Boxing Day Knitting

Seems like I have to go through this every so often... finishing up projects that I have abandoned... vowing not to start anything else until everything is complete. Once again, I find myself in this spot and the end of the year seems like as good a time as any to clean things up and start fresh.

Today I finished a hat for my youngest. It was a Toft pattern that I bought as a kit at the Knitting and Stitching Show in London that I went to with my mother-in-law this fall. Although this is the photo from the pattern itself, the one I knitted for her was a lovely camel color with an off-white-colored fluff bit at the top. Hopefully a photo to come later.

I then tackled a pair of short socks that I knitted to use up some of my leftover scraps of yarn this past summer. This is the second pair... one I finished this summer. For some reason, I totally misread the pattern and knitted an extra large men's size for my daughter. Needless to say, those socks stayed in my drawer at the lake to be worn around the house. They were hideous and way too big. This is the same pattern, but but this time in the right size. I used some bits of cotton wool that I had remaining from other projects. Figured as short socks, they might work fine with my Birkenstocks. Couldn't find the original pattern, so I guessed a bit on the toe of the second sock. As imperfect as they are, I'll be the only one wearing these.

Still have a few projects to go. Mittens for my eldest and a pair fingerless gloves for someone at work. Not too much left to do in the last few days of the year.

Fingerless Gloves for Warm London

While an Arctic Blast causes plummeting temperatures in parts of the United States, London is still relatively warm. Have even opted out of wearing a coat the last few days... long sweater is all that's needed, especially when going into overly heated stores to Christmas shop. Although I'm currently working on a pair of mittens for my eldest who goes to school in central New York state, I'm also finishing a pair of fingerless gloves for someone at work. I think I've worn gloves only a handful of times this season and didn't really need them even then. Thought that this year I might just knit everyone fingerless gloves as they are really perfect for London much of the time.

Decided on the Sailor's Rib Fingerless Gloves by Gretchen Tracy because of all the interesting textures in the pattern, from the palm to the top of the hand. My friend suggested navy or gray and I happened to have two balls of something old I had gotten at a garage sale. In my mind I thought this yarn might be acrylic, which I guessed would be fine for a glove which may need to be washed more often. but when I looked more closely at the aging label, I realized it was actually 100% wool from New Zealand (or Australia), quite soft and a nice weight for the pattern. I've tried to research the company to see if they are still around, but I can't seem to find any information. When I look up Thorbred yarns, I see a few other labels, but truthfully, nothing that looks this old. Would love to hear if anyone knows how old this wool is. Still in very good shape... looks and feels great.