Party time, excellent

I have survived the week of parties by the skin of my teeth. Not entirely unscathed as my throat hurts and I spent most of yesterday afternoon asleep on the sofa (last day at work so half day, hoorah), but in general I feel like most of my liver is intact and I only had one really bad hangover, which is pretty good going really.

Tuesday was the office Christmas party, always deadly. I won't write too much but it was, in some ways, like the worst wedding ever (dinner then a tragic disco) and I have discovered that there are some people who I should avoid like the plague when they're drunk (or indeed sober).

Wednesday night was much more fun as the knitting group had its party in a nice little Japanese restaurant called Ribon on Holborn Viaduct. We were segregated from the mad Japanese karaoke party downstairs - I'm not sure if that was for their peace or ours. Presents were exchanged and I received the Divine book of chocolate recipes from Lotta, which I'd been lusting after for ages, and will definitely be using for experimentation when the girls come round for cake. Yummy. Gail made us all some sweet little lavender bags to keep the moths from our stashes. Thank you lovelies!

Then on Thursday it was down to IKnit for their party, which I very much felt I should attend after being publically accused of never having been there (true). On the way we noticed that someone had hung a flock of giant origami cranes under the railway bridge, and they were spinning gently in the turbulence from passing traffic:

What a cool shop! Lots of gorgeous yarn, a bar with some interesting raspberry cider (or zoider as I'm in part a West Country girl by breeding) and charming hosts in Craig and Gerard. We had plenty of party food, including cheese and pineapple on sticks, my favourite! Got a bit of knitting done (and then, in my case, frogged it all) - here are Ting and Gail happily doing some:

Had a raffle-based Secret Santa - here is my present, a cute little clockwork sushi (specifically an ikura gunkan) which zooms along the floor:

And, of course, bought some yarn - here is Ting being ever so happy to be doing so, and therefore ignoring the need to pay:

I bought some Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Champlain Sunset, a combination of reds, pinks, oranges and blues:

And some Colinette Jitterbug in Alizerine, an almost fluorescent pink on a pale blue-grey background:

Tonight is the climbing party so just gearing up for that by playing with Ravelry. Then off down to the parents' place for Christmas. Good luck to you all with last minute shopping and/or knitting, you'll need it!