A Tradition Continues

In my family, new members are welcomed with a Christmas stocking, usually knit by me or my mother. The newest member is Baby Ford, third child of my cousin and his wife.

For this stocking I chose the Cascade Yarns Christmas Stockings pattern, with changes, of course.

I did use Cascade 220: 8505 white, 8894 green, 7818 blue, and 9404 red. I knit it on US 4 needles because I am a “relaxed” (that is, loose) knitter and I like the stocking fabric to be a little tighter than usual. One change I made was a short-row heel; the specified heel looked out of proportion to my eye.

Some of the designs came from the Cascade pattern; others came from other sources. I especially like the blue and white section, which is from Annemore #7, a design in Selbuvotter by Terri Shea. It looks very Christmas-y to me.

I used duplicate stitch for the name because I finished the stocking before is name was revealed.

I was lucky to get Baby Ford as my assignment. My mother will knit stockings for this cousin’s sister, who had twins a few weeks before Ford was born. She decided to aim for Christmas 2013 for her stockings. I did advise my uncle — grandfather to all of these babies — that someone in the next generation needs to learn how to knit stockings if he wants the tradition to continue.

So happy holidays to the newest members of the family, their parents, grandparents, godparents, aunts, uncles, great-aunts, great-uncles, and cousins of all degrees of separation.

Everyone Needs Extra Yarn

Looking for a last-minute gift for a knitter or a future knitter? Or for someone who will enjoy a charming story and illustrations? This book is perfect.

The main character, Annabelle, finds what looks like an ordinary box full of ordinary yarn. But it turns out it isn’t.

And this may look like an ordinary children’s book but it isn’t. Adults will enjoy it just as much as children will. I liked it a lot.

Another Icelandic Shawl

Last year, I knit the Icelandic Lace Shawl with lots and lots of changes. I had a lot of the yarn leftover so I knit another Icelandic shawl, Halfskak by Sigridur Halldorsdottir from Three-Cornered and Long Shawls. Again, I made lots and lots of changes. And, once again, I am happy with the results.

Yarn: Knit Picks lace weight: undyed (white), Jewels (blue), Lost Lake (green), and Sunset (red)

Needles: US 6

Finished size: 25 inches center back

Changes:

• Extra stitched added to each side and slipped.
• Fewer colors than original (I really am trying to knit from stash).
• Stockinette, not garter, on the white section.
• Extra repeats of the white section.
• Centered double decreases on the colored section.