Whew. Thanks so much for forgiving my absence on Thursday and Friday knitters. Joe and I took a mini break, and headed up to hang out with his family at a cottage for just a little bit (20 hours, really) and we had a blast.  We went swimming with Lou – and blew bubbles and played cards and hung out with Kelly and Ben (home from Madagascar, just for a little bit) and watched Carlos try to sail a little sailboat (Carlos wants you to know that in that picture he’s deliberately capsized the boat, so that he could learn how to handle that situation. He did not, I repeat, did not take a dunking that wasn’t of his own choosing.)

 

We knit (ok just me and my niece Savannah) and had a great meal and stayed up late and in the morning, before we came home, I convinced my very charming Mother-in-Law Carol to be a sock model.

It turns out that she was pretty keen on it (that’s what happens the first time. They’re thrilled. The charm wears off after you ask them a bunch more times) and she was a natural.

To boot, the socks fit her perfectly, which is a bit of a shame, since they were intended for me, but such is the lot of a knitter.  It was just one of those times that the sock chooses someone else.

Pattern: Starry, Starry Night Socks. Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Blue label in Natural for the light colour, and the blue is Indigodragonfly’s Merino Nylon Sock in “People Are Particularly Stupid Today, I Cannot Speak To Any More Of Them”.

What happened with this sock is the curse of the small footed.  Usually, a small footed sock knitter has nothing but advantages.  It doesn’t take me long to make a pair of socks for myself, and I never need extra yarn.  It’s awesome. The only drawback is illustrated perfectly by this pattern.  It comes in one size, that size fits most, and I am not like most. I could make them fit lengthwise, but not widthwise, not without changing the gauge, and I like the gauge they’re at, and well. Into the Christmas box they go.  (I bet you can guess who they’re probably going to end up for.)

Still, a gorgeous, fun knit.  I love ’em. I might just knit them all over again.

Presents? Yup, I’m still working through the pile:

For Dawn W a beautiful kit for a knit your own bracelet from The Sitting Tree.  Charming, am I right?

Thane, a very generous reader, will be sending this duo to Sherilyn F.

It’s one 4oz braid of Raven Ridge roving in a wool/alpaca/mohair blend, along with 4oz of coordinating Corriedale (Thane thinks you should try to say that five times fast).

Diane over at The Knotted Bag has a gorgeous sock sized project bag to give.

Dana Z will be enjoying that.   Diane also (because she’s just that nice) has a Market bag to give away, and isn’t it nice too?

Diane says “It has open handles that knot together -the longer handles to create an adjustable bag, the shorter handles knot together to close the bag. It has pockets inside as well.”  I think it’s really neat, and so will Barbara B.
Susanne Visch is a designer, and she’s got some patterns to give away.  First up, The Sweet as Pi cardigan will go out to Carolyn S (I hope she knows someone who would love a baby cardi this delightfully geeky.)

Lee Anna E gets a copy of Handspun Delight. (Great for stash busting)

and Susan B’s going to look forward to The Easy Going Shawl. (Charming pattern for any gauge.)

Each of those three charming knitters will also receive a copy of Zomer Zilt:

Thanks Suzanne!

Behold, amazing gifts from Trish at Forest Mill Farm!  This is a gorgeous 200 yd, 11.2 oz skein of Aran weight alpaca yarn from Trish’s beloved alpaca “Mugsy” and I think that Joy H is going to adore it.

Now, Trish isn’t the sort of person who’s going to see a spinner left out while she can help it, so look at this!

That’s a 7.3 oz. batt of alpaca roving from her big boy “Noah”. (I love knowing the names of animals that the fibre comes from. Don’t you?) Laura M should have a blast spinning it. It looks delicious.

Priscilla at Madsen Originals is going to make Liz W very happy.  She’s donated a skein of her sock yarn, and isn’t it pretty?

Barbara B is going to have a nice day.  She’s the lucky recipient of a collection of patterns from Jennifer at Will Run 4 Yarn.

It includes A Tremulous Light, Brisen, Low Tide Explorer, and Seaflower. Pretty, so pretty.

Finally, last (for today) but certainly not least, Jill has gone into the stash and come up with two beautiful gifts.  First, a skein of Gales Art super wash sock yarn 90/10 wool/nylon 450 yards in “notes”, that she’ll be sending to Debbi M.

Second, she has this great trio of yarns.

Jill had planned a really great Color Affection for it, but ran out of steam, and thinks it should go onto a good home.  It’s 3 skeins of cascade heritage silk, and Denise W, we hope it’s right up your alley.

There’s still more gifts to come, but that’s it for today. Thanks, as always to everyone. I think you’re great.