Gift knitting...

A month or so back, I made a pledge at Buy Handmade.

Of course, it seemed like a good idea at the time.... now the Holiday crunch is on!

I thought I would not only buy handmade, but make handmade, as well. There is a great misconception that since I have seemingly unlimited access to wonderful yarns and patterns that a knit gift from me would be de rigueur... not so! Think, "shoemaker's children".

This year I am doing my best to do some knit gifting.

A trip to Knitty was tops on my list for inspiration. A pair of Fetching--- has not everyone knit these?--- was quickly earmarked and with a large stash of Mission Falls 1824 Wool--- ;-]--- all I had to do was decide on a colour. Here they are in progress... the colour is 029 Raspberry.

Next in the queue-- not yet on the needles-- is from the latest Knitty. I love luscious thingies wrapped around my neck when the cold hits and Cheryl Marling's Tudora is simple and lovely. I have a few balls of Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk in a lush, overripe eggplant colour. This yarn--picked up at Knit Happens in Alexandria, Virginia a few Aprils back--has struggled for it's reason to be. This just might be the project!

Deciding on my next project proved to be far more difficult. Just before I left for my adventure, I acquired the most fabulously, inspiring book... Kristin Knits! Kristin Nicholas is the best at designing joyful, colourful knitwear. Her way with hats, socks and mittens has always sent me over the knitting moon-- I rarely allot time to knit for myself, so accessories are often my knit "fix". Her latest collection is pure delight!!! If only I could win the "big one"..... I'd buy an Airstream Safari, fill the fridge with fabulous food and County Cider, pack up 10 balls each of every shade of Julia, set up camp in the "perfect" knitting spot, string up my hammock and blissfully knit everything in this book. My reality check was choosing only one project-- the Nordic mittens on page 125, digging into my yarn at hand-- Patons Classic Merino Wool, and plopping myself near the wood stove in Skeeter's favourite chair. Not such a bad "Plan B" for a snowy day....