Lady Bragsalot

Now that the holidays are over and all the gifts are gifted, I can brag on some of the stuff I've been knitting.

I drew my sister-in-law's name for Christmas, so as part of her gift she got yet another slouchy beret (she already has one in grey but requested another) and a set of boot toppers.

Star Crossed Slochy Beret, pattern by Natalie Larson

Twist and fold toppers

My mom's Christmas gift was this mohair cowl that was only about 3 years coming. I bought this yarn in March of 2010 and made the mistake of trying to knit a Mother's Day Gift for her while newly pregnant with the Tiny Dark Lord. Upset tummy + frustrating fuzzy laceweight yarn made of freaking spider eyelashes = Homicidal Ragebeast. I could not even look at said yarn for the next year without feeling carsick. 

But this summer I saw an employee at Blazing Needles wearing an absolutely beautiful lace cowl and I thought it might be worth revisiting some old demons if I could make something like that. So I took the yarn back out of the bag with "PIECE OF STUPID AWFUL SUCK" scrawled across it, and gave it a try. I'm so glad I did, and so glad I didn't give up those first few insane, swear-inducing inches.  

Mohair Bias Loop

Because look how gorgeous!!!

Also, don't I have a pretty mom? I comfort myself that in 22 years I might look like this. 

And continuing with the theme of gorgeous, my sister Jenny saw this pattern online, forwarded it to me, and asked if I'd make her one if she bought the yarn. 

Meringue Cowl by Alla Koval

I said yes, and then I made her go into Knit Unique on a day when they were having a massive sale but I couldn't go with her and the store was packed with crazy knitters and she just had these scrawled notes from me about weight and yardage and fiber and she said she wanted blue and so the ladies handed her three skeins of something and said, "THIS. This is what you need" and she paid for it and barely got out of the store with her life.

Which is how she ended up with some super, super nice yarn. Like, way, way better than I've ever bought. Or that she would have bought if she'd seen the price tag first. But oh. I am so glad. Because knitting with that stuff was like having some kind of baby angora/cashmere/silk/camel experience that I probably should have made an appointment with my bishop to talk about. It was just that amazing and I was sad to relinquish it.

Made with The Fibre Company's Road to China Light in Sapphire, also
known as "having tiny woodland animal babies slung about your neck"

I did wear it for few minutes and coo things to it, though.

Next up is a little something for Desmama's little stranger, which of course I can't reveal here where she can see it. Oh! And remember my resolution to start a knitting group? Totally happening tomorrow. Because when it's been hovering around zero degrees for weeks and weeks and if even if you were to go outside you would die from breathing the polluted air, cozying up with piles of yarns just seems like a good idea, you know?