The Christmas scarf is finished and blocked!

I’ve got enough leftover yarn to make a second scarf if anyone wants to trade/barter/offerme$10 – I won’t be making another. I’ll include the pattern, of course. It turned out prettily as well as very drapey and soft – a Decorative Scarf.

See? Pretty.

I started swatching for the Family Denim Tunic (Weekend Knitting) but I am experiencing a certain level of indecision. It seems to me that I have no business starting a project of this size with all of the Christmas Baking that is coming up next week. I ought to start something that I can put down quickly. Like the Over-the-Knee-Socks (Handknit Holidays) for Elizabeth or the hiking socks for Mark at the Library (that’s going to be a challenge, his shoe size is 15E). I also need to make another doll sweater (pink) for the Davis Household (the new doll was purchased with Her Own Money) before Sunday (going to see the Nutcracker – one of them is Clara this year). So really, swatching for a sweater is not the Best Plan. Making two swatches in stockinette instead of seed stitch was also a set back (some might say a Sign).

What do little monkeys want for Christmas?

When I finished this little monkey up, he looked rather chilly (and naked). So I made him a sweater with leftover pumpkin top yarn. I think it goes rather well with his complexion. He’s got less hair than the original Mr. Dangly (one tuft seemed to be enough) and I made his bottom less pointy than the original so he’s not a True Clone*. This was a super-quick, fun knit if anybody needs a last minute present.

The Lacy Scarf is neither super-quick nor fun. This is because the yarn requires too much concentration. I can’t read while working on it. I can’t watch anything on TV that I actually have to look at. I could probably listen to a book on tape. Probably. It’s just too easy to split stitches. I am Not Motivated to finish this scarf. It’s lucky I’ve got Christmas as a deadline or it would never get finished.

*Although, an argument can be made for genotype vs. phenotype.

That, my friends, is 17 completed ornaments. There are just enough materials left for Great Gran to make three more – she thinks they will be great money holders. It is time to move on to my Greater Christmas Knitting Destiny.

In an effort to avoid the trap of Too Many Knitted Gifts, I have always limited myself to one Official Knitted Present per year. This year, possibly as a direct result of finishing 17 Tiny Stockings before December, I have thrown caution to the wind and decided to make two (that’s right, TWO) presents. I will show them both to you because the Lucky Recipients rarely, if ever, read my blog.

Present #1 is a Mr. Dangly (as part of the Effort to Clone Mr. Dangly). I found this pattern while I was looking at the Zombies. Sadly, there is no Zombie pattern (I would pay Good Money for that). Here are the required ingredients for a Mr. Dangly Clone:

The Merino Style is in Cinnamon and Nutmeg.

Present #2 is a Lacy Scarf. I had a very different scarf planned when I ordered the yarn (K1C2’s Angora Soft) . When the description said “cabled” I did not realize that they meant Extremely Loosely Cabled, so I opted for a lighter pattern that I found while organizing Granmother’s Workbasket Magazines. I think it is going to be lovely.

The Angora Soft works up into a soft, crushable, light and delicate fabric. Unfortunately, it turns out I hate working with it. It’s way too easy to stick your needle right through those little cables and split the stitch. Once you pull one of those tiny plies out, it’s the Very Devil to get it to go back in neatly. Add to that the apparent organic matter that I have to pick out every now and then which also disrupts the plies and you get a Frustrating Experience. I mean, honestly, it’s only %15 angora to begin with! How filthy can %15 of a goat be? Maybe it’s the baby nylons who roll around in the fields collecting sticks and leaves in their delicate coats that causes this problem. However, I am a somewhat patient girl and I have plenty of time to finish up a Handle With Care Scarf. It is pretty.

One more thing! I sent Traci (who hasn’t been blogging lately but I’m linking anyway – she could start again any minute) a copy of this pattern (I checked with Bernat and they said that was fine) and she sent me:

TREATS

Thank you so much, Traci! I’ll share with you any time. Just so you know, the candy in this picture has already been consumed. It almost didn’t make it back from the mail box. A tenth of a mile is a long way, people.

I should have used the flash.

For those of you keeping count, I am now six socks short of my Stocking Quota. But I only have to make four more. It’s still All Good.

Instead of stockings, I finished M’s striped sock number one.

One ball of Parade does not make a complete man-size (10 1/2) sock. I only made a six inch leg since I am paranoid about yarn shortages (please see the previous entry) and I still ran out of yarn right at the toe. I used the green striped Parade that I got for myself to finish up. This is not a huge tragedy, I’ll just get three balls next time. I plan to make the second sock on our trip to Atlanta for M’s family’s Thanksgiving (last year was a Bay Minette year so this year it’s Atlanta). The people who are going to attend Thanksgiving are all stocking recipients, so I need a Travel Project.

I finished Mom and Great Gran’s pumpkins in time for Thanksgiving! Such as they are.

The top I made felted too small for my pumpkin and someone stole the vine (my source refused to name names). I have to make them again. Like that will ever happen.

Oh, M has worn his cardigan every day and it doesn’t have any pills yet! I, on the other hand, have worn my Gatsby sweater three times and there are already fluffy bits on the sides. They aren’t noticable to the casual observer since the yarn is so nubby weird, but I know the pills are there.