Got my new 6-point star-effect filter in the mail today (from Hong Kong! I ordered it on eBay on December 15… ironically I’m still waiting for a package of photos which are part of a Christmas present that I ordered on December 12, from a 20 minute drive away. Screw you Canada Post).

I was hoping this would come before the holidays – not just to play with over Christmas, but because we’re going to Portland to pickle ourselves silly with America’s biggest selection of craft beer per capita! I was admiring bnzai9’s fantastic Portland set on Flickr and thought gee, I should get me one-o-those!

I’ve been madly making maps today of all the wonderful places we’re going to check out (we’re three days in Portland, including New Year’s, and three days in Seattle), only to discover that many of the LYS’s are going to be CLOSED!! Or at least open only a limited time while I’m there. Sigh. I guess this might make things a little easier on my life savings though (and Chris will appreciate that!). I need more yarn like I need a hole in my head, but still.

I have yet to figure out what will be my travel knitting. I need something relatively light, not too complex and not too bulky (obviously). I have several projects on the go but none of them feels like travel knitting. Or maybe I should pick up the lacy soy-silk scarf I started this summer and haven’t touched much since. I dunno. I’m feeling a bit uninspired now that 90% of my holiday knitting is done. I’ve still got a few days to figure it out.

And… I’m definitely feeling melancholy. I know this will pass but I’ve had the last two days at home to myself and I’ve been incredibly unproductive. Yes, yesterday I had to get the car fixed and today, I got shoes for the trip, but other than that, nothin’. Loosing Spud was such a shocker, and then we had both cars break down over the weekend which was such a pisser. I think now that I’ve been home alone, I can really feel that my little guy is really gone. I’ve spent the last few years going through ups and downs about losing my big and very old dog (who at this rate will outlive us all), that I never expected it to happen to one of the cats. And I’ll admit that out of the two, Spud was our favourite. I know I know, don’t play favs but he was really the best. Smokey is sweet and I love him to bits too, but he also has the potential to be super annoying, always underfoot and begging for something. He’s chilled a lot the last few days and I do feel sorry for him to have lost his friend, too. We’ve spent lots of time cuddling. I hope over the long haul he adjusts ok to being a single cat, because I certainly don’t need any more animals around here, and we won’t be adding another kitty to the family, despite how much fun they are.