Look at that.

I know, I know, it doesn’t look like much.  As a matter of fact it probably looks a lot like the last time you saw this blanket, but trust me, it’s finally a lot bigger.  Two whole repeats bigger – and that’s a ton. I think I’ll need about 12 repeats  – but I’m not sure. When I get closer to what I think is done, I’ll slip the whole thing onto a long circular and block it, and make my decision then.  I’m hoping something amazing will happen, like it will grow vertically far more than it does widthwise, but my swatch tells me that I’m dreaming.  Still, wouldn’t it be lovely if just this one time, a swatch lied to me in a way that was helpful and supportive? It could happen.  (Note to newer knitters: No it can’t. Swatches are necessary and helpful to a point, but they have a malicious nature that can’t be denied. They have shallow, petty lives, probably as a result of being denied the privilege and honour of becoming real objects, rather than devices.  It twists their hearts. Don’t turn your back on them for a minute. They can turn on you in a heartbeat, and the next thing you know you have a seven metre baby blanket or a sweater with arms that drag on the ground. Knit them, use them, but do not ever, ever trust them to the exclusion of your own wits.)

Shall I distract you from the emotional abyss of acres of plain white knitting with a few Karmic Balancing Gifts? Karen has a lovely thing, five copies of her Christmas stocking collection Trinité de Noël. (Karen sweetly notes that if you don’t do Christmas, she has other patterns you could sub.)

She’ll be in touch with Ulrike B, Dana H, Duffy S, Kerry D and Sara O.

Sarah says: I have a lovely skein of handspun, spun from a batt containing merino, cashmere, tussah silk, alpaca, mohair, firestar, and who knows what else. It looks to be about worsted weight and roughly 170 yards.

It is beautiful, and Cathy C will be enjoying it soon.  (Beautiful spinning Sarah.)

Margaret at Little Gidding Suri’s has two beautiful skeins of their Suri Ultimate for a present.

Kay H should be able to make something amazing.

Marit is willing to part with a beauty, it’s this yarn, in a gorgeous colourway called “field of dreams”.  (How perfect.) She’ll be sending that to a new home with Shell F, who I bet will make it very welcome amongst its new friends.

Bonnie is really giving until it hurts –  Seven skeins of Berroco Ultra Alpaca – a sweater’s worth! Color #6279, all the same dye lot.

Alisson G is going to be so thrilled, I’m sure.

Rachel has three gifts to give away today.  (Can you believe how nice everyone is? It’s killing me.)  First up, this skein of Gypsyknits BFL Superwash Fingering (Colorway: Storybook) will be going to Leslie F.

Then TWO skeins of Berroco Lustra will be re-homed to Jeannie P.

Finally, last but never least, she’s sending a skein of Cherry Tree Hill Yarn Possum Sock (Colorway: Palm Beach) out to Julia C.

Let’s do one more, I like this one a lot.  A few years ago, Sunshine received this yarn as a Karmic Balancing gift, and she’s been guarding it carefully until her knitting needed some good mojo. Today’s that day, and she’s sending it back out into the world to find its forever home.

Three skeins of tilli tomas’s Beaded Plie in Olive.  100% silk  with glass beads. It’s lovely stuff, and I hope that Jill P will make something so beautiful.

I’ve emailed all the lucky knitters, so if you think your name is here, look in your inbox!