Happy Holidays!!!

Ok, somehow my original post got eaten. I'm sure that this won't be as good as the original, but I'm going to give it a shot.

I SURVIVED CHRISTMAS KNITTING!!!

Everyone's gifts were knitted for them before they had to actually unwrap them. I barely made it with my cousin's fingerless gloves, but they still made it under the tree before she had to open them, and Uncle Steve actually caught the last stitch on tape (and me cutting off the excess yarn with the recipient's fingernail clippers). I have made Rullo Christmas history!



I even managed to walk away this Christmas with some knitting related gifts! My aunt gave me Handknit Holidays by Melanie Falick. I remember showing her the book at Thanksgiving and saying that it was awesome. She said she thought the patterns were up my alley. Shrug. It will be returned, and I'll chip in a bit for Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book. I've had my eye on that one for quite some time now. She also got me a subscription to Interweave Knits. My mother got me a ball winder. I was kind of confused because I opened it Christmas morning, and I wasn't sure how to use one without a swift (I'm sure it's possible). I was excited nonetheless. However, my grandmother gave me a swift, which is even more exciting! Here are the instructions to the swift. I find them as amusing as hell because they're poorly translated, and well, just amusing!

K.M ALL-POWERFUL REELING MACHINE
Main Features:

Being equipped with convenient metal connector, this tool is attachable to wherever you may wish, in the three directions - vertical or horizontal or diagonal. So there is no trouble at all like entangling of thread or yarn.

It is holding type, and made entirely of metal. The connector is of the utmost convenience and permanent use.

This reeling machine can be used for all kinds of thread or yarn. Because you can expand or contract it as the case demands, either for hand knitting thread of small reel or for woolen yarn of large reel.

The part where thread or yarn are reeled on is covered with vinyl. By this protection, thread or yarn never gets tangled or dirty.

This machine is also convenient for washing of old woolen yarn, as small or large reel is made at your will by the use of handle attached

Push the red buffon and adjust the size of machine - reel. Please.

Yes, that's typed in word for word. My cousin's hat doesn't fit her - it's way too big, so I'm starting it over again. The plus of this is that I got to use the ball winder to wind the yarn up again! It was kinda fun.

So while I'm here in RI for an extended period of time (I don't have to be back at work until January 3rd!), I thought I'd check out some farther yarn stores that I haven't gotten to. I added a link to the side that has yarn shops in RI. I'm headed to A Stitch Above on Wayland Avenue at some point this week. Doug from The Point (what would a post be without a reference to The Point?!) said he used to frequent there and that it was a good place. I'll give it a shot. Maybe I'll get some koigu yarn for the socks in this season's issue of Interweave. Then I'll be able to use the swift and the ball winder!