Finished Objects 2012

• Moose applique towel (s)
• PJ pants for Twin2 (s)
• Pajamas for John (s)
• soft & twee baby mitts (k) (gifted)
• 2 skinny scarflettes (c)
• Pink & Red Unicorn (c) (gifted)
• 2 owls green & cozy (k) (gifted)
• 12 Christmas Ornaments (painted & modpodged)
• 2 Cabled Mug Hugs (k) (gifted)
• Black Fleece Christmas Socks for Twin1 (s)
• PJ's for Twin1 (s)
• Shrug (k)
• Hello, Handsome! baby sweater (k)
• she asked for it! mitts (k)
• socks for John (k)
• googlie-eye garland
• 7 festive pillow cases (s) (gifted)
• knitted eyeball for Twin1
• 2 pr flannel pj pants (s) (gifted)
• candy corn baby sweater (k)
• 2 more gratis grass (k)
• 2 Woodins & Log home (k)
• seconds baby sweater (k)
• coffee-filter wreath
• chocolate baby sweater (k)
• 14 scully stitch markers (gifted)
• earrings for moi & mom
• slice o' cherry pie (c)
• Fetching Koigu (k)
• punkin' boy mini pillow (x)
• happy haunting mini-pillow (x)
• spudknit
• amethyst ribbon socks (k) (gifted)
• mon petit cabbage (c)
• Jaywalkers for ME (k)
• Black Ops Socks for Twin1 (k)
• Squirrel for Pearl (k)
• Beaded Baby Socks (c) (gifted)
• Braaains (c)
• 2 BBQ towels (s) (gifted)
• Halloween stitchery pillow (s)
• Fleece blanket & pillow case for Twin1 (s)
• Silky Robe for Twin1 (s)
• pajamas for Twin1 (s)
• 3pr baby anklets (k) (gifted)
• 1 asparagus spear (c)
• 1 peanut (c)
• Slider (c)
• knock a girl down! mitts (k) (gifted)
• fortune cookie (c)
• Coal Dust Socks (k)
• pence jug for Aleks (k)
• ice cream sammich (c)
• 2 raspberries (c)
• twee bunny (k) (gifted)
• 1 egg in shell (c) (gifted)
• lemming (c) (gifted)
• Mission Impossible Socks (k)
• 1 green beaded stitch-marker/pendant
• 4 pr pink cupcake earrings (3 gifted)
• Pink & Purple Dead Fish Hat (k) (gifted)
• darned my first sock
• 7 pairs fleece socks (s) (gifted)
• cowboy baby booties (s) (gifted)
• red sky socks (k)
• sweet potato cowl (k)
• 2 diapees & wipees cases (s) (gifted)
• cupcake earrings (for sis)
• mock-mercury glass earrings
• earrings in pink (disassembled)
• resized spider ring (for mom)
• repaired jingly purse (for mom)
• Nemo Dead Fish Hat (k) (gifted)
• Lemon Drop Socks (k)

Hug Your Mug

I wanted something handmade to send off to my brother in Chi-town, but I knew it would be foolish to try anything larger than a scarf. Or, for that matter, anything even as large as a scarf, since most of my knitting/sewing time needs to be designated to creating warm things for my missionary son, currently wintering in Maryland.
I compromised, and decided on something small but useful.

A little knitted hug for a mug.

I used this pattern, but kinda couldn't figure out what was supposed to be happening after you make the buttonhole. I think she forgot to finish the instructions for the rest of that row (61), because it just leaves off. I figured you should work the buttonhole across the center three stitches, and then complete the row with k3, p1, p2tog, k1. That's what I did, anyway (sort of - I just did a simple yo buttonhole - k1, yo, k2tog). After that, I was really confused, because her picture looks like she did seed stitch for the rest, but her instructions have you start the next row with purl, when I would have thought knit, and she does that again a couple rows later. I didn't do what she said, because it seemed wrong. Since it didn't turn out looking quite like hers, I can't say I figured out what it should have been. Maybe her instructions were right.

In any case, I decided later that I quite liked how the beginning end looks, the way it flares, so, if I make another (which I probably will), I fully intend to make the opposite end look the same, instead of decreasing.

Yarn is Filo by Roberts Craft in Denim (discontinued), and it took so very little, of what was a very small skein to begin with, that I think this might be the pattern I look to when I feel the need to do something useful with my leftovers.

Christmas PJ's

Know what? I just figured out how come it's okay for some stores to have their Christmas stuff out on the shelves a couple months early. It's for those of us that have a relative/loved one far from home. I mean, how can we give, say, our missionary son, a piece of home, if those particular Christmas tradition-type items aren't in the stores when it's time to send our packages? So, in a way, I'm grateful you can buy candy canes and chocolate oranges in October.

My boy isn't overseas, but I still had to ship his package out before December had hardly begun. This meant I had to get busy and get his usual Christmas pajamas sewn up.

I had the fabric. I had measurements (taken before he left). I just needed to make the time to get them cut out and sewn. When I finally forced myself to get it all out, I discovered the fabric was just a smidge shorter than what I needed for his tall self. I mulled it over, and finally decided I'd add a strip of plain black flannel to the bottoms of each leg instead of hemming them. It works.

For the top, I dug up some random remnants of black knit, and more of white knit, and figured out which pieces would work. I ended up cutting the sleeves (in white) on the cross-grain, again due to a shortage of fabric length. Lucky for me, both knits I used were 2-way stretch.

I like how the whole thing came together, in the end. I sure hope he's happy with them, too.

(He'd better be! I even gave him pockets this year! I almost never do pockets.)