Christmas Knitting, complete

(FYI, this is written by Kate, not Shan as it says at the bottom. Shan was kind enough to take the photos and upload them for me. Thanks Shan!)

Well, having looked at my list I would say I have done well.
I have completed:

• wrap and two pairs of socks for my mum
• sweater for my dad (see pictures of it on me below - we are the same size)
• mittens for my step-mom
• head wrap for my sister-in-law
• pair of socks for friend
• scarf for father-in-law
• wash clothes
• miscellaneous gifts not to be mentioned before the knit group's Christmas party :)

Of course, most of these items are already being wrapped without being photographed, but at this time of year I just don't remember everything I should. (For instance, today I forgot to check on the hot lunch volunteers. As one of the coordinators today was my day to do that. I forgot. No volunteer showed up. Teachers handed out the pizza. Oops.)

So now it is a week before Christmas. The one big project still on my needles is my sister-in-law's sweater. I do have the back finished and a good start on the front, but this might wait for her birthday in February, as I don't feel the urge to speed knit it. Or I might just give it to her in the New Year. We'll see where we get with it.

I do want to make some hats for a friend's family as well.



front of the cycling aran. I see the zip is crooked on me, but you can see the lovely fit and the stand up collar here. I hand sewed the zip in. Also note the lovely cables up each side, although in heathered charcoal they are hard to photograph!

the 3 by 2 ribbed back. Perfect for a snug fit while cycling in our west coast wet winters!

Finally, At Last, Not a Moment Too Soon

I am done Print o' the Wave. Hopefully it will arrive in time for Christmas, but I don't really care if it doesn't. I'm just happy to be finished.

See the entire FO post here.

Print o' the Wave

Pattern: free download by Eunny Jang
Yarn: 1.5 skeins Island Hues (by Sweatermaker) 100% merino handpainted laceweight, 800 metres per 100 grams. Two different dyelots but they work together.

Yarn Source: Fun Knits, Quadra Island. Thanks again, Shelley.

Yarn Cost: $35 for both skeins, of which I used less than 1.5. So about $25.

Needle: 3.5mm Clover Takumi bamboo circular, and 3.5mm Addi Turbo Lace

Cast On: August 12, 2007

Bound off: December 14, 2007

Finished Dimensions: 97" long, 27" wide after an aggressive blocking.

Love, in the form of a Sweater

Oh, how I love thee, Cycling Aran. I love your cables up the front, your comfy ribbed back, your stand-up collar and stylish fit. I love the easy pattern, and the delicious yarn used (Tosca Jaspe). My Dad will love you as well. All you need is a zip, and we are good to go.

This was a great pattern to knit up, although it assumes a knowledge of construction (it is quite terse but it all works if you have knit a sweater or two). The sleeves will be too long for my Dad but they fold back easily, and I don't think I will change them now.

Phew, another one off the list (at least the knitting is done on this one)!!

PS Better pictures to come when I can get someone to take one. As my dad and I are the same size it fits me so nicely. I wants it. (This is getting to be a problem.)

The Road to Hell.

Kate posted a long time ago about putting up our Christmas lists - that is, the things we have to knit for Christmas. I meant to get around to it but didn't until today.

My problem this year is, NOTHING IS WORKING OUT. Here is what I had planned:

1- Aran sweater for FIL
2- Print o' the Wave lace stole for MIL
3- mittens for my sister (later SOCKS for my sister)
4- spiral scarves for all my nieces
5- wristers for my SIL
6- socks for my brother

and what has happened to all these fine intentions?

1- still working out, thank God.
2- ran out of yarn. Haven't heard yet whether Shelley has been able to find me more. And, in my last conversation with my mother-in-law, she said "I once had one of those shawl wrap things...I wore it a few times but it kept sliding off my sloping shoulders and it drove me crazy." Doesn't bode well.
3- my sister didn't like mittens. So I cast on Chuck's Cabled Socks, accidentally reversed the needle sizes, and ended up with a sock that has enormous ribbing and a cruelly tight ankle. Gave up.
4- Gwen saw the scarves while visiting, and, trying to let me down easy, didn't give me much hope that her daughter will wear it. Apparently if she has seen a similar thing on someone cool, we're golden. If not....well, I guess a wrinkled nose is all I can expect. The donation bin will get these.
5- wristers.....yeah, right. NEXT.
6- wool socks for my brother? who wears like a size 12 shoe and lives in North Carolina? Again I say Yeah Right.

I'm a bit cast down about it actually, but I have made my peace with the situation and am content to just knit the Aran. If THAT doesn't work out, then I will be truly distraught, and qualify as an utter failure.

