That they make us mimic classic gestures

Christmas is closer than you think, and I am already deep into the holiday knitting -- or at least the planning for holiday knitting, which is nearly as important.

I may still wind up in some sort of mad 28-hour knitting frenzy that ends at three o'clock in the morning on 25 December, but I am much more likely to have a pile of finished objects at the end of it if I have the yarn wound into balls and packaged up with the patterns. One- and two-gallon plastic zip-top storage bags are among the greatest developments of the modern age, and not just because we can store a lot of leftovers in them.

The green garter-stitch cardi is still ticking along. I'm into the second sleeve now, but the profound garter-stitchiness of it, and the short rows, are making it slow going. I've set it down a couple of times now, mostly to wind yarn for Christmas projects, but also once to knock out a wee hat for myself out of leftovers from some of last year's Christmas knitting



Pattern: French Bonnet (Knit Version) by Kalurah
Yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in Arctic Pool Heather.
Ribbon: 15mm double-faced silk ribbon in 'Copen' from M&J Trimming
Needles: US 6 (4mm) and 10 (6mm)

It is truly a wee hat. It comes dangerously close to popping off the back of my head. I should have done one or two more repeats on the crown and I might undo the top and add a little more to it. Nevertheless, it is about as cute as a knitted hat can be, and was a pleasant diversion from the endless sea of garter stitch.

Clarinda Harriss