After-Holiday Catch-up

Now that the gifts have been revealed to their respective recipients, I will share with you some of the things I made for Christmas!
This is Charles, a little lamb I hand knit for my darling daughter, and one of the few items I have ever made that she was happy about. When she was just a teensy little bird in an isolette, we put a teensy little lamb in there with her and since then she has had a soft spot in her heart for them. It has jointed legs which by now are all askew and misshapen, but that's what lots of loving will do to you. (I'm living proof!)

At the Quilt Show in October, I found some luxurious beaded silk yarn which I am knitting up in a scarf for Penny. Yes, that is present tense, because I haven't finished it yet. I showed her the work in progress and now that family has gone to wherever they go every day, and I can keep count of my rows and stitches, I need to get back to it. I also made a hat and scarf I was quite proud of for Penny in a fuzzy acrylic coupled with a variegated ribbon yarn in rust shades, but of course, I forgot to take a picture of it.

Cary got s skull cap made in a 2x2 rib. I knit it up in the garage as we watched tv and it took for freaking EVER, but he loves it. I made it with some Moda Dea Cartwheel I got on sale at Jo Ann's (I still have a buttload) and I love this yarn. It's thick and thin wool, very soft, felts up nicely, as you will see in. . .. . .this bag I made from the same yarn in gray for Mandy. I like the closure which is a small loop and a long loop. The long loops goes through the short loop and acts as handle and closure simultaneously. I made a pink bucket style one of these and sent it to my friend in Scotland, but it turns out she got the cheese packets I sent to my friend in New Zealand! He wasn't too keen on the pink color, so he regifted it to a friend there, but he has requested a more manly colored one for the purpose, of all things, as a helmet bag! He rides a motorbike and said it would be perfect for storing his helmet when he arrives at his destination. Guess I've got more knitting to do, huh?

As I think back, it occurs to me that almost everything I did, except for socks (made a pair for Cary and a pair for Penny) were by hand. I'm really enjoying expanding my hand knitting experience. I think the reason is that hand knitting is portable and I can do it while I sit with the family, in the garage or even in car rider line!