Last Christmas was the first time I gave away any of my knitting. I
knit ski hats for my dad and brother, and a cosy scarf for my mum. I started with – I thought – oodles of time and had cast on at least one project by the end of November. What can I say? I'm an optimistic knitter. And they were all wrapped and ready to go by Christmas morning, so it did work out OK in the end. And studies say we're sleeping too much anyway, right?
This year, I'm hoping to temper my optimism with a little more reality, so I thought I'd start a week or two earlier, but then a friend recently mentioned that she'd already started her gift knitting, which filled me with a mix of awe, envy and panic. Christmas? In July? In magazine land, we're used to being a little out of tune with the seasons, but isn't that taking it a bit far?
It's either pure genius or completely unworkable – or both, like yarn made of chocolate – so I need some advice. When do you cast on you holiday knits? Is the end of July too early, too late, or just right?
Wednesday July 30, 2008 
