Today it's snowing here in Mantorp, and it's actually starting to feel a bit like Christmas is getting near. We've had a busy Autumn, with lots of stuff to do almost every weekend, which is probably why it's been a while since I wrote. Thomas has had a lot of stuff with his band, I went to a friend's 40th birthday party, we've both been to concerts on different weekends, and had visits from some family and friends. But I have also managed to do some knitting!
I actually have 6 FO's to show you, that I've finished since September! After I finished my Supernatural mittens, I decided that I wanted to make Ella a new winter sweater and a new hat for her as well, as Autumn was getting closer. I finally decided to make her a new Flower Cardigan (she had this one when she was a lot younger), and I also made her a matching Little Flower hat (that she's also had before). I apologize for the somewhat blurry photos. It's not easy to get a 3.5-year old to stay still!
They are both made with Onion knit Tussah Silk yarn (66 % Merino/34 % silk, 134 m/50 g), and she loves them both. I made her a striped hat out of sock yarn last year, and she's been complaining that it itches (yes, I have a daughter who thinks wool itches. Go figure), but this hat is a lot softer so she's accepted it wholeheartedly. I hoped to make all of the hat lined, but ran out of yarn before I could finish all of the crown decreases on the inside hat, so it's not lined all the way, but warm enough for winter.
After that I finished the Speed Bumps socks that I made for my mom, and she's already got them. She wears through at least one pair of socks each year, so hopefully these will last her at least until spring.
Next up I FINALLY finished the Evenstar shawl!
I started this one in April 2016, so it's been on the needles for quite a while. Now it's finally done, and I've been wearing it (as a scarf) almost every day since it was dry. It's made with MadelineTosh Prairie lace yarn (100 % merino), in the Norway Spruce colourway, and I love it as much as I loved my previous Evenstar (this one made with Wollmeise Lace Garn, that I wore holes through).
As winter was coming on I also decided that I really needed a new hat, so I knit myself a Norrland hat out of some Rauma Finull yarn.
This pattern was a lot of fun, with both colourwork and cables! I added a pom pom to use up the yarn, and it fits me perfectly. The yarn was a little bit scratchy to work with, but it hasn't bothered me on my head so that's ok.
Finally, Ella got a new winter scarf as well. I made an Anybody Out there? scarf, using some very dark grey Marks & Kattens Fame sock yarn and bright red-orange Regia Sentimento sock yarn, and got to do some double knitting for the first time in years. It was a lot of fun, and went very fast once I focused on just that one project. Ella really likes it, she's very into space and aliens, and this past week it's been cold enough for her to wear it too.
Ok, those were all the finished projects! I think that was quite a lot! Right now I'm focusing mostly on my Enchanted Mesa sweater, and it's going swimmingly. I've altered the pattern quite a lot, but it fits me just as I had planned for, and now I have the main body (below the bust line) and two sleeves left. It is just garter knitting, so it's going quite fast too. Hopefully I can finish it before Christmas, but right now I've actually injured my right had, so this week I'm staying away from the needles. Hopefully I can knit this coming weekend.
I also started two pairs of socks, because I couldn't decide which yarn I wanted to use the most. I'm doing my own design on both of them, but I haven't had much chance to knit on either of them other than at break time at work, so I haven't gotten very far. Maybe I can finish one pair before Christmas, but I wouldn't count on it. The first sock is made with Filcolana Arwetta Classics sock yarn, and the second one is made with Mad Color Fiber Arts Fugue yarn in the colourway Fall of the 11th (it's from a Doctor Who club).
Other than that I only have the Pincha shawl on the needles, and I haven't touched that one since maybe this summer, so I won't show it. That one will get some attention once the sweater is done, and once it is finished I actually don't have anything big going. I'm trying to knit to zero, we'll see how it goes!
I'll try to get back here before Christmas, but I'm not making any promises!
/ Jenny
