The muses

First off, my lab did our Secret Santa gift exchange today, and the person who was giving to me got me Stitch'n'Bitch Nation! Yay! I'm really not huge into SnB books, because they're TOO hip for me (I prefer more classical patterns with modernly-fitted silhouettes rather than the super-trendy stuff. Shrugs being the exception.), but there are quite a few things I like in this one, and I'd wanted it for a while. Lucky is a definite future project, and I have friends who'll appreciate the Little Devil pants, to name just two. I think I'll make the Fairly Easy Fair Isle as a keep-at-work sweater (it's always freezing in here).

So, yes. Happy!

(I'm actually THE person you want to draw in Secret Santa things, because I'm very easy to shop for. I have clearly defined hobbies that I'm obviously into, and I like just about everything anyway.)

Secondly, I've been agonizing about how to design my dad's vest. If you remember, I wanted to make him a vest with the DNA cable on it. But I could not figure out if I wanted JUST the DNA cable, or other things also, and how to arrange everything, and oh so many possibilities! But today, one of my coworkers is wearing a plain-stockinette sweater with just one cable pattern arrangement down the center. There is a wide center cable and a small cable on each side, and that's it. The rest is just stockinette. And it looks really good! More importantly, it looks like something my dad would actually wear.

(Last time I was home, he remarked on wanting a DNA scarf, but since he lives in Atlanta, and since I already wove him a nice scarf which sits in the closer, I doubt he'd really use it.)

Do y'all think I'll be able to finish (and start) his vest, and my mom's big Santa Claus doll by January 1st, and four pairs of socks by Christmas? Oddly, I think I can.

(The knitting for Santa is almost finished, with only two more parts to knit. There's not alot of seaming, because I did it all in the round. The socks are ankle-high, worsted-weight slipper socks, and I have ONE sock done. The vest...hasn't even been swatched for.)