What do you do when you have several projects you'd like to finish by the end of the year and a sweater that is half finished that you'd like finished by Christmas? Why you cast on for mittens, of course! Dominic has outgrown his handknit mittens and the fleece pair he wore after those, but Alexander still fits in the pair he was wearing last year. Dominic's hands are freezing! This is an act of mercy. It also allows me to use the Knit Picks Simple Stripes sock yarn I picked up, to try it out. I plan on using their last minute baby sweater pattern to have shower gifts at the ready. I like this yarn, I actually like it better than the Regia, which is nice since the Regia is about two or three times the cost. The only thing I wish was that there were more color options. Their color choices are rather, um, flamboyant for my tastes. I bought two balls in Storm and two balls in Vineyard. I can think of exactly one person I could get the Autumn colorway for, and all the rest are too much for me or anyone I know.

Oh! I have a dilemma, and rather than solve it myself, I will make it your responsibility. I have finished about half of the ribbing on Amira's Not so Fiery Bolero. However, I had initially planned on using garter st instead of ribbing, so it would go with her dress. I forgot that until just yesterday. Should I continue with the ribbing, since I'm halfway finished, and just figure that nobody will notice, or should I rip it out, do it in the garter st so that the one person who will notice and point out the error to everyone who sees it will be satisfied? You decide.