More Stockings!!!!

Beaumont's stocking is done.   While I have made this before, for his brother, I had a lot of trouble with the foot.   I did some research and, on the fifth try, was happy with the way things turned out.  

Beaumont's Stocking

Dolly has figured out exactly when to jump on my hands to totally screw up the complicated parts of the knitting.  That is what cats do.

The Firstborn Elvish Christmas Stocking is a Lorna Pearman pattern.  Her patterns are colorful and quirky...and a lot of fun to knit.

Willa, Beaumont's cousin, was a surprise Christmas gift to her family last year.  She was due in the spring but chose to arrive on Christmas Eve instead.    Her sisters, Carys and Sylvie, have Annie's Woolens stockings.   As I wanted Willa to have the (relatively) same thing as her sisters, I went over to Annie's Woolens to see if there were any stockings that I had not done before.

The Santa Stocking is new this year.   None of her cousins have this one.   Last week, as soon as the knitting was done on Beaumont's stocking, I started this one.   This past weekend was very warm here so I sat in the air conditioning and worked on this project.

Once again, I tried the short row heel.   Four times.    It did not work out.   At all.   It is the afterthought heel again.   I tried.  I really did.   When I graft the toe, I want to be done!   Maybe next time.

Willa's Santa Stocking

Santa wears black boots.   As I worked down the stocking I kept thinking about how I wanted to do those boots.   I definitely did not want to carry the yarn for such a small motif.   Intarsia in the round is not (yet) in my skill set.  Duplicate stitch was sounding good until I read about knitting backwards on one of the knit lists.  You Tube, also known as the fount of all knowledge, had some really good videos.   I tried it.  It worked well enough.  I will know for certain after the stocking is washed and the stitches even out.   I am not 100% pleased but...then I usually am not as I work a project. 

With a little luck, this stocking will be done this week.   Then it is six done, three to go!

The Jacobs Series is Done

This morning, Emily will come to her office and find the stockings displayed on her table.  The stockings for her little girls are done.   Doing these is a labor of love.  Her girls are adorable!

Doing these stockings also taught me a bit about shaping.   Yes, these are things I should know.  On some level, I do.  In the actual practice of making the stocking I found I struggled a bit with the size of the foot versus the size of the leg.   Before I do the next "off the pattern" Christmas stocking, I will rethink what I did this time.   The stockings don't look bad...but could look better.

The three stockings together.  

Jacobs Stocking 3 is in process

The third and final stocking of the Jacobs series is in process.   My goal is to finish this and launder all three this weekend.  I will pass them to Emily as soon as this is done. 

Stocking 3

The girls play with their stockings so I am going out of my way to make the stockings sturdy.  When  I finish the knitting of each stocking, I check for potential weak spots and reinforce the potential trouble spot.   The hanging loops are knit onto the stocking and stitched down in addition.  These are made to be used and loved.

As I did not want to have to think about how I did this..or make anybody else reverse engineer what I did, I wrote out and posted the notes as a pattern.   My huge excitement was to see it in the "Your Pattern Highlights" on Ravelry for a few days.   WOW!

Jacobs Stocking 2 is Done!

My bus stop layover in the morning has been an extremely productive time for me.  Yes, I should be walking and getting some exercise BUT I have a lot of knitting on my list.

As I sat this morning, I finished the knitting on the second stocking for the Jacobs girls.   The charts came from the Nana Knits pattern that I liked so much.

Jacobs Stocking 2

This has a little more pattern than the second...and I do like the way this pattern turned out.

If things go as I plan, I will start Jacobs 3 tonight.  I know what charts I want to use.   Each of these stockings has to be different enough to be interesting, but similar enough so that they hang well together.

The shaping of the foot on these is not my favorite..but it will work for what it needs to do.

When this set of three is done..there are five more stockings to do.   Different patterns will keep it interesting.

Jacobs Stocking 1 is Done!

The first of a set of three stockings is done!   While I am not totally happy with how this turned out, it is fine.    I have set up a .pdf with the notes detailing how I did this.  Get it here. 

This is the first time I have used Knitpicks yarn Brava.   I chose it for three reasons:   colors, washability, and price.   Brava is okay.  While I was doing this I found it a bit "splitty" and had to be mindful of hidden stitches that were one ply and had to be picked back and redone.

Here is the finished version 1:

Sock Production

Every Christmas, I give a pair of socks to each of a group of people.  This year, I am trying to stay ahead of the curve....

I have two more pairs to make before Christmas.   Having this much done is really, really calming.

Christmas stockings also get presented to new family arrivals.  I owe two from last year and there will be two new babies this year.   I am also making them for three lovely very young ladies that I know.

The Bredeson babies get the Happy Holiday Striped Stocking from Bernat. 

This makes a very large stocking that will be a challenge for St. Nick to fill.   This is a quick and lovely knit....worsted weight.  I used size 6 needles and Willow Yarns Burrow.   Burrow does not have the classic Christmas colors but I love that yarn and am happy with the way this one turned out.

The stockings for the Jacobs girls are being put together from a couple of patterns.   This time, I am making notes as I go along so that I don't have to think too hard as I do the next two.....the first is getting figured out as I go along.  

The pattern I am using for most of the stocking is the Hearts and Trees Stocking from Nana's Knits.   I did not want to do an afterthought heel or make these stockings huge.  I changed that.  Now I am working out how I want to do the toe.  I think I know what I will do.

The yarn is Brava from Knitpicks.   Not my favorite but the colors are lovely.  The yarn has a nice

Stocking 1 in progress - Jacobs Series

sheen.   As these will be played with, it is also wonderful that they can machine washed and dried.  that is also the reason that I choose to do stripes after the pattern set at the top....I wanted to minimize the floats that could get caught and pulled as the stockings are stuffed.

Proportion is tricky.   I think I have the toe worked out....and will post a picture as soon as the first one is done.

More Henry's Tiger

My sister Helen is very skilled at presentation.    Her present wrapping puts me to shame.  Me, I wrap something in tissue and put it in a bag.

Henry will be visiting Helen and Sam this weekend.   The tiger is there waiting for him.  Helen's presentation for the tiger is really fun.

A special box with air holes for breathing.....

Helen made a special travel box for the Tiger that has air holes so that Tiger can breathe freely as he waits for Henry to open the box.

This is way more exciting than finding a gift bag with tissue spring out of it....   This is more of a mystery.   Henry is two....and is old enough to find this exciting...I think.

Tiger with the note...

There is a note Helen wrote on my behalf (good thing as my handwriting is not legible).

"Dear Henry,

 I found this lost baby tiger cub.  He needs a strong, brave boy to be his family and keep him safe so I am sending him to you."

As the Tiger goes into the box, I think he looks happy.  I am hoping that Henry and the Tiger have a good long relationship together.

The Tiger is smiling...

Helen placed Tiger so that he looks like he is reaching out for a hug.  The finished size of the tiger is small enough that little hands will have no trouble hauling him around.   I stuffed the tiger so that he would be very squishy and cuddly.

Faces on stuffed toys are really important.   When I was doing the eyes...which I embroidered...I wanted to make sure that the eyes looked friendly and not squinty.  Tiger is supposed to be friendly, not having an attitude.   When I was stitching the mouth, I made sure there was a smile.   Making a "personality" is fun.   Were this for a teenager...the face might have been a little more snarky.   Tiger's face is good for a buddy.

Ready for Henry.....

I will be excited to hear how Henry likes the Tiger.   This, after figuring out what I had done wrong and re-checking the pattern, was a fun project.   The second tiger, for Augusto, has been mailed.   I hope both tigers are good buddies to their boys.