Christmas wrapup #1

Perhaps it's appropriate that I'm finally getting to a Christmas wrap up the morning two days after we took our tree down.  Yes, I'm one of those people - the one that only takes the tree down on the night before the last day they will come and recycle it. Maybe in a different post I'll tell you about our Christmas tree ritual. In fact, here is a quick pic of me saying goodbye to our Christmas tree for this year.

So, before I went to Vancouver with my mom, I showed you what I'd set out for myself and noted that it would represent 1/3 of my annual knitting if I got it all done.
So, perhaps nobody is surprised that I did not meet this unrealistic crazy lofty goal.

I did make all but three gifts before Christmas. One of the late gifts was fine because I wasn't seeing the recipient until after Christmas. The second was okay too because my friend is super understanding (and, fortunately, suffered from the same problem so we were both a little late with our gifts). The third one is a bit of a problem. Because, you see, I still am working on it. It's beginning to feel awkward.  And, quite frankly, I've become less productive as I'm consistently resisting the siren song of other knits.  I want a sweater for myself in a bad way.

But, let's wrap up 2011 first.

First up, knits I did during the year, with nobody in mind. This was a great way to add something a little special to a gift bag and I was quite happy with that. Dishclothes for my friends Nova and Janice:

For Janice (the teal/brown ones), I also tried to make a handtowel, though she mentioned she uses it to keep her teapot warm, which I think is a smashing idea. I knit both at random and I love the completely different effects. I even imagine I can see a guitar in the handtowel. I'm not super happy with the handtowel, because I think it may be an awkward size. All are knit in that lovely, now mindless, double bump dishcloth pattern. As Rachel has said, I keep saying I'll try a different pattern, but keep going back to the tried and true instead.

I also tried a bee stitch cloth.  I swear I saw this on someone's blog, but now can't find it. Unfortunately, I apparently never took a picture of it other than hidden in this picture of holiday knits - it's the all blue one at the bottom of the pile!
Okay, first of the new stuff: loofahs for my brother and sister. I was going to make my sister a wash cloth, but loved the loofah so much, I couldn't resist. Knit back and forth with short rows, you then sew it shut. This doily: 

becomes a loofah with the simple addition of a cord run through the eyelets:

Evidently, I failed to take a picture of my sister's completed loofah. The only difference is that rather than crocheting a string, I decided to create a braided cord for her.  I'll admit it looks more finished, but have you ever tried to braid 2 feet worth of tiny yarn? Ack! Not sure it's worth it. I did get this in progress picture of my sister's loofah.  I truly think this pattern could easily be adapted into a baby hat.  Don't you agree?

Next is the knit I blame for all my problems. If not for this, all knits would have been done on time. Completely untrue, I'm sure, I would have done something else. This became the bane of my knitting existence. A hat for my SIL.  This is version one:

Too short to even fit over my ears.

 And too wide to cover even Partner's head.

Before you even ask. No, of course I didn't swatch - it's a simple hat!  She's a woman, I cast on for the woman's size. So, I tore it out, and knit the child's size. After I was nearly done, I decided I had enough yarn to knit 2 more rows of the pattern, to lengthen it a little.

I was wrong.

So I tore out the crown decreases a third time, took out the two extra rows, and did the crown decreases again.  The final product, still a little short, but fitted. Please also notice the artistic arm shadow that Partner is quite proud of. :)

I didn't get a picture of her wearing it. This is good because... drum roll... it was still loose on her head. The next size down is for "toddler." My SIL is over 6'.  I have no idea what is wrong with the pattern.  I'm going to blame it on the pattern because I used the yarn weight and needles called for in the pattern.  No matter what, I can't think my gauge is off by over an inch.

I'll take a break to talk about this yarn - Fiburanatura Sea Song.  Super soft.  Good eco friendly yarn (or so I think, I haven't researched it) with cotton and sea kelp. Splitty as hell. Even with simple knit stitches, I had to watch to not split my stitches. Of course, it became progressively worse as I reknit with the yarn. That being said, it held up well to four attempts worth of knitting. It retained it's shape and doesn't look scruffy after a wash. So, probably good for simple knits, I wouldn't try it for anythng complicated. I hope she's able to use it....

Up next is a gift for my Mom, one I'm particularly proud of - double knit color work potholders.  My mom loves tea. I really need to get these pictures into ravelry because the designer ought to get some recognition for a really neat pattern that she's sharing for free.

I accidently started with the CC on the second pot holder. It took me several rows (and more than I was willing to tear out) to realize this is actually a problem, so that the pot holders aren't identical. It was also less than a week before Christmas so it's now a "design feature." Here they are, after a soak, 2 days before Christmas.

Another new technique was used in making my Dad's hat. My dad always has cold ears. My mom has made him a double knit hat, but she said it's really his ears that are the problem.  Enter the brilliant Melissa's idea - thruming for ears! Now, I had no idea how to thrum and I wasn't sure how to make this not look weird.  I ended up with some pretty thick thrums in the beginning, because I was taking too big of pulls. The YarnHarlot's thrummed mitten guide was very helpful on how to knit with thrums.

