I meant to post before now, but things have been scattered and hectic over the holiday (I consider it ‘the holiday that wasn’t’ because I worked for most of it, but what can you do, right? It’s the nature of the beast when you knowingly continue a career path that includes features shift work).
So, since I didn’t really post any of the things I was knitting for Yule *as* I was knitting them, I will do so here!
Project #1 began as this lovely combination of fluff from FatCatKnits fiber club. The theme was FairyTales, and the two colourways are “Angry Dwarf” (oranges) and “The Prince” (blues).
I turned it into these mittens, which went to my Dad. They’re Jared Flood’s “Strago” pattern, only elongated to account for my Dad’s really long fingers.
Next, I discovered the Inspira Cowl. I went looking for the right yarns, and came up with a ball of Noro Silk Garden that was looking for just the right project, and a ball of Noro Kureyon that I despaired of ever using because it was hard on my fingers while knitting. Turns out that it was perfect for stranded knitting, as I could carry it a little looser in my left hand (I knit stranded two-handed). These went to my Other Mum, Sheila (for lack of a better term, my Common-Law Mother-in-Law 😉 )
And because I was still on an Inspira kick (honestly, I’m surprised Robin wasn’t sick of seeing me knit the same thing for weeks), I dug into my stash and found a bit more handspun that would suit my own Mum. She’s the only person I know of who can, and will, wear these colours together. At the same time. And not make it look crazyhorriblebad. If you ask her why this is, she’ll tell you that she’s a “winter”.
My nephew Milo’s mittens were next, but we’ve already seen them. I knit them in Berocco Ultra Alpaca Light.
Off the needles next were my niece Georgia’s mittens. They’re a mishmash of “Wibbly Wobbly Mittley Wittley” by Therese Sharp and the Warmer on the Inside mitts, and knit with Berocco Ultra Alpaca Light and Brown Sheep Lanaloft Sport Weight yarn. There’s a long story of angst and frustration behind them, but I will spare you only to say that they were a work in progress for the better part of the year, including 3 or 4 changes of yarn, pattern, and other things causing the wailing and gnashing of teeth (such as a yarn store owner who insisted on “helping” Robin find what I needed when I’d already given him instructions. Note to yarn store owners: Don’t do this. Please).
Last but not least, mittens for my Common-Law Father-in-Law, Don. They’re my Magnum Mitten pattern, only in full mitten form. I knit them out of Paton’s Kroy in Flax and Black, and they came out quite nice and warm.
I really like patterns and projects that give me very little grief. Seriously.
Speaking of which, at some point I had started Rose Hiver’s Quaternity (actually, during the KAL), and wound up putting it on the back burner while I completed the Yule knitting. I finished them off as a palate-cleanser after Yule. Koigu Premium Merino in a nice silvery grey and royal purple. These went to Mum the other day because she had mentioned earlier that she needed a new pair of mittens. Hint recieved! 😉
And yes, that’s a copy of Mark Danielewski’s “House of Leaves” in the background. My Christmas gifts this year were mostly books, so I have a lot of reading to do!
Leave a Reply