a bit of this, a bit of that

Well, so much for January, eh? What can I say other than, as we know all too well, time flies.

I realized that I never shared some of the fun knitting I did for the holidays. Time constraints tended to get the best of me, but I got a few pretties completed in time for gift giving.

One piece was a large scarf/wrap/shawl for my mom using the fantastic Citron Shawl pattern from Knitty. I had one very large skein of red laceweight merino wool yarn that I earmarked for my mom because she loves the color red. Isn’t the color incredible?

(Please excuse the hiney of my photography assistant – I was using HER COUCH, after all….)

The extra special story behind this particular yarn is that (a) it was dyed with only organic, natural ingredients and it was dyed by hand the old-fashioned way in big, boiling pots; and (b) it was dyed by a teacher of mine from many years ago, Freda Peisley, who taught me how to weave during a summer class at Genesee Country Village. I picked the skein out when I visited the Village last summer and ran into Freda by chance. The skein is not only beautifully and evenly dyed, but Freda also spun it herself as well! This yarn was AMAZING to work with; it made a fabric that is smooth and even, light as a feather, and so soft to the touch. I have a bit of it left (it was a generous 100g hank) and I know even the remainder could be something special. And I love that it’s just one more reason/reminder for all of us to support handcrafted goods and skilled artisans!

I also managed to whip up a quick sweater for my sweet wee niece in time for Christmas, too. The pattern is the adorable Yoked Cardigan from Hannah Fettig’s Knitbot pattern collection. This one was a speedy treat, knit in the round from the top down with some yummy worsted weight merino yarn from Fiberphile (I think the colorway was “Caramel Apple,” yum!)

And can you believe how well the buttons match this particular yarn? As usual, it was Tender Buttons in NYC to the rescue with the perfect buttons to match my every project. I love shopping at the same spot where couture design houses source buttons for their own collections!

And although this doesn’t quite count as holiday knitting because I finished it last week, it was still fun to make and fun to show off! I knit up my larger Integral Shawl as a prize to be donated to my nephew’s upcoming school auction. I thought this warm graphite color would work with everyone’s winter wardrobe and be appropriately unisex/flattering/versatile for any lucky winner!

The yarn was a great bulky-weight yarn from Patons Yarns, called Shetland Chunky. I chose it for its easy care, being a wool/acrylic blend, and I knit it at an aran gauge to really get that great cushy texture. Here’s another shot to show it off:

And once again, we are all treated to the full participation of my photography assistant:

So there you go! A few quick winter items to keep the fingers warm while the cold winds blow! I’ve been working also on a few secret projects back to back, hence the relative knitting project silence. But all will be revealed in the fullness of time…….