Holidazed

Is it wrong that in my head, the name of this pattern is sung like the Madonna song (yes, I'm THAT old)?

Anyhow, the pattern is Holidazed by the lovely Anne Hanson of Knitspot and was the final pattern of the 2008 Rockin' Sock Club. Yay me, I did them all! Well, the last one was completed in 2009, but it was started in '08 and finished before the first kit of '09 arrived so I pass.

The yarn was mediumweight (I'm becoming a convert, they're so warm!) in the colour, Muddy Autumn Rainbow.


Something about the dying technique used for this one makes each hank a little bit different. Interesting.



I really enjoyed the colours of this one. So pretty and not too bright, and it didn't stripe either!



The socks should have taken a lot less time to knit, why can't I just stick to one project until it's done? The pattern was quick and easy and it was mediumweight, so less stitches. When I did pick them up, I got a lot done in a short amount of time.



It's a pretty diagonal rib, I didn't really memorize the pattern, I could do each row after looking at the chart to see where to start. Had I paid a bit more attention, I'm sure I could have figured it out and not had to use the chart anymore.



I love the look of gussets, if you haven't been able to tell by the pictures I always take. I just really like the way the two sets of stiches come together. A little pattern note here though, after turning the heel and beginning knitting the top of the foot again, start the chart on stich 5. Or, alternately, knit the heel flap on the second half of the stitches. This was not mentioned in the pattern.



I knit the medium on 2.25mm and did the leg to the recommended length, which turned out to be 3 repeats plus 8 rows. I did have a disappointingly large ball of yarn left when I finished and probably could have done another full repeat, if not 2 on each leg. Next time, right?

What else I'm working on: The CPH is getting closer, all the individual pieces are knit and blocked and I'm working on the hood. I'm also doing a Fiddlehead scarf, also by Anne Hanson, for my SIL's 40th birthday, which is today. Fortunately (for them anyway!) they are in Turks and Caicos at the momment. I'm hoping to have it done by Wednesday so I can get it in the mail by the end of the week. It's all about the scarf right now.

Have a good week!

What

The last of the '08 finished knits

I was hoping that there would be more, but the Christmas knitting that I normally wouldn't do (it's that selfish knitter in me) put a kink in the works.

First, the Christmas knitting. My SIL, she of the pointy heels that loves the felted clogs and is on her third pair in a year, asked if I would make some for her two boys, 8 and (almost) 7. She traced their feet for me and said the big one wants red/blue and the smaller one wants orange/blue. Done.

I found a good red/navy combo Patons Classic Wool, my felted clog staple, but couldn't find an orange I liked. So I waited until I could take a trip to The Needle Emporium to look at the Cascade 220. In the mean time, the Nephew clogs, red version, came to be.



I found an appropriate orange in the Cascade, but for some reason failed to buy a contrasting blue, so I went BACK to Michaels and bought a blue Classic Wool all while crossing my fingers that they would felt properly together.



I once again failed to take a picture of the felted result before wrapping them up for the boys (with something fun too, don't worry), so, use your imagination. So yes, as someone has now called me in my Ravelry notebook, I am the queen of the felted clog. And, I need to make more. Mine have a hole in the bottom, and my big boy would like some. Sigh.

Now, on to the pretty. As I have said before, my (other, knitting) SIL and I were knitting Moderne Baby Blankets for her (and Jer's) cousins twin boys that were due in January. Wellllll, they arrived early, in November so we had to crank it up so they could be done in time for the new Grandparents to take them out west when they went on January 1st. We did it!



Jen's has the blue and mine is the brown. We used Knit Picks Swish DK, two colours the same, two colours different. Fraternal blankets for fraternal boys, similar, but different.



I'm happy with the result, even if my colour choice was questioned at first, the red looked much more orange on my monitor when I picked the colours. But I think the blanket looks great and I hope that either Dylan or Aiden is kept nice and cozy in it. Hopefully they will be home from the hospital very very soon!



So that was it. I was hoping to have my CPH done, but that didn't happen, oh well. I have big incentive to finish it as my lovely husband bought me the pattern and Mountain Mohair to make Gytha from the Winter Twist Collective and I can hardly wait!