~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~ Ginny at small things

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Whew … December already! Do you have your knit-gifting plans in place and have you started?

Yeah, me neither. Well, I have STARTED but I have so much I want to do that I feel like the amount I’ve started is but a grain of sand on the beach!

But I have some FO’s (finished objects) for you:

• I was able to finish the Apres Ski (a poncho) … and have posted the design on Ravelry and Craftsy. I love the way the colorwork came out! Here’s a close-up of the final item:
  

  Apres Ski (a poncho)

• I also finished and wrote up the two designs I was able to make from a skein of “Big Trend”, a light-worsted that Dog House Yarns carries. The colorways are gorgeous and the wool/acrylic makes them soft and cozy.
  

  On the Up and Up cowl & Slightly Biased scarf

Now, I’m working on a gift — a cowl done in a very cool stitch pattern; the yarn, Rowan’s Colourscape Chunky (in “Frosty”) coloway, is a chunky 100% wool. I’m loving working with this (esp since I can use #11s). I’ll finish out the skein to make a chunky, cozy, color-filled cowl!

. I got the yarn thru Craftsy’s yarn sale — Craftsy is a fun place to find patterns (incl my own), take online craft classes, and to get some great deals on yarn and other crafty supplies.

We’re finishing up our Hobbit read-aloud … and just in time as the movie comes out on Friday, Dec 14th! Such a perfect story for our Advent journey! To help me, I’m reading The Little Way of Advent, a perfect Advent companion for moms! I did a full review of the book back in September, and I’m loving it as a daily meditation just as I thought I would!

The final book on my reading table, also for me to review (this time for mater-et-magistra magazine) is one that’s causing a few disagreements around here: Habemus Papam, a manga biography of Pope Benedict from the writing genius of Regina Doman and the art of Sean Lam. This had my boys fighting over who got to read it first — Hambone won and finished it in a day … HotRod and I are now “battling” over who gets it next. It’s a great story, told by and awesome story-teller, with the manga-artstyle the kids love. What more could you want? Regina has created a manga company and has three other manga books (St. Paul, Judith, and a fiction story, Many Are Called. Looks like some good manga will end up in stockings this year!

So what are you knitting and reading … want to come play?