Festive Panic

Countdown to Baltimore: T-minus 3 weeks. We have acquired an apartment, sight unseen. No living out of our car for us, no sir!

In the meantime, INSANITY!

This year we have eschewed our usual Christmas tree for a makeshift holiday shrine:

 

Under that shrine there are now a few very small presents. Anything Chris and I give or receive has to be packed and moved, so present choices were based on size.

Before the move, I'll be visiting my family in Michigan and having some knitting events at my hometown yarn store, Country Needleworks. I'll be signing books on Friday, December 28, from 10 am to 2 pm, and will be teaching on January 2. I'll have White Whale Vol. II, Cityscapes, individual Container Ships patterns, and samples from all these publications. In addition, Country Needleworks will be carrying the Neighborhood Fiber Co. kits for The Sermon (the only store to have them!). Come check out the colors in person before you make your selection!

Amid all this, I've found time to knit someone else's design: Syrinx Shells by Alicia Landi. The pattern is for a cowl that uses one skein of bulky yarn, but I've turned it into a long, cozy scarf.

When I saw Jeremie, one of the students in my most recent triangle shawl class, wearing one, I had to have it. The pattern is so much cooler than most bulky stuff out there. Also: I LOVE KNITTING THINGS I AM NOT DESIGNING! I knit this in a few hours of television watching, so there's plenty of time to crank out a few in time for the holidays!

Now, back to work, packing, knitting, writing.