On the needles:



 

 

Pattern: Honey Cowl by Madelinetosh

Yarn: Illimani Yarn Royal 1

Colour: A3060

Needles: Circular - 5.0 mm

 

This doesn't look much like a cowl at present but the pattern has been so popular on Ravelry (over 14,000 made!) that I trust it will be very cowl-like indeed when it comes off the needles! This is the first time I have used Illimani alpaca and it is lovely. It doesn't split, frogs with great forgiveness, and has the soft drape and luxurious feel that you expect from an alpaca yarn.

 

And off the needles at long last:

 

 

Pattern: Stocking stitch

Needles: Circular - 2.25 mm.

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Solemate; Colour: Jeans

Yarn: Cascade Heritage Solids and Quatro; Colour: 5604

Yarn: Cascade Heritage Solids and Quatro; Colour: 5651

 

I started this sock project in the spring of 2013 but kept putting it aside. It feels good to finally get the socks finished.

While I like Lorna's Laces yarns, I don't like the way the variegated colours pool with sock knitting. I tried a variety of sock patterns  (Ravelry has lists of patterns that minimize pooling) with no success. Finally, I decided to alternate one row of Lorna's Laces Solemate Jeans colour with one row of a leftover solid Cascade Heritage baby blue. And used Cascade Heritage Denim colour for the cuffs, heels, and toes.

I am not thrilled with the socks but feel I have made good use of the yarn.

 

 

Here's the kind of card that every knitter would like to see under the Christmas tree - a gift card from Have A Yarn in Mahone Bay. The design and sketch is by Heather Tunnah herself. I was actually lucky enough to get two - one for a Fair Isle knitting class and one for a Double Knitting class. I was never much interested in double knitting until I saw some of the finished projects in the shop. One is called a sock but, to me, is thick enough and cosy enough to be a slipper.

 

Christmas has been put away for another year. The house seems bare now without the trees and candles, etc. There are just fond memories...