some finished items...

If the fact that G has worn his birthday sweater everyday since he received it is any indication, he loves it and blocking it eliminated all the prickles.  He calls it his "suit of armor" and "chain mail," and belts his sword and scabbard over the top of it.  It's a little wider than I expected it to be (the moss stitch expanded), and the sleeves are a bit shorter, too.  But he loves it (and requested the shorter sleeves).  It will fit for the next few years, and I have enough extra yarn to add a few inches to the sleeves as he grows.

I finished my hat, too!  The colors are growing on me.  I felted it a tad when I blocked it the first time, and will maybe do so again.  There's more yarn on the way to make myself a blue version (with red as the accent color), and maybe a pair of matching mittens.

And some bonus shots from the afternoon.  :)  Z and I made a trip Trader Joe's for satsumas and paperwhites, something we do around this time every year.  The bulbs we chose this year are almost bursting, and I'm counting the days until their heady scent fills our living room.