Low-level Christmas stress

Thanks guys, for all the compliments on the MIL's Christmas gift. It has since been labelled, wrapped, and put under the tree (along with almost all the presents we'll be giving people...yes, I'm actually on top of things this year, don't hate me), and is awaiting a serious plotzing on Christmas morning. :) Tumblina, CONGRATULATIONS on getting out of vest purgatory. I'm delighted for you (though not, I'm sure, as delighted as you are for yourself). Good luck with the slippers.

Self-patterning socks #3 for moi

Last week my mom treated me and we went out to see this flamenco company perform. I greatly enjoyed it (although there were really only two dancers that were worth watching 100% of the time), but of course there was knitting time during intermission, so I pulled this out of my purse to work on. I got a few more inches done on the leg, I think.

Larry's Cabled Cashmere Pullover for DH

Very close to the finish line now!



Here you see the completed front, back, and sleeves, with the shoulder seams of front and back sewn together and the first part of the neckline (the folded-over ridge) done. I'm currently working on the mini-cowl part of the neckline that gets sewn in behind the ridge.

Herdis for niece

I'm kinda panicking on this one, because I'd like to have it done by Monday so that I can mail the package of Christmas and birthday presents out to my niece in Nova Scotia on Tuesday. That would give it 10 business days to get there, which would give me a lot of confidence that it would arrive in time for Christmas. Any later than that, and the confidence starts to quiver and shake.

Fortunately, it's fairly quick work. Since diving back into the project on Friday, I have corrected my gone-too-far-ness on the left front, finished the left front, done the right front, sewn the shoulder seams together, and sewn the back neckline:



You can't tell, but I'm really screwing the pooch on stuff like symmetrical decreasing and making the lengths of all the pieces exactly the same. This is because I'm in a rush and therefore not double-checking such things. However, I think the fudging is trundling along at an acceptable level.

Next up: sleeves.

I also have my mother's permission to steal buttons from her button stash for this one, which means - assuming her button stash contains buttons that would work with this cardigan - that I don't have to waste time shopping for them. Keep your fingers crossed for me?

'Honey, I lost my hat' hat for DH

My devoted-wife, hat-replacing activities turned out to be completely for naught when my parents came over last week...they brought DH's hat with them, which he had left at their place earlir. A thousand curses. Oh, well. The new one is thicker and warmer, albeit definitely too short. I shall have to add some length...one or two inches, I think.

Fair isle tank top

Well...*gulp*...I did it. Finished writing up the pattern, getting all the diagrams and charts and legend symbols and photos and whatnot together, and sent it off to Knitty. And now...I wait.

AUGH!

In the immortal words of Inigo Montoya...I hate waiting.

Of course, what I'm really hoping for is that Amy sends me an email immediately, gushing about how it's the best design she's ever seen, she's putting it on the cover, I'm a genius, hordes of knitters will flock to knit this pattern, it'll be the next Clapotis, my fortune as a designer will be made, etc. etc.

Right.

(Someone please tell me I'm not the only one with delusional knitting designer fantasies?)

Actually, speaking of Knitty, I really like a lot of the stuff in the new winter issue. I actually can't remember liking a single issue so much before. Ice Queen, Three Tams, Tudora, Aoife, Fair Isle Rapids, Chevrolace, Toasty Topper, Doddy and Jeanie (more appropriately named 'Genius', I think) are my favourites, and there are even more things in there that I might end up knitting, too.