"IT" has begun.
I finished a hat last week and I said to myself "Self, you have the yarn for a Christmas present right here. Why not start it? This year won't be like last year. You can have your Christmas knitting done on time. It's only the end of October. Look how responsible you are!" And then I said "Self, that's a great idea."
So in a little more than a week, I started and finished my first Christmas present of the year. It's socks! I used the LYS pattern that I always use for sock presents, Lancaster County Blend. I like 'em with the wrong side out, though -- see here, and you can like them that way too.
The first half sock
Currently, my list of Christmas knitting involves something handmade for pretty much everyone on it. That's only seven people, so it's manageable -- theoretically. Of course, since it's only seven people, there's time to maybe make some of them two things. A hat and a scarf, or a hat and mittens, or at the very least two socks. (That counts as two things, right?)
Unfortunately, finishing that first pair of socks has given me that false hope that says "Hey, you've got a great start. You're doing fine! Why don't you make something for yourself real quick? Hey -- make that hat you've been ogling all month! That won't take too long!"
I've been revising the list to reflect this optimism: two things for my mother, one for each sibling, one each for two friends, two for another. Sure, I can make two pairs of socks, a bandana cowl, a fingering-weight hat, and three or four more something-elses. I have almost two months! I'll be fine!
Ahh, but therein lies the problem. If I have two months, why get started now? There's plenty of time. I only have seven people for whom I have to make things. It's only November 5th. I'll make something for myself (like maybe that hat I've been ogling for a month).
That, I suppose, is how IT begins. I have all this Christmas knitting, and all of this time, and one piece under my belt. I'm just going to finish this hat first, and maybe that sample I'm supposed to make for the shop. And then I have to make myself a pair of socks, of course, because I haven't had a new pair in ages. Oh dear...
...and IT cackled and opened its maw, swallowing the hyperconfident knitter and all of the Christmas presents, too.
IN OTHER NEWS, we have a bunch of really excellent new yarn from Knit One, Crochet Too: lots of elfin tweed and its hand-painted counterpart, kettle tweed. It's a new yarn, and there aren't many projects on Ravelry yet, so who knows how it'll look? (Hint: it will look great. Wendy's making a shawl out of it and we're all jealous.)
AND we'll have more mini-skein sets of Kettle Dyed soon, too, for all of your mini-rainbow needs! If you don't have any yet, don't worry: you will.
