Christmas 2009

Sad as it is, I've been sock yarn shopping for next Christmas's gifts. It makes sense to hit the sales early and snap up a bargain on yarn... especially when various family members are making requests.

The surprising one is my ratbag brother who, on Christmas Day, expressed a nagging fear and suspicion that I might have knitted him a jumper. Ha! He wishes! However, in the next breath he mentioned how cold he gets at football matches so would there be any chance of a pair of socks for such occasions, please? I'm actually going to do so and I've worked out that I need to knit eleven pairs - some people are getting two pairs.



Thanks to Ebay, I'm getting seven balls of "Opal - Circle" (the eighth ball wasn't available) for... drum roll, please... £4.49 per ball.

Over on The Black Sheep website... I found four balls of "Rico" yarn (though it's not a brand I've heard of) for... even larger and longer drum roll, please... £4.26 per ball.



Roll on postie visit. Even if the yarn is not for me.

Those Darn Socks

A few months ago, my favourite trainers bit the dust but on their way out, they decided to attempt to take five pairs of socks with them.



Normally, socks full of holes just go in the bin... but that would be cheapo shop ought ones, not socks I've knitted myself. So, because I had no idea how to darn and was too flippin' lazy to look it up, I've had five pairs sitting in my sock drawer waiting to be fixed. These included my "Opal - Snakes" which were the first pair of socks I knitted for myself.

On Christmas Eve (a great time for such jobs) my Mam taught me to darn and my efforts range from downright awful (on the first sock) to quite a neat finish (on the last one, which was ten socks later).

Socks!

So, I finished the socks for me. Being as they're pretty garish... I logically decided to make a longer pair than I would usually.



I've also started these for the BF - I love the pattern and have been sorely tempted to nick them for myself.



In other news... all the knitted goodies went down astonishingly well. The BF loves his socks and reckons his jumper is the best one I have ever knitted. Niece No 1 loved all her socks and especially Puss in Boots. Brother was relieved that I hadn't knit him a jumper but has asked for socks to go to the football in next year. (There's a compliment in there somewhere, I think). Mam, MIL and Step-dad loved their socks.

Out of a remote controlled Brum, Thomas the Tank Engine train set, garage, Lego and cars, and much more besides... nephew's favourite gift was his knitted jelly babies.

Praise indeed and proof that our families are not ungrateful yarn heathens.

As for my knitting-related goodness...



...Cath Kidston knitting needles and roll from my Auntie.

...A gorgeous sock knitting book from the BF.



...Louisa Harding's "Knitted Luxuries" from the SIL.

A Break Through

I've knitted past row 3 on the "Sublime - Hearts and Cables" pattern.



Sublime? Ridiculous. I was wondering whether I needed to resort to asking the BF to read out the pattern for me.

And, before I forget... Happy Chrimble!

Finito

I finished both the BF's and the MIL's socks yesterday... five days before Christmas! Yippeee!!!



BF's ''Regia Kaffe Fasset''



MIL's ''Wendy Bamboo''

The Christmas knitting is over. Hurrah!



I decided to treat myself (from the stash) and start this "Hearts and Cables" tank in "Sublime - Merino Silk DK". The yarn is gorgeous and very forgiving... unlike the pattern. I've made two attempts and keep making a mistake in row 3. So, having pulled it out twice, here's where I am now up to.



I got fed up.

So I started with an old faithful...



... in one of the "Opal - Hundertwasser" shades. (Yes, also out of the stash box too). However, I've decided that I'm going to make them longer than usual. I don't usually go for bright yellow - in anything I wear so I'm really going for it with these.

The BF is also moaning that I haven't made him any socks lately. (Ha!) So he has been told that I am taking this...



...with me on the Cross Country Christmas Dash to see the families.

A Thomas for a Thomas

One of my buddies at work, Pam, is a knitter. (We're growing in numbers and will soon convert the department! Hahahaha! Sorry - been watching Scooby Doo. If it wasn't fo those pesky kids...). Pam has a goldmine of old patterns and she mentioned that she had just found a pattern for a "Thomas the Tank Engine" cardigan.

I had to have it.

Here it is - very 80s, complete with a model who looks like he desperately needs a wee.



It looks like a pretty straightforward Intarsia pattern, complete with very nice charts so I'm going to make it for my nephew after Christmas. It doesn't give an age size and the largest size is 66cm (chest). I'm hoping that will fit a 2-3 year old.

The BF reckons this will make me the best Auntie ever.

Nearly There

One sock for the MIL done - a third done on the other. One sock for the BF done - two thirds done on the next one.



Shouldn't have been so smug with my Christmas knitting. There's still a chance I'll be knitting on Christmas Eve! I can't wait to make something for me. And I'm wondering if I'm going to do presents next year. It takes me about four months to get them all done. Or am I just being a big meanie?

:-)

Panic Socks!

The BF is stressing (again) about what to buy his Mum for Christmas. So, thanks to this year's trip to Ally Pally, I'm making him some "Wendy - Bamboo" socks to give her.



I'm not too impressed with it. The yarn splits and the stitch definition really is not great. The pattern is lovely and I did actually buy it with the MIL in mind. (I wasn't anticipating a last minute panic from the BF at all, honest). Oh no, I wasn't.

Finishing Touches

I've pretty much finished all of my Christmas knitting.

So, first job - the trim on my Granda's cardigan ("Retropolitan" - again - from "Son of Stitch and Bitch"). I love doing the trim on this project. It's never as bad a job as I think it's going to be.



I never pick up the right number of stitches - always too many or two few - so I have stopped worrying about this detail. Hope it doesn't turn out to be a crucial detail!

Here's Talia's "Sirdar DK Tweed" cardigan with little star buttons...



...and I've also stitched the zip to the striped hoodie - no piccie, sorry.

Glubs

And, here's a pair of gloves for Mary.



Another top stashbuster - one ball of "Twilleys Freedom Spirit" and half a ball of some "DB Merino DK). I combined two patterns to make these - the red section, from a free book of glove pattern from "Knit Today" and the old faithful that is the TSF pattern.

Stealthy Socks

While I finished the BF's jumper months ago, his socks have been causing me some grief. I've just finished one of them.



While I can finish a pair of socks fairly quickly. Knitting them in secret takes some doing.

Tea for Two?

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a hat?



Nope, it's a tea cosy for SIL. Hope it's big enough - she drinks a lot of tea.

In other Christmas present knitting projects...



I've finally finished Lois's "Tiger Feet". (The Zebra socks were such a hit that my brother is grumbling that she never takes them off).

And, a scarf for Debbie which didn't go exactly according to plan.

It was supposed to be black and white, but I can't find the yarn I bought. So, I used three balls of "TSF" and knitted lots of squares.



I'm quite pleased with this.