the hockey hats

I finished all three of the hockey hats for my niece and nephews. My brother's kids all play rep hockey, and this sport dictates their lives for most of the year. How they do it is beyond me - I have enough trouble keeping up with one kid's school, swimming and basketball, let alone three kids with multiple practices, games, tournaments, team meetings, etc. However, they do it and enjoy it. Who knows? My niece may be the next Cassie Campbell, my nephews the next Gretzky or Patrick Roy (one's a goalie).

(One plays for the Marlies, one for the Ojibwa and one for the Storm, in case it's not obvious)
I've mentioned this before - my brother will probably assume that I am available to now make one of these for each of the players on each team, and it's not gonna happen. Reason one - no thanks, no appreciation. Reason two - see reason one. Now, I don't knit for the accolades. I knit things for people I love because I love them. Hell, I even knit for people that I just like. I don't ask for, nor expect anything in return, except a thank you. Nothing huge, two simple words. Now, for the most part, most of my family really appreciates the hand knits. I think they finally understand why I'm knitting all year, and it's fun to see some recognition on their faces when they open a gift, and remember seeing it in progress at some point. THere are some members of the family that REALLY appreciate the knits. My FIL is in love with hand knit socks. And my MIL hand washes them, air dries them, and even darns them! Talk about care. He gets a new pair every Christmas, birthday and usually through the year. Each year a SIL gets a lace shawl - this year, J is getting an alpaca Icarus (12 rows left!). Delicate? you bet. Needs special care? of course. WIll she look after it. Absolutely. Does she deserve it? No question. Next year, it's the other J's turn. She was always anti-shawl - something about the "old lady" look of them. Then she saw Icarus, and even unblocked, and still cramped on the needles, she fell in love. I'm looking for the right pattern, and I'm picturing a heathery grey merino lace for next year...
Then there's my brother and his wife - if it doesn'thave the "right" label, it's not worth it. Of course, the "right" label seems to change each year. I made them socks once. Only once. They opened them, and couldn't understand why I bothered. Yes, she actually asked me why I bothered. I don't bother any more. Hubby is happy - he get's more socks, now. My mom loves her socks so much, she is knitting them herself. But I will continue to knit them for her. She's my Mom.

OK, enough about the family. Lucky seems to have jumped the gun and is already guessing my grand total of hand knit Christmas gifts. So here's what I'm going to do. There will be a contest - JUST NOT RIGHT NOW! FIrst of all, I have to determine prizes - yarn of course. Sock yarn for sure, unless a lucky winner is adverse to sockknitting. But there will be other stuff. But give me time to determine the prizes, as well as time to complete my gift knitting. Later in December we'll pull it all together, K?

Tomorrow, something that will shock you. Yes, it's something I'm knitting. No, it's not something that I ever saw myself knitting. Think really big ass needles. Lucky was with me when I bought it, and anyone I was at Kitchener at may remember the yarn. And Tove? If you're reading this, no giving it away just because I bought the needles from you...