The schedule, my friends, is starting to kick my arse. It is starting to loom behind me, bearing down on me with hot fetid breath and big teeth. I can feel it lurking behind me all the time, waiting for me to lose my grip for even a moment. It’s like I’m running fast on the Christmas knitting and the schedule is just waiting for me to slip on the ice and lose speed…just for a second, and that will be enough that it overtakes me and all is lost.
The schedule is tight. Darned tight – and it’s all that stands between me and the annual descent into lunatic behaviour and midnight knitting sessions that I was trying so hard to avoid this year.
The schedule said that a pair of socks had to be finished this morning…
and they are…but it was by the skin of my teeth. (Standard issue sock pattern – but with a short row heel so as not to disturb the fetching little stripes that turned up, Duet Sock Yarn in “Chocolate Crunch“.) Duet sock yarn comes with a variegated colourway for the main part, and a co-ordinating solid for the heels and toes. (Hence “Duet”) I made a ladies medium sock, and there is plenty left over. If I were a bold toe-up type who had bothered to weigh and divide the skiens first, these would have made much bigger socks.
I was hoping that the lead I had on the schedule would last, but I’m only part way through the first sock on the next pair…
(STR “Dixie Chick”…which is not my colourway but will thrill the pants off of the recipient this Christmas.) It is the presence of a real job which seems to be slowing me down, along with the fact that I was the tree-putter-upper last night, since it would appear that the teenagers I had counted on to do the task have a schedule all their own….
and Lene didn’t make it. Epic time lost to light wrangling, ornament hanging and an attempt to be merry about it.
I think maybe I am going to need an elf.
NO!!! Don’t give up now!! You can do it! It’s the second-guessing that will get you – don’t let it! You have been doing a great job, and that yarn you are working on now is gorgeous. I love looking at your beautiful yarns. And reading them (ha ha) anyway – chin up! needles ready! you can do it!
How about elves (plural)?
go Stephanie go..go..go…you can do it…
Good luck, we know you can do it! Even if it means you’ll have to get on the Crazy Train.
oh no…I’m so sorry to hear about the schedule thing. I am totally rooting for you to finish and maybe even beat the schedule lene made up for you.
If you can do, I might be able to make and keep a schedule too. Good luck!
You can totally do it! We believe in you!
You could always rope your children and force elf hats on them, then make THEM be elves…might be easier, i think genuine elves are sort of in short supply this time of year.
But, BE STRONG! You can do it!
I’m just wondering – what happened to your idea of putting finished items into a box during the year to serve as Christmas presents? Especially since your annual output is so large anyway…
Forgive me for stating the obvious!
Love the ornaments. Especially the mini-sweater!
“Fetid breath”? EEEEYOW! That’s a nasty one, all right. Thanks SO much for taking the time to post in spite of Lene-schedule loomingness.
You are the fastest sock knitter I have ever met… I have the ultimate faith that you will prevail in your Christmas knitting.
I just met with a sock catastrophe that ended with my running out of yarn with only a few rows to go on the toe of my second sock… those socks are in time-out now while they contemplate what they did, and I am taking a running leap of faith into my own Christmas knitting. I finished a sweater last night, which sounds impressive, but I’ve been working on it for six months, so not so impressive really.
I love your wool-themed ornaments!
Oh you can so do it! Just a few more weeks!
I love that you have both sheep and sweater ornaments. So awesome. =)
This is no time to start being realistic. 🙂
Your socks are very pretty, and this post led me to the wonder that is the Loopy Ewe (since they carry the Duet sock yarn)!
Love the sheep ornament, and I totally feel your pain on the “help” thing. I got a total of none as well. What a great way to start the season!
You CAN do it! You are our Yoda! If you can’t do it, who can? (I’m ignoring those overly perky organized people of which I am not. But you, you’re normal like the rest of us).
If you find the elf store or manage to accio a house elf to you, do let me know how you did it. I’m going to need one that either knits or specializes in toddler-wrangling and cookie baking.
If they want presents, they’ll have to pull their weight: put the youngest in charge of cooking dinner and after two days of roasted peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches on white bread the oldest one will want to do the cooking herself, thus saving you time to knit and knit and knit!
Good luck, we’re keeping our dpns crossed for you (and quietly rejoice that here in The Netherlands we don’t do the christmas present thing at ALL, so it’s easy peasy for me:)
Don’t give up! The sheep wouldn’t want that. Where did you get that ordament?
