Gift Knitting

This Martha (apparently I'm a Martha...and I thought I was just being considerate, but apparently I am not only compensating for all the distress I cause to my parents but I am also not allowing my parents to express their love for me by waiting on me hand and foot) took the day off yesterday. After taking my oldest brother to the airport at 5:45 am, I came home and took a nap, then spent the day in my jammies watching football with C, eating leftovers that got sent home with us, and finishing a pair of socks.

These are plain stockinette. I'm feeling the plain stockinette thing. They go so fast and I think all my variegated and self-striping yarn will be stockinette socks. I started these at Kid 'n' Ewe and they are longer than usual because I didn't want to start the heel while walking around. I also worked on these at my uncle's house and so with finishing these in just a few weeks, these are the fastest pair of socks I've ever done.

Knit Picks Sock Memories in the Redwood colorway. Size 1 Addi Turbos

Last Tuesday, I decided to do a scarf for Daddy's birthday, which was on Thanksgiving this year. He doesn't wear one often, but I figured he could use a nice one, so I took the yarn to Knit Night and after casting on six times, I finally landed on a needle size and stitch count I liked. I used the yarn I had bought to be C's scarf back before he insisted on a sweater. It is such a pretty color and showed the pattern well. It also became very, very soft after washing and blocking (which was done on the floor of my room at my parents' house, with no pins or wires, so it isn't the straightest block, but it will do). I took photos in the evening just before we left, so I had to use a flash. Classic Elite Princess yarn, One Row Handspun Scarf pattern, size 4 KP Options.

Yesterday after I finished the socks, I whipped out a Christmas gift. I never knew how insanely easy the Calorimetry pattern is, I mean, I heard and saw comments on how easy it is, but the reality of it was amazing. Took a couple of hours. Less than the length of a football game. And I think I may want one for myself.... I still need to add a button.

I cast-on just 100 stitches instead of the 120 and worked the short row decreases until I had 40 sts in the middle and 30 on each side. I used the stretchy cast-off from Grumperina.

Yarn is Patons SWS in the natural plum colorway. Size 8 Addi Turbos.

This summer, Dawn issued a pod-cast challenge to complete a scarf for the Red Scarf Project. These scarves go to orphans in college as part of a Valentine care package. These kids don't have family to send them care packages from home. I had some red yarn in my stash...and although it was dk weight, I decided to give it a go. I cast-on 420 stitches, I think. I worked garter stitch back and forth for an inch, then did a 5x5 rib for an inch, then garter, then the rib, then garter again. I cast-off too loosely and I only wish my cast-off matched my cast-on better. I think blocking may help and I need to do that and send it off, as the deadline is Dec 15 and I finished this months ago.

Yarn is MicroSpun by Lion Brand. Size 3 needles, I think. KP options.

A couple of months ago, my friend Vicki asked me to knit her some fingerless mitts. These are so easy I would have done it for free, but she offered to trade me a Cricut cartridge for my knitting. She is allergic to wool, so it was a good excuse to hit the Woolie Ewe. I knit two pair...the white pair is a Debbie Bliss Stella, a silk/rayon/cotton blend. The aqua pair is Berroco Touche, a cotton/rayon blend that is incredibly soft. I used the hand/wrist warmer pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. The white pair is the pattern as written. For the aqua pair, I used the baby cable rib stitch pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks. I made the aqua ones longer because I am not sure what length she will want. The Stella is not as stretchy as the Touche, but she can try both pair and if one doesn't fit right, she can gift them. Then she can give me more specifics if she wants another pair.

Now that we are back home, I need to block C's sweater and seam it up this week. But first I need to run to the hardware store. The first crib front that came with our crib was lacking the threads in one hole to screw it on. The replacement we tried yesterday...well, the holes for the pegs are too small. I'm not keen on struggling to fit it in the car again and waiting for another delivery, so I need to go get a drill bit big enough to enlarge the holes that are too small. Then it should work and I can finally decorate the nursery. I sent off for the I-171-H last week and we should be finished with the rest of the dossier in early January after we get the psych evaluation.

In Fantasy Football news, It looks like I will finish second in the league after C, who is first. The playoffs start this Thursday.