Almost there...

Right, well, it's been a while, but it is a busy time of year. This is the one part of the year when I actually work a lot at work. Christmas lessons, my friends. I could go on for a while about how I don't really feel like I'm doing much of anything besides reinforcing the existing stereotypes of Christmas in America, but I just don't have the energy. I will tell you that I've had a few moments where I've wished I was Jewish, just so that maybe the kids would realize that not everyone puts up a Christmas tree and sings "Last Christmas." But anyway...

Knitting. I haven't been doing it like I should, but then I haven't been doing anything like I should. Half of the Christmas gifts are still sitting here next to me on the heated carpet, decidedly unsent. The Christmas cards aren't even printed yet. They were all supposed to be sent out last week!

But today I put a little extra effort into not being such a lazy-ass, and finished the first of Aashima's gloves. I also cast on and have about two inches of Emily's headband. Chussie's blanket is now a good 10" long, though I have accepted that it will not be done for Christmas and have told her as much. I also went ahead and admitted that the proportions will not be quite appropriate for four cats, and I have promised to do better when I'm back in the States. Now I hope I can force myself to finish the thing in January, before it gets relegated to the Maybe One Day pile.

The glove for Aashima looks pretty nice, I think. I did the thumb a bit longer than usual, and I like it. The yarn is a bit thin, so even having been knitted on the size 6 needles, the finished glove is a little snug on me. Aashima is several inches shorter than me, though, so let's hope she's got smaller hands. Actually, though, I think they would be fine even on me, so I'm sure they'll be good. I think the yarn feels nice, too.

The headband for Emily is being done in the leftover Diakeito from Robin's gloves. I'm using the size 6 rather than 7 needles, and it's a bit loose but nice. It has to be finished by Friday, since I leave after school for Fukuoka, where I will meet up with Emily, and Saturday we fly to Vietnam. That means I need to finish the knitting by Tuesday at the latest so I can block the thing. That also means that I won't get to do anything for Brenda before I leave, since I will be lucky to finish the headband and the other glove for Aashima. Katie's gloves will have to be done in Vietnam and then I can give them to her when we meet up in Hong Kong just before New Year's. That's the idea, anyway.

Yarn Harlot had some very good advice about Christmas knitting in her blog. This year, since I've been being to selfish and spending all my limited money on traveling, I really haven't had a lot to dedicate to Christmas. I thought knitting would be the perfect solution - still give things to people, but spend more in time and effort than in money. Alas, it hasn't really worked out so well. Next year I'll know better. Also, next year I will be in grad school, with any luck, and will not have to pretend like I have enough money for gifts or time for knitting.

Sorry, imaginary reader, for a terribly overdue and still generally terrible blog entry. This is also likely to be the last one until January, what with all the jet-setting. But in January, when I am not tearing my hair out over more grad apps and financial aid concerns, I will also be cracking down on my Grand Geek Knitting Design Project, the whole reason this blog exists and has this name.

And maybe there will be yarn in Vietnam. Why not?