The rest of the Christmas gifts

As Christmas is over, I can post the rest of the gifts I had been knitting.

All of these were for my mother:
Pattern: Entrlac Scarf
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Boku
Needles: 7

This took a while as I stopped knitting it for the commission knitting. I didn't block it, since I wasn't sure if mom would like it one way or the other.


Pattern: Aran Isle Slippers
Yarn: Malabrigo in Buscanda Azul
Needles: 6
I knit the largest size on smaller needles, as I wasn't getting gauge. Unfortunately they turned out too big after blocking. Mom is going to unblock them, and if that doesn't work, we'll felt them a bit. I don't think mom was too pleased with them. Pattern: Calorimetry
Yarn: Malabrigo in Buscanda Azul
Needles: 6
Made this with the left overs from the slippers. I made a mistake by not knitting both sides evenly, so when I was doing the short rows back, I had too many stitches on one side. I fixed it, but then knit too many rows. I had to cast off two rows early so I would have enough yarn. I think this will be used the most. Mom puts a handkerchief over her hair when she cooks or cleans, and this will be a more stylish alternative.

Completing the first round

Half of my immediate family lives far away, and so all presents must be sent in advance. I was hoping that my package would have been sent out yesterday.... but I'm still one hat shy. And this one will have to be blocked within an inch of it's life. And since that part of the family rarely goes on the internet (at least last I checked that sort of thing) I can post their soon to be wrapped and shipped presents. For my step-mother
Project: Multidirectional scarf
Yarn: Patons SWS in Natural Earth
Needles: 6
No modifications on this. Simple, just let the yarn do the work for you. I received quite a few compliments as I knit this, and I think mom wants one too. For my "little" brother
Project: Turn a Square
Yarn: Patons SWS in Natural Denim and Classic Wool in Dark Grey Multi
Needles: 6 and 7
Really love this. I was afraid the top might be too girly. I also cut out a yard or so of particularly purple/blue. With a 15/16 year old boy, you never can be too sure what will make something unwearable. The husband will also be getting one of these, and probable one for myself as well, and with as much self striping yarn as I have left over from things, one of our friends might get one too. And for my father: Pattern: Fake Isle Hat
Yarn: Patons SWS in Natural Denim and Classic wool in black
Needles: 7

I had knit one of these for myself, and I knit it too short, so with this one I knit it exactly as the pattern stated. It was tight and long, but after blocking, it should fit my father.

Christmas Knitting

I'm sure everyone is in a frantic knitting fury, and I am no different. All my commission knitting is done with these scarves: Project: Princess Scarf
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential in Princess Multi
Needles: 1 1/2
Pattern: A highly modified Jaywalker

Project: Purple Scarf
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential Kettle Dyed in Eggplant
Needles: 1 1/2
Pattern: A highly modified Jaywalker

The lady who asked for the scarves liked the brown one I made, and preferred the thinner size, so I simply repeated it for the last two. I'm not really happy with either too much: the Princess looks like a strange tiger stripe pattern, and the purple just doesn't have enough variation to be interesting. I finished a much more enjoyable project for my cousin.


Project: American Lobster in Germany
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Firecracker Heather
Needles: size 4
Pattern: Knit Lobster

I loved how this turned out. The tail alone took an hour, but that really was the most fiddly part. I did modify the claws. I didn't like how the I-cord claw looked, so I picked up some stitches from the side of the larger half of the claw, then decreased. My cousins brings a few stuffed animals with them when they come to America to visit, two of which are crabs. There weren't any super cute crab patterns, so I thought a lobster was the next best thing.