I based these socks on the “Upstream” sock architecture from Cat Bordhi’s New Pathways for Sock Knitters. The yarn is lachesis sock, hand-dyed by Three Fates Yarns (a friend in Salem.) It’s listed as 100% merino, but I could swear it has bamboo in it. It’s silky-smooth and very soft. I finished these during our trip to Lassen and they kept my feet cozy in the evenings.

Ravelry link

On Friday I shopped the Trade Show. I bought some Blue Moon “Socks that Rock” Rare Gems:

I got some hand-dyed organic merino from Textile a Mano, a recently-opened shop in Eugene:

And these irresistible little skeins from Capistrano Fiber Arts Studio:

On Saturday I went to the Ravelry Meetup and watched my friend LK win a prize in the random drawing – the person presenting prizes held up the precious little handmade silk project bag – L said, “oh, that’s mine!” and the announcer called her name. Lucky!

I wasn’t part of the random drawing but I did get a goodie bag of prizes from Knitmore Girls. I haven’t joined the podcast-listening bandwagon but I will have to check theirs out! I was most excited that the bag contained a little retractable tape measure since I recently misplaced mine.

Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf on Knitty.com
Yarn: Wolf Creek Wools Panda (a wool/bamboo blend)
Project Details (Ravelry Link)

I bought this yarn at Black Sheep Gathering last summer, assuming I’d use it for socks. My friend A from my knit group had a skein that she was using for a lace project and she mused aloud how glad she was to not be knitting socks with it. That gave me the idea to look for a lace project to use for my skein. The colors are too pretty to hide inside shoes anyway – a mix of greens from yellowy spring to bluey turquoise, accented with bits of coppery brown. I never got bored of knitting this. The pattern is just complex enough to hold my interest but not require too much concentration. This was my on-the-go project, I just kept it in my purse and worked on it in spare moments as I was out and about. The finished scarf is lovely, and very soft around my neck (usually even the softest merino gives me slight itch. Maybe the key here is that it’s superwash…)

Based on Otto by Ysolda Teague

After I decided to make a stuffed animal for the boy, I was reminded of how much fun my brother and I had as children, playing with our cherished stuffed animals. We would spend hours, each with our favorite “character,” pretending wild adventures in the backyard. I hope GJ has just as much fun with his puppy pal.

Ravelry link

Finally posting photos of my newest finished knit. Last month the sale yarn at the Knit Shop was Louisa Harding Kashmir DK, a super-squishy merino/microfiber blend with a touch of cashmere. I bought 2 skeins to make CO some mitts for her birthday, but only used a tiny bit of the second skein, so I went back and snapped up a 3rd to make a floppy beret. I’d been seeing these hats around and decided I had to have one. Bonus: this yarn is my very favorite color – a rich, teal-blue.

I looked on Ravelry for free patterns and there were a lot but none of them were for DK weight yarn. I decided to just make up my own, since I have big head and I wanted the hat to really be floppy. I had a bit of trial and error to make it tall enough before decreasing, but once I got started on the final version I finished it off within a week. This is my first new hat in years – and I love it.

Ravelry link

I’m so glad I decided to unravel and re-design/re-knit. This sweater is so warm – I wore it all weekend with just a long-sleeved t-shirt and didn’t even need to wear a jacket over it. Super-cozy!

Before

After

Ravelry link: Before, After

SS, super-creative crafty mama, gave GC a handmade owl pillow and and assortment of other sleepy-time themed goodies.

GC gave HN an awesome hi-tech camera, to fuel the passion of our budding photographer. It was quite a surprise because GC hid it inside of a large box.

Baby J got many presents, of course, from his adoring aunties and uncles. He especially liked the book about the lost mitten. It was delicious.

GC gave RC a jello fishbowl that she had made, with blue jello and gummy candy fish.

BN made a clever photo holder for HN. After shopping around Santa Cruz, he couldn’t find anything like what he was looking for so he decided to make it himself.

And… MA knit me an afghan!!!!!! Tears came to my eyes as I was opening it because as a knitter, I know that afghans are like the marathon of knitting. She drew my name last year in our exchange and she worked on it all year, for me. It’s beautiful – lofty, squishy, and warm. Definitely one of the most special gifts I’ve ever received.

I did quite a bit of knitting for Christmas gifts, myself. I knitted a February Lady Sweater for SS: (Ravelry Link)

A pair of socks for BN: (Ravelry Link)

And baby socks for the babies: My brother’s son, expected in February; JWS, currently the most-photographed-baby on my side of the family; and our little princess EAA (she hates socks, unfortunately.) (Ravelry Link)

Actual size: about 4″ long.

I used craft wire to make a little hanger for it. I duplicate-stitched their last name initial (no, the R is not for Ron Weasley.) I will probably write up a pattern for this, when I’m home from Christmas vacation.

Ravelry link

So I unraveled it. (First I had to un-sew it.) The first section I unraveled got tangled into a terrible mess but I worked through that and was more careful later – First I wrapped the yarn into long hanks, which I gently dipped in water to clean and de-ramen-noodle-ize them… Once they were dry I wrapped them into balls.

The re-knitting is well underway. I’m starting in on the second ball and I’m SO EXCITED about this project! People wince in horror when I talk about it but I am seriously having a good time. I learned a lot from knitting that sweater, and its second life is going to be awesome. I’m knitting a bottom-up raglan cardigan, keeping my trusty copy of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Workshop handy. If I have enough yarn it will have a hood. I’m hopeful that it will become my super-practical, wear-every-day sweater.

Well, I have to run – I have knitting to do before the weather gets any colder!

My Top Knot Hat has been accepted into the Top 10 from 1000 Fabulous Knit Hats, being compiled by Annie Modesitt. It’s an honor to be included, I’m in fabulous company!