decided to nap while the lights were out and—waddaya know—the lights went back on right about 7 pm, while i was still waking up.
i put the last stitches in around 9pm; it’s been drying all day today and it just needs the buttons added, which i will do tonight.

and it fits. we will have a little modeling session on christmas day, hopefully.
thanks a MILLION to my buddy chris for her inspired contribution of yarn . . it was a complete pleasure to knit with and david loves the color.

and guess what? he did not know about the sweater . . he guessed that he might be getting one based on the fact that i almost always knit him a sweater for christmas, but he was very surprised when it seemed to materialize out of nowhere.
usually, i put it under the tree and wait patiently for him to open it, but i was so concerned it wouldn’t fit, that i had him try it on as soon as it was done.

you know what that means don’t you? i will need another gift by morning . . . .

he-he—just kidding.
(baby loved the tree, BTW)

41 thoughts on “let it glow”

  1. Merry Christmas, Anne. Thank you for this entire year of lovely blogging. I read your blog silently most of the time, but your knitting, your photographs and words are always a joy for me to read, be comforted and inspired by. Happy New Year too!

    Beth

  2. I second Beth’s sentiments. Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us. I wish you much joy and many blessings in the coming year.

    And I also wish for you to have many hours in the new year to work your design magic which is a gift to us all.

  3. Anne, the sweater is stunning! I really love the neck treatment, it gives it tons more depth. Merry Christmas, and have a wonderful day today!

  7. Wow what a fabulous looking sweater Anne. I knew you would finish it on time, as you knit like the wind.

    Wishing you both a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with lots more fiber goodness and enjoyment in 2008. Thanks for all the wonderful inspiration and enjoyment that you bring into my knitting world each day with your blog and designs. Joyful knitting!

  8. Merry Christmas Anne and David! I second (or third?) Beth’s comments above, it is a joy and a privilege to read your blog and cheer you along. All the best for 2008. And your feast of fishes looks wonderful. Buon Natale!

  11. Merry merry, Anne! Congrats on the finish! I didn’t quite make it with mine. I’m knitting my very first grown up sweater for the hubby and I’ve still got about three inches to go on the yoke, thanks to having to start the sleeves completely over. Oh well! At least it will be done before New Years! 😀

    Wishing you and David a wonderful holiday!

  12. Anne, Mmmmm, the feast of the fishes looks and sounds delicious! David’s sweater turned out beautifully.

    May Christmas Peace and Joy surround you and David and your family and friends today!

  15. Merry Christmas Anne and David!!!
    Your table looked just like ours last night. Beth is so right, the oranges with olive oil and pepper is my favoirite Italian Christmas treat. Hubby won’t go near it. He is so American. LOL.
    Cannot wait to get back to class. See you in the New Year.

  16. I had never heard of this salad! Went over to epicurious.com and saved something similar to my recipe box. [Will try it later this week.] Please please *please* post your recipe???

    Sweater is gorgeous, like unto the blood oranges that my new recipe calls for. Now you’ve made me hungry *and* I want to knit 🙂

    Merry Christmas to you and David. I’m off to finish my last Christmas gift, which won’t be delivered until later this week.

  17. A Very Merry Christmas to you and David! I love the sweater. Can’t wait to see it on him! Will you publish the pattern?

  18. Merry Christmas, dear Anne, to you and your loved ones. And my very best wishes for a peace-filled and creative new year.

  21. Mmmmmm, feast of the fishes, that all looked and sounded divine!
    Yes, definitely yes on the sparkles inside your home and really, that’s the best kind!
    Sweater is a real beauty, you’re such a clever woman!
    Wishing the best of holidays to you and your loved ones, Anne.

  23. The Seven Fishes! KDKA does a Christmas Eve morning radio show all about them! Merry, merry Christmas to you and to David. WIll be looking forward to the photoshoot this beautiful Christmas morning!

  24. Merry Christmas to you both. Thank you for sharing so much beauty and thoughtfulness all year long. It has been a pleasure reading your blog and sharing your knitting, gardening, cooking… David’s sweater is beautiful and he will look so handsome wearing it. Can’t wait to see!

  27. Dinner looked fantastic– i wish we could have been there. Our christmas didn’t turn out the way we expected– i’ll tell you about it soon.

    I hope you have a wonderful day and that 2008 is a great year for you both. 🙂

  30. Merry Christmas, Anne.

    Enjoyed the Feast of the Fishes spread–and the sweater is beyond gorgeous.

    Thanks for your wonderful posts and photos all year, and your terrific patterns. The Hot Waffle Mitts were a HUGE hit with my nieces (10 and 11)–and I got thanks from their moms for knitting something they will actually wear on their hands in the winter.

    Kathleen

  31. Update! have you seen Brooklyn Tweed’s new sweater yet? It has a definite family resemblance (descended from EZ) to David’s new sweater. It is so cool to see how the same inspiration resulted in two equally wonderful but different sweaters.

  32. Anne, beautiful job on the sweater – the knitting and the design. I’d like a chance to purchase the pattern, too. I gave my son (31) 4 pair of wool socks and one hand-knit hiking sock last night. (It’s a long story, but he’s an amputee). It warmed my heart, it did, to see him try on the hand-knitted sock and leave it on while he unwrapped the rest of his presents. He has a good sense of humor, so he laughed when I told him I was the envy of my knitting buddies because I only have to knit one sock for him. 🙂 It is, however a size 13 knit…
    Hope you and David have a warm and wonderful Christmas. Somehow I’m sure you will.
    Dare we ask what David got you for Christmas???

  33. You have been named as my knitting mentor…. exactly the knitter I aspire to become 🙂
    Merriest of Holidays!!!
    I am anxiously ready to begin my year of knitting from my stockpile~ one purchase only this year… I NEED to knit a WildApple Bohus.
    But first…. I am working on your “that little scarf” AND the fabulous bee sock kit!
    THank you for a wonderful list of things to do 🙂

  34. Congratulations on finishing that sweater! That is wonderful. I love it and I’m so happy that David loves it too (not that there was any worry that he wouldn’t love it, but still).

  35. Merry Christmas dear Anne! The sweater is divine (we all knew you could do it), and I’m now off to track down some oranges and anchovies for tomorrow’s supper. The salad sounds intriguing.

  36. Ah, I love happy endings! 🙂 Thanks for sharing pictures of the (gorgeous!) finished sweater… not to mention, dinner! Merry Christmas!

  37. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thanks for all the sharing – the knitting stories, the patterns and just generally letting me get to know you. Maybe next year at Rhinebeck our paths will cross (if not somewhere else!). I especially enjoyed hearing about the feast of fishes. My father was Italian, but that meant I have only learned about many of the food customs as an adult reader of cookbooks. It really looked like fun – and I adore smelts (we did have those for other meals when I was a kid, even though my mother hated cooking them!).

    I’ll be back soon for some new patterns.

    David is one lucky fellow – that sweater is gorgeous and so is he.

    All the best for a knitterly New Year!

  38. Oh my goodness, it’s a first. Those food shots are the first time I have ever seen something on your blog I actively DIDN’T want. (I don’t do the fish so much. Ha.)
    It’s too late for merry Christmas wishes, so Happy Wednesday!

  41. Just like last year, I’m catching up on my blog reading, so I’ll be spending the next hour with you, Anne! I’m glad to see that you’ve finished the sweater on time, and that David liked it. How could he not, anyways? It is gorgeous!

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