Poor Poet's Mitt's (again)

This is actually the third time I make this pattern, but I just think fingerless gloves are a fast, nice and thoughtful present. Currently, these have no owner. I have toyed with the idea of keeping them for myself but I know better: I always give all my projects away and can never manage to make anything for me. I guess it's because I already feel like I enjoyed the knitting so much that keeping it is selfish.

Go figure.

This is a picture of both gloves















And here is a detail of one, hopefully, my iPhone camera captured the little roses well enough

Xmas knitting: the Eva shawl

'tis that time of year when I am stressed out and worried I will not have enough time to finish everyone's presents. I did start a little later than I would have liked this year, since that whole PhD defense and getting visits from Guatemala ate up all my time...

I am back to my knitting stride and put a little extra work in for finishing my first project in record time. I had tried to knit this pattern before. In fact, it was my third lace project out of my 'Wendy Knits Lace' book. The first one had been the Poor Poet's Mitts that were super easy and then this scarf that came out all sorts of wrong, but that my mom still liked well enough. When I first tried to make this shawl, back in early February, l I had to rip it out and repeat it so many times. This was not long ago, but I have seen my knitting skills increase dramatically. I think it was because I didn't know now to read charts a year ago and now I can. Lace charts are fun.

So this is the first xmas project. I will post more pictures on other mini projects I have made in these days of late autumn darkness.

These are two details of the shawl

A detail for the shawl (note I blocked it before weaving in the ends. I really don't like that part and postpone it as long as humanly possible!

A more complete view of the shawl

I will make sure to upload a picture of the shawl with its owner after Jul!

I learned how to knit when I was a little girl, although I never got the chance to practice much or to learn how to do anything more than to knit and purl. In my little heart, I always wanted to learn how to knit socks. Today, it is not a secret how much I love to make socks and virtually everyone I know owns a pair of socks from me.

This year I was pretty devoted to lace, and didn't make a pair of socks until late September. I made two pairs of socks, one for the lovely A and one for the lovely K, the two toastmasters at the party after my PhD defense.

Knitting socks is pretty easy, but I find I have become better at it since my first pair in winter of 2010. They fit better and they look more 'even', if that makes any sense. Here's a picture of a basic 8sts per inch sock from this book, that I completely love.

I have to start getting on those xmas projects for Mg's family soon! yay!

I'm especially proud of this pair, since they fit A like a glove!