I then took a simple peony pattern out of Alice Starmore's book and incorporated it into a hat.  I cast on 108 stitches, completed the peony pattern, and then dropped down to 104 stitches and followed the decrease pattern from Turn-a-Square. It ended up creating a slightly larger 'zone' that poofs around the ears.  I'm happy with how it turned out.  I do wish I'd twisted the thrums a little bit tighter so there was more stitch definition and not as much fuzzy 'poofying' on the right side of the fabric.

Dad's hat was actually knit over two days.  Have I told you how much it helped for Partner to do nearly all the driving up to and around Oregon? Yep, he deserves some thanks for these knits happening!

The next knit was a hat for a friend. I've mentioned to her that I'm a bit of a selfish knitter, which may have set me up great for surprising her. She just started knitting last year and is an amazing knitter - she's making fair isle sweaters already! I wanted to make her a fun hat, and Wurm fit the bill perfectly!

I cast on on Christmas eve, got up early on Christmas day to double over the brim (super easy, actually) and mindless knit and purled all day Christmas. That night, I had a finished hat!  I love the hat, but do think it would be more funky to have followed the pattern for the full 10 repeats.  But I had one skein of Cascade 220 and it probably needed the 240 called for in the pattern.

Here it is modeled very Dr Seussical (apparently - I've never read the books, but that is what everyone who saw it thought).

The super quick crown decreases create a funky effect.

And a closer shot of the doubled over brim which is 1) super easy, 2) helps snug down the hat and 3) is really warm.  It's a very finished look and I'll probably steal it for some simple beanies in the future.

I think that is enough for this go around. Next time: fingerless mitts, a secret knit, and (hopefully) the final Christmas knit!

Pattern: Double bump dishcloth
Final measurements: both dishclothes are 34 stitch cast ons, the hand cloth is 43, all on size US6s
Yarn: purple is Sugar n Cream Ombre - ~45 yards, teal/tan is Lion Brand Solid - 236 yards
Modifications: None
Knitting yardage total 2011: 2205

Pattern: Bee stitch dishcloth
Yarn: Sugar 'n Cream, some left over blue, 60 yards
Modifications: none, US6s
Knitting yardage total 2011: 2265

Pattern: Loofah or washcloth
Yarn: Sugar 'n Cream naturals - 68 yards, Sugar 'n Cream solid for my brother - 72 yards
Modifications: none, US6s for both
Knitting yardage total 2011: 2405

Pattern: November Hat
Final measurements: Child's size on US5s
Yarn: FiburaNatura SeaSong, colorway Night, 109 yards
Modifications: None.
Knitting yardage total 2011: 2514

Pattern: Double knit potholders
Yarn: Sugar 'n Creams solids, 206 yards total of two colors
Modifications: An extra repeat on the leg
Knitting yardage total 2011: 2720

 Pattern: Thrummed hat, decreases from Turn a Square
Final measurements: Men's
Yarn: Cascade 220, charcoal, 126 yards plus unknown number of ounces of roving
General specs: Cast on 108, decrease to 104 after thrumming, US7s
Knitting yardage total 2011: 2846

Pattern: Wurm
Yarn: Cascade 220, 220 yards
Modifications: seven repeats of the knit/purl sections, US 7
Knitting yardage total 2011: 3066

Comments

[kate]

That hat is super cute on you!!

Lovely collection of knits. and I saw it more as a violin :)

[nova]

I love my washcloth, I know you think it's a dishcloth, but I refuse to use knitted things on my dirty dishes. So there.

[melissa]

wowzers! you were an amazingly productive christmas elf!

i dont' even know where to begin... love love love the thrummed hat!! was your dad thrilled? i'm sure his ears are warm now.

you are so dedicated to knit that hat *three* times!! and it still didn't fit?!?! i think i would have thrown it in a fire in some sort of pagan ritual of damnation. you are so good to see it through to completion.

and the wurm hat? that one is completely awesome!!

love the tea pot hot pads and the bath scrubbies and all your dishcloths are fab!
YOU are completely amazing!!

[Rachel]

Look at you...I'm impressed with all you got done...and they all look great! Funny how there are two projects in here that I just knit up as well (well, maybe not exactly on one, but close to it). You may be able to tell which ones via pictures on my latest post...

I agree with Kate...I see violin. But that's pretty cool the way the yarn did that!

Hugging a tree...I can see that! ;)

[twelvedaysold]

OMG those teapot potholders are fabulous! Thanks for sharing the link!

You did a great haul last year!

[cmvs]

wow! you were super super busy and your knits all turned out wonderfully! i love the description of all the hat troubles along the way (so i know i'm not the only one who these things happen to)- and i'd say that you adjusted beautifully to each revision along the way. everything turned out wonderfully!