On being forced to knit for oneself
or, Caution: much sentimentality ahead.
I believe I mentioned a little while ago that Pat and Susan, two of my favorite people on the planet, got married in October. (And if I didn't mention it... well. They did.) As a thank-you-for-being-a-bridesmaid present, Susan gave me (wait for it) yarn. (Well, yarn and two tiny adorable stuffed animals.) I love yarn; this was a very fine gift indeed. Then Susan dropped the other shoe: This yarn was not allowed to be used for anything but knitted things for me.
Eep. She knows me too well. That, or she remembers this post... So, I accepted the challenge.
The morning of the wedding I had about 45 minutes of time to myself, so I sat down in the rocking chair in my room (the room has my name on it, and everything) and held my new yarn in my lap for a bit. I may also have smelled it and petted it, too. Maybe. Can not confirm or deny this.
I decided to knit a little swatch, to see how it felt and what kind of gauge I could expect. The only needles I had brought along were my 4.5mm, so I chose the Supreme Possum. Possum yarn! I still think this is really cool.
As luck would have it, the yarn and the needles were prefect together. My swatch was perfect, and I didn't even know what it was a swatch for yet. And about 30 seconds later, I had it: mittens. My swatch felt like mittens.
Elizabeth Zimmerman's mitered mittens pattern. The only thing I changed was the thumb.
They are soft, warm, and perfect. I love them.
That left the other yarn. The sock yarn. The luxurious sock yarn. (Ambrosia and Hand-painted Ambrosia. One skein each.) I considered (only for about a minute and only because Cynthia at the yarn shop suggested it) making a cowl with it, since it IS super soft, but no, I really wanted socks.
I didn't have enough of each color to make identical socks, but that's okay because these are my Pat & Susan socks. So named because of the things they have in common with Susan and Pat: They warm and soft, but also very strong...
And like Pat and Susan, they are very different, but are similar where it matters. And I love them to bits.
...Here's hoping this post somewhat makes up for the fact that I have no idea what to get either of them for Decemberween.
I believe I mentioned a little while ago that Pat and Susan, two of my favorite people on the planet, got married in October. (And if I didn't mention it... well. They did.) As a thank-you-for-being-a-bridesmaid present, Susan gave me (wait for it) yarn. (Well, yarn and two tiny adorable stuffed animals.) I love yarn; this was a very fine gift indeed. Then Susan dropped the other shoe: This yarn was not allowed to be used for anything but knitted things for me.
Eep. She knows me too well. That, or she remembers this post... So, I accepted the challenge.
The morning of the wedding I had about 45 minutes of time to myself, so I sat down in the rocking chair in my room (the room has my name on it, and everything) and held my new yarn in my lap for a bit. I may also have smelled it and petted it, too. Maybe. Can not confirm or deny this.
I decided to knit a little swatch, to see how it felt and what kind of gauge I could expect. The only needles I had brought along were my 4.5mm, so I chose the Supreme Possum. Possum yarn! I still think this is really cool.
As luck would have it, the yarn and the needles were prefect together. My swatch was perfect, and I didn't even know what it was a swatch for yet. And about 30 seconds later, I had it: mittens. My swatch felt like mittens.
Elizabeth Zimmerman's mitered mittens pattern. The only thing I changed was the thumb.
They are soft, warm, and perfect. I love them.
That left the other yarn. The sock yarn. The luxurious sock yarn. (Ambrosia and Hand-painted Ambrosia. One skein each.) I considered (only for about a minute and only because Cynthia at the yarn shop suggested it) making a cowl with it, since it IS super soft, but no, I really wanted socks.
I didn't have enough of each color to make identical socks, but that's okay because these are my Pat & Susan socks. So named because of the things they have in common with Susan and Pat: They warm and soft, but also very strong...
And like Pat and Susan, they are very different, but are similar where it matters. And I love them to bits.
...Here's hoping this post somewhat makes up for the fact that I have no idea what to get either of them for Decemberween.