School's out!

I've finished my projects for the semester, which included the most depressing paper I've ever written, and after tonight I'll only have three more hours of work before Christmas. So I've had a chance to catch up on some knitting.

For the most part, I'm catching up on casting on. I'm going to cut back on starting projects after the Winter Solstice, so I'm trying to build up a reserve of works in progress that will get me through any Christmas needs.

I've even finished one project - Wavy Gravy Hat #2, my emergency knitting from last week's Knit Night. There's a good chance this will wind up being somebody's Christmas present, although I don't know who would get it. They're so much fun to knit that I may be bestowing hats on strangers, just so I have an excuse to make more!

Like Wavy Gravy #1, this hat used a single ball of Noro Kureyon. I had a little bit more yarn left over this time, probably because I used Size 7 needles instead of Size 8. Since I had to buy Emergency Needles to go with the Emergency Yarn, I didn't want to buy a set in a size I knew I already had.

I've nearly finished this - a snowflake ornament. It will need some pretty heavy blocking before it looks good. I thought about making several of these as gifts, but I don't know if I'm that happy with them, and I hate to go to a lot of trouble to do handmade things that won't be appreciated. But at least I'll have something handknit on my Christmas tree, which seems appropriate.

I've finished the bookmark, and it's on its way to Angelina Phoenixfire. I even wound up with a long enough band that I have a spare bookmark, so I'll have to hope I get a Gryffindor pal in the next round of the Hogwarts Swap - or else I'll have to cultivate friends who like warm colors.

Hmmm...I wonder if handmade bookmarks would be good Christmas presents? I have a lot of perle cotton!

I've also added to my yarn collection - this is going to become a Calorimetry headband for my mail carrier, if I get a chance to work on it. She's always very friendly to the dogs, even though they fight with each other when she comes, so I want to do something nice for her.

And I have more projects in progress. This Colour 4 Me yarn is in the process of becoming another Wavy Gravy Hat.

And this Cascade 220 is going to be a Jacques Cousteau Hat.

My friend Kerry has spent the past couple of months knitting hats for absolutely everyone on her Christmas list. I don't think I'll manage that, but she's inspired me to try to have a few handmade hats in the Christmas stash. Eight days to go - how much knitting can I do?