Dude.

I was browsing blogs just now, and I was reading over at dogged knits when I found a link to what is called Irish Cottage Knitting. In the link, the Yarn Harlot demonstrates this method of knitting. Check it out. Seriously, go now if you haven't already seen this.

Ok, watched it?

My God.

Now, I know I'm not a very fast knitter. But I can still make a fairly good amount of progress on a piece in a day, even knitting in my own weird little way (I have a bizarre purling method, but it works for me). But this method seems so unbelievably fast! I'm not really sure if I'm capable of learning it anytime soon, but maybe it'd be worth it to give it a shot the next time I'm making a plain old sock. I sure wouldn't mind being able to knit that fast! It'd definitely have an impact on how much faster projects get done, for me.

Whew.

Makes me wanna cast on for something else now, even though that probably isn't a good idea. At the moment, I have these things in progress:

• Gloves for Nathan (1 down, halfway there!)
• A hat for my friend which I keep ripping and redesigning because I'm masochistic or something
• The second of two swirly socks for me (am I ever going to finish it?)
• The variation of the Norwegian stockings by Nancy Bush (You know, the ones that sucked? And that I knit way too small for some reason?)
• My brother's Boston scarf, which needs to be ripped and re-knit.
  

I guess that's not actually as much as I thought. Huh. BUT! Next week I'll be getting the materials to start the Hemlock Ring Blanket for my parental units for the holiday season. I'm also really strongly considering knitting a throw or shawl or something as a housewarming present for my grandparents, who recently moved into a new house in southern california. While I was re-reading Eunny Jang's blog I noted a cobweb weight yarn she used for a few projects, and I think I might be in love. It's Merino Oro, and comes in skeins of around 1300 yards for $16.00. That's a college student deal if I ever heard one.

The drawback to this is kind of...icky.

I don't have a ball winder.

Ouch. We'll see. I'd love to do it, though.

Hooray holiday knitting, eh?