Congrats on the Hanami. I’ll be doing the sister-getting-married-wedding-shawl thing soon enough, with the wedding date looming in early 2012.
My UFO bin has many things in it, from as old as late 1990s. Case in point — I have Alice Starmore’s Mary Tudor cardigan that is one sleeve and finishing away from being completed. I think the Tudor Roses book came out in 1996-1998 timeframe, and I bought the book when it came out. Now…I don’t know where the book is, I have a fading copy of the pattern in with the sweater, and I may make it my 2012 goal to finish it. I have not touched this sweater in quite some time! I really ought to finish it, especially since Alice Starmore is the guest speaker at one of the dinners at Vogue Knitting Live. I should be a real groupie and wear one of her designs, right?
Speaking of UFO bins, I put in a couple of old projects up on my Ravelry project page so I will be shamed into inspired to finish them up. This was inspired by Paula from Knitting Pipeline — she is running a Rip Van Winkle contest. I don’t think I can finish any of these before the month is out, but she did get me to drag some projects out of their hiding places in the closet!
I have many other projects that needs finishing up, and I have been on a bit of finishing craze as well. Because…..it’s holiday knitting time!
I always have grand plans about knitting Christmas gifts. Every year. And there are tons of blogs and podcasts that warn you against doing this, that serious deadlines take the joy out of knitting, etc. No such thing. I work so well under pressure though! Don’t you?
So, as Thanksgiving looms, I’ve finished the two hats — Rustling Leaves and We Call Them Pirates, I casted on and finished Romi Hill’s Caliz out of 6 ply green cashmere in record time, and I’m always prowling around for some quick, worsted weight accessory to “rest” with between my more complicated lace projects.
As we enter December, this is the time when Malabrigo worsted comes in handy, in my opinion. It’s a yummy nummy yarn. Soft and squishy, and nice and rich colors. I know it’s not the best wearing yarn — but does that really matter when the recipient opens your gift, and lays his/her hands on the soft knitted thing? See these mittens? They may pill in a couple of wearings but I’m only there when these go on the recipients hands for the very first time 
I love your shipwreck shawl. I like it that you’ve pre-strong the beads onto the yarn. I’ve always added beads as I go with a crochet hook. Do you just put a needle on your yarn and string it all up before you start knitting? How do you figure out how many to string up?
Speaking of love, I finally saw Loft in person. I’m knitting something in that yarn. I love it. In fact, I am ruing the fact that I’m making my Leaves of Grass out of Wollmeise. (Oh, yes, I said it)!!!!!!
~Twisted