A Plan: Handmade Holidays

The school year starts off for us this week. Since we both work in academic environments, we're really tied in our thinking to the school year for planning and setting goals.  We've got a few new plans in the works that we'll be updating over the week.

I usually make several things as gifts for the holidays, but I'm hoping to ramp it up this year. I am always over ambitious, in everything really, but especially in knitting. I've laid out my super secret crafting schedule for the holidays. I have four major knitting projects, two smaller knitting projects and a large sewing project.

After knitting for 10 years, I'm finally getting to be a fast and decent knitter. I have made my brother a series of the most awful hats over the years. I had a real problem with gauge and accidentally knitted him a wide variety of rastafarian hats in the scratchiest wool possible. I'm starting to believe that knitting is very similar to playing a musical instrument. You're just really bad for the first few years, but your relatives tolerate your ridiculous attempts because they like you. The violinist in me is happy to have moved beyond the Suzuki stage of knitting.

I've started the most daunting knitting project by casting on 194 stitches and I've knitted 3 inches already. Any guesses on what it is? And it's not a terribly sized hat.

I've also finished knitting the body of a Halloween Buddy Bag for Mr. J. I just need to finish knitting the pumpkin pocket and sew in a lining and it's finished.  

Joey has also requested a "Bevo Texas" hat and I'm working on a pair of UT socks. I'm aiming to knock those out before Thanksgiving so we can wear them during the UT v A&M game.