We did have another lamb on Sunday morning and I just haven't gotten a picture of that one up yet. We have just a few more ewes to go and the rest of them are being sneaky. They are all due any time.

I finished the bottom half of the green sweater last night and picked up stitches for the back yoke. This sweater is for Ashley and Carol, and they have been watching its progress but haven't quite figured out that it is for them. I tell them that it is a sweater and they think I am teasing them, since the construction just doesn't look much like a sweater yet. It isn't for any specific occasion - I just want my kids to have sweaters that I knitted, and none of them do right now. They have socks and handwarmers and hats and things, but not sweaters. I want to make a couple more sweaters so that they can each wear one.

Bess talked about giving knitted gifts. She has decided that she will not give knitted gifts that are surprises. It just isn't fair to the recipient if they don't happen to like it to have to pretend that they do and be a good enough actor to satisfy you when you have put your heart and soul into making something for them. It isn't fair to the knitter either to put that much work into something if it isn't going to be appreciated. I have also decided that if I want to knit a present for somebody it is fine for them to be included in the project from the planning stages on up. That increases the chances of having a satisfactory outcome. And it doesn't necessarily have to be finished for a birthday or Christmas either. Sometimes the present is an offer to knit something of their choice - I did that for Jonathan's most recent birthday. He wanted a pair of blue hand warmers with a red spider on them (which he uses for Spiderman web-slingers). I never would have thought that a five-year-old boy would have known exactly what he wanted me to knit and also what he wanted it too look like! He essentially designed his own gift.

Some people are harder to please than others. One of my sisters, when we were kids, was disappointed that I knitted something for her for Christmas and proposed that we have a rule that making a present for somebody was unacceptable - presents must be bought. I was very hurt by that, and I still think that she probably considers me cheap if I make a present for someone. I did knit a cotton washcloth for her baby (born a year ago last November) and sent it along with some other things, and she said thank-you and that it was good. Then I knitted a pair of socks for the baby, but never did send them. Although I think they are good, I worried about whether my sister would appreciate wool socks (non machine-washable) for a baby, or if she would even like them. They will probably be too small by next winter, so I'm not sure what to do. Where am I going with this? Oh yes, maybe I should talk to her about it, and get her input the next time I try knitting for her or for the baby. Then I would know whether the item was something she wanted or not, and I wouldn't be wasting effort on something I wasn't sure about or on wondering whether or not I should send it. And if she still doesn't want me to knit for her, I could knit for my other sister instead who does (I have discussed knitting with her and she doesn't think that presents need to be surprises or given on a specific date either - unfortunately, she doesn't have a baby or feet that would fit into baby socks).