FO: Sleep Tech Dressy

I had been holding this post back in hopes of getting better pictures of the socks, but now I'm back in Bracebridge and the socks have already been worn several times, so we go forward with the pictures I was able to take in my dark apartment.

For me knitting fits well into the old adage "if I like you, I'll do it for free and if I don't, not for all the money in the world".  So giving Jim, Carla's boyfriend of about 6ish months, a pair of socks for Christmas shows that I'm happy he is dating my sister.

This was another project I completed during the November TFA KAL along with the Winter Bloom and Moonset shawls. And these make 13th pair of socks for the year, which is quite impressive if I say so myself.

Now, these socks were half of a "Gift of the Magi" like scenario.  I gave these socks to Jim made from an exclusive OOAK Tanis club color way and Jim got me a skein of TFA Blue Label in Cranberry.  If you are a TFA fan and wondering why you aren't familiar with Cranberry, thats because it was the November 2011 club skein.  I used it this spring to make Staked, however, after many months I had to admit I had made them way too small and gave them to Carla.

 But I loved the skein and wished I could get another, but I know they are few and far between and I didn't want to make the effort to hunt down a skein.  However, Jim (and Carla by proxy) was able to get a skein from Tanis.  I'm not sure where she conjured it up from, but she helped make for a very special Christmas surprise for me.

I know Jim likes his socks and I hope that it is the first of many pairs I make for him, as he seems to be a really great guy and he seems to make my sister happy, which in turn makes me happy.

- Details -

Project Name: Sleep Tech Dressy

Pattern: Business Casual Socks by Tanis Lavallee

Recipient: Jim

Yarn: TFA Blue Label in Truffle (January 2012 Year in Colour Club)

Modifications:

• One less leg repeat, which is good because I would have run out of yarn

New Skills:

• None, I'm really starting to get a handle on sock knitting

Feedback:

• Yarn - Blue Label is fast becoming my favorite sock yarn, and was perfect for this pattern and recipient.
• Pattern - Clean and simple.  I am getting to a point with socks where I use the designers pattern as a jumping off point that I can tinker with to make them fit well.

Re-Knit?: Just maybe, because the choices for man socks are few and far between and this is a nice pair.

FO: Hug Me Cowl

So about that Christmas knitting, it's best to get it started as early as possible, and getting it done feels good.  Except when that Christmas knitting is from 2011.  Yes, that's right I finally started and finished my Christmas 2011 knitting.

This cowl was a gift for my Mom, originally the gift was of yarn and the lessons and needles to knit the project (she was interested in getting back into knitting) or if not a new cowl for the next winter.  After a winter, spring and summer it was becoming abundantly clear that she wasn't going to be a knitter it was time to knit up a cowl for her.

The name of the cowl is telling, the designer called it cocoon me, but to me it is hug me cowl, because that is what I ask my mom to do, Hug Me.  So hopefully, this will be a nice hug for her all next winter.

- Details -

Project Name: Hug Me Cowl

Pattern: Cocoon Me Cowl by Rose Beck from RosyPosy Designs

Recipient: She who hugs me, my Mom.

Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label in Sand

Modifications:

• Converted Garter Edging to Ribbing - I hate garter in the round, so I changed the edging to a 2x2 rib and it flowed straight into the pattern

New Skills: None in particular

Feedback:

• Yarn: I like Tanis' colors but Green Label is not my favorite base, there is something about it that just doesn't work for me.  Also, Sand is a great color.
• Pattern: Great pattern, love that it's reversible, but P5Tog is my furthest from favorite stitch and I use a crochet hook to keep myself from going crazy.

Re-Knit?: Nope, the P5tog is pretty much what is keeping me from doing this again,