That blasted cat has just made off with my nearly-complete blog post.... I'll try again.

The present-wrapping session was a great success, although I under-estimated the amount of time needed, and we didn't quite finish. Still, Gosia got all the awkward things and the big things wrapped, and a good deal of the rest, while I finished the two hats and inscribed all the books and wrote most of the tags.

We had plenty of help....

Contemplating the pile of wrapped objects, and my list, I decided that there was a conspicuous gap which could be filled with an industrious week's knitting. So I have cast on a second Awesome, this time in madtosh Roasted Hatch Chillis. And have made a good start – I should reach the turning point today (2 3/4"). An inch a day will see the job done.

The other Awesome looks good with the not-quite-visible turning-point knit in red. I'll use Whiskey Barrel this time.

I feel a bit guilty, opening that luscious package of yarn when so many important WIPs lie about here unfinished. Needs must, I think. I also think this may be my first venture into variegated madtosh, after a long apprenticeship with the near-solids. The Chillis are knitting up into a lovely fabric.

Judith, thank you for the pointer to the ten-stitch blanket. I had been admiring it day after day in Flipboard without thinking that it might be useful to me. (And I agree with you that Flipboard isn't half as good as Zite used to be – I thought it was just me, getting old and tired.) But wouldn't that blanket be too thin, in Koigu? Most of the Ravelry knitters seem to be using worsted.

I'd better print the pattern and salt it down, so to speak, in anticipation of the next great-grandchild.

Tamar, thank you and thank you for finding my knitting in Google Images' Calcutta Cup file.

Gosia says that in Poland, the domestic animals can talk on Christmas Eve.