May the power of the sheep be with you!
My teenagers disappeared too. Some year, before I croak, I will find a way out of putting up the tree. Love the colorway that isn’t of your colors – send it to me whatever it is. I’ll even take it late. Tell that to Lene. Rock on Harlot!
I just finished Terry Pratchett’s *Lords and Ladies* last night, and let me assure you that the LAST thing you need is an elf (though a pair of steel knitting needles would be good.) As to old fetid-breath pursing you across the ice, I have it on good authority that there is no confirmed case of wol– knitting attacking any human being on the North American continent. Come finish this sonnet crown for me and I’ll do sock rows for you…(or, better yet, read Terry Pratchett to you.)
You will be able to accomplish it. Your determination is fueling my fire for knit Christmas items. I have gone headlong into entralac due to your enthusiasm. You can do this! You can do this, and not become completely frazzled.
oh i greatly covet your lamb ornament and the wee blue knit sweater behind! how sweet. any recollection where they came from?
Oh, Stephanie! How did one weekend take you from being on top of the schedule to being pinned beneath it? Get up, get up, and kick that schedule in the chops!
Go stephanie! You can do it! Your Duet socks make me want a chocolate covered cherry or two…… great colors.
Well, you might have saved some time if you hadn’t bothered to try to be merry … but I suppose that isn’t really the spirit of the season, is it? And I am trying to keep hold of that spirit myself … Ho. Ho. Ho.
That sheep ornament – at first glance, I didn’t see the black head and saw the ornament as the head of a witch with her mouth open…
I like the Dixie Chick better than the Chocolate Crunch.
Where did you find that sweater ornament pattern? I want it, since it’s probably the only sweater I can actually knit properly. Humbug.
Someone once told me that the point at which we are the most vulnerable in the pursuit of achieving our goal is right before we win. So GO, FIGHT! WIN! Thanks my cheerleading for the day. 🙂
your schedule and frantic knitting is keeping me going with my xmas knitting frenzy. keep it up!!!
Maybe an elf and a bottle of hooch…
Really, next year you need to have Lene make up a schedule for the girls. If they groan, remind them they’ll need to know all the little details of the family traditions, so they can carry them on. If they don’t get practice now in juggling housework and decorating along with the fun-gifty stuff, do they really want to think about learning it during their first big Christmas with the in-laws over for dinner?
Of course, this helps not a bit for this year. Refer back to paragraph one. (We have faith. If all else fails, threaten the family with IT and tell ’em to get their rears in gear if they don’t want to see your head explode again.)
You can do it! I am facing my schedule with new eyes as my darling husband (meant sincerely) decided that we really should go to my mother’s for her 75th birthday. It is on the 19th. That is before Christmas, I do believe. The hard part is that my husband does not do airplanes, so we will be driving the 1100 miles…leaving on the 16th and returning late on the 21st, which means that anything that I have to ship, including the family Christmas bread, must go by the 15th. All but one brother-in-law live out of state, so that means everything must be done by the 15th…did you say PANIC?! I’m already there. THe car will provide much knitting time, but anything that is to be bought and shipped won’t count for that. Help!
You need an elf?? You and me both!
Whose half-wit idea was this time of year anyway? Sigh.
I now have a very vivid, and slightly disturbing image of you attempting to knit sock rows while in that yoga pose that has your hands meeting behind your back, not at all sure how they got there…
Clearly, Lene just needs to create a schedule for the girls.
Or you may only do tasks as listed on the schedule. No time for other tasks. (Lene did schedule stuff like “sleep” and “eat” right?)
Or just look at it this way: You’re taking the usual Christmas knitting insanity and spreading it over the whole month, rather than the last few weeks. Same amount, longer time, so lower doses.
Darling sheep & sweater ornaments–how appropriate. Both socks are very pretty, lucky recipients!
Losing one’s grip and lunatic behaviour are part of the holiday tradition in my household! That’s what hot-buttered rums are for. Cheers!
LOVE the sheep ornament!
I too was pretty crabby putting up the tree this weekend (darn those goofy pronged plugs on the lights!), but when left alone & put on TransSiberian Orchestra, I calmed down. Another Christmas task done.
I love the Duet socks!! I ordered the Duet yarn from Loopy Ewe, only in Bauer Blue and can’t wait to see how that colorway knits up.
