Christmas Rewarded

I have just returned from a trip to the south of the UK, visiting friends, many of whom I knitted for.  First was Linda, who I have been knitting Spring Cloud for, and here she is wearing it with the matching stole:

Then we stopped by Karina's flat, although she was not there she had kindly let us stay there for a night, so in thanks I left here these:

from Anna Wilkinson's Learn to Knit, Love to Knit.  I don't need a learn to knit book, but this had some lovely advanced patterns in it, which these handwarmers are not, but they are a good way to use up the Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere I bought at Purl Soho, knitted into a cowl and then ripped because it shed too much!  The grey edging is Windemere Bonus Aran, left over from Apple Strudel (A Cardigan for Scotland).

We then went onto Julia's where the hat trio was well-received, particuarly by her 6 year old who loved her pink and grey one so much she wore it to bed!

There was much wind and rain during the whole trip, so I wore my Star Cross'd hat, by Natalie Larson, (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/star-crossed-slouchy-beret) throughout:

On route, I knitted Elizabeth's Toe up, Afterthought heel sock (http://www.naughtyknitterz.com/patterns/Toe%20Up,%20Afterthought%20Heel%20Sock.pdf ) out of the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock I wound on Christmas Day:

and here is the little satin drawstring bag I made to transport socks-in-progress in:

When at home (before we left, and last night), I worked on the Rocky Coast Cardigan (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rocky-coast-cardigan) by Hannah Fettig out of my own handspun, and readers I am thrilled to bits with how it's coming out:

This is the bodice; I am already near the point for dividing sleeves from body, and still have a large skein left to start the body with - the yarn has gone much further than I thought it would, and I am gaining a rare sense of satisfaction in seeing my own hand spun, home processed, yarn turn into a garment.

Christmas Knitting

Readers, I have completed my obligatory Christmas knitting - although I do still have things to do for others, there are no real due dates on these - and today I have decided to just knit for myself.  Christmas is a quiet day for us if we are in the UK, so this afternoon I should get some good knitting time in.

I did receive a knitting-related present, from Peter Hunt's Blackaller Bees and Jacob Sheep - two dove grey skeins of pure Jacob wool - they will make a great hat.

After a morning of international phone calls, pancakes, a bike ride and present unwrapping, I have prepared for my more relaxing afternoon by winding a skein of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the colourway: Robot Overlord.

I plan a vanilla, toe up, afterthought heel sock for this, as I have some journeys to do between Christmas and New Year.  I have also wound my fifth ball of Cream and Chocolate handspun:

 and even though I shouldn't really as I haven't got it all spun yet, I might just cast on the Rocky Coast Cardigan and see how far I get!  A very merry Christmas to all.

Completion

I have spent the first few days of my winter break taking stock - and repairing/refashioning - my sewing projects.

I have

• taken up the hem on a pair of MaxMara black trousers, so they worked with the flats I wear for work.  I wore them during the week before I broke up, and they were great.
• lightly felted and cut the fingers off a pair of lilac Ralph Lauren lambswool gloves, which were wearing through but too good quality to throw away.  They are now thick fingerless gloves, and again working very well.
• Refinished the seams on my handmade gold top:

This is a great xmas favourite from last year, and I plan to wear it on xmas day this year, but the slippy viscose doesn't hold stitches well and it needed tidying up.  Done!

• I also refinished the seams on my first, practice, pair of wide-leg, elastic-waisted lounge pants.  They also do not hold stitches well and need much tidying.  I am wearing them today, but the stitches are already slipping again, so their future might not be bright!

• I attempted to address the fastenings on a lined wrap skirt I made some time ago.  Not sure if this will have worked, but I will road test it sometime soon.


• I refashioned a vintage dress bought by my sister and I at a antiques market some years ago - when we got it home we found it was tight in the bodice for both of us, and it languished for a while in my closet until I saw an idea on Pinterest and did this with it:

I slashed the back with a stanley knife, and then hemmed both sides (after this picture was taken).  I will either wear as is with a lightweight shrug, or sew some netting or lace into the back panel.  Here is the front view:

Sorry about the poor pic, bobby socks and messy spare room, readers!  But you get the idea I'm sure.

• After these somewhat successes, I had a go at putting in elastic to cinch in the waist of an old (but much loved) snow parka I bought in Copenhagen years ago - but couldn't really get it to work.  I have left it to think and do more research and in the meantime will cinch with a belt a la Michelle Obama...

Still to do sewing-wise:  Final touches on the two bags I did earlier this year, and buttons onto the second Battleboro hat I have done for a xmas gift for a friend.  Then I will start the new year fresh, with fresh projects to sew!  A feeling of completion reigns.

Cowl and Thrift

I have managed to combine two knits today, and paired the recently completed Cable and Rib Gaitor from One Skein Knits with Intoxicating from No Sheep for You.

I also had a thrift store find - 6 skeins of a pretty vintage cotton. It's not the time of year for knitting cotton, but in a while it will be, and I have a Rowan pattern in mind for this.

A House Full of Christmas Surprises

After giving Karina her Christmas decorations and apple and rosehip jelly last weekend, I have ready a trio of hats for another friend and her children:

I used patterns already to hand just to get the stitch counts for an adult, 5 year old, and 1 year old, and based this on Stephanie Japel's hats in this photo:

 So I just knitted plain for a series of inches, then worked the crown.

I added a kidsilk haze flower brooch onto the adult hat (which you can see in my photo above) - pattern from a Rowan workshop I did a while ago).

I finally photographed (although not particularly well!) Linda's finished Spring Cloud and stole:

I have added a pretty key-style scarf pin, which you can just about see.  These two projects were recreated from their first incarnation as this:

I also have a cloche hat to add to Linda's haul, as she has been waiting for Spring Cloud for some time!  I must say I am enjoying this run of knitting for other people, although I am careful to choose people who will appreciate the time and effort.  My list of requests keeps growing.  And last weekend I got a little gift in return - two skeins of German sock yarn infused with aloe vera and jojoba oil, in a soft light khaki shade, given to me by a hat recipient recently.

Today's knit, as it is of course a weekend - Juliet, from Zephyr Knits.

More Weekend Knits

Yesterday I had an all-day course to attend, so decided to change up my usual commuting black for my mustard coat, and added in a hand knit scarf from a couple of years ago:

My mother bought me this Vera Moda yarn, which changes every 20 rows or so, and I knitted a free form scarf from it last time I stayed with her.  In the poor light of my spare room at 7.30 am in December it does not show up so well, but you get the idea.

Today I reached for the old reliable (already! - it is a fairly recent knit) - Apple Strudel (a cardigan for Scotland).  I have recently removed the buttons from this, and am just pinning it with a shawl pin, which is working quite well.  I might not bother putting any more buttons on it!

This is a very wearable cardigan indeed, and super-warm.  Although I am kind of tired of anthracite grey in my wardrobe (no more!) it is, it has to be said, useful.

On the knitting front this week: well, flooding rain to Yorkshire once again has meant slow commutes for me, so I have progressed on the husband's Christmas jumper, and should knock off the back today.  I also plan to work on Julia's hat trio tonight, or Linda's hat.  I am seeing both just after Christmas, so I need to get on.  But overall I am feeling relaxed about my Christmas knitting - it is relatively in hand.  Still nothing OTK for me, but since I sorted my American yarn into one place two skeins of Lorna's Laces sock keep catching my eye.  A sock after Christmas perhaps!  Or maybe to cast on, on Christmas day....