Giving

The gloves were finished and blocked by Christmas Eve, and I took this picture of them in the morning. The color is actually much richer than this, but my camera seems to have trouble with red.



Later that day.....

Sister's gloves:



Mom's scarf:



Brother-in-law's hat:



Husband's scarf:




Elsa's bunny (upside down!):



(to be added--Dad's hat--when I get a picture)

Everything fit well and the recipients look pleased, don't you think? I have always loved giving presents, but it is even more fulfilling when it is something handmade that is appreciated.

Hand in (one) glove

Well I think it was worth it....




Now the inspiration to complete number two: I will do it better than the first because hopefully I won't make the same silly mistakes.

Three down...

After a few false starts, the first glove is starting to take shape:



I attempted to use the Fetching pattern to create the thumb hole, but then I realized that it was not going to work for gloves with fingers, so I had to frog a few rounds and make a thumb gusset. The glove is maybe a little longer than I'd like it to be, but when I try it on the extra length actually works quite well and makes the glove feel a bit luxurious.

By the third finger, I finally figured out how to pick up the stitches between the fingers without leaving any gaps. I pick up 3, even if the pattern says 1 or 2, and then twist the stiches when I knit them. On the next round, I decrease so I have the correct number of stitches for each finger. Unfortunately, I didn't do such a good job on the first finger, so I'll have to do a little mending at the end. Still, I'm pleased that I finally figure this out.

Two to go...I hope to have an update by the end of the day.

Ho, ho, ho....

Sorry but I couldn't resist taking a picture of this current WIP against some pine. I guess you could say I'm getting into the holiday spirit around here, in spite of myself.



This is the first of a pair of gloves for my sister. I am using the Fetching pattern for fingerless gloves from Knitty, but I plan to make them with fingers using the Handy Book of Patterns as my guide (hoping and praying I'll be able to figure this out). As a knitter, I love fingerless gloves because they are cool and easier to make, but since these are a gift I want to make sure the recipient's extremities stay warm. That's the longwinded explanation for why I am willing to put myself through the ordeal of knitting up those little fingers.

This pattern is great fun, by the way. I have only tried cables for swatches, so this is my first attempt incorporating them into a real piece, and so far so good. I can't say I really enjoy doing them, especially when I'm working with dpn's, but the effect is so pretty and the cable rows so few, I've decided it's worth the effort. Also loving the the 4X1 rib pattern.

Materials:
Plymouth's Suri Merino (red) and size 5 dpn's (went down a needle size to make the fit a little smaller for my sister's hands)

To be continued....

For the love of hats (and a pair of gloves)

Hats. I love to make hats. They are small, manageable projects, with infinite possibilites. And nothing compares to the climactic satisfaction of decreasing the final rows, when the whole thing starts to come together. Everything speeds up as the stitches get fewer and fewer until they are down to almost nothing. I'll even suffer through making a pair of gloves just so they can be companions to a hat.