I’m rooting for you to finish your projects. Sounds like it’s going to come down to the wire!
I told you “neener-neener”ing your mother would come back and bite you on the arse…
I have an elf. A slightly different kind, however. My best friend doesn’t knit or clean, so that parts up to me, but she shops for my husband. Who only buys gifts for me. (I handle everyone else). In order to get stuff I don’t have to exchange in January, I send her a list, she tells him what she thinks I would like, he gives the OK, and she goes and shops, delivering wrapped gifts to him just before Christmas. He does buy her something, and lunch. It works very well. I love him to death, but he’s the world’s worst shopper…
I feel your panic-am right there with you. This is the result of smugly crowing that I had finished fairly big projects for 5 people. Then I woke up in the middle of the night realizing I still had 5 more projects-and 2 need to be done by Friday. Antacids and chamomile tea are my best friends right now. If we could pool the anxiety, maybe we could heat North America and help global warming-you think?
You’re my hero! Lene would have long been impaled upon a needle if I had a knitting schedule. You deserve an extra shot of Christmas spirit in your coffee for maintaining this pace. Good luck. Love the sheep and sweater ornaments on the tree!
You mean Lene didn’t schedule *any* midnight knitting sessions for you? What was she thinking? Better pencil them in…
If you find a place that hires elves can you let me know? Thanks.
Ah, the advantages of being Jewish … no tree to put up, only menorahs to dig wax out of every night for eight nights. And on the eighth night, after the candles have all burned down, put them back into the cabinet. Then forget about wax removal until the following Hanukkah, at which point I take the menorahs out, curse violently and grab a paring knife so we can light the freakin’ candles (after I have searched every shop in Philadelphia for same!).
Here’s a suggestion, Stephanie: You should put Joe and the girls in charge of all food preparation, house cleaning, shopping, and all other responsibilities/activities not on your schedule from now until Xmas. My husband already knows he’s not getting his new scarf for Hanukkah, as it’s over tomorrow night and I haven’t even cast on yet. OH well! He might get it over Xmas weekend … now there’s a thought …
You. MUST. FINISH. Our hope in even coming close lies in your finishing…. maybe not- but hey- a little guilt can be a great motivator- ask my MIL. She’s the Picasso of guilt.
Oops- did I say that out loud?
back to knitting my very first color work….
Woo hoo! I HAVE an elf! She’s no longer a teenager, and not even mine, and will be PAID cash money, but she’s gonna take over all the STUFF that was hanging around my neck so that I can have a hope in wherever of finishing the sweater I’m giving my sister.
And you’ve provoked me to making my own schedule – I’m due to have two sleeves ready to go onto the needles with the lower body by EOD next Sunday.
Eek!
I think now is the time to put in some of those midnight-type hours. If you do a couple extended evening bouts this week to help you get an edge on the schedule, then maybe you won’t have an EVERY NIGHT crunch right before Christmas. Been there, done that. I remember one year staying up until 2 a.m. finishing the binding on a wall quilt on Christmas Eve/Christmas morning.
Remember Susan Powter’s mantra for people to get off the diet round-robin? STOP THE INSANITY. We need a little saying like that for needlewomen everywhere 🙂
Hang in there! Pressure now means no meltdowns later. Stop by the library and borrow a copy of ‘Mr. Nick’s Knitting’. It is a great children’s book about friendship and knitting. It also has suggestions for round-the-clock knitting!
I can see it coming: “Not a creature was stirring, only…” (will you be saying) mice elf.
OMG! Must have the wooly ornament!
Plus – at least you are not knitting 6,323 watch cap hats with a bag of ice perched on your shoulder to keep the pain at bay……
We ALL need elves this time of year. Sigh. Keep going, Steph. Actually you’re way ahead of me and a huge box of my gifts have to be shipped. So what am I doing today? Rearranging rooms so I have a real workspace back. A few rows on a baby hat is all I’ve knitted/sewed/crocheted today. Ho, ho, ho!
Something will happen that will put you ahead of the schedule again. You’ve been a good doobie so the karma is in your favor.
If you get an elf, will you share? Trying to surprise husband with a sweater this year – only tried two other times in 22 years of marriage – and he keeps taking off from work on days that I have time to knit!
