Sorry... I am not in the swap... but I saw a question about the JAM reference.... and there is an episode from before everyone knows about them, where Kevin thinks that Jim and Pam are not together and he is in the interview room and says something to the effect of "Jim and Pam.... JAM.... Oh, what a waste."

For some reason I remember this being "PB&J - Pam Beesley and Jim... What a waste."  Weird! 

Great stuff, everyone!  Love that Kevin quote  

For guys I sometimes cut my losses and get them gift cards.  It's SO HARD to make for men you don't know well... and most of them are picky with hats or mittens and the like.  Gah.

yummy.  can you give us recipes?

True, Retromiad.  I hadn't thought of it that way.   

I'd like to knit people oven mitts and tell them I only care about them a knitted oven mitt's worth... but I don't think most of them would get it. 

Oh, awesome!  Thanks for the heads up, MandyLikesPie - I was just looking at the amazon listing for that book earlier, it's really cool to be able to look inside the book!

This thread makes me thing of The Office Christmas episode in season 2, when Phyllis gave Michael a knitted potholder and he made it very clear that he felt ripped off because he got a handmade gift. 

"I only care about you a knitted oven mitt's worth!" - Michael Scott

scrappygirl, that's horrible.  I would never think of returning something handmade, even if there was something wrong with it.  geez, how nervy.

Okay, I lied, one more: If you're graphically inclined, you could always design some posters on photoshop or whatever and frame them.  Still art, just a different kind

I really like silhouettes for this type of thing.  You can usually find interesting silhouettes online by searching or by blowing up a wingding font - right now I have a canvas hanging in my dining area that I painted and traced with the outline of a bird, then filled it in with more paint.  It was super easy and no one has to know it was traced. 

The other thing that I've done that looks pretty cool is to take some coordinating paint colors and paint little circles, eventually making enough little circles to make the shape of a big circle.  Then add a skinny trunk and a line for the ground, and voila, a big fat colorful tree!

Also, I have seen people frame pieces of big, fancy wrapping paper on the wall.  Y'know, the super nice stuff you can get at places like Barnes and Noble or Paper Source?  This can look pretty good, too.

Another idea is framing pages from old books or dictionaries... I have done this with pages I like the typography on and it sounds a little hokey but doesn't look as weird as you'd think.  I have also seen people find funky shaped frames at thrift stores, paint them in loud colors, and hang them in clusters with nothing in them.  I think it looks pretty cool

Finally, I have some "swatch portraits" (like these: http://www.purlbee.com/swatch-portraits/) hanging in my sewing area - that's an idea, too. 

Hope that helps!!

I always have a hard time with the concept of knitting stockinette in the round.  I'm looking to knit this stocking (http://happybuela.typepad.com/happybuela/files/ellas_felted_christmas_stocking.pdf) but I DON'T want to felt it.  I'd like to knit it in stockinette, but I want to make sure the top doesn't curl.  I thought I remembered something about stockinette knit in the round not curling, but I'm not sure.  Does anybody know?

If it DOES curl, can anybody recommend an alternate stitch that will blend with stockinette pretty well?  I know seed and garter stitch both are good for bordering stockinette, but they're a little bit too obvious (in shape and bulk) for this project.