All Around the World

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on Earth, good will to men!
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Christmas in Iraq, photos from my husband.

It's Christmastime

From home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another
The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other.
-Emily Matthews

There's nothing like handmade for Christmas. I have all sorts of handknits winging themselves across the country - even the world! - but they're secret. Well, except for Kate D's. She opened her presents before Christmas. Go ahead and start the public shaming. So, since I can't show you any of the lovely things I've been making (shhhh!), let's all enjoy the table runner my mother-in-law made.

It's perfect for our dining room table. It has a lovely pieced top with Christmas fabrics, and check out the quilting.

Do you think she put hearts in the corners on purpose? I'm guessing so.

Now I need to pack. My flight for home leaves tomorrow night, and the weather report is calling for a high of about 43 degrees for the entire time I'll be there. So, which hats, scarves, mittens, gloves, and sweaters to take? Gosh, my life is hard!

Hat Trick

Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third.
-Marge Piercy

Guess what I've been doing today? Wrapping Christmas presents! Before you think I'm crazy early, let me remind you that I have a December 1st mailing deadline to get to a certain someone in Iraq. And I like to be early. And don't you think he needs an Advent package, too? That should go out next week, most likely.

And once I got started . . . So let's look at a few of the presents for folks who don't really read the blog.
Tell me, since I seem not to be able to judge, are these suitable for men, or are they very feminine?

Welt Cap x2
Pattern: Welt Cap from the Green Mountain Spinnery Pattern Book
Yarn: Mountain Mohair remnants from their remnant bin, and leftover from earlier projects
Needles: US7 circs
Notes: I'm totally in love with this hat pattern. Easy. Way more entertaining than it should be. And great for leftovers.
Best Thing About This Project: Busting the stash.


Odessa
Pattern: Odessa by Grumperina
Yarn: KnitPicks Ambrosia, sadly discontinued, a DK-weight blend of lovely softness
Needles: US5
Notes: I decided to try bead knitting for the first time, and it was fun! Great pattern.
Best Thing About This Project: The perfect use for this yarn!

More stash-busting projects coming this week!

Bagging It

Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier 'n puttin' it back in.

-Will Rogers

Way back in a month called April, the Loose Knit Group (Ravelry link) made bags the gift-knitting theme of the month. Bags? I thought incredulously? Yes, bags. I was originally not at all interested. Until I persued that other greatest invention of mankind, my Ravelry queue. Where I found at least 6 or 7 bag patterns awaiting my attention. Oh, I admit it wasn't an earth-shattering revelation, but it did provide some nice easy distraction knitting while working on several larger projects, such as a wedding. Not to mention the handy amounts of yarn called for, which were a stash-busting boon in at least one case.


First I started with the market bag concept. The Saturday Market Bag is the classic and was a natural starting point, but I found Elisa's Nest Tote to be much nicer looking, and probably more practical as well.

Elisa's Nest Note
Pattern: free, from the PurlBee
Yarn: a single 100g skein of King Tut Egyptian Cotton with very little leftover
Needles: US 9
Notes: Love the attached i-cord handles. Also, don't modify these to do them in the round. The side seams really help stablize them and make the stretching more reasonable.
Best Thing About This Project: Both of these are likely to make it as gifts, since brining your own bag is hip these days, but the mercernized cotton is so much nicer. Definitely recommend it.


The Saturday Market Bag
Pattern: from Magknits, prior to that demise. Anyone know if it's available elsewhere?
Yarn: some *bright* yellow kitchen cotton, 2 50g balls
Needles: US 10 - much smaller than the pattern called for, and probably still too big
Notes: I made the bag and the straps significantly shorter than called for in the pattern, and it still stretches quite a bit
Best Thing About This Project: It's farmer's market and grocery store ready.


Since the bag thing was going so much better than expected, I then progressed on to actual purses. This is where, I confess, most of my bias against knit bags had been. Just a style thing. But I found a Ravelry link to a Paton's pattern, conveniently misread the pattern so that I thought it took only 1 100g ball of Paton's Classic Merino (it takes 2), and cast on from stash.

