Holiday Cheer

When I first started this blog, I found it a lot of fun to be snarky and critical.  As I've aged, I find it much more satisfying to be uplifting and supportive.

Amazing People
Over the years, I've participated in a number of on-line knitting forums, including the original KnitList, Yahoo Groups, Ravelry, MenWhoKnit.com, and now forums on Facebook.  I have also been fortunate to have been involved in the creation of the Men's Knitting Retreats, and through it all, I have found some incredible whackos and people with phenomenally bad taste.  I know how much fun it can be to point them out, and rag on them.

But I've also found an amazing community of people with creativity, talent and impeccable taste.

Those are the people I've decided to focus my energy on lately.

While I'm sure there are those readers who miss the harsh critiques of bad magazine designs and making fun of the insipid knitters who write ridiculously stupid things in public forums, the truth of the matter is, I find it much more satisfying to support, recognize and enjoy the company of the amazing among us.

Here is someone who's a master at uplifting people, plus I feel incredibly privileged to be on his list.

Current Knitting/Spinning
Looks like I will definitely finish the cardigan by the end of the year, but I'm not so sure about finishing the Optim Merino Top spinning.

Starting with the cardigan:

You'll see that I've finished the pocket sleeves, the pocket edging, sewing in the pocket linings and seaming up one side of the sweater.  I've also gotten a few inches done on the button-band.  I'm very pleased with how this turns out, and if it just happens to fit my nephew, it will be a huge success.

The spinning:

While this may look close to complete, I still have quite a bit of spinning to do to finish the second bobbin of singles.  Hard to believe, right?

I'll keep you updated on both projects and let you know whether I met my deadlines for each project.