One of my favorite tasks here at work is to proof the podcast every Friday. It’s half an hour of knitting/listening enjoyment. I bring a small knitting project to work with me every day to be on hand for meetings, lunch, etc. My current “mindless” project is the Lace Ribbon Scarf by Veronik Avery, originally published on knitty.com. I’m knitting this one in Essential for my sister-in-law for Christmas. The Essential yarn is soooo soft, it will feel so cozy on her neck and will keep her warm without being too bulky.
And what is Kelley’s podcast topic this week? Hat and scarf knitting, especially for stash busting and gift giving. Serendipity! (I listen to the podcast on RealPlayer here in the office. I don’t know why, but this funny dancing sheep is the visual that RealPlayer runs along with the audio.) …

I have to admit that I’m not the hugest Harry Potter fan in my family. My dad and my sister have both read all of the books, and I’ve only read, um, 2 chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. BUT I have seen all the movies. Since my dad is such a big fan, I’m thinking of knitting him something from Charmed Knits for either Christmas or his birthday in March (his birthday is looking likelier and likelier as Christmas gets closer and closer!) Picking colors for a lot of the projects in the book is pretty easy since Alison Hansel used lots of Knit Picks yarns, but since we’ve introduced some new colors, I’ve been thinking a bit about which yarns I’d actually choose.
This post on Ravelry was the final push I needed to compile a list of all the Knit …

I came across this yarn in my stash (Essential Multi), and, realizing that the colors are perfect for my sister-in-law, it was decided on the spot that this Lace Ribbon scarf would be a must-knit Christmas gift for her. Does that ever happen to you – when you are struck by a flash that you MUST knit a certain item for a certain person? In my case, it’s contagious, too. Once one person has a gift planned for them, I think of someone else who really needs one too. Sort of a revolving gift list.
So, what are you knitting for gifts this year? And, how are you feeling about your time line – are you going to make it? <

When I was a kid and we would go on family road trips, my mom would always have my brother, sister and I pack our own “things to do” bags, the contents of which were to keep us occupied for the duration of the trip. I think it was genius of her to have us each pack our own bag, to meet our own interests and so that it was our own fault if we got bored. Sometimes she would save up little treats – booklets of crosswords or puzzles, magnetic board games, etc. – and hand them to us that morning before we all piled into the car; something extra to add to our own stashes.
This whole concept has carried over into adulthood for me. I never go anywhere without my “things to do” bag which includes at the bare minimum my mp3 …

I FINISHED something! Yippeeee!

My monster laptop bag is finally done. I especially like the teeth. I’m still looking for the perfect pair of monster eye buttons, but other than that, it’s finished. I think maybe I’ll name it Norman.
Now that I’ve completed Norman, I’ve cast on a pair of Comfy ribbed fingerless gloves.

For a pattern titled “Easy Wristwarmers”, these have been a bit challenging. This is my very first time a.) knitting ribbing, b.) knitting two at a time, c.) knitting Magic Loop (except for pulling out the cable a bit when my hats got small at the top, but this is a whole different ball game). It’s really been a group effort. Kerin taught me the magic trick behind Magic Loop. Christy showed me the cast on and coached me through knitting two at a time. Melissa …

I finished my sister’s birthday sweater vest!

(Shhh…just ignore the fact that her birthday was in August. She didn’t need it until it got cold out anyway!)

I can’t say enough good things about Andean Treasure – it knit up like a dream, and it cooperated nicely while I blocked it long and lean for my smaller-than-me sis. The finished vest has a slight fuzziness that’s inviting instead of itchy, and Embers Heather is a really rich, complex color that’ll look great with her fall wardrobe.

The honeycomb stitch pattern is super stretchy, so I had to plan for a significant amount of negative ease. The size I made allowed for 6″ of negative ease, and I could have even made it smaller for a more fitted look. The twisted rib on the bottom band …