All the stockings are done and delivered.....NEXT!

Last weekend, the last of the stocking were delivered.   Not a moment too soon was the last stocking finished and all three sent through the washer and dryer.

Stockings for Mike, Owen, and Allison

Mike's stocking, with the bear, was a bit of a challenge.   After FINALLY getting through the chart in the original design, I held the stocking up and looked at it carefully.   I looked again.  The "bear" looked like a giant tail-less rat.  That would not do.  Not at all.

Annie's Woolens has a stocking with a great bear chart.  Using the Knitbird software, I adapted the chart to the pattern for this stocking.  The results were pleasing.   I am happy to say Mike's mother liked it too.

Now I have moved on to other things for Christmas....as the wedding throw is too large and too warm to knit right now.   Four of the grands will get knitting offerings this year.   In consultation with Grandma, the projects will be three hats and a pair of legwarmers.  

My original plan for Elle's hat got kicked to the curb when I saw the Love-ly Cap knitting pattern.  What a cute hat!  Even better, the yarn could come out of the stash...the edges of the stash...and was easy to find.    While is is not my best work...I still like it.

Elle's Love-ly Cap

The yarn for the stockings and for Elle's hat is the ever useful Willow Burrow worsted.   Their colors are lovely.   Burrow has the same fiber content as Plymouth Encore.  Both launder like a dream and are pleasant to knit.   These are my workhorse yarn for kid projects and toys.

One morning in Ravelry, I spotted the combat booties.   What a hoot!  When I showed the pattern to my sister as a prospective project for Owen, she asked for a pair for the new baby a friend just had.  The friend is a marine and she knew he would love the booties for his son.  As I wanted these to be worn a bit, I used the biggest size.  The project was fun to do and is already passed off.

All of this yarn came from leftovers from other projects.   It was a fun way to use the bits and pieces that were in the stash.  No new yarn was purchased for this project.

As I was looking through the stash for yarn for Mallorie's hat, I realized that I have not knit for me in a long time.   Someday.

Mallorie's hat features horses which she is still mad about.   Swatching is our friend.  I do feel like the Goldilocks of swatching as the first two yarns swatched too big.  There was no way I could get gauge without the hat being stiff as a board.  The third yarn was too small.  I went deep into the stash and will swatch a fourth yarn.  I hope that will be just right.