Why? Christmas Knitting.
We're all working on stuff we can't show you.
But there are actually a couple of things I can share:
This is a cowl that I knitted up from stash yarn (some O-Wool balance - which I'm not super fond of, btw - and some grey mixed wool from BMM, with a SUPER GORGEOUS cashmere (!) blend fingering weight - also from BMM - on the inside, as a liner). The buttons are vintage, from a variety of garage sale/flea market sources.
This is actually a gift for someone, but she doesn't even know about the blog, so I'm safe.
{Um, so crazy story: I am estranged from my biological father. It's a long, sordid story. Haven't seen or heard from him since I was in kindergarten, which was...um...almost 30 years ago...yikes. He never made any effort to be in my life and it was extremely traumatic. Anyway, last year I decided that I had spent enough time living with this dark cloud of ancient sadness/anger/stress over my head and I contacted him. We've been corresponding for a little over a year and it's been ok. I haven't met with him in person yet - we live half a continent apart - but I feel liberated, in a lot of ways. I found out that he and his wife adopted two kids who are biological siblings and I've been corresponding with the daughter, who is 14 years old. This cowl is for her.}
And here is an awfully-posed photo of me wearing it (yikes with the white hair...not that I plan on doing anything about it- I just don't usually get such a good view of it):
And I made another Tomten:
I just remembered that I need to add the zipper. Oops.
This guy is for the cutest, fattest, yummiest baby I know: Fatty D. Here is the most recent photo I have of him, wearing the legwarmers I knit for him when he was still a bun in my cousin's oven:
And the last wip that I can safely show you is this:
I know. Fascinating, right? Ok, keep your panties on. Here's a better shot of it (draped across the corner of my mattress - lace doesn't photograph well until it's block so cut me a break, would ya?):
This is a Dew Drops Shawl (free pattern!) and I'm using yarn that I bought with my mom in Ottawa, on Canada Day. She ok'd the colour, so I know I'm safe in that respect and I think she'll like the pattern.
(Knitting notes: do not try this as your first lace pattern. This is definitely not for the faint-of-heart or the short-of-temper. I have gotten lost more times than I can count.)
My mom has started to - ahem - go through "The Change" and her hot flashes are epic. She isn't used to this - we're both wool-sock-wearing, flannel-nightgown-sporting, duvet-covered, hot-water-bottle-toting shiverers. Once I get warm I stay that way and I can tolerate low temps easily, but let's just say that I don't have the luxury of walking around outside in winter in high heels. My toes might not actually freeze off, but I'd be miserable. And she is - or WAS - the same. We dress warmly and stay happy. Except that now, she cranks the windows down on her car in the middle of March. And she can't live without air conditioning (in winter). It's confusing for me. And for her too, I suppose.
So that's why I chose a shawl. I wanted to knit her something pretty and useful (she taught me to knit and really appreciates handknits, so I have deemed her an Approved Handknit Recipient), but it couldn't be too warm. Enter lace.
{She just moved to Kamloops, BC (that's on the other side of North America from me) so we're 4 time zones apart now. I, for one, find it hard having her so far away and I think she's going to start feeling it soon, if she hasn't already. The rest of our family is right smack in the middle - in Winnipeg. I'm hoping this shawl acts as a virtual hug.}
Anyway, so that's it for the wips for now. I'll keep you posted on progress and anything else that comes up. Happy knitting!
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