It’s quirky. It’s chaotic. It’s associated with grandmothers and great-aunts, and it’s festive. I am talking about fruitcake, of course; but my holiday knitting and crocheting bears some resemblance.
It’s been a hectic month of crafting, even by my standards. Despite my festive delusions of working on potential Christmas gifts all year long, it just never happens, so I’ve been backed up on those for some time; and then of course, some random things just had to jump in there and throw me off my game. Without further ado, since November 24…
I wasn’t planning to do it this year (the WIP baskets are too full as it is), but when I realized that Christy Furlan’s Seven for the Dwarf-Lords was eligible for the 2020 Indie Design Gift-A-Long on Ravelry (the thing I wasn’t supposed to do), and that it perfectly fit the bill for a gift I needed to make, I jumped in head first. (Yep, that’s a pun.) It was a engaging, quick knit, and I’m incredibly pleased with how it came out. My recipient has a wool allergy, so I used Knit Picks Comfy Worsted. Normally I’m not a fan of this yarn, as it struggles to hold its shape and the fabric can turn out sloppy; but the tight gauge suggested for this hat gave it some body and made the cables pop.
And then because I couldn’t help myself, I also signed myself up to make a shawl for the Gift-A-Long; this is Suncatcher by Elena Fedotova. The excuse for taking on this project was a New Year’s resolution to crochet my first fingering weight shawl before the end of 2020. And because for once I actually made good on a resolution, there are way too many pictures of it.
Elena is the kind of crochet designer that newbies like myself want to be when they grow up—her portfolio is chock-full of distinctive, quirky, thought-provoking pieces. There will definitely be other Suncatchers (and possibly other Elena creations) on my hooks in the future.
This one has no particular recipient; the plan is to store it away to have handy in case the need arises for a handmade gift. I promise not to wear it in the meantime.
Around the same time I started on a Christmas-themed version of Clair de Lune for a gift swap. I love the