Avoiding deNile

For the last few weeks, Deidre has been knitting various smallish projects at Knit Knite.  Finally I asked her about them.  She said she is making at least one Holiday Present a month to try to avoid that last minute river some of us seem to fall into without a life preserver.

Once I really thought about it, the idea truly appealed.  Imagine not having that feeling in November and December?  Maybe you can but I can't.  Habits can be changed.  IF one is really motivated.  I could be so motivated. Plus this one project a month thing might just rid my studio of vast amounts of UFO's.  Well... several anyway.

I was going to start on something for my sister when I noticed a paper bag that was slowly becoming a brick in the UFO foundation pile.  Opening it I found 3 skeins of Organic Blue Sky Alpaca Cotton.  Such softness, so pretty.  I remembered having seen the Knit Chicken Pattern on Ravelry and adventuring to a LYS out on the tip of RI to find it and the yarn.  Sadly they did not even know of Blue Sky Alpacas. Perhaps being almost in the ocean is limiting somehow??

Is this not adorable?  And where did they find that 1950's refrigerator?

   However, back in Ithaca I was able to purchase both the yarn and the pattern at Knitting Etc. and the thrill of deciding just which colors would be best for DILLiz.  Liz likes chicken/rooster decorations in her kitchen area.  She has a few although with her husband's spotted cows and decorations from 3 kids you really couldn't tell there was any rhyme or reason to them.  It's mostly friendly and warm.

Then I saw the Fair Isle Option and knew I wanted to do that one. 

 However I needed to wait until a LYS contest was completed so Michelle Mooney could post the chart.  Of course, with fiber ADD I soon went on to another project, leaving this one for the late Nov present crunch.  But starting something of this compexity during deNile cruising is not a good idea so I made her something else.  This became a recurring theme - until yesterday.

YESTERDAY I started a new HABIT.  The feelings are amazing.  I start to tell myself, "OK now this morning you will do 5 rounds, and then after lunch another 5 rounds and then after dinner 5 more."   Then I stop myself.  Why?   Because this is not a fast trip but a leisurely one.  I can enjoy the pattern.  Read the pattern carefully, several times.  

( Liz likes to drink tea.  2 Xmas's ago Matt got her a metal teapot and a heating stand and matching cups.   This past Xmas I sent her those neat 2 walled glass cups and some blossoming tea. So tea presents are a winning idea for Liz. Plus she loves my hand made stuff.) 

 Discussing the size of a teapot with Jim, we decided the medium would be a better fit, necessitating many added chart columns.  And instead of knitting a bottom I made a nice picot edging which changed the potential from a stuffed chicken into a Tea Cosy.  There is no time for such rearranging during deNile.

And now 7 rounds in the chart are completed.  Many days left in February too.

Such fun!

This really opens up all kinds of ideas for presents.