Don’t give up now! Don’t even think those thoughts! When you think them, you start to stew over how screwed you are going to be, and then you start knitting slower and slower, and then the next thing you know, IT is in full swing. Don’t think those thoughts, just keep knitting, spend less time making dinner, spend less time cleaning. I’m sure your family will understand.
you have the best ornaments ever. Good luck on you’re schedule, I’ve got my own to keep. Procrastination ain’t going to get it done is it?
I think your publisher needs to give you December to save you from the insanity.
Either that or people from blogland should help you fill your quota (we might not be as fast, but together we are a force to be reckoned with).
Stephanie’s Elves.
Has a nice ring (:
Have Lene do schedules for the girls too…..
And then there’s always the ravenous blog that must be fed. But don’t worry, you can do it (with Lene’s brilliant planning). Anyway, elves are overrated. Next year, remember to have Lene plan the girls’ schedules too.
What, Lene didn’t factor in the realities of teenage children into her schedule for you? I’m thinking along the lines of:
Sat., 8 AM, Start sock for BIL;
Sat., 8:30 AM, Referee fight over clothes daughters plan to wear to mall;
Sat., 9 AM, Start again on BIL sock;
Sat., 9:30 AM, Drive daughters and three friends to mall, leaving them for the day;
Sat., 10 AM, Start yet again on BIL sock;
Sat., 10:30 AM, Drive to mall to pick up youngest daughter, who called in tears saying everyone is picking on her;
Sat., 11 AM, Start one more friggin’ time on BIL sock, as the morning’s duties have caused all knitting on the sock to be tighter than a knot in laceweight cashmere;
Sat, 11:30 AM, Take youngest daughter out to lunch, for quality time. Lose the fourth dpn while administering unto her.
Repeat unto desired result is obtained, or all daughters turn 50.
A real job gets takes huge chunks of time from the day. Don’t they understand there are more important things (knitting) to get done?
Can you push the giving date to Dec 26? Boxing Day? It will give you another 24 hours.
You don’t need an elf, you just need your teenage children to take over all non-knitting duties. Hmmm, maybe on second thought the elf might be an easier order to fill, eh? As a former teenager though, I can tell you that we will occasionally do housework. My mother still has a photo of me hoovering in the living room from 20 years ago. She couldn’t believe I was doing it voluntarily!
I would love to volunteer to be your elf. If only I didn’t have this real job of my own, I would be more than happy to come be your personal assistant. I’d only ask that I get fed from time to time and that I get to sleep in your stash.
You can do it Stephanie!
I love the sheep and sweater ornaments. Too Cute!
I can relate about the Christmas Tree help. My “helper” sits on the couch drinks eggnog and tells me where I need “more lights, less lights, more ornaments, two green ornaments too close together etc etc….I just double shot my nog when he isn’t looking LOL!
I have complete faith in you! I’m teaching full time and going to school full time for my masters degree in special ed (I teach art so it’s like putting a square peg in a round hole). So far I have 1/2 a sock finished and I need to complete the pair (obviously) and make an adult size hat. Let me just say; this is the year for gift cards…many projects had to be crossed off the list. Although I’m sure there must be plenty of knitting time in the asylum,I just needed to preserve my sanity!
The year I made 30 gifts for Christmas – insane – I felt like I’d hit a wall & did not enjoy the holidays at all! From then on I only made gifts for those that I knew would appreciate the effort. Hang tough – they will love them & even if you don’t get them done, they will enjoy the anticipation of waiting for them – it’s worth it!:)
Have a look here. It will make you feel better. I have been having a great time reading through your archives. I must be the last knitter on earth to find you.
Gorgeous sock yarn! Gives me ideas for my own Christmas wish list. And thanks for sharing about your Christmas tree. Now I’m anticipating putting up our tree, with or without the teens’ help.
Okay, enough time reading comments. Get back to your schedule …
~ Dar
Great site. I enjoy reading your posts. Thanks!
An elf would be nice. I am fighting the same fight here in CT, but I decided that what I REALLY need, in terms of multi-tasking and getting things done, is not a magical elf, but a wife. This statement has my two young sons boggled, since, in our family, I am the wife.
I love that ornament.
My ornaments are all still in the attic. We took the kids to cut down our tree this weekend but our house is still being painted so we can’t decorate yet. Also, my dryer is broken so I’m behind on laundry, the kids wouldn’t cooperate to take a holiday photo and I’m still knitting the second damned sock for my dad, which, I swear, will never be finished, no matter how much I knit on it.
I’m feeling very Grinch-ish and am living vicariously through your productivity. Please don’t give up!!!
