Christmas Knitting in Full Swing

The elves have been slaving away over the knitting needles around here. Ha! Don't I wish! My daughter told me that Mrs. Claus should bring me knitting needles that knit by themselves. Oh, please. Oh, please. Just like Mrs. Weasley! But instead, I've made some impossible goals for myself and now it is time to pay the fiddler (anyone else out there reading Johnny Tremain?).

Task #1: Child's Rainbow Scarf for my dear sister in law - DONE!

This pattern from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts has been tempting me since I first saw the book and saw Brooklyn Tweed's post. This is a fun project, so I know the recipient will love it (or at least have the grace to fake it convincingly!). I used 2 different skeins of Noro Silk Garden on #6s in a "fake rib pattern" in 2x2. Very reversible and not as drawn in as a traditional 2x2.

Here it is in its full-length glory:



And bundled like a little yummy cake of love that it is:



Knitting this was so entertaining as the colors continued changing. This is my favorite stretch:



The scarf's real-life colors are even richer than this photo shows. Truly yummy. A very satisfying knit all around.

Task #2: Junior-Sized Buttonhole Bags for two dear nieces - DONE!






The fun of felting never fails to amuse me. I just need to do when there is more light for photos! That's a "gingerbread" tree - made with a sugar ice cream cone - added for scale.


This is the Mason Dixon Knitting pattern, with 30 instead of 40 garter ridges on the bottom and 24 instead of 30 stitches picked up around. I also increased the straight section by 8 rows. Can you tell why it is called the "unpattern"? I used two shades of Cascade 220 double-stranded on 10.5 circulars. I actually knit these both in one day - woohoo, continental stitch! - and felted them today.

When we bought our front-loading washer this summer, my only concern was about whether or not I could felt. I assumed I'd have to trek over to friends' houses to make their laundry areas smell like bad perms. Well, I ran into a Girl Scouting friend who was knitting in public and she revealed that she regularly felts in her front loader. Eureka! I almost ran home to try it. I used the regular cycle with warm water in a load of laundry and one trip through was not enough. Two worked fine. I think another trip through could have happened. See what good things happen when you knit in public?

Next up - the Kim Hat (also from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts - my holiday handbook) for my brother in law. And finishing those socks for Mom. And those gloves for Dad. And a stocking for Tubby. And new hand warmers for me. And a doll for Erin. And...