Dad's 2017 Knit Christmas Socks

Since last Christmas, Dad has been hinting around that he wants another pair of hand knit socks. According to my mom, he has been wearing the first pair I made him nonstop and even has a hole in the heel. Now THAT is a compliment!

Dad doesn't get online much, so I present this year's socks for him before I wrap 'em up.

Pattern: Mount Airy Socks by Mary Lukas

Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in Reflecting Pool

Knit Campside Shawl

I've had this shawl on my list for a while, and I finally made it back in the summer. What spawned the creation was me falling in love with this yarn color.

Pattern: Campside Shawl by Alicia Plummer

Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Dos Tierras in 412 Teal Feather

Angela's Knit Textured Mitts

Hey, it's a Christmas gift that I actually finished! My friend Angela looooves alpaca, and she's more of a crocheter than a knitter, so I thought I'd stitch her some knitted fingerless mitts in her fave fiber.

I normally don't make knitted gifts for friends who knit. I'm not sure why. Maybe I figure that if they really wanted them, they would've already made them? (That's not true at all for me!) But I thought since she doesn't really knit much, she'd be a good candidate for these.

Pattern: Textured Mitts by Hannah Fettig

Yarn: Cascade Pure Alpaca in Magenta and Grey

Tis the Season for Knit Socks: Alex's Mount Airy Socks

As you probably know, Alex is a sock addict, and I'm addicted to making socks. (That's why our marriage works.) I present the latest pair of knit socks.

The socks remind me of Ernie from Sesame Street's sweater, for some reason. And that makes me smile. (Bert and Ernie were totally my favorite Sesame Street characters!)

Pattern: Mount Airy Socks

Yarn: Rohrspatz & Wollmeise Pure 100% Merino Superwash

Snowball Pom Pom Wreath

Lately I've been on a mission to use up as much of my yarn stash as possible. We had a very unexpected snow last weekend, leaving Alex and me unprepared and eating beans for two days.

I started this pom pom wreath weeks ago, but I hadn't finished it yet. I knew if I didn't finish it during the big snow, I'd have to wait until next year to display it. I was happy to sit and wrap pom poms while Alex and I watched Endeavour and Good Girls Revolt. (I highly recommend both.)

Knit Astrantia Cowl for Danara

My friend Sami made this cowl pattern for herself, and I fell in love with it. It's from a book called Maine Knits, so it was a perfect gift for my friend Danara who loves Maine and often travels up there for writing workshops.

Pattern: Astrantia Cowl by Beatrice Perron Dahlen

Yarn: Malabrigo Rasta in Azul Profundo

Knit Commonwealth Snowflake Sweater

I always set these ridiculous deadlines for myself, and then the deadline doesn't matter anyway because I don't wear the actual finished project. That was the case with this beautiful knit Commonwealth Sweater.

I wanted to finish this sweater in time to wear it last Thanksgiving. (Yep, I'm posting this more than a year later.) I did finish it, but when Thanksgiving rolled around it was about 65 degrees outside. That plus packing about 18 people into our house = sweaty guests and hosts, so I didn't wear the sweater.

Pattern: Commonwealth Sweater by Kiri FitzGerald-Hillier
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn DK Merino Superwash in Green Lake

Sweater Weather! Knit Agrotera

I made this sweater last spring, then put it away until the weather was colder again. Since we have almost a foot of snow on the ground, I think that qualifies as official winter weather. Long live sweater weather!

Pattern: Agrotera Pullover by Amanda Bell

Yarn: Juniper Moon Farm Sabine in Sungold

I bought this yarn at a local yarn store, Black Mountain Yarn Shop. It was on sale since the yarn has been discontinued, and I was a little hesitant about the color. Even though it was labeled as gold, I felt like it was a little too close to my pale skin tone.

In college my roommate had a shirt that was the same color as her skin, and every time I saw her from across the quad, I thought she was naked. I sure didn't want to recreate that shirt.

The color was a bit hard to photograph, but it's almost the same color as our Evil Kitty.

The sweater was super easy to knit, but I'm not 100% pleased with how the yarn feels. It's a little rough and scratchy, so I've mostly been wearing it over top of other things to add a layer between the sweater and my skin. It's still pretty, though, isn't it?

Crochet Taxidermy Parade Continues: Raccoon, Jellyfish, and Octopus

I love these crochet taxidermy critters sooo much, so I'm now making them as gifts for EVERYONE. All of these creatures are from Crochet Taxidermy by Taylor Hart.

I made this raccoon for my friend Erica for her birthday back in October. I love the oval plaque and his perky little ears.