Paton's Cabled Bag
Pattern: free, Ravelry link here
Yarn: Classic Merino in leaf green - 2 skeins. Which I noticed right around when the first one ran out. I can't tell a different in the dyelot. Yarn is used doubled throughout
Needles: US 10 1/2
Notes: No changes, although I find the doubled-yarn fabric stiff enough that I didn't line it.
Best Thing About This Project: Have you ever seen a rectangle look this cute?



And, speaking of bags, I found these in a closet-cleaning expedition. You may or may not remember the fun of The Amazing Lace, Summer 2006, that knitalong co-hosted by myself and the incomparable Rachel, but if you'd like a small project bag (good for socks), email me. I've found myself with many, and I'm happy to spread the wealth.

And the Stockings Were Hung

'Twas the day before Christmas and all through the house . . .
And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
-Clement St. Moore

What can I say? I love these, our new stockings for our first Christmas together. Our First Christmas Stockings
Pattern: Holly Stocking (Theresa) and Moose Stocking (James) from Annie's Woolens (Exceptional service, fast shipping, and a gorgeous product. Go buy some now.)
Yarn: they came as kits of Barlett's, and I think I have enough leftover to make a whole third stocking - very generous amounts
Needles: US 8 dpns. How is it that I don't have a 16" circular in US8?
Notes: The only real modification I made was to make the hanging loop out of 4 stitch i-cord instead of a crochet chain. I'm expecting them to be full! I also used the short-row heel and toe variation provided, and the yo-short rows worked great.
Best Thing About This Project: The personalization, of course. These are our stockings for many Christmases to come.

Need some new stockings? It's Christmas Eve - you still have time!

I'll Be Home For Christmas

I'll be home for Christmas.
-Walter Kent, sung by Bing Crosby

I'm feeling very festive this weekend. A number of events conspired.

1. My husband came home for Christmas.
2. I just learned that Monday is a federal holiday, and I got off. That means a 4 day weekend from one of my hardest residency months (ER consultant).
3. We're taking advantage of the time and taking a mini road-trip up to Solvang. Tell me that doesn't look fun! (There's even a yarn shop.)
4. Rebecca's Ornament Tag
My mother-in-law sent us a bunch of these quilted squares. I really need to get better on the sewing machine . . .
Mini-mittens I made a while ago. Can you guess the yarn? My first attempt at the circle ornaments from Handknit Holidays. I misread the directions, but I like how this one turned out anyway. And an old favorite, an ornament my mom made before I can remember not having it.

So, play along with the tag:
Do you have a favorite Christmas ornament relevant to our knitting hobby? Would you like to play ornament tag? If you do, here is how you play:

1. Take a picture of your ornament and put it on your blog telling us about it.
2. Post a link to the person on whom’s blog you found out about Ornament Tag.
3. Post the rules.

And, before we know it, there will be knitting ornaments to treat all of our knitting eyes all over knitting blogland!

The Wayback Machine

Every baby born into the world is a finer one than the last.
-Charles Dickens

This is a meme I saw a while back, and while I'm definitely too late for the associated contest, etc., I thought it was a neat idea.

Last year this time I was not quite so on top of my Christmas list knitting, and I was also making strawberry hats for brand-new triplets.

This year, the triplets are big enough to finally wear them: Yes, I know this is probably the worst photo to ever appear on my blog, but it's actually raining in San Diego. A nice, good, drenching rain with a dark grey sky. I am utterly delighted. Another cause for my delight, I get to curl up with some hot cocoa after work and knit Christmas stockings. Kits available here.

Log Cabin-ing

There is hardly a pioneer's hut which does not contain a few odd volumes of Shakespeare. I remember reading the feudal drama of Henry V for the first time in a log cabin.
-Alexis de Tocqueville

I've got not one but two pairs of finished Log Cabin socks for the Christmas basket. Log Cabin Socks
Pattern: from Handknit Holidays
Yarn: Tahki Dakota for the grey, and worsted weight wool from McAusland's Woolen Mill on PEI for the green/blue pair
Needles: US6 dpns for the grey, US5 for the green/blue
Notes: Great, easy pattern. Makes thick slipper socks, nothing that would fit in shoes.
Best Thing About This Project: And that about concludes my Christmas knitting.

