Christmas Project Number 4

This fall I finally finished my Featherweight Cardigan. The yarn was an impulse buy many years ago, and it took a really long time to decide what to do with madly variegated laceweight silk yarn. This sweater was the answer, and I love it.

Needles: US 6 (4.00 mm)
Yarn: Neighborhood Fiber Co. Penthouse Silk Lace in Penthouse (discontinued)
Pattern: Hannah Fettig's Featherweight Cardigan

I wanted to make a silk scarf out of the leftover yarn, and I wanted to use all of the yarn I had left. I wanted to avoid lace, since the variegated colors would bury the lace pattern. But I didn't want to knit a plain scarf. I tried, repeatedly, to make Daniela Johannsenova's Frantiska, but I just couldn't do it. Silk is its own special problem.

By the time I had settled on a better pattern, it was too late to make any Christmas deadlines, so it's hibernating for now.

Christmas Project Number 3

 I made one of these last year, and it was such a hit and a delight to make that I decided to do it again.

Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm)
Yarn: 4 grams of Knit Picks Palette in Camel Heather, 4 grams of Red Heart Baby Fingering in White
Pattern: Anna Hrachovec's Cat in a Bag, still totally delightful
Mods: I begin with a figure-8 cast on

It's obvious why I make these for people with cats, I just wish I knew how to help them find a spot where their cats won't destroy it.

Christmas Project Number 2

This pattern should look familiar. It's a really good pattern for a man's sock.

Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm)
Yarn: Zitron Trekking XXL in a dark grey heather (these yarns only have numbers for color names)
Pattern: Sara Amorosoa's Escalator Socks

You'd think that would be enough, but I really am about to cast on a third pair, in this yarn.

Christmas Project Number 1

For a young man used to sunshine who moved even further north than before, and therefore stood in need of warm wool socks:

Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm)
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Tweed in Lapis
Pattern: Sara Amoroso's Escalator Socks

I love this pattern. You're going to see more of it. But I did NOT love this yarn. I bought the yarn solely for the base color, a bright and cheerful blue. I don't know what I thought tweed yarn is, but I was totally unprepared for the random bits of fluff. I had to exert quite a bit of control to keep from picking them all out like so much "vegetative matter," as grasses that make it through the carding and spinning are referred to.

To my horror, along the way I discovered that I own TWO MORE SKEINS of the stuff, acquired over the years, in Prussian Heather and Garnet Heather. I will be getting rid of them as soon as possible; holler if you're interested. One skein makes one sock, so you'd have to combine the two colors to get a pair of socks.

Prussian Heather

Garnet Heather