I heard on the Ravely Bay Area Knitters Board that there's a knitting retreat at the Quaker Center in the Santa Cruz Mountains in early January. There aren't any teachers or anything -it's more of a hang out and knit thing, but for $240 at the Quaker Center it's a getaway that can't be beat. It's only a $100 deposit. I'm seriously considering attending.

From the Site:

For Saturday only attendees, you can arrive as early as you like and stay as late as you want. Breakfast and dinner on Saturday are included. You can sign up for a massage and join in the gift exchange game (where everyone brings a wrapped fiber related gift and the gifts are stolen and traded throughout the game) Saturday afternoon.

For the entire weekend attendees, the retreats start on Friday with an optional yarn crawl, where we visit various yarn stores in the bay area and have lunch together. We end up at a coffee shop after shopping at Cost Plus.

At about 4:15p we drive up to the facility (the Quaker Center in Ben Lomond http://www.quakercenter.org/) and stay there until Sunday. Note: This retreat is not associated in any way with the Quaker Center and there are no religious activities, we merely rent their facility.

It's September first, which means that our holiday knitting season has officially begun. If you started during the Summer, lucky you -but for the rest of us it's beginning upon crunch time. We've got to get organized and start holiday knitting NOW!

Your Holiday Knitting Strategy

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If you think you can get all your holiday knitting done without a plan, you're mistaken. Here are some tips to keep yourself on track:

• Make a list of all the people you want to knit for.
• Review the list for people allergic to wool.
• Cross out people who have received knitted gifts in the past and have not worn/enjoyed them as you saw fit ;)
• Assign knitting projects for each giftee.
• Make sure you have the right yarn and yardage for your knitted gift needs.
• Create a reasonable schedule upon which you can accomplish all of your knitting.
• Revise your knitting gifts according to how much you can fit into your schedule.
• Plot your gift knitting schedule on a calendar.
• Track your progress and change your knitted gifts according to how much progress you're making.
• Move people from the knitted gift list to the gift card list as you go off track.
• Plan for gift wrapping time (nobody likes their gifts wrapped in newspaper)

Great Gift Knitting Patterns and Books

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Holiday knitting requires small projects that pack a lot of punch. Now is generally not that time to start that cabled cardigan for your daughter unless you are delightfully retired and free from other obligations, or your daughter is under the age of 5 and the knitting sizes are much smaller.

Here are some projects from recently published online knitting magazines that might fit the bill.

Knitty:

Flo the Elephant by Franklin Habit for Knitty, First Fall, 2010
A cute stuffed toy for the baby or toddler in your life.

The Minty Hat by Erica Jackovsky for Knitty, First Fall, 2010
The holiday hat for 2010, it's knit in red and white candy stripes that suggest the Christmas holiday without making you want to puke. You could also knit it in blue and white if Hanukkah is more your thing. Or, you could knit it in your honey's school colors for a less holiday approach.

Twist Collective

Community Garden by Melissa LaBarre for Twist Collective, Fall, 2010
A lacy beret that could be made in a delicious black cashmere for a more luxurious twist. Nothing says "you're my bestest friend in the whole world" than a cashmere hat in the cold of winter.

Tern by Pam Allen for Twist Collective, Fall, 2010
These socks are a little on the complicated side and meant for those holiday knitters who are super speedy or with more time on their hands ;). The recipients will be astonished indeed, exclaiming "You knit these?".

Knit Circus

The Schoolhouse Beach Scarf, by Natasha Grief, Knitcircus, Fall 2010.
No direct link to pattern -view the magazine for free on the company's home page, but access to the pattern is only available after purchase. The scarf has some pattern and stitch interest, but not so much that it would screw up your holiday knitting schedule.

Hematite from Miss P, Kitcircus, Fall 2010
A little crocheted scarf that will fly off your hook. A great holiday gift if there ever was one. You could make it in various colors for each of your friends and they would each look a little different.

Great Holiday Knitting Books

Holiday Knits: 25 Great Gifts from Stockings to Sweaters by Alison Isaacs and Sara Lucas is a super choice if you're looking for holiday knitting with a luxurious twist.

One Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit or Crochet by Leigh Radford is my holiday knitting go-to book with treasures your friends and loved ones will wear all year long.

One More Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit is also by Leigh Radford and a continuation of the One Skein book. It's also filled with awesome knits for baby, friends and family.

Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson is a classic. I can't tell you how many times I've seen the blankets and hats in this book on new babies and that's because their great, easy to knit patters that pack a lot of punch.

Are you ready for your holiday knitting? Get ready because the season starts... Right Now! What are you going to knit for your friends and family? Have any funny holiday knitting stories?