With the holidays approaching, Santa's elves have been busy here. I decided more people ought to have handmade gifts than I had planned, so the needles are clicking. My DH took a day off and we took the ferry to Bainbridge Island, where I happily spent the morning in Churchmouse Yarns & Teas. (DH was also happily ensconced in an easy chair at the shop, working on his laptop, so he didn't mind.) I did have the important task of finding the right yarn for the right gift, which for me takes longer than shopping for myself. First project is this tea cozy for my mom. The pattern is one of Churchmouse's. There was a printed tea cozy pattern for sale, but I just winged it using their free Kureyon Watch Cap pattern on which the tea cozy is based, along with having the original to examine. This one has a rustic look in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, color Wool Socks.
I also have two Turn a Square hats, pattern by Brooklyn Tweed. I used charcoal Cascade 220 and Mochi Plus, and one skein of each was plenty for two hats with some left over. The Mochi stripes look much more subdued in real life, so I assure you these are most guy-like hats. Only one of them is spoken for now, but I thought I should make a second while I was at it.
Churchmouse does a great job decorating for Christmas. The theme seemed to be restful, icy colors, with lots of creams, ice blues, pale pinks and celadons, etc. There were huge, wooly wreaths in their front windows, with smaller ones around the shop. I couldn't resist and brought a little one home with me! The kit comes with most everything to make the wreath, including the wire form and strips of muslin to wrap around it.
My gift for my piano teacher will be a pair of fingerless gloves. This is the project I'm most worried about, because they're gloves, which can tend to come out holey, the wrong size, or just handknitted appearing. Another hitch is that none of the eight copies of the book with the pattern are available from my public library; they're all checked out. The pattern was the Beer Gloves from the book Son of Stitch and Bitch, which is not one I have at home. But after some frantic searching on Ravelry, I've found another, plainer one that I can use, the Cigar gloves from Knitty. So we'll see. I did get some very nice yarn for them:
Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift, which I plan to double for a DK weight, in the color Mirrydancers. It's nearly black with flecks of color--suitable for a guy.
Oh, I also got some buttons for my Salina sweater (previous post), one of the reasons for going to Churchmouse in the first place. I knew they would have the perfect buttons, but I hesitate to show you because they look rather uninteresting in the photo. They are mother of pearl-ish with a gold hue and I think they suit the sweater well.
So there you have it. I had intended to make some of my Alan Dart Christmas mice, but they're getting pushed farther down the list. Something to begin in January, perhaps! I also need to get back to my Billie cardigan, which did not get finished by my birthday but I am puttering along on it.
