I've been busy knitting for gifts (an all-year project!).  I just finished blocking my mystery KAL shawl.  It is fun to knit the pattern each week not knowing what the end result will be! At the end of the 6 weeks I'm very happy with this project.  The beads on the ends give it some weight so that it is easier to wrap yourself in the shawl.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3063/2999562327_c183e6fc60.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3049/3000396468_9b1295520a.jpg?v=0

Wow!  Knitting is not a craft that appeals to me to take up, however I do enjoy looking at it.  That's really beautiful.
So, do you go online and every week they tell you what stitches to do?  A very interesting concept.  I wonder if I could do that with Halloween props.  Hmmm...

:o That's amazing! My knitting is awful.  :P All I can do is the knit stitch. I knitted myself a scarf and that's been it. I don't have the talent for such things.  ::) But that is seriously pretty.  8-)

Those sure are some fancy stitches, BB. :o
Granted, I know absolutely jack about knitting, but I can see why that would take so long to complete!

Wow! :o That looks so perfect! How in the world to you do something like that! I love it!  ;D

Ah,BB,it's beautiful!!   I do believe knitting is not something you just do....it's a talent that has to be natured in order to turn out items such as you do!

Thank you all!  :)

Some people like to tell you that knitting is just 2 stitches - knit and purl.  Then you throw in some yarn overs, knit 2 togethers and voila! - you have lace.  

The mystery knit-a-longs are really fun.  You don't know the pattern ahead of time and there are no pictures to help you along.  They break the pattern into groupings and give you 1 section at a time.  You have a whole group of people knitting the same pattern at the same time - so you have help if you need it and you get to see how everyone elses piece looks.  Many of these are actually testing knitting for patterns that will be sold.  When the designers have several hundred people knitting the pattern together, any mistakes will be caught quickly and corrected.

I also like to do tree ornaments.  Here are a couple of toothpick ornaments I just finished.  I knit these using toothpicks and leave them in to look like they are knitting in process.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3251/2999612681_cbfe08c608.jpg?v=0

Absolutely gorgeous!

As a longtime knitter and crocheter I know how much work goes into these projects.

When I was pregnant with my first  child (many, many moons ago) I started in August to knit and crochet Xmas presents for the family. Sweaters, afgans, stuffed animals...staying inside under the air conditioner with my feet up.  Some people thought it was weird that I was buying yarn in August ::)

Enna - you were able to wait until AUGUST  :o to start Christmas projects????!!! I start in December for the next year!  About 15 years ago I got fed up with the commercialism of Christmas and vowed that I would make sure my gifts were more personal and preferrably hand made.  I made 95% of the gifts I give, so it takes me all year.  It is fun at this time of the year to empty my gift box of finished projects and review all the knitting I've done over the year.  :)

I'm with you,BB!  I crochet projects all year long for Christmas gifts for the following year.  It is nice to look at all the items you've completed and will be giving for gifts!

Today is "inventory" day.  I organize all the projects and make sure I have gifts for everyone.  Here are the group pics of most of this year's work.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/3016493568_795b4cf978.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3275/3015657835_e58af43532.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3055/3016494964_cc195cb17c.jpg?v=0
I still need to weave ends and block some of them, but these are the pictures I use to assign the gifts.

thats so beautiful BB!   Great Job.  What a spectacular gift idea!

Well it was about all I was able to do all day long. I had to stay off my feet so I was able to knit & crochet for at least 8 hours at a time during the day and then again in the evening after dinner til I went to bed.

It was close tho, my daughter was due December 7, 1978 and so I was working under two deadlines. Finished the last sweater just a couple of day before Xmas. My daughter, 23 days overdue, was finally born on New Year's Day 1979 (after 52 hours of labor)

Most of the patterns I made were favorites that I had made before so I wasn't learning new stitches. I made pullover sweaters for my two brothers - in law, a cable knit cardigan for my father-in-law, (when I knit sweaters I always make both sleeves at the same time that way they come out even), at least two afgans, a couple of good sized stuffed animals (a snail and a turtle about 18-24" each) my niece and nephew. Don't remember what all else - it was 30 years ago! ;)

I admirer anyone who still has craft skills and is under 70 y.o.  I wish I'd applied  myself a little more when my grandmother was still alive and well enough to teach me.  Not being able to knit, croche or sew is really hampering my ability to be able to encorporate historically correct reproduction apparel for any one era I might be interested in.

Drear,

My grandmother taught me to sew starting at age 12 and I taught her to crochet when she was 70! She went on to make an afgan for every grandchild (12) and great grandchild (18) before she died at 86.

I learned to crochet and knit on my own when I was in jr high. There are some great & easy to understand books out there.

I learned to sew when I was about 6.  I was making my own clothes by 8.  I learned to knit for a Brownie Scouts project - I was probably 8 or 9; but I did not retain that skill.  I re-taught myself to knit when I was about 13 and probably learned to crochet about the same time.  I don't remember how I learned to crochet, whether I was self-taught or someone showed me.  I taught my mother how to crochet when she was probably 50 or so.  I don't remember teaching her, but she swears I taught her

I taught myself how to needle tat a few years ago, but have been unsucessful in teaching myself how to shuttle tat - I think I need someone to sit with me to help me with that one.

I seem to be the family "throw-back" to the old needle arts.  I'm the only one in my family that really learned and worked the crafts.  Learning from someone else would probably be easier than self-taught, but I seem to figure most stuff out on my own.  There are some great videos on the internet that can show you how to knit and crochet.  I wish they had been available to me when I was learning - then maybe my technique would be better!  I don't think you are ever too old to learn - stubborn maybe - but never too old.  ;)

Enna wrote on Nov 9^th, 2008 at 6:36pm:

My daughter, 23 days overdue, was finally born on New Year's Day 1979 (after 52 hours of labor)

52 hours and 23 days overdue!  :o Just had to comment on that.  DD was 14 days overdue, and I had 50 hours of labor.  Everyone has a cow when I say that, but you've got me beat!

My mom made all of my clothes when I was a child.  I still have a dress she made me for my kindergarten year, and I took some pictures of DD in it.  She was in preschool, though; she's much taller than I was!  I never got into it.  I mean, I can fix a seam, but that's about it.

My sister tried to teach me to knit, but I just don't have the manual dexterity.  I bet DH could learn it.  I taught him to braid, and now he makes way better braids than I do.  He resisted the lesson, of course, but it became necesary once I started going back to work and he had to wash and brush DD's hair.  He'd never knit, I know, even though he'd be good at it.

Don't assume DH wouldn't knit.  Knitting was originally a man's craft (along with crochet and macrame').  I know of a number of men who knit (my husband has even done some!).

I figure if I can do woodworking, foundry and welding, guys can do knitting, crochet and macrame!  ;D

I asked him, hey, DH, do you think you'd ever knit?

Like make doilies and stuff? With knitting needles?

Yeah.  Not doilies.  Sweaters, or scarves, or whatever.

I suppose if I had to.  Like, if I needed a sweater and knitting it myself was the only way.  That kind of stuff is too girly for me, otherwise.

I told him you said it was originally a men's craft, and he said something to the effect of well, okay, but not anymore.  He's funny.  He wouldn't deny me or DD the opportunity to do something "manly" or say we couldn't do it as well as a man, but he won't do "girly" stuff.  He's a very creative guy, and loves to work with his hands.  But he works with metal.  Talks about naming a son (if we ever have one) Carbide.  ;D