Holiday Knitting

Yes I am back with Holiday Knitting! I know that it has been twelve days, and while I was not stuck under a mountain of student papers, I did have end of the semester finals to grade and grades to calculate, so I think I deserve a break. But now I am off for about a month and can recoup from a VERY long semester! Usually at this time I am running around like the proverbial chicken finishing shopping and knitting, but as I sit here I am proud to announce that I am done with both. Surprising I know, and Jeff can’t believe that I am not knitting my fingers to the bone to finish some project, but I am currently worried about not having a project. I am thinking about knitting up some swatches in different colors to make blocks for the awesome wee people in my life. This would take care of some of the stash and give me something to do; it just doesn’t seem like Christmas without a time crunch to get something done. But this project will be casual, as in if I get it done great, if not it’s okay. But enough whining about having nothing to do, what you all want to see is the Holiday knitting, so alright already look below. But be warned that if you see something and it is you or your child/grandchild’s present you must act surprised and ooh and ahh over it later. The first up is the fluffy cuffed mittens from the first Stitch and Bitch book. I made one in a blue wool ease, but I felt that it wasn’t the greatest effort and, well, let’s just say that I learned a lot about knitting in the round and we will never discuss the blue mitten again.
But with all that knowledge I was able to fly on the second pair in white with dream cloud cuffs and wool ease body. These are currently wrapped and under the tree to be opened by my Aunt Tick. Actually once I got the hang of it, knitting in the round was fairly easy. Of course I am not Hil yet who knits in the round without even looking down. But I am getting pretty good. So good in fact that when I saw a pattern for stockings in the Holiday edition of Knit It I decided that I would give it the good ole college try. Strangely the hardest part of this project was finding the yarn. I thought that Lion’s Brand Wool Ease Chunky would be easy to find. Well three days and a grumpy husband later that turned out to not be the case. Who would have thought that Christmas red yarn would not be the in color in Dec? In the end I used craft yarn which turned out well because these are stockings and not wearable garments.
The actually knitting of the stocking was fun and quick, but the decorative stitches were a pain in my, well you know. The pattern called for duplicate stitches for the names (which is another story….note to people who want me to knit for their children, don’t give them long names, or do so, but give me a short knick name!!!) but I a) couldn’t figure the damn thing out and b) didn’t like the way it looked so
I just used x’s, which I believe turned out fine. Then there was the chain stitch for the designs. Well the pattern told me to use a chain stitch, and to find said stitch turn to page 106. But guess what? The instructions for that stitch were no where to be found. Bastards! But Jeff found it online, so he can say that he helped. Of course we are always like this.
He gets the idea; it’s up to me to do the crafting. He calls himself the idea man; I call him devious and lazy. So once I figured out the chain stitch, which is simple embroidery for decoration, I had to actually do it, which wasn’t the problem. I tried to follow the picture exactly, which is what my crazy anal retentive ass does. Finally Jeff says “just do your own design!”
So I did, and should feel bad that I need my husband to make the obvious clear to me, but I don’t it’s why I married him. So that is it for Holiday knitting, unless I make the blocks, and if I do there will be pics. I will also welcome any ideas about a new project. I don’t know if I will update before Christmas, so in case I do not….MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!