It finally feels like winter here, with snow on the ground and a weekend-long cold snap that had me piling on the woolen layers and planning to stir up a big pot of chili. I've been waiting for this weather for a long time. Like many knitters, I respond to cold weather by casting on. I think knitting is a perfect cold-weather pursuit, because it's something you can do when you're hunkered down inside ( afghan + hot cocoa + Downton Abbey + knitting = my dream weekend) and the end product is going to keep you warmer too. It's a win-win situation that I like to call "hiber-knitting." Of course, sometimes my enthusiasm for keeping warm can turn into a raging case of startitis. This is a photo of my desk from Saturday afternoon, when things were messy, but still basically under control; since then I've added three new projects to the mix. Yikes! Here are 4 more projects I want to start – but in the interest of self-preservation, I'm sharing them with you, here, instead.

• The big herringbone cowl from The Purl Bee.
• A hot water bottle cosy (downloadable PDF).
• Fingerless mitts from Mary Jane Mucklestone (pattern is free until midnight tonight!)
• These cheerful socks from Tanis Fiber Arts (I cannot get enough of TFA yarns right now, it seems)

What are you hiber-knitting?