knitting at home

For Christmas my husband bought me a cool knitting bag/ basket/ thing. I had seen them at work and liked them a lot but didn't mention it to him because I really don't like telling someone what to get me for Christmas (or ever, really). I guess it doesn't really feel like a true gift that way. So much to my surprise on Christmas morning I opened up the very same bag/basket/thing I had secretly admired!

It is even better than I expected because when it's open it has all kinds room, with pockets even. Currently I have a knifty knitter hoop, a partially used ball of eyelash yarn, a mostly used ball of cotton, a skein of caron simply soft currently being knit on size 9 needles (also in there) into a seven inch afghan square and my copy of Vogue's Stitchionary (vol. 1). All of that stuff in there and still it folds up and fits between the couch and end table. I think I'm in love!

I was really impressed. I hadn't expected anything knitting under the tree because, frankly, he has no interest in yarn and needles. I figured he wouldn't have the faintest idea what to make of those few isles in the craft store, much like me at Lowe's or something.

Speaking of knitters in a home improvement store, the other day I read a funny article about one knitter's adventures at the hardware store, which can be found here.

Finally here is a picture of my dad's finished Christmas socks, or rather New Year's socks. The stripes matched pretty well on the cuff but not at all on the feet. *sigh* Oh well. This is why I'm not a big fan of self-striping yarn. I used to like it when I was knitting my daughters crazy socks. But now? I don't know. Maybe it was just this yarn? It is dark and was hard for me to even see the pattern until I had knit three inches or so. I don't like pulling my work out, so perhaps that was the frustration? I thought they were going to match and then they didn't. Next time I knit some for Dad I will use a solid color. Mismatched stripes are ok for a three-year-old, just maybe not for a retired Army Colonel.