It's that old story about whether people appreciate it. I've come to realize it doesn't bother the intended recipients not to receive the knitting I had planned for them - at least, not nearly as much as it bothers me not to give it. My people, as far as I can see, would rather have a DVD or a couple of books. It costs me, what...$20 for that?

So, we'll finish off the Aran sweater, and that'll be it. If I get the stole done, maybe it can be a Mothers' Day gift for my mother-in-law, along with a nice pin to keep it on her shoulders. Or, maybe I'll rent a table at a craft fair one of these days, and sell it for $200. And use that money to buy yarn to make something for.........myself.

The Ocean Ripple Wrap

I don't know if I can bear to part with this wrap. I'm calling it The Ocean Ripple Wrap. I based it on a stitch pattern found in The Complete Encyclopedia of Stitchery, by Mildred Graves Ryan. The stitch is called Lace Wings, and is apparently found in Dutch stitch patterns. I then added a garter stitch border. I love the way the colour flows along the lace, giving the feel of water along pebbles at the edge of the shore. I picture this wrap over a coat, or even as an accent for a nice turtleneck and a pair of jeans. It will be very hard for me to part with it, as I love it.

Progress Report

No pictures today, but a progress report.

1. Mum's wrap is five rows from being cast off. I have to go get some wire to block it properly, I think, so the edges are nice and even. I so love the Sweatermaker yarn I used, which I got at Fun Knits. A laceweight merino, in a line called Island Hues. Beautiful variegated blue, like soft blue jeans. Will have pictures once it is blocked and dry.
2. Have begun Dad's Cycling Aran. I am using a very light 55% wool/45% acrylic blend from Lang yarns, called Tosca Jaspe. It is so light and lovely. Am just on the left front, so will post pictures when I have more progress.
3. Mum's sock #1 is past the heel and on to the foot. I am doing a blueberry waffle pattern on the leg with a plain foot. She pointed out to me again the other day how much she loves my socks, and that they are all she wears. I love making her socks.
4. Three dishclothes are finished; a rib lace one, a garterlac one and a checked one.

That is it for now.

Progress is Good

There is some progress being made on the Christmas list. Mum's wrap has reached the halfway point; her socks are started. A bunch of us Riverstitchers went down to Village Yarns in Cumberland (sadly website-less) earlier this week, where I stocked up on yarn for the second pair of socks, the scarf, and the two sweaters. So now I have a big pile of yarn staring at me demanding to be knit. But at least it is still September, so I'm feeling good about it - we'll see what happens in November :)

A lovely night of stitching last night at knit night. A number of Christmas presents being knit, a wrap, socks, legwarmers, another wrap. Plus a sweater from a pattern that we won't talk about, as it causes some of the knitters to get high blood pressure :) Plus there were apple squares with vanilla ice cream. yum yum yum.

Sometime next week I will post further about Mum's wrap, just to show the beautiful yarn it is being knit from.

All Knitting, All the Time

OK Girls, it's time to get serious about the holiday knitting. To that end, I'm admitting here and now the projects I have decided on for my holiday gifting.

1. Wrap, designed by me, for Mum. This is in the works.
2. Socks for Mum
3. Cardigan for Dad
4. Cardigan for Sister-in-law
5. Head Wrap for Sister-in-law is done
6. Socks for friend
7. Dishclothes for family and friends. I probably need about 10 more.
8. Scarf for Father-in-law
9. Mitts for Step Mom

That's it, I think. Hmm. Only two really big ones, plus the scarf always takes longer than you anticipate. Only two pairs of socks, and I think I'll keep them fairly simple (one of them is a women's size 10).

Come on my knit friends. Let's see those lists!

No Such Thing as "Too Early"

Christmas knitting has begun. I am planning to work 5 of these spiral scarves this year, with matching wristers, for the nieces.

I know it's a bit cheapy and not very nice yarn or anything, but the thing is they're children, and not too discerning as to fibre. I hope they'll like them, anyway, even if they're not fancy or expensive. The ruffled scarf and matching ruffled wristers (not made yet) will be cute together, sticking out of the girls' winter coats.

And here's the first progress shot of my MIL's print o' the wave stole:

I have to work a total of 34 of these repeats (I've done 6 in two days) then pick up for the edging. Should be interesting - first lace project. I had signed up for MS3 but didn't find a satisfactory yarn so abandoned the project after the swatch stage. This is better - I like how it looks finished and I wouldn't have wanted to take the chance on an unknown outcome for a Christmas present. This pattern is nice and easy to memorize too. I can't tell you how much I love the yarn - "Island Hues" by Judy McLean of Sweatermaker (a hand-spinner/dyer from Courtenay, I believe). Fun Knits and at Uptown Yarns both stock her yarn and fibre, though she doesn't have a website of her own.

So, we're off! Only four months left of knitting time!