Any updates from the peanut gallery?

Happy Decorating!

The perfect Christmas tree?
All Christmas trees are perfect.
-Charles Dickens

I love the day after Thanksgiving. Even though I had to work yesterday, there was still enough time to kick off the holiday decorating season!Happy Decorating!

Another Hat for the Christmas Basket

And to tell the truth I don't want to let go of the wrists of idleness,
I don't want to sell my life for money,
I don't even want to come in out of the rain.
-Mary Oliver

If you're lucky enough to get invited to a friend's house for Thanksgiving, you can actually make good progress on some knitting. If you happen to be having a really good time and stay out late-ish, well, you might not have photos. So while I'm off to work today, let me distract you with yet another check mark on my Christmas list.

Simple Cabled Hat Pattern: mine. Cast on 80 sts, rib/cable, try on as you go, and decrease in pattern when done.
Yarn: a random tweed from the stash
Needles: US 8 bamboo circular
Notes: Gosh, I'm beginning to feel virtuous using so much old stash :)
Best Thing About This Project: Check another box off my list.

One of the best things about giving handknitted gifts is getting to avoid the Black Friday shopping mania. Good luck to those of you brave enough to attempt it!

Seriously?

The good stars met in your horoscop,
Made you of spirit and fire and dew.
-Browning

After a couple continuous days of finished Christmas knits, let's review, and include some other options.

I love this. I really do. But how many of these could you really make in time for the holidays?

So since it's almost Thanksgiving and I almost get to decorate for Christmas, let's reassess our Christmas knitting progress.

Here's mine:

Trekking socks - done
a baby sweater - done
Merino Lace socks - done
2 pairs of Log Cabin Socks - 1 pair done, 1 pair 50% done
one cabled hat - done
one scarf - cancelled
one Shedir - done
Regia socks - 25% done

And since that was all going well, I'm contemplating adding on another baby sweater and another pair of socks. . . . or I could work on my poor neglected Denim Aran. I feel weird knitting for me over Christmas, though. Will ponder . . .

How's yours?

A Hat for the Christmas Basket

If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform a million realities.
-Maya Angelou

Slowly but steadily I've been making progress on those two mutually-related goals: The Christmas Basket and Clean Slate by 2008. Here's another WIP turned into an FO.
Shedir
Pattern: Shedir from Knitty
Yarn: KnitPicks Ambrosia, leftover from Rowena
Needles: US 5 dpns
Notes: Not too hard or fiddly to make, but ever the more annoying because I didn't have a 16" circular needle in this size. How is it that I don't have every needle?
Best Thing About This Project: Stash gone, needles freed. It's a win-win.

The Christmas List (A Contest)

Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents.
-Jo March, in Louisa Alcott's Little Women

There's a crazy blogger out there trying to knit 60 Christmas gifts. That makes my list more do-able (right?), and inspires me to catalog it.

• Trekking socks - done
• a baby sweater - done
• Merino Lace socks - done
• (so far so good, eh?)
• 2 pairs of Log Cabin Socks - 75% done pair 1, 0% done pair 2
• one cabled hat - done
• one scarf - 0% done
• one Shedir - 50% done
• Regia socks - 0% done
• (gosh, maybe I need to cast on for some more presents . . .)

So, what does your Christmas list look like? Psst . . . it's a contest. Comment here with your list, or post to your blog and link to the list. Entries will be accepted until 15 November 2007. Midnight PST.

WIP Roundup

Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or nation.
-Oscar Wilde

In the midst of the hats, the ladybug sweater, my complete ignorance of my lace projects and my Denim Aran, in the midst of all that, there are a few projects that haven't quite seen the light of day. The stash has been rather inspiring lately. Most of these are small, but together they make a relatively full Christmas basket . . .

Simple Cabled Hat. Just what it sounds like.Shedir. Everyone else has.The Baltic Mittens. My husband has already claimed these via video chat. Think I'll ever get him to move somewhere cold?Log Cabin Socks. There just may be a second pair of these in the works. At least the first pair is going speedily.EZ February Sweater. Not for Christmas, but babies never do understand holidays. That's the round-up. Think I can get a Clean Slate by 2008?