Chugging Along

So. I know it's my vacation for the next four weeks, but apparently (this is good and bad) joann's has me scheduled for about 35 hours over the next couple weeks! Good, because I'll have more money and since for about five weeks I won't be using the gas to get to school, I'll save even more money. But last year around this time I had more time to knit (for mom, dad and mike - their birthdays are all soon!), so I'm not really used to it.

But I have been doing something - mostly buying things, but I am knitting too.

First, my dad washed my mom's scarf in the laundry and while it doesn't look too bad because we wash things in cold water, it's mostly felted. So mom requested another - a lacy one.

I cast on for a Wisp, which I've always liked and had some yarn for (which I recently gave some away on Rav, because I've had it so damn long and someone else should get good use out of it).



The pattern says to do 17 repeats. I have about 9 days. We'll see.

Mike's sweater is coming along nicely, alot of stockinette but that's what my fingers like recently.



Now, about me buying alot of things. I felt like I was alot before christmas but I realize now that that is because I gave alot of it away. Well, because they were gifts! My mom and dad actually got me some yarn for an Owls sweater, which I WILL NOT TOUCH until mike's sweater is done (which maybe hopefully will be by his birthday jan 31st...). I asked for it from webs, and I got an extra skein so I could make it EXTRA long. Like I'm planning on about 4-6 of ribbing, on top of what the pattern says. I have a long torso and my back gets cold.



I've also been commissioned (well not really) to knit a pair of fingerless gloves with a flap. My boss got me a christmas gift, and I offered to knit her something - she originally asked for a scarf, but then asked for the gloves. She picked out this yarn (at joann's where I work).



I'm really not in love with it, but I will hold judgement until I finish them. It might turn pretty! I don't think so, but we will see.

Christmas Wrap up!

Christmas was wonderful, I got alot of great gifts (including some yarn for an OWLs sweater! from my parents) - two coats, boots, shoes, clothes, etc. My family kind of goes nuts for christmas - in a good way. My handknits were well recieved.



My brother's a bit nuts.

My cousin likes his neckwarmer.



I'm really happy with grandpop's hat.



He seems to really like it, and it fit well, it was perfect!

As for other gifts, my parents gave my cat a "scratching post" that has catnip on it, so he just sort of rolled around in the box most of the morning, and licked the post. Odd.



My baby cousin was tired, but still helped opening gifts.



He has much more a mind of his own now and is quite adorable!

His "brother" was quite silly. (they adopted the puppy a month before the baby came!)



My cousin requested a pair of knit socks, and I've also started mike's sweater. I have the yarn wound for a pair of gloves for him too! I haven't gotten very far on the sweater so there isn't much to show. I decided to do it in pieces so in case I need to frog it won't hurt so much!

Merry!

I'm having that kind of before christmas knitting issue - I'm done with all the gifts and now I have nothing to knit! I've been knitting these little sock ornaments - they take about 30-45 minutes and are SOOOO cute!





I got this for my birthday. (the penguin, we've had the cat for a while...he's a little odd)



And now it's here:



Merry Christmas!

Last Christmas Gifts....

It's official, I'm sick. I've been denying it over the past few days, thinking it was allergies but I'm headachey, tired and coughing. My dad's right about this - this is my third cold this winter. I think I'm not eating enough veggies or fruits and not getting enough sleep, so I'm going to try over the next month (that I have off from school) to remedy this.

This cold conviently comes at a time that I should really not call out of work and I have to do a bunch of stuff: today I made cookies and tried to make fudge (didn't work) for mike's grandparents tomorrow. I also have to work closing tonight and opening tomorrow. Possible, but not fun.

But the christmas knitting. I did have enough yarn for a matching neckwarmer for my cousin, it's a little snug, but I'm not even sure if it's "his style", so we'll see!



I used the Wham Bam Thank You Lamb pattern as reference, but I used 20 sts instead of 25 and I didn't like the way they sewed it so, I just sewed it straight on.

And, last but not least, my sister's Thorpe. I didn't want to model it because it was so dark I was happy to at least get this picture and now I just look awful and sick...



(my sister modeled it)

Pattern: Thorpe
Yarn: Cascade 109 Bulky
Needles: size 9, should have used size 10s or larger
I used some paton's classic wool to edge it!

I'm going to go make some mini socks and watch hulu... then work! Happy christmas eve-eve!

