Gifts to Give

I love giving gifts. I love it far more than I do receiving gifts, and I am never not searching for the perfect gift, the perfect idea. Unfortunately, my memory is not what I like to think it is, and I don't keep good notes, so I often come up with multiple ideas for the same recipient. I would love to be one of those people who gives gift for no reason, just because the item reminded them of the person, or because they were thinking of them. But, I don't think such gifts would be well received by the people in my life, and it would just make for awkward exchange.

Since spontaneous gift-giving is not my thing, I plan and plot all year for the Christmas season. The middle of August is when my brain kicks into overdrive. This year, I have decided to make everything myself. I don't know that the items will be well received, but they will be made, and given, with love. While I plan gifts all year, I often have to settle for something less than ideal, and sometimes miss the mark. At the very least, I hope everyone will realize that I have been thinking about them.

This does put me on a bit of a tight deadline. All but one gift will be knit, so my needles have been in overdrive, and Ravelry has become my most visited website, with the possible exception of Netflix. So far, I am a bit over halfway through a Girasole blanket, have finished one Phenomenon mitten in a thoroughly impractical yarn, have started a hat to go with the Phenomenon mittens in the same problematic yarn, and have finished part of an Elf Shoe (slipper).

When my KnitPicks order arrives (to be followed shortly by a WEBS order), I will likely cast on a couple more projects, because I get bored, and my hands get sore when I use the same needles for too long. All of the projects I'm currently working on are on size 10.5 needles, in fact, I pulled the needles from the hat to work the slipper. I have to take too many breaks to rest my hands. I'm hoping having different sized needles in my hands will allow me to work longer. I'll keep my sore little stubs that pass for fingers crossed that it works.

On top of all of the gift items, I am working on a pattern or two, though I think they may be on hold until the new year, especially since Mika (the cat) pulled my pattern notes onto the floor (though that was likely the work of one of the striped kitties) and peed on it (I witnessed this part, so I know it was him). You can see from the picture above that the cats have been immensely helpful and are happy to share their greatest gift, the gift of cat hair. In fact, as I type, Jasper is sleeping inside the cocoon made by a still-on-the-needles Girasole, so that only a bit of gently rising and falling orange fluff is visible in the opening.