I've got just a few more rows on the back before binding off on the sweater for M for Christmas. Then it's just the sleeves to go, and I'll actually be ahead on my holiday knitting. When I started this project, or more accurately, when I started contemplating this project, I feared it would sink my holiday knitting. On the contrary, it's been fun and mostly painless. Plus, it's really pretty. I'm assuming it'll block out okay. Right now, the cables and rib really pull in, but otherwise, this is turning out to be a great knit. After the initial problem with the rib on the left side (I thought there was a problem with the directions for both sides, but it turned out to just be the left that was incorrectly written), it's been smooth and speedy sailing.

How did this happen? One day I was feeling smug that I was ahead of my knitting for the holidays, and then all of a sudden, there are only 2 months until Christmas, and I've got nothing finished and not even everything started. Yikes.

But it's not even Halloween. And yet, that's really the problem. I start thinking about Christmas way ahead, but a small voice keeps saying, "it's not even Halloween." It seems somehow wrong to do "too" much Christmas stuff "before" Halloween. Then, without warning, Halloween is here, with the Holiday season rushing in behind it.

I've actually got things to show and things that are finished and things that are in the works. Clearly, I'm very behind in my blogging. I hate that, but things have been busy. With the little one, and the bigger little one, and the start of the flurry of the "great Kindergarten search" for next year, and my mom coming out for a visit, time to blog has been scant. Slowly, I'll catch up here (and reading your blogs). For today, I'll just show two pictures of the Flower Basket Shawl. I finished it a while back, but as has become typical of 2005 for me, there's been a long lag in getting a photo up on the site!

Pattern: Flower Basket Shawl, Interweave Knits Fall 2004
Author: Evelyn A. Clark
Yarn: Golden Siam from Artfibers in San Francisco