Holiday Knitting

Once again December crept up on me.  I wanted to knit so many handmade gifts this year, but as usual, I didn't think of it until it was way too late to start.  Today I sat myself down with a pen and paper and made a list of everyone that I want to knit for next Christmas.  I estimated reasonable amounts of time per project (including time in between to knit little things here and there for myself) and if I start in January, I should be done mid-year.  Not too bad since I am also notorious for doing the last minute Christmas shopping.  I don't know if the reason I always procrastinate on Christmas knitting is out of pure laziness and selfishness, or if I am so worried that my time won't be appreciated and the gifts will just get stuffed in the back of the closet.  I figure, I can try it out next Christmas and see how it goes.  If I complete everything by my goal of mid-year and the gifts are well received, then perhaps I can bring myself to doing this annually.  Otherwise, I'll stick to the malls and save the knitted goods for me. 

This evening, when I got home from work, I looked at my stash and then looked at my pile of knitted items that aren't finished.  I grabbed the 2 hats I started last month and finished the decreases, so they can be crossed off my "to do" list. 

Knotty but Nice made for myself.  Bad lighting is bad.

Who?  made for the Angel Tree at work.  (again trying to get better lighting)

Next up will be finally finishing my February Lady Sweater that I started in the beginning of the year.  It's pretty funny, I started it at the end of February and at this rate, it will be completed in February as well.  All I really need to do is knit the last sleeve, wash it, block it and sew on the buttons.  The problem?  I seem to have misplaced the pattern I was using when I was working with it last year, so I'm not 100% sure which size I chose to knit.  I guess since it is just the 2nd sleeve, I can count the stitches and go from there.  Ideally, I would love to have it done by Christmas so I can wear it on Christmas day.  The yarn I chose was Currant from Knit Picks.  It's a dark maroon and I think it would look festive enough.  :D

I think the rest of my evening will be spent with a mug of tea, some CSI and the finishing touches on my monster that I need to send out by Monday for the Monster Ornament Swap. 

I will leave you all with this question.  Do any of you give knitted/crafted gifts for the holidays?  If so, do you go all out or just go with smaller items?

New and improved blog-now with MONSTERS!

I have decided today while I wait hours on end for knitpicks to load that I would start a new blog.  For those of you who already know me, feel free to fast forward a paragraph or two.  For those that don't...allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Jessica (blushed on ravelry), I am a thirty-something year old woman residing in Pennsylvania.  I have been knitting for a little over 6 years now.  I started knitting shortly after my oldest brother passed away.  Some of my fondest memories as a child was watching my mother sitting in a chair knitting away on an afghan.  The sound the needles made clicking together was soothing to me.  Once my brother passed away, I needed something, anything, to get my mind off of everything that was going on.  I had decided to ask my mom to teach me how to knit.  Fast forward 6 years later and you can still find me most times with yarn and needles in hand.

Other than knitting, I love baking and am obsessed with trashy reality tv shows, Glee and HGTV.

Anyway, enough about me.  Let's get to the good stuff.  Lately I have been obsessed with Danger Crafts patterns.  Right now I need to start working on some of her monster ornaments for the girls at work, but for now I will end this post with pictures of some of the monsters I have knitted.