Hang in there – do you realize that knitters all over the world are hoping you prove that someone CAN get their Christmas knitting done by Christmas. I gave up Dec 3 and am just resigned to some stuff being late…. sigh……..
I’m coming to Canada at the end of the week–(but- London- actually) —I could be an elf- but I don’t do elf shoes—-they make my feet look fat- 😉
I would volunteer to be your elf since I have all of my Christmas knitting done, but there are two problems. 1) I live in CT, you do not, and 2) I am not nearly as speedy a knitter as you are. Sorry.
Your sheep ornament is very pretty. 🙂
Loving the teeny tiny sweater and sheep and the Dixie chicks yarn is delightful! Go Harlot go!
Heh… you’re still way ahead of me. You have several presents and a fully decorated tree. I have two parts of presents and no tree. I’m lucky we got our outside lights and such up by now. The dog and 2 cats have been no help.
I have faith that you and “The Schedule” will still prevail.
Tell the darling creatures who share your home that “If everyone does a little, no one does a lot.” And if you are stuck doing a lot, then the first two things to go are dinner and laundry.
That’ll free up at *least* five minutes for ya!
Does that give me elf status?
The socks look great and the sheep ornament is adorable. Maybe you could make anklets to save a little time.
I have complete confidence that you will do it.
And you have a glass sheep ornament? Where did you get the glass sheep! I’ve been looking everywhere for one for my new tree.
don’t give up yet! you were doing so well!
What a gorgeous sheep ornament. I found it online and told my mom that she has to get me one next year:)
http://www.gardenartisans.com/christmas_ornaments.html for anybody else who is interested.
Poor Stephanie!!! Honestly, I skip reading your blog during this season because it causes my blood pressure to rise. Breathe!!!
I knit a load of these tiny jumpers last year for Christmas ornaments and ended up having them pinched off the tree by friends and family who took them away to be iPod cosies and mobile phone covers. They were such a hit that I’ve knocked out a few more for gifts during the year, they only take an evening each.
I started off with the pattern here:
http://mindofwinter.prettyposies.com/archives/000126.html
and once I got the idea (exactly the same as a big sweater but tinier!) I improved and added more cables. I’ll post some pics on my blog. They are great for using up scrap yarn!
Sorry to hijack the comments, just thought those of you still in gift-knitting-hell might like a quicker idea than socks and scarfs – especially for teenagers who think aran iPod cosies are awesome.
ps. Love the sheep.
That should have read “improvISed and added more cables…”
Sorry!
The elf reference has done me in: I am picturing Lene wearing a red suit and a hat and cracking a whip. She looks as much like the Grinch as is possible for a truly sweet human being.
Fresh out of elves here, sorry. Should you locate a surplus, for heaven’s sake send a couple my way.
MY little elf said: Everyone does NOT have to receive hand knitted gifts this year, or even hand made ones. Send them nice plants – cheerful colorful plants in the middle of the cold and dark winter. Start in January to make next year’s hand knitted gifts. You’ll be able to enjoy the holiday – both this one and next one.
The elf was right!
As far as “IT” is concerned I’m fast heading that way. I had to change my plans a bit so that atleast the Kids get their presents on time the Adults will have to wait. Oh well as was said before Hand Knit items are worth the wait~ 🙂
Funny, tree putting up and house decorating has taken a chunk out of my gift knitting time too. My hublet elf has suggested gift cards instead…ACK! Now he asks me “so when are we going to eat dinner?” as he sits by the fireplace…..
If the shoemaker could have elves surely the sockmaker deserves a few of her own… the nice ones, NOT the Pratchett variety, (perhaps some Nac Mac Feegle instead, although they may be more into the egg nog than the knitting…) I’m sure you’ll pull through as usual. Good luck! 🙂
Sorry, darling…they’re all busy at my house hiding the socks, knocking the ornaments off the tree, hiding my i-pod, tangling my yarn, and freaking out the cats.
from a five foot seven elf
i do tree tops and tops of shelves
in return for cookies and wine
i am a needy elf could use green
socks with pointy toes and bells
have visa will travel and set the table
i do not do dishes
I feel your pain – before this weekend I was afraid I was getting behind my schedule. But yesterday, I knit 2 hats (yes, 2!!) during my second 10-hour day of DONA doula training. Hooray on all levels!
Don’t remind me. The Christmas knitting is totally kicking me too.
