November 21, 2008

Over-zealous Xmas knitting

As promised, my Xmas knitting list. With pictures!



Garter Rib socks, from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. These are being knitted for my cousin, who (as mentioned in my previous post) is 6'2" with size 13 feet. Ugh. Since he is a big Toronto Maple Leafs fan, my original plan was to make blue and white socks with a maple leaf on the heel. However, I could not for the life of me find a pattern for a maple leaf, and I don't have the time or the skill to make my own. So, blue socks (Berroco Sox in Doon). I might embroider Go Leafs Go on them somewhere.


Druid Mittens, from the Fall 2008 Vogue Knitting. I originally started these a while ago in a different yarn, but they didn't turn out so well (too short). These are made in Dream in Color Smooshy, in Good Luck Jade (link to The Sweet Sheep, where it is on sale). They will most likely be given to my sister, who loves green and who admired them when I forced her to look at the magazine with me (I was trying to figure out what kind of sweater she would actually wear. No luck so far, which is just as well since I really don't have time to make a sweater now!).

Selbu Mittens, from Folk Mittens by Marcia Lewandowski. These are for my partner. I am possibly the slowest colourwork knitter ever, so I am actually kind of worried that these will be gifted on the needles. It doesn't help that I can only work on them when he's not home, either. Yarn is Cascade 220 (beloved Cascade 220...inexpensive, many-coloured wooly goodness).

Nutkin Socks (free pattern!), by Beth LaPensee, in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, colourway 403 (Tuscany) (link to The Loopy Ewe). I'm not sure who these are for yet. I bought the yarn in the summer, and I wasn't really thinking about Xmas knitting at the time (which means that they were supposed to be for me, but now will most likely be pressed into service as a gift. Sigh.)

Ditto on the original intention for these - Monkey socks by Cookie A., from Knitty.com, in Koigu KPPPM P531 (I know I'm not the first to say it, but Koigu really needs to come up with some names for their colourways.). I loooooooooove this sock, and it will be very difficult for me to give it and it's unfinished mate away. Le sigh.

I also have a couple of things planned that haven't been cast on yet. I really want to make the Waves of Grain scarf from this past fall's Knitty for my aunt (the only other knitter in the family). I have some alpaca laceweight kicking around somewhere that would work, and I can get beads at the local dollar store (suprisingly, they have a pretty good collection.). If I don't start it soon, though, that scarf will have to be abandoned in favour of the My So Called Scarf, which I will make with the Berroco Peruvia Colors I picked up the other day - since it is worked on 8mm (US 11) needles, it will be a fast knit. I also had a brainwave last night about a gift for my other cousin who lives in Seattle - I was going to make her a scarf but decided instead to make her a couple of coffee cup cozies, one in Washington Huskies colours and the other maybe in Seahawks colours. Personally I think this is genius - a personalized gift that I can probably make in a day or two, and that she is more likely to use than a scarf (she does love her Starbucks, and warm woolies not such a necessity on the west coast). The only problem is I don't have the right colours in stash, but that can easily be remedied (more Cascade 220, perhaps?).

Other fast gift ideas - I know I can knock off a Calorimetry in a day, and I have a couple of hat patterns stowed away as well. I've also already purchased a couple of books, which I don't think violate my intention to stay away from commercial crap gifts - no matter what you may think of the publishing industry, at least a book is something crafted by an artist.

For post-holiday knitting (yes, I'm already looking forward to it), I need to finish my February Lady Sweater, which I really would like to wear someday. I have the yarn and pattern for a shawl (Evelyn Clark's Forget-Me-Not) that I am excited to start - it will be my first major lace project. Also, back when I had more money than sense and was still in the major stash acquisition phase, I dropped quite a bit of cash on the yarn for the Modern Quilt Wrap from Folk Style (that would be 9 skeins of Kidsilk Haze...yeah.). At the time I was not an experienced enough knitter to deal with the slipperiness of the mohair and silk, so I abandoned the project. Now I think I might be up to the challenge...maybe. Hopefully. I also have my beloved skeins of Tanis Fiber Arts to turn into socks...and my Malabrigo Sock (link to Valley Yarns, a Canadian web retailer) that I want to make into a stole...and...and...well, I think you get the picture.

So that is what I am making for the holidays - what are you all making? Good luck with your knitting, all!

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