Holiday Garter Stitch

A couple more FOs for this post, first a simple little project as an addition to a bought gift.



It's just a garter stitch square, on size eights 24 sts. I used some leftover cottonease, and I rolled it up like above and tied a ribbon on it to put it in the package.

Another finished object is my cousin's hat: It's just a plain hat pattern, 44 sts (seems a little tight though), out of Lion Brand Woolease Thick and Quick. I love this yarn, and the chunky version of it. I hate the worsted weight version though, at least last time I used it. My manager at Joann's gave everyone christmas gifts, and I of coursed asked what she would like me to knit her - she answered a scarf and I'd like to make it out of Woolease Chunky...nice and quick!

But, here's the hat:



My cousin got a similar one last year and said "how did you know I wear hats like this?", so I made another.

I had some leftover yarn, and the plan is that'll make a matching neckwarmer. I'm going off of this pattern, but I used less stitches.



The scale tells me that I'll have enough for a shorter one, but we'll see...(oh and the background is a new tie fleece blanket I made for myself, I love it!)

And another work in progress - my sister's thorpe.



The plan is to finish those two tonight or tomorrow morning and knit some little socks and mittens as ornaments too. And that's IT! Since I'm on the garter stitch portion of the hat, it should be done soon....in theory.

Three FOs: Two Hats and Socks!

Christmas presents keep on rolling in. This post is going to have no less then three finished ones!

First, my grandpop's hat.



Pattern: Morgan
Yarn: Knit Picks City TWeed DK, which I love and would love to knit a sweater out of it!
Needles: Size six circs, various lengths (used a 16" for most of it.

I'm rather happy with it, though it was a very complicated pattern. Not many rests!

Next up is some socks, for my uncle! Just plain vanilla, 64 sts top down.



Pattern: none, just top down socks
Yarn: Jo-Ann Sensations Soles & More (Surprisingly good yarn. Since I work there, too, I get a 15% discount, and it's a good simple yarn)
Needles: Size 1.5 circs



And, the pattern matches up almost perfectly on the two socks!

Last but not least is my cousin's fiance's (Inese) hat!



Pattern: Another Piper
Yarn: Paton's Classic Wool, and the contrast Northhampton Wool from WEBs
Needles: Size 8 circs
I made the smaller size this time, and I hadn't even blocked out my older hat that I made for myself, so I did it with this one last night, and it made a big difference. So I washed my hat too! It's a lot more cloche like than it was before and both got considerably longer, about 1.5-2"!

That's all the Christmas presents for now, I'm planning on knitting a couple hats today, and starting a washcloth for mike's mom.

Working on Christmas!

Christmas is perilously approaching. I'm not really sure what I need to do, a couple of the things that I meant to finish for this week for friends from hartford didn't get finished, so I won't need those til January.

I did alot today, spent too much on gifts/wrapping, but I love giving gifts. It's my favorite part!

I made some labels.



If anyone wants the pdf, just ravelry message me (I'm ibunnysavetroy) and I'll send them to your email.

I also have hand wash ones, and just plain gift tags.



That's what wrapped up in the label - Leyna's Cowl! I hope she likes it.

Pattern: Stacked Eyelet Cowl/Gloria Cowl. Eyelets + 96 sts sock yarn doubled.
Yarn: Superwash sock yarn, my own handdyed.
Needles: size 8 circs.
I kinda just merged the two patterns. I really like how it came out.

This is the inside of Grandpop's driving cap: (I have to properly sew in the stabilizer, I let it block out first.



I put in the peak stablizer yesterday and washed it, and tomorrow hopefully it'll be dry and I'll sew in the snaps and photograph/wrap it.

And this:



Is my pile of finished/unfinished gifts from a couple days ago. Now, the hat and cowl are all done (almost).

My list is as follows:
1. Finish Piper Hat for Inese.
2. Finish socks for my uncle...
3. Finish hat for kimmy, which I haven't even blogged about!
4. Knit coasters for mike's aunt
5. Knit washcloth for mike's mom
6. Knit ornaments for Alex (my step uncle)

The last three might be thrown out. But they're all like little things, so hopefully I'll get them done!

I did finish couple of presents earlier in the year:
Nana's mittens:



Mom's Sweatervest:



And I knit a couple of hats and Max's sweater in November, so really, I could be in alot worse shape!

With that, I leave with all the presents I wrapped today (minus two).



Yup. I'm giving all of those away!