Note from Sandi: My boss is a knitter. (How many folks get to say that?) She also used to own a local yarn shop. She has also worked on Interweave Knits magazine in some capacity since the very beginning--now she is our publisher! (She's also a weaver and a crocheter and a spinner. Does she sleep? I don't think so.) All of this means she has lots of interesting stories to tell, so I keep dropping hints: "Marilyn, any time you'd like to write a post for Knitting Daily..." Last month, she started telling stories about the finishing parties she used to have at her yarn shop, and I thought you would like to hear them, too.

So: Here's Marilyn Murphy, publisher of all things fiber-y here at Interweave.

“Oh I am SO close to finishing _________.” “I’ll just wrap the yarn and the pattern and give ______ that this year with promises for completion next year.” C’mon. You’ve said these words or at least have thought them.

Years ago, I owned a great LYS in Chicago, the Weaving Workshop, and I have many fond memories of the holiday time. It was always a mix of the good and the bad. Good in that the shop was always bustling--last-minute gift purchases, buying yarn to start something over the holidays, desperate customers wanting their projects finished, or people wanting something custom made to gift to a loved one. Bad in that we never had time to make or finish our own gifts because we were the elves.

My store was located on a very busy street with tons of walk by traffic, located near the "L" (that’s Chicago speak for the elevated train). Because our windows caught the attention of hundreds of people daily, we enticed even the non-maker into the store, just in case they wanted to buy a finished item or had someone special on their holiday list. Books, accessories, equipment, sweaters, yarns, classes--all became gifts.

One year, we were so backed up on finishing, had our own gifts to finish, and we had many customers needing some cheering on as well, that we invited them to come for a finishing “all-nighter.” Videos were just becoming popular and we rented movies, had appetizers and pizza, and, of course, wine. We didn’t make it all night but we did work to the wee hours of the morning, but most importantly we had fun, encouraged each other, and completed our projects. I made multiple hats (in those days I could knit one on a size 8 needle in an hour). Kathy worked on her Fair Isle snowflake sweater. (She only worked on this sweater at holiday time. And, Kathy, if you’re reading this, let us know if ever finished it?) Judy seamed together many a sweater. Well, you get the idea.

We had other finishing parties over the years. One year a friend was having an exhibit of her knitwear designs--incredible intarsia sweaters that had a TON of ends. Two days before all the sweaters had to be sent off to the gallery, it was time to call in for reinforcements. She promised us food and wine and our knitting group showed up. We had our blunt needles in hand and, as a group that night, we wove in all the dangly threads and the art wear was ready for blocking.

At Interweave, we are working on finishing all those projects during our weekly craft lunch right now. Craft lunch is scheduled every Wednesday, but this month, it’s all about finishing things in time. I’m knitting a vest for my niece (the first one, the Shadowy Vest, is featured in Holiday Gifts; the pattern is a free download). I have one more to make after this one is complete so three of my nieces/nephews will have matching vests. Amy Clarke Moore, editor of Spin-Off, is knitting the sweater for her dad that she wrote about in her Knitting Daily post The Ten-Year-Sweater. We’re really cheering her on to complete it this year. Liz Gipson, co-host of Knitting Daily TV, is using a knitting bag from Interweave Knits as a flat pattern for her felted woven fabric and is gifting it to her “hm” ( I can’t reveal that). Liz Good, assistant editor of Fiberarts, is knitting a sweater for herself—imagine that. And Rebecca Daniels, assistant editor of Interweave Knits, is quickly knitting a project for PieceWork but by next week she’ll be thick into a project for an upcoming issue of Knits. This Wednesday, we’ll be back crafting together and as the day ticks ever closer, we may have to ramp it up to more than once a week.

So if you need some cheering on, and cheering up, plan your own finishing party. And know that there are many of us encouraging you on as well.

-- Marilyn Murphy
President and Publisher (Fiber Group)
Interweave Press

Finishing Techniques

Need a reminder how to do the mattress stitch? Don't know how to sew in a zipper? Forgotten how to make a pom-pom? Here are some helpful links to finishing techniques to help you through the last stages of your Christmas knitting:

Three-needle bind-off
Mattress stitch seam
Whipstitch
Sewing in a zipper
Backstitch seam
I-cord
Kitchener stitch
Sewn bind-off
Blocking
Pom-poms

And if the worst happens a week before Christmas....Ripping Out Without Ripping Your Hair Out.

Twelve days until Christmas...Need a quick gift idea? No problem!

Knitting Daily is here to help. Well. OK. I can't knit your projects for you, and I can't weave in your ends. But this nifty little website I work for here has lots of last-minute holiday knitting (and crocheting!) gift patterns for you:

Christmas Stockings eBook: Well, I suppose you could GIVE someone this ebook if they are a knitter. But what about knitting them a stocking out of this ebook instead? Seven great patterns. One nifty price!

Take a look at the Gifts & Whimsies section of our pattern store for more ideas. Something for everyone. Felted slippers (those are knitted; here are some crocheted slippers), neckties for the men in your life, dolls, dog sweaters, warm mittens, shopping totes--heck, there's so much in there I can't list it all. Go take a look and you're sure to find something nifty to knit or crochet.

And free stuff! We have free stuff!

A Litte Something Special: Five knitted ornament patterns from the Interweave staff

Crochet Gift eBook: Free and fun and fab, with five fast gifts for your family! (Whew!)

The Shadowy Vest: Marilyn is pictured above working on an entire trio of these!

Check out the Knitting Daily Free Pattern Library for more good (free) stuff!

Sandi Wiseheart is the editor of Knitting Daily.

What's on Sandi's needles this week? The Leaf and Nupp Shawl from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. I'm obsessed. I am done with 15 (now nearly 16!) out of the 21 repeats I want to do to make the scarf long enough; then I have the four-sided border to complete. What do you think? Can I finish this scarf in time for Christmas?