Yarn-along: the first week of Advent and Christmas is coming fast …
~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~ Ginny at small things

Advent – Week 1
Which is NOT a good feeling …. at all …
But, we muster on through … arranging a date with my DH to work out Christmas plans and gifts and tree-getting and all the incidentals that make Christmas such fun every year.
So what are you knitting for the holidays?
I’ve started on some commissioned gifts … all in cashmere or cashmere blends (which are such a treat to knit) … Here’s the first, a gorgeous deep turquoise/teal scarf in Spring Gate’s cashmere/silk/merino blend:

Yarn-along – December 4, 2013
I just finished a “baby blanket bag” for a dear friend’s first baby. I worked this one in Jarbo Garn’s Raggi, a worsted weight washable sock-yarn that self-stripes. These blanket bags are wonderful (and wish I had them when mine were little) … the bag is pulled up around the baby’s chest and they have room to kick … BUT can’t kick the blanket off. A great way for the little ones to stay cozy:

Baby Blanket Bag in Jarbo Garn’s Raggi
And I was able to finish the poncho and shawl I was working in Rowan’s Felted Tweed and Kid Silk Haze Glamour. I’m often asked, when I design a shawl, “can you make it a poncho” or if I make a poncho, “can you make it a shawl”. This combination pattern will have both options. I’ll post pictures and pattern soon.
The Winter Wonderland Cape and Wild Berry Zinger capelet are now both available on Ravelry.
So, I guess I have been productive! It just seems like Christmas is soooooo soooooon this year. I’m not even reading anything, except to dip into my Lord Peter Wimsey books on Kindle … I have the whole series (15 books) and they’re such fun to read!
Hope you are having a less-stressed knit-gifting time … what are you knitting … and if you have time, reading?
When Ella was little Grandma made her little nighties just like I wore. They were smocked around the neck and extra long. There is a casing at the bottom for ties or elastic. Lots of wiggle room and keeps the toes covered.
How do you figure out how much yarn you’ll need when designing? I like to put ‘stripes’ in the outer edges of shawls but never know how much yarn I’ll need. Unless I have unlimited yarn (rarely) it’s such a guess.
Paula … I remember those nighties …
There are lots of ways to scientifically decide if you have enough —
1. knit a portion, rip out and measure how many yards used and multiply for the total needed
2. knit a bit, weigh it, and est how many yards used and then multiply
but I’ve been knitting for so long, I can usually make an educated guess (altho I’ve been known to be wrong … and have to rip out a round to have enough to BO). Oh to have an unlimited supply of yarn at my disposal!
that’s a lovely color of yarn you’re using for the scarf – awesome! and I just adore the baby blanket-bag – that’s a really neat idea 🙂
Thanks, Jarka .. the baby bag is a fun knit cuz it’s all in the round so goes pretty quickly ….
Hugs and thanks for stopping by …
Mary G.
wow – cashmere AND Lord Peter? You’ve got it going on! 😀
I’m definitely “livin’ the life” …
thanks for stopping by …
Mary G.