Christmas Rewind

I did my best to make my holidays handmade this year. I put a lot of thought into making something that I thought each person on my list would enjoy. I've blogged about most things in the past, but I was holding back posting these one because I was afraid my mom and mother-in-law would see what I made for them! Now that Christmas is over, up they go.

The first was an ear warmer for my mom. She is the type that prefers not to wear hats because it squishes her hair, and when I saw this pattern I thought it would be perfect for her. It was a fun knit, and a great intro to using a chart for cabling. I'd used a chart for cables before, let alone done so many cable cross-overs. I think this pattern really helped me get a better understanding of how cables work. However, I think I'd probably add a stitch or two on either side of the pattern if I were to make this one again. The edges of it just turn out kind of wobbly because the cables run practically right up to the edge. I knit this in leftover Patons Decor. The black yarn proved to be more than my camera and I could handle photographing, so this is the best shot I got!


The other Christmas item I never showed was this pair of fingerless mitts made for my mother-in-law. She is a seamstress and quilter and I thought they might be useful for her to wear when she's cold, but crafting and still wants the use of her fingers. I have to say this pattern is the type that looks much better on than off. The yarn used is Crystal Palace Aran Marl. Its a nice yarn, soft and cushy and warm. I had a lot of trouble matching gauge on the two different mitts, and ended up with one significantly smaller than the other. I made a total of 4 mitts, and got two pairs out of it. Only 2 of the 4 are the same size, unfortunately they are both right hands! The left hands are slightly larger and slightly smaller than the right hands, but overall they "match". I am giving the other set to my sister who was coveting them when I was making them. So it turned out all right!



As far as I know, the pattern for the mitts is only available on Ravelry as a free download. If you're interested in it and are not a member of Ravelry, sign up! Or you can email me and I'll ask permission to pass it on to you :)