Sorry,only the shoemaker had elves and you,as a mother,are (sadly) the Little Red Hen. One of these years I am going to make good on my threat of “NO Christmas” this year unless everyone can take a little responsibility and help out around the holidays. Sigh, but every year I(and every other Mom in the world) do it all. It all gets done and in the end I am glad to have done it.
And I truly believe that a half made second sock in the gift box still makes a merry little gift.
You won the furnace wars, you can beat Santa.
I don’t do schedules. I hate losing. I hope you kick your schedules ass or at least avoid the worst of the midnight knitting.
Sheep. I. love. the. sheep. ornament. Would be particularly lovely on my sheep tree.
Thanks, eclair, for the pattern link. Got to dig some cotton out of my stash!
Maybe this is a little greedy of me to suggest that Lene do this, but seriously maybe she could make out a schedule for the girls? Like a housework schedule? You know, if you suggested it, it’d never get done, because you’re the mom and all, but there’s magic in someone else giving orders. Maybe even have her bribe them with something. That way, too, at least they all can bitch about the same thing…too much to do!
In the mean time, I’m sending wine and knitting vibes and mojo up your way.
Oh yes I was tree putter upper a few nights ago myself….the DSB actaully put the tree in the stand then vanished leaving me to decorate the tree and try and clean up for the people he invited to stop by without asking me.
Your personification of the schedule reminded me of Monty Python and the Holy Grail “and big pointy teeth ::insert hands making pointy teeth motions here::”.
Love your choice in color ways. Your tree looks beautiful! Try and get yourself a gingerbread latte to stay in the spirit.
It sounds like it is time for you to call your 800 number for a pep talk…. you can do this, oh Great One! We, your fans, have faith in you.
When you get overwhelmed, do you have a tendency to lose perspective? I do! I was just thinking that hey, at least once you put your tree up it’s still up!!! I have a four year old, a two year old and two kittens (I know, I know, what the HECK was I thinking!!!???) And they’ve almost knocked it down twice, they’ve derailed the xmas train and I’ve found 12 (shatterproof) ornaments on the floor, two in the couch, one on the couch and the older kitten (10-12 wks) got tangled in the garland. 🙂
Talk about a distraction from knitting – when ornaments become projectiles! 🙂
Hang in there! There is plenty of time and plenty of wine!
I have it on good authority that Elves can be bribed with food. And teenagers too!
You are awesome!! You will prevail! I love that yarn too. If it makes you feel better, I had a schedule. I was supposed to knit dishcloth sets for people this summer. I have two more to go after the one I just started last night. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Be strong. Knit on.
Must. Make. Tiny Sweater Ornaments!
You’ll make it…and if you descend into knitterly insanity know that there will be plenty of company.
I would gladly be one of your elves if I could, but then who would pack all the boxes, decorate my mother’s house for Christmas and do my knitting for me?
BTW, how is that family-made Christmas scarf coming along? Is everyone participating as they are expected?
Aww, c’mon! You can’t be bah humbug with such a gorgeous little sheep to hang up every year! Happy Kwanza!
I’m sure you can finish it all! I’m just staring here with amazed on your job..i loke the sheep yea I guess few elves will make it more better.. 😉
For Anne: if the menorahs are heat-proof, put them on the top oven rack, so they lie at an angle with the candle-hole end downward.
Line an old cookie sheet with tinfoil, place directly beneneath menorah (or other candle-holder) to catch dripping wax.
Turn oven on low heat (about 225) till all the wax drips out.
All the wax drips out. No butter-knife excavations. Ad it’s fun enough to talk a kid into doing.
Great sheep ornament! Good luck with the schedule. 🙂
Actually, for the bold toe up thing,you don’t have to weigh and divide. I make the first sock through the foot and heel, which wouldn’t get any bigger anyway. Then I knit up the leg for a while, about as far as I think I should go, and stop knitting. Since I (snort) have more than one pair of sock needles, I just leave it on the needles. Then I knit the other one. The small quantity of yarn left is easy to divide by eye, or you can play a thrilling game of chicken where you knit from both the inside and the outside of the ball. Best I’ve ever done is to cast off both with two inches of yarn left between them- but the stakes were high- it was Koigu. Toe up takes care of the whole lying gauge swatch thing and the little golf balls of sock yarn left over thing.
Oooooo – I love the sweater ornament!
Seriously, how do you find so much time for knitting?
