I got a couple e-mails from my awesome Aunt Pam and I’m so excited to share all these knits with you! Last night was a blast; I laughed so hard and had so much fun with everyone that it made me wish I lived closer so I could get together with them more often!
Here’s all the ladies in their hand-knits, minus Aunt Pam, but Kate put on the mittens for the camera’s sake! A couple seconds later, the next photo showed this:
My cousins, ladies and gentlemen. I love them to pieces!
Flora
Yarn: Cascade 220 in Royal Purple and Purple/Gray Heathers
Needles: Takumi Clover Circular and DPN size 6
Pattern: Flora
Robin’s favorite color is purple so I used some of the Cascade 220 from Seattle last Christmas and made this hat with 220 Heathers in a grey/purple. I was going to go with a cream since it would pop better but this color worked best. This hat was quite the task as its pattern had no clear repetition. It was worthy of many headaches from looking back and forth from the chart to the knitting, but I managed to get it done and I was so happy to finish it.
Norwegian Star hat
Yarn: Berrocco Alpaca in Crimson and Cream
Needles: Takumi Clover Circular and DPN in size 6.
Design: My own
Katie’s favorite color is red and, upon ditching the mitten idea, realized I had this hat made from the beginning of the summer. I had never worn it and I thought the colorwork idea would be best for the cousins and that’s when I decided to make the hats for them. Colorwork is challenging and this hat was what spurred me on to make the other two. I created this one based on a chart I found on Ravelry- I simply repeated the chart as a band on the hat and it turned out amazingly.
Norwegian Flower hat
Yarn: Cascade 220 in Blue Velvet and Purple/Gray Heathers.
Needles: Takumi Clover Circular and DPN size 6.
Pattern: Norwegian Hat Three Ways from The Knitting (Man)ual
Finally, Abby’s hat took the shortest amount of time because I worked non-stop and couldn’t even finish it by the time we made it to their house for Chrismtas. I’m really proud of this hat and I love the way it turned out- so much that I’m considering making one for myself. She requested Cubbie’s blue so I made it with the cobalt blue which just so happened to match her shirt perfectly and I’m so happy she enjoyed it.
I wished I had gotten a picture of Aunt Pam in her mittens, but she was feeling sick and feel photograph-ey so I didn’t catch her, but the mittens are Feast, knit on size 5 needles with the yarn-The Family Pendragon in Aurthur- held double. The pattern is my own based really roughly on #10 Red Mittens from Knit Simple Fall 2010.
So, after we exchanged gifts, the fun really started. Mom played with my little 2-year-old second cousin Wyatt, we all laughed at Wyatt trying to jump and catch a ball and giggle; my brother made friends with Rocky, the orange cat, even though Abby’s husband Chris is allergic to him; and I laughed so hard as Aunt Pam was taking a picture that, according to my brother, it looked like I was trying to eat Uncle Dan.
My family hasn’t seen my brother in about three years so they were so happy to see him and he had a lot of fun.
Christmas still isn’t over, believe it or not! I have two more items to make for Caitlin and Marie and I have NO IDEA what to make for them. I’m also trying to design scarves and mittens for Abby and Robin. I don’t know that they’ll get it this season, but perhaps future holidays will include beautiful gifts that match previous years’ presents. I guess they’ll have to wait and see!
On Skeins and Needles 