Back to recover and then we leave again

I left you last as we headed to Spo Vegas. I was supposed to drive since churchable got off work that morning at 7 AM. I was none too sure of the path we had chosen since every time I turned on the TV or radio the announcers were going on about the severe weather warning in the Columbia Gorge due to icy conditions. I finally decided that I would drive through Seattle even though it would take us a bit longer. I was glad since only the pass was snowy and the rest of the way was clear.

We celebrated Christmas with churchable's family. Everyone was there and had been there for a few days when we arrived. I knit most of the gifts. Two of the gifts were not done. One was the Cardigan for Arwen for Bud (churchable's little sister) and a hat from left over yarn for Frog Boy. Frog Boy's hat was finished before they left. So let me proceed with a run down of my Christmas knitting.

Pattern: Surplice Lace Top by Gayle Bunn
Recipient: Si - my sister-in-law
Yarn: Knit Picks Cotlin 7 skeins (70% cotton, 30% linen) yds in 50gram balls in Island Coral
Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm) circular for the garter stitch edging and US 5 (3.75 mm) circular for rest of the sweater
Completion: September 19th (started first weekend in August)
Mods: I knit this in a smaller size so as to fit Si. The finished garment came out at 32" bust. I had to redo the sleeves since they did not fit. I knit them in the second largest size and they were perfect.
Reaction: She loved it. This picture above is of her right before she left for the airport to fly to Calit. It was a perfect fit in bust and length. I am so happy.

Pattern: my own

Recipient: my brother in law (he needs an online name or I will start calling him BIL)
Yarn: Zen String Serindipity Sport 1 1/4 skeins (100% superwash merino) 241 yds in 113gram skein in Ben
Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) circular for the sole of the foot and US 2 1/2 (3.0 mm) circular for the ribbing
Completion: December 30th (started sometime in the middle of November)
Mods: I needed to create something that did not stripe but pooled more so I got thin stripes and then messed them up with a slip stitch rib pattern.
Reaction: He loved them. They fit great and he is wear testing them to let me know if the purl bumps bother him.

Pattern: my own

Recipient: Dog Boy - 2 yr old nephew
Yarn: Zen String Serindipity Sport 1/3 skein (100% superwash merino) 241 yds in 113gram skein in Ben
Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) circular
Completion: January 2nd (started these right after I finished the first adult sock)
Mods: I did a toe up tube sock so that he could wear these socks for longer.
Reaction: So cute. I loved them. We put them on for pictures and then took them off again. He started crying because he wanted to wear the socks. He wore them all the next day too. I think this guy will be getting more hand knit items in his future.

Pattern: my own
Recipient: Frog Boy
Yarn: Zen String Serindipity Sport 1/2 skein (100% superwash merino) 241 yds in 113gram skein in Ben
Needles: US 4 (3.5 mm) DPNs
Completion: started and finished on January 4th
Mods: I made a simple rolled brim hat in a small adult size with a I-cord knot on top
Reaction: He tolerated trying it on and having his picture taken but did not like it because he already had a camo hat. Oh well you can't win them all.

Pattern: Koolhaas Hat by Jared Flood

Recipient: Dog Boy
Yarn: Plymouth Indiecita Alpaca 4-ply Worsted 3/4 skein (100% alpaca) 102 yds in a 50gram ball in brown (discontinued)
Needles:
Completion: December 5th (I started it on December 1st)
Mods: CO 80sts. Knit 3 repeats high and did crown decreasing as written. I think it will fit will. It can stretch to about a 23" head and his should be much smaller.
Reaction: He was not as thrilled with this one. He really wanted to wear his brother's hat since it matched his socks. He recognized this while I was knitting his brother's hat.

Now there was nothing for my father-in-law that was knit since I did not think he would use socks, gloves, hats or a scarf that I knit him. When I told him this he replied in the affirmative that this was correct but that he would wear a sweater. So after a short pointed Q & A session I figured out that he would be interested in a button down cardigan in a soft but not too soft wool. So I jumped on Ravelry (what would we have done with out it) and looked up Brooklyn Tweed's project page and picked a few things and then paged through the men's cardigan patterns. After few hundred, I narrowed it down to 6 patterns. It was time to get the Car Man's opinion. He really like 3 of them, which are Blue Garter's EZ Aran Fishtrap Cardigan (ravelry link), Brooklyn Tweed's Jarrett, and Brooklyn Tweed's Saddle Shoulder Aran Cardigan . So we start the adventure in creating the Car Man a cardigan - maybe it will go with his car style. We will be making all the choices together. I did inform him that this cardigan would take me two years to make because I did not want to burn out and he is a tall man.

The Christmas report is done and that brings me to telling you that I will be leaving again on Thursday. Churchable has a college buddy getting married this weekend and we are finally going to fulfill a wedding promise to one of his college roommates. We plan on spending a good part of the weekend and next week remodeling his college roommate's bathtub and surround. If you are in Seattle I will be just on the other side of I-5 listening to the buzz of traffic from the Weaving Works. If you want to meet for coffee or to knit I am always game.

Then it is off to Spo Vegas again for churchable's annual camp in the snow with your friends and shoot black powder guns at each other in the cold cold wilds of Washington. I plan on spending the time with a girlfriend up there doing girlie stuff and staying very warm.