Hark ye Heralds. . .

I officially started my Christmas knitting this year on August 16th. I have started my oldest younger brother's sweater - a whopping 54 inch chest circumference. I'm using a worsted weight yarn - my gauge is a mere 5 sts per inch. Crazy you say? Suicidal, you say? Well. . .
I tend to agree.
I figure that I have given myself ample time though - I also have another large man pullover, an adult's small (other younger brother - who is only nine and almost as tall as I - why are all the men in my family giants?) a child's size 8 for my little sister (who would like a ski-sweater) and a secret surprise for my mum (aha! Caught you mum!). Luckily my mum's super-duper secret surprise is almost finished (I'm like a freakin' ninja over here!) and will most definately be ready by Christmas morning.
All but mummy will be receiving garments designed around Elizabeth Zimmermann's patterns and techniques. I have to admit - I'm in love. Everything she created is so inspirational. It all makes sense to me, unlike any designer or guru I have ever encountered (not that there is a surplus of knitting gurus out there - but you catch my drift!). I love her attitude towards knitting.
I have also been reading some Stephanie Pearl-McPhee as of late and though her anecdotes and observations are cute and all. . . I don't really like her work as an author. I dislike how whimsical she makes the craft out to be. Wait - let me rephrase that before I come off as stodgy and unimaginative: I dislike how she presents knitting as out of our hands. Whatever may be, will be. Yarn is a sentient being with and evil will. Knitters are slightly deranged. Look lady - my Brownsheep Worsted is not the crystaline-freakin'-entity. It's string. I will make it a hat. See? It's magic in it's own way, but I control it. There are no "knitting winds" or "yarn gods" that bless or fuck up my work. If I make a mistake that was my fault. If something turns out exactly perfect it's because I took the time to make it so. I know her attitude works for a lot of people, but it certainly doesn't with me. I'll take the good-humoured yet practical and logical EZ over that any day.
*end tiny knitting rant*
P.S. I don't know if this is updating properly. Blogger and I are not seeing eye to eye as of late.