Christmas Presents and Pretty Yarn

So my stitch night had a party and we did a gift exchange. I got this Noro Retro- I'm so excited! I've never used any Noro before and this seems like a nice one. I mean, it's got angora in it.
I need to find something really special to use it on. Isn't the colour great?



I've really been raiding the discount section at work. This Teddy yarn is super soft. I'm making a cardigan with little ears on it for my adorable little nephew. He's gonna be 1 soon!


These are for various Christmas presents. I only got the two balls of the mulitcolour superwash- I am kicking myself now, because I think they would be awesome and quick to work up socks. The other is a merino blend and it's probably going to be hats. Hats hats hats!

Most likely more of this hat, the Best Guy Hat Ever. It really is. I'm gonna make one in a nice girly colour for me once the holiday is over.
I can't believe I'm not sick of making them yet, but every one is still fun!


Speaking of manly things, I finally wove in the last ends of these mitts awhile ago and just recently handed them over to Andrew as an early christmas present. He's actually been wearing them :D! They look quite nice on him. He says he looks like a hobo, but he likes them.


I also made myself a Boteh scarf out of this Chroma that's been sitting in my stash just waiting for a project. I saw one in a different colourway on the blocking thread over at Rav, and I knew I had to make it. It's finished now and just needs blocking.



This has been put aside for my dress (which fingers crossed I will finish today!) and I think I might need more yarn for it, but I am super excited for it. It's going to be a giant fluffy soft mohair wrap. I'm using Debbie Bliss Angel and Party Angel (basically the sparkly version of the same yarn!) striped in a nice ripple pattern. In hindsight, I probably should have made it less wide to get more length, but I kinda love the ridiculous width. I just don't think I'll have the yarn to make it as long as I want.
Gee darn, more yarn.

Presents in the Mail and WIPs

Isn't it cute? This is the little owl hat I made for my nephew. He'll be in town in less than a week. I CAN'T WAIT! I finally get to meet him! I keep making baby noises whenever I talk about him. My boyfriend has been laughing at me a lot, in totally unrelated news.


I got a present today in the mail!
The doorbell rang and I plodded downstairs in my pj's, only to find the mail carrier holding my package from ebay! My very own swift! EEEEEE!
I also got a set of bamboo crochet hooks. Aren't they pretty? They're so pretty!

So of course I had to cake up some yarns I'd been avoiding winding. The brown ball on top is the same as what I've been using for a shawl for my Nana. Winding it on the ball winder without the swift took me almost a freakin' hour. With the swift? Pfff, not ten minutes.
In the background sits something else that I wouldn't have thought of winding without a swift- an indecent amount of laceweight from Habu. Seriously, without a swift, winding that would have been HOURS of torture. Maybe days. With a swift, I still think it'll be getting into at least an hour. Heeheeheee, I kinda can't wait. My arm will hurt, but it'll be worth it for the look on my boyfriend's face.
The golden yellow and yellow/pink cakes are for a shawl. I don't know which, but I can't wait. It's Lorna's Laces and Fleece Artist, and they are both just gorgeous! I'm really excited, but I am trying to finish my other projects first. The stuff that has priority, like mother's day gifts.

Speaking of which, this bag is for my mom. She has totally proven herself worthy of the most gorgeous gifts when her response to the scarf I made for her birthday was "Oh my gosh, there are so many stitches! It's beautiful! This much have been so much work!"
And who doesn't like a good mesh market bag? I love this cotton- I got a mill end bag of it. Yeah, 6$ for a pound of pretty rainbow cotton? Sold! I am so tempted to get more. Except that, you know, I've bought about 5 pounds of yarn this week. Shh...

And the socks I'm making. Or, the sock. I ripped that damn heel out no less than 4 times. And that is some sticky, grippy freaking yarn. Ugh. I was about to cut the yarn off and stick my tongue out at it, but it's really pretty and expensive sock yarn. So rip I did... rip rip rip through the three times I'd cut it for the first go at the heel/ankle. Sigh. Finally getting somewhere with it, though.