Thanksgiving Yarns

Thanksgiving, with its long drives and socializing is always a productive knitting time for me.  I was somewhat hampered this year by the feline contingent, who responded to the cooler temperatures by trying to sit on my lap whenever I wasn't standing up.    However Biscuit does also like the quilt, even if it lacks a person under it. 

Cookie also tried to get his share of the hot cat-on-lap action, but when I failed to sit in an appropriately receptive posture, he had to take steps.   In this picture, I'm attempting to look up how long the turkey needs to cook.  Naturally the page I need is under the cat. 

Jake?  Jake is a charmingly well-behaved gentleman cat, and restrained his demands to nighttime cuddling.   I have a feeling he's going to pick up the other two's habits as time goes on.

And yeah, knitting.   So I continued zipping through the available bulky weight to the tune of a couple more hats.   Finished the second Thanksgiving day, on my way to meet and eat with in-laws.

And then I switched off with some mittens, to break up the string of hats. 

While out and about, I took a look at kids that I saw, trying to see what the in style of hat is this year, and I saw a lot of boys wearing solid-color slouchy hats.  So I figured I'd try my hand at one- we
need a variety, after all. 

Not very interesting-looking, but I'm moderately pleased with the design.  I started with a really long Judy's Magic Cast-On, and left one side on a spare circular, while I started knitting in the round in stockinette on the other side. When I got to 3-plus inches, I purled a turning row, then knit another 3 plus inches and then knit the stitches off the spare needle together with the working stitches.  The result is a wide double-thick band that goes over the ears.   And because the two thicknesses are knitted together, it stretches evenly, with no difference in stretchiness due to the cast-on.  And I extended the length a bit to get the slouchy effect.    It was pretty quick to do, but I'm going to really need plain knitting for something before I do another one!  Not the most interesting knit. 

And of course there was also Secret Holiday Knitting.  Of which I cannot speak at this time.   Speaking of the holidays, I'm thinking I may have to shut myself in the sewing room and ignore the door rattling and meowing to get my wrapping done this year.  I tried to wrap just one little present a couple weeks ago, and the help I got was nearly insurmountable.  Take a look:

I'm definitely going to need to put things safely away from little paws if the wrapping is going to last until the intended recipient gets it.   (This one was fortunately rescued with only a slightly chewed bow.)