Christmas in July???

I've had nightmares that it was Christmas and I wasn't ready. Seriously, this is enough to have me waking up in a cold sweat. One year my nightmare came true and I realized I'd forgotten to buy a gift for my aunt and uncle. My ex-husband and I had received a George Foreman grill from his dad that year and, since we already had one, we re-gifted the one we got. Well, we got to my aunt's house and, turns out, they already had one, too. So of course my mother (gotta love mothers!) blurts out the entire story and, because I was so sensitive about having forgotten to buy a gift, I burst out crying. Good times.

Why do I bring this up? Because, on that long-ago Christmas, I vowed to never have that happen again. This year, in an effort to keep that vow, I started knitting my mom's sweater in July. Now, I would have thought that working with fluffy animal fibers in July would have me sweating and miserable...but nope! Instead, it has me realizing just how much I love knitting with animal fibers. I'm using Ultra Alpaca for this sweater and yummy-yum-yum! I love this stuff! If I didn't have to give my mom something (thus avoiding the Christmas of the George Foreman Grill Redux) I'm making this blasted sweater for her. I'll just lust after it from afar.

Ravelympics is right around the corner, cutting into my Christmas-knitting time. But I've been looking forward to this for ages, it seems. I'm going to make my first pair of socks for the challenge and I can't wait. I'll be sure to post pics here when they're done. I'm determined to complete these in two weeks. Wish me luck! Cast-on is this Friday and I really can't wait!