On knitting for others

So it is now March and what have I been doing?  Despite my silence on the blog, there are FOs and projects to share.

Although I started 2014 with a little project for me (Mel Clark's Strawberry Beret from Knitting Everyday Finery), and resurrected the Darlington Cowl to go with it, since then I have been knitting for other people.

Linda received a belated Christmas present in the shape of Debbie Bliss's Party Angel Shrug:

Done in Rowan Kidsilk Aura, with Debbie Bliss Angel held double for the edgings, this is much heavier weight than the pattern version - but it is warm, cosy and very vintage. I thought the pattern made rather heavy weather of shrug design; which usually just needs a very simple seamed and edged rectangle. As a result I abandoned the pattern half way through and wish I had just started from scratch myself.

Immediately after finishing this, I found myself knitting a mohair tunic for someone else to a picture they had seen. I used Stefanie Japel's Lace Panel Tunic from Glam Knits for my base pattern for this, omitting the lace and adding in a vent at the back by knitting the back in two halves, and seaming them half way down.  This pattern ran a bit larger than I expected, possibly due to omitting the lace, and so I followed a Vogue Knitting tip of taking in  3/4 of an inch of ease either side when seaming - which worked.  The sheer mohair and back vent also called for a lining - a first for me.  I must say I cheated a bit and used a ready-made slip which I cut and hemmed after sewing the straps to the inside shoulder seams!  This also worked.  Here is the finished product - the yarn is Ice Yarns Kid Mohair Glitz and has been very nice to work with indeed.

Also on the needles is a baby set for another person, of which the hat is complete:

The low lighting in the pic makes it hard to realise this is actually cream yarn and despite being 100% acrylic is quite nice to the touch. It's King Cole ABC Baby DK, and a pretty cardigan pattern from the UK Hand Knitting Association will match the hat and should be off the needles by the end of the weekend.

The same person has asked me to crochet a matching baby blanket - so an opportunity to revisit and extend my crochet skills awaits!

After we watched The Bletchley Circle together, Karina has requested a 3 hour sweater and the back is done, in some ancient stashed Wensleydale Aran.

And for me? All this knitting for others has made me desperate to return to my WPIs - the Stash Blanket (no progress to report):

And a Scottish and Donegal Tweed hoodie which is loosely based on the Easy Top Down Raglan Knitalong by Susan B Anderson:

A little more has been done since I took this photo.

And my queue grows ever longer!