I’ve had a lot of projects hanging out there all in many different stages of done-ness. I’m really proud that I am getting them done and happy with the way they’ve turned out.

You thought I’d give something away? These are for Christmas gifts! 🙂

The mystery Christmas gifts are done. More of them than I had hoped for – and they work really well. I have totally tested the product in the last day or so to make sure I didn’t goof it up. I hope that means there will be some happy gift-recipients on my list!

Flat Rocks Yarns “Whirlpool” in the Grateful Thread color way

I just finished a darling top-down sweater (no seaming makes this Queen Bee very happy!) for a customer on the Cape. She saw an earlier sweater that I made this summer in a brightly colored bulky yarn that I bought, quite by happenstance, up on the Massachusetts shore. It took (seemingly) forever for the new batch of yarn to be hand-dyed and delivered to the shop but it was a joy to knit with the second time around. The shop, Coveted Yarns in Gloucester, MA carries this hand-dyed yarn in several weights. This one is called Whirlpool by Flat Rocks Yarns. It’s a 100% superwash Merino (3/3.5 sts. per inch on Us#10/11. The colorway I bought is called “Grateful Thread”. (Appropriate on so many levels!)

I’m nearly finished with the baby blanket that has been plaguing me – and all because I had to use up some old yarn and not waste it! So, I’ve nearly finished the striped blanket (and it’s actually pretty cute). It’s a simple garter stitch pattern that I created as I knitted. It will be backed with fleece and a satin binding and will be in my shop soon.

I’ve started a pair of one-skein Malabrigo fingerless mitts in a really great denim-blue colorway. Unfortunately, I seem to have lost or pitched the yarn’s tag but I am loving the way it feels and it is knitting up in to such a nice warm mitten/glove/thing. These, too, will be in my shop soon as I get the second mitt finished and photographed.

I sent off two hats to day for the victims of hurricane Sandy. One is a simple cap for a small adult/large child. I striped it in grey and red for a male person as that was what was needed. The color-changes were nearly perfect with the jogless join method that I’ve blogged about here. It’s amazing how many years I have knitted without using stripes when knitting in the round … and how simple it is once you try it out! I may stripe everything for awhile! My friend Kelly won a skein of yarn at our yarn tasting and fashion show last weekend and she gave it to me to knit up for donating, too. So, I did. Knitted the little lacy slouch hat for a female (it’s a vivid purple colorway) and I assume a girl would rather wear it.

The last project still on the needles is the “count every stitch” scarf that I am making as a gift for a friend (I think). It’s been quite the project. It’s pretty (but not that pretty!) I’ve made it to the decreases and will be so happy when that is finished (and will file the pattern in the  “not sure I want to make this again” file! 🙂

It’s feeling good getting all these projects wrapped up … and that means I can start new ones, right?

Gone knitting!