Spring is coming...time to think about Christmas!

Yep, I'm just that insane.

When planning this kind of thing, I like to start with a fantasy list, and then winnow it down to realism. So here we go.

• DH: Durrow, in dark purple Cascade 220
• DD1: Ruby, in blues, greens and whites with pink accents
• Mom: Spanish Knight, in purple Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool
• Bro: Ragna, in navy Patons Canadiana (it is apparently wise not to give him anything handwashable)
• BIL1: KWB/TSF Hat, in something soft and warm
• BIL2: Kilkenny, in olive green Berroco Ultra Alpaca
• DD1's teacher: no idea who it is yet, so I don't know what I want to make
• DD2's teacher: ditto

It's a lot.

I always like to give handknits to teachers, because I know I won't be giving them the same thing as another family does. And honestly, if I were a teacher, twenty students a year multiplied by two gift-giving occasions a year? That's a crapload of chocolates and teacher-themed swag cluttering up my house. And I'm uncomfortable giving gift certificates - they don't seem very personal. But children have all kinds of opportunities to pump their teachers for the sort of information a knitter needs to know about her intended victim gift recipient (favourite colour, interests, religion, etc.) in order to come up with a really personalized handknit.

(Seriously, think about it. If you were a teacher, and one of your students asked you what your favourite colour was, would you have any inkling that their mom instructed them to do that so she would know what colour of yarn to buy for your custom-knitted hat? Hell, no! Kids are curious, they ask teachers all kinds of crap. I bet I could even find out the pattern of a teacher's good china without them ever suspecting anything was in the wind.)

All of that to say that it has always seemed to me that getting a personalized handknitted gift is a really good choice for the teachers. :) So unless they turn out to be incompetent educators that spoil my children's enjoyment of school, they're getting knitted gifts.

Mom's Spanish Knight and my brother's Ragna have already been on the needles for quite awhile, but I have axed them in previous years because of time constraints. I think I might try to get the Ragna actually completed this year, though. Definitely I want to do the hat for my older BIL, because it will make a nice change from the socks he usually gets. Also, his usual hairstyle of choice is a shaved head, so he really should have a very warm hat for wintertime. I suspect I will succumb and do Ruby, because both DD1 and I are really taken with it. And I find my younger BIL quite hard to buy for, so it would be really nice to just knit him something and not worry about whether he'll like it (because he always appreciates my handknits). But...to do the Kilkenny on top of two other big projects, plus a hat, and two other things for teachers...mmm...that doesn't sound very reasonable. Hm. Perhaps instead, I will make him a Jayne hat! He is a big Firefly fan, and has hinted in the past that such a hat would be extremely welcome. Yes. I'll try to fit that in, too. And if I can't, perhaps some "boughten" Firefly swag will do just as nicely.

Yarn store, here I come!

Well, clearly I'm feeling better, because some knitting got done last night and this morning. Not a lot, but it's better than nothing. On the other hand, I went to bed at around 10:30 last night instead of kicking in early like a sickie is supposed to, and I'm probably feeling worse than I should this morning.

Spanish Knight sweater for Mom

The seller's second auction for 10 skeins of lava silky wool was bought early via Buy It Now. Sniff. I'm hoping she'll put up another one!

White leggings for cousin's baby

The baby was born! Which means I'm definitely axing this project so I can send the hooded jacket off ASAP.

Catherine Parr sweater for MIL

I'm almost done the neck shaping on one side.

Stornaway sweater for BIL (cream)

Well, the Magic Loop thing didn't work because my circular is too short. So either I need a shorter one to more easily fit the stitches around the neck, or a longer one to do the Magic Loop with. Sigh. In the meantime, I continue to stretch the neckline stitches around the circular I've got now. Ribbing continues.

Ugh.

Sick. As. A. Dog.

Fever, sore throat and muscle pain hit yesterday. Congestion is threatening. DD has given me her cold. Fortunately, DH is further into the cold than I (i.e. he's over the fever and dizziness), and was able to do most of the chores last night, so I went to bed around 7:45. So, absolutely no knitting has been done - I'm now spending all my time on commute dozing.

Stornaway sweater for BIL (cream)

Looked up the Magic Loop thingy. It definitely looks promising. When I get my health back, I'll try using it. It has to be more convenient than how badly I'm stretching the neckline stitches around the circular needle right now.

Jade Starmore sweater for Mom

Well, surprise surprise, I didn't win the auction for the silky wool. However, I did get a 2nd chance offer from the seller at my highest bid. However, since the seller now has another identical auction where the Buy It Now price is 35 cents less than my highest bid, I'm going to pass on the 2nd chance offer. I am, however, kicking myself for not making my highest bid lower so I could have really taken advantage of the 2nd chance offer! Oh, well. We'll see how this second auction goes.

Stornaway sweater for DH

I have decided to ax this project. Or, rather, replace it with something else. I have come to the conclusion that by the time I finish the two Stornaway sweaters for both BILs, I will never want to look at the pattern again! So although I do want to make something in forest green for DH, I will use another pattern. Maybe from Alice Starmore's Sweaters for Men book? I have a copy on the way to me right now from an eBay seller. Very exciting!