Perhaps you need to find the local Brownie troop/troup (not sure of spelling)?
http://www.nlbrownies.co.uk/story.html
I’d send some of mine over, but, frankly, they take an awful lot of looking after, and it wouldn’t help the schedule.
~x~
Seriously, how long does a pair of socks take you – I’ve been knitting for 31 years, and I’m still nowhere near your speed!
I really enjoy your blog, but knitting comes first. Take a week off from the blog and use that time to catch up. I too thought I had Christmas under control until I realized that there are only 2 pages of my weekly calender left until Christmas. I have no tree, Thanksgiving decorations still up, only 2 batches of cookies in the freezer, and I still need to get presents for my children. On the plus side, I have gifts for my extended family and they are already wrapped. That’s what threw me off, I never wrap presents as soon as I buy them. This year I did and that pile of wrapped presents deluded me into thinking I was ahead of my schedule. Good luck!
Don’t you also do something special with eggs around this time of year? 🙂
Keep up the positive attitude – you can do it. 🙂
Really? You’re admitting defeat already?? Surely not. You have TWO WEEKS until Christmas, plenty of time. All very easy for me to say, since I don’t Do the holiday.
Since you’re knocking off a pair of socks in a day or two, you probably don’t need any advice from me, a sock-in-a-month-or-two girl, but if I were you, I would knit all first socks, so that if I ran out of time, I could give a single finished sock along with an IOU for the second sock by Valentine’s Day. (Or in your case, New Year’s Eve.) Of course, that would prolong the Christmas-knitting agony into 2008 potentially. But it would also postpone the second-sock tedium. Just an idea. It would work better with socks than with a sweater without a front.
Have faith, Steph, you can so do this thing! I’m beyond all hope, myself (but I can blame that squarely on my health), but you’ve been doing so well! Hang in there…and as someone else already stated… food bribes work well for those elves/teens ^_~
I, too, was wondering how the family-knit garter stitch scarf was coming along. Maybe that’s why they can’t help you — they’re busy knitting.
Keep going! You can do it!
Okay, done with the cheerleading, but please tell me Lene put a few “rest times” in your schedule? Despite evidence to the contrary, you are only human!
Lovely socks.
If you get an elf, try not to get the kind I have at my shop. All they do is throw yarn on the floor at night.
I would gladly become your elf!! I love wrapping presents and doing stuff for the holidays! Good luck. I know your can do it!
I suppose if you got really stuck, you could always start making single socks as a group, then move on to the second socks. For any pair you didn’t complete, you could wrap the single sock up with an IOU. Is that kind of bratty? Perhaps, but hey–they’re getting handmade socks. They should kiss your feet and count their blessings. 🙂
Well, so glad to see others are sharing the pain. Love the color ways and had to check out the Duets. Last thing I need is more sock yarn, but how could a person resist these?
I have 4 gifts to make and only 1 semi-completed – a Fibonacci stripe purse for my sister that needs felted. I need to complete the handle, felt and assemble.
I have tried to start the next – a ‘doll bag’ for my older sis that is a grandma to two beautiful girls who will also love grandma’s new purse.
Well, onward and upward. I will be knitting at the band concert tonight and the wrestling match tomorrow.
Whew! There’s the Steph we’ve all come to know, love & expect at Christmas-knitting time. I was getting worried in light of all this “knitting ahead of schedule” crap. All is well with the world again. Nice sheepy ornament, too. Me want.
Go, Steph, go! I am in awe at your perseverence.
I know how you feel. I have been saying for years that what I really need is a computer geek and a wife (to take care of all the stuff I just can’t get to). At holiday time a few elves would be truly welcome. I am still trying to figure out how to beat this house into such shape that the in-laws won’t run screaming from the building when they get here. Oh yeah, and having a tree up and a table cleared off enough to eat from would be nice.
I really think the poster above is on the right track. You just need a little more of that cherry vodka, and you will be good to go. Or you won’t care. Either way you win.
OMG. I *love* that sheep ornament. It’s fabulous! Hang with the schedule. I know you’ll make it. I have confidence.
Somehow, “I think maybe I am going to need an elf.” has me in mind of a blood sacrifice and an appeal to the dark forces. Perhaps it was your description of the “hot fetid breath and big teeth” of the schedule. Perhaps you can throw the elf over your shoulder as you run.
Love the knitterly tree ornaments. Best of luck with the schedule 🙂
You can do it! I know you can. Love the sheep and sweater ornaments.
