Wow - it has been 2 weeks since my last post. I think this is the longest I have gone between posts. For those of you who might have actually missed me - I had to go to Singapore last week unexpectedly to close a deal. While it was sort of exciting it was also exhausting and a week of my life disappeared. I did however have two very long flights in which I thought I would get a lot of knitting done but I ended up sleeping, reading and watching the movies. I did knit a bit on my Cozy to continue with it's international history. I may never finish it but at least it will be well traveled!I do have another hat to show you. This one is for Horsey Girl's friend Jenny. I just can't keep up with the demand! It is very nice though to have the girls wanting my knitting. I have also finished the second blue fetching so now that it's a pair I will be giving it as a holiday gift.
To celebrate the holidays I am having a contest. Leave a comment about your holiday knitting story and I'll draw a random name out of the stocking to win a yummy yarn prize. My craziest holiday knitting idea was two years ago when on December 23rd I decided that I needed to knit a scarf for a friend for Christmas. I went to my LYS and got some of that crazy yarn that is made of all sorts of different yarns tied together. I decided to knit a really long, thin scarf so I cast on about a zillion stitches and knit all day and night to finish it. It turned out REALLY long but I got it done and she loves it. I still ask myself though what I was thinking starting a gift just two days before Christmas!
11 comments:
I started knitting in Nov 2004, and decided to knit scarves for family. So less than 2 months into my knitting career, I was still trying to finish cable scarves at almost the very last minute, even knitting on Christmas day (while watching Lord of the Rings on DVD). I managed this and baking Russian Tea Cakes (cookies) before we had to leave the house and head to the inlaws. My hands were cramped from the furious knitting, and my thumb was way sore from pushing off the sharp needles (I think because I was knitting funny with the cable needle back then). I don't think I will try any rush knitting again.
I am the QUEEN of starting new projects at the last minute. Within the last week, I started a headband for my mom (finished), hat for my SIL (finished), hat for my brother (1/2 done), poncho for my niece (1/2 done). My wrist is aching right now!
I also plan to do a hat for my other brother, bunny hat for my niece and possibly a pair of mittens to go with the headband although I just found out my mom will be in Florida for the winter and no longer needs a headband and mittens for her winter walks. And you don't even want to know about the sewing projects I've begun or plan to begin this weekend.
I have ten days til Christmas, right?
Last year I was crazy and knit afgans and blankets. I hadn't yet knit a sweater, and they had no shaping. My mom, dad, gramp, and 6 all got homespun blankets. They are super cozy. 6's was the craziest. I knit through 6 skeins of yarn in 3 3/1 weeks. Maybe I could do that now, but I wasn't sleeping in order to finish that one.
And...I missed you. I was just about to send an email to see if everything was ok. Glad to year you were traveling. Singapore...hmmm will you have photos for your fryday blog?
I think this year I have really stretched myself thin with my Christmas knitting and now I'm losing steam, getting really sick of the felted clog pattern. I have finished 2 and 1/2 pairs, but still have a pair and a half to go. Part of the problem is that the yarn is not all that exciting color wise. What was I thinking and I'll never get them felted in time, so guess what??...I'll have a felting party after Christmas, when everyone is around :)
Glad you are home safe from your trip and good luck with your Christmas knitting :)
Singapore.. What fun! We were there for 10 days and had a great time. (Although it was very hot....) I tend to be a 'theme' Christmas knitter.. last year it was Fiber Trend felted clogs; this year it is Fetching gloves. I think I still may have time for another pair or two...
Not a very crazy story, but the only one I have to share at this point: I started knitting last fall, and I decided not to make myself crazy by trying to knit things to give as holiday gifts. I fielded questions for quite a while as to why I hadn't made various people a (hat, scarf, sweater... fill in the blank; people asked about almost everything).
This year? I made a couple of dish cloths for a gift swap, but I still didn't commit to knitting any gifts. I don't like to feel rushed about it.
Last year, I put way too much on my plate for knitting. I literally couldn't get it all done. I ended up giving my daughter one half of a pair of fingerless mitts and I wrapped up my dad's hat with the needles still in it. I told him it wasn't finished because it's a custom made hat and had to be fitted to him, which was partially true.
I don't dare put this one on my own blog where she might see it...
My mother-in-law spent years telling me that knitting was a complete waste of my time and that I was cheating my family by spending so much time doing it, when I could just buy all that stuff anyway. Can you say "different planets"? I love her, but I was glad she lived way far away. Then, three years ago, they were visiting and she started in on me again; I calmly looked her in the eye and said firmly, "I knit to make people feel loved. That they are worth that effort of my time."
The look on her face! Clearly, that idea had never occurred to her!
Then two years ago, while I was working on my knitting book manuscript, she asked me what size I was, just to check, before ordering me clothes for Christmas.
I have never told her she always picked out her styles and her colors and not mine. (Thank goodness for those 3000 miles again.) But this time I took a deep breath and told her about a yarn I loved but would never get around to splurging on for myself; I'm always knitting for others, not me.
I had no idea how she would take that bit of honesty. But then, before Christmas, a box showed up addressed to my husband from the yarn company I'd referenced. He had no idea what it was--but I sure did. Go Mom! Peacemaking for Christmas. Bless her! There was hope!
oooohhh...i like allisonh's story best...but since this is random......last year i made earflap hats for 12 people...in less than 2 weeks....and lined them all with polar fleece...assemblyline knitting at it's finest. Wound up all my different yarns, matched them up to polar fleece prints, first knit all the crowns..then the transition parts..then the bands..then the earflaps and ties...and got them ALL done in time for gifting Christmas Day. They were and still are all appreciated but i don't think i ever want to see THAT pattern again. At least not yet! Glad you had a safe trip to Singapore (what a great city, eh!)
I am always up Christmas Eve starting or finishing something for the next day. Once I even took the gift along in the car on the way to my sister's house and finished my nieces sweater as she watched. I finished seaming it and handed it to her . She loved the sweater. I just don't understand how this same date sneaks up on me every year,
Thanks for having this contest !! I am frantically knitting scarves for my co-workers at our dental office!
Post a Comment