Curse you, Legends of the Fall. I've seen you more times than I can count and yet I still stayed up past my bedtime watching you on TV last night. Damn, but I have no self-control. Although, I must admit that the desire to Just. Keep. Knitting. probably had more to do with staying up so late.

Latest progress:

Spanish Knight sweater for Mom

Oh. My. Gawd. On a whim, I did a search for the Lavold silky wool on eBay. There was only one auction there - ten skeins in lava, currently at $37.50US. !!! This is exactly the colour I wanted for my mom, and exactly the right number of skeins! Not to mention currently going for exactly the right price, although I guarantee that will change, since the auction doesn't end for another five days. I'm sure by the time it ends, the price will be far beyond my means, but at the moment the whole thing seems quite meant to be. We shall see.

Catherine Parr sweater for MIL

As usual, work proceeds. I've done another 1.5 inches on the front. With any luck I will be able to start neck shaping today or tomorrow. I've also wound a centre-pull ball of the black wool I'm using for this project, which is far more portable and practical than carting around the big cone.

Stornaway sweater for BIL (cream)

Got lots done last night! I now have fewer than 10 rows to go on the back before the shoulder! I'm so excited! Whee!

Crap! Somehow I managed to erase this entry from my journal. Well, I remember I talked about being really tired. I also mentioned that during my visit with my parents last night, my mom took me to the apartment of a lady in her building who is an avid knitter and crocheter, well into her 80s, who used to own a yarn store. This lady is now having too much pain in her shoulders and trembling in her hands to continue her crafting ways (and I fervently hope this never happens to me), so she's offloading her supplies and stash, free! Admittedly, the stash wasn't very good - most of it was odds and ends of acrylic. But there was some acrylic nice enough to take home, and I also took away a bunch of needles that will make great additions to my collection. There was also an English or Canadian needle gauge in the tin of supplies which has a 3mm hole! Happy me.

I did manage to save my progress list:

Ljod cardigan for moi

Okay, I didn't actually get any work done on this, but I did fish the project out so my mom could feel it. Boy do I want to get back to this project! The yarn is sooo yummy...

Catherine Parr sweater for MIL

Work continues! I've now got almost 14" done on the front. I'm about ten centimetres away from starting the neck shaping.

Spanish Knight sweater for Mom

She loves the Lavold silky wool. Of course she does - it's the most expensive of all the samples! Argh! But she does really like it. And the lava shade would really look great on her. Sigh. Maybe I'll keep a lookout on eBay. I have a year, after all...

Well, the knitting vacation time is over and I did get a lot accomplished. Not a lot of naps were taken, unfortunately, but boy, did I do lots of knitting! Here's the latest progress report:

Anne Feitelson slipover for Grandpa

I went through all the colours in the pattern and figured out what kinds of colours I should be getting to substitute. But I also want to see how affordable it would be to use the actual Jamieson and Smith yarns that the pattern recommends.

Spanish Knight sweater for Mom

Alas, it turns out that 100% alpaca is too scratchy for my mom. Also, I calculated that I don't have enough yardage in the forest green cashmere/cotton blend in my stash to finish this project (but see below for what I can use that lovely stuff for). Tonight Mom will get a chance to feel Elsebeth Lavold's silky wool.

Elizabeth I sweater for moi

As mentioned, doubling the forest green cashmere/cotton blend for my mom's Spanish Knight sweater will not give me enough yarn (I have to double it to get the right gauge). But it will be enough for this project (which also requires doubling). So, hooray! I've officially got a yarn! Unfortunately, I can't start this project because my 3mm straights are beingused in the cream Stornaway sweater. But as soon as they are free, I'm starting this, bay-bee!

Catherine Parr sweater for MIL

Got a little bit done. I will be focusing a lot on this one for a while, since it has to be completed for Christmas!

Stornaway sweater for BIL (cream)

Got a lot done. Not only did I start and finish the neck shaping on the front, but I'm almost done the back! Just a few more hours of work there and then I can do my first ever shoulder straps. At least, I think the pattern calls for shoulder straps. It better call for shoulder straps!

Stornaway sweater for BIL (blue)

No progress. Amazingly, I resisted. I swear, the alpaca is calling to me. Augh! It is my cherished hope that I will finish the other two Christmas sweaters well in advance of the Big Day so that I can try to get this one in time for Christmas, too.

Book of Kells step pattern bib for DH's cousin's baby

DONE!!! Now I just gotta send it off to them! Happy dance!

NEW - Mittens for DD

Well, it's getting colder as we head into winter (funny, that), and DD had no mittens to keep her sweet little hands warm. So I took an old Patons Beehive scratch mittens pattern, substituted thicker yarn and bigger needles, and knit them up longer to accommodate toddler-sized hands. A quick fix!

The other great thing I did on my knitting vacation was to organize my knitting cabinet. It is all bee-yew-tifully organized now, with projects in individual clear plastic bags. It is a thing of beauty. Happy me.