Dear Yarn Harlot, Oh where, oh where did you get the beautiful sheep ornament? I love him/her!
keep on going! i love the socks!
I was about to sympathise, but dude, Rams is writing a sonnet crown. That trumps finishing a sock, I’m afraid.
(big good luck hug anyway)
hello all in happy knit land! i have a burning question…. i am partially through a pattern for a baby kimono-style sweater and once i have all the pieces done, i am instructed to BLOCK, BUT DON’T PRESS. now i thought blocking was done with a damp cloth and a warm iron. so just how exactly do i BLOCK without PRESSING? any insights to share are most welcome!
Hi – I know this is way down at the end and you may not get to it but – tonight I knit up an Unoriginal Hat for my niece – thank you for the pattern! It is very cute, I used two colors of worsted weight yarn held together on US10’s, and it’s adorable. Now I am getting ready to knit more for friends who I didn’t know what to get them!
Also – regarding blocking without pressing – I never iron. I lay the damp sweater on a towel on a bed or table, and press it out (iron it) with the palms of my hands. This works to shape it and to even out the fabric. Maybe a weight (a book wrapped in a towel) if a corner curls or something.
Thank you again for the pattern – I hope your knitting schedule is working out!
Yes, the elf. . . but you do remember that they don’t necessarily knit socks that match. Right?
BOLD toe-up? WEIGH? Nonono, my precious, we are cowards. And as for weighing… I have an extra set of needles and I am working from the other end of the skein, switching every inch or so. Which is handy as I lose needles to the bottomless maw of the handbag, as long as I still have six of ten I can get by without stitch holders.
You will do fine.
I’ve offered to teach people to knit if they will come and work in my knitting sweatshop so that all the Christmas knitting gets done in time – I am not nearly as fast a knitter as you, and I’ve got this nagging carpal tunnel/tendonitis thing that is slowing me down. And still need to get through 2 1/2 socks, 1 1/2 mittens (made sans measurements for the boyfriend’s step dad, who has gout in his fingers and thumbs and let me tell you how challenging it is to knit a thumb for that), and a scarf. And Christmas is now *gulp* 13 days away. I am wishing I could take time off work…is that wrong?
Let the punishment fit the crime. Take the knitting time from the gifts of those who refuse to hold up their end of the schedule! Ergo, teenager cost x hours to set up tree = x hours taken from said teenager’s knitted gift. They learn fast that way.
The crunchy chocolates are lovely, lookin good enough to eat.
You can do it Harlot, I have faith in you <3
Maddy
who blew dgd’s surprise this weekend by disclosing what was on needles for her while threatening to replace it with COAL. It wasn’t until she saw the needles that the threat od coal made her cry and behave. I’m such a meany!
Let the punishment fit the crime. Take the knitting time from the gifts of those who refuse to hold up their end of the schedule! Ergo, teenager cost x hours to set up tree = x hours taken from said teenager’s knitted gift. They learn fast that way.
The crunchy chocolates are lovely, lookin good enough to eat.
You can do it Harlot, I have faith in you <3
Maddy
who blew 7 yr old dgd’s surprise this weekend by disclosing what was on needles for her while threatening to replace it with COAL. It wasn’t until she saw the needles that the threat of coal made her cry and behave. I’m such a meany, but she was oh so stubborn.
My Christmas schedule was seriously derailed by an unscheduled ER visit and PICU stay by my 3 month old son.
When we left the house to go to the ER I actually hesitated over grabbing my knitting bag. Thankfully, DH has a clearer head and said bring it, we dont know how long we will be there. God Bless DH!
My formerly lengthy craft list has been paired down to two: finish scarf for DH that he wasnt going to get (I was mad at him) and stocking for the previously mentioned sick baby. All other knittins are just ‘cuz and Not Christmas.
Really.
lol.. I have the same sheep ornament and i have a sweater ornament just like except red and white.
Those Chocolate socks make me think of chocolate-covered cherries with the pink syrup inside, and I think that I may have to make those socks, though the most I’ve ever spent on sock yarn was $20 for a gift, and I found even that a little difficult. This is an exceptional colorway.
If anyone is looking for tiny sweater ornaments go to info@berroco.com as they have free patterns for 12 little sweaters. It is part of the Knit Bits free newsletter. Love your tiny sweater tho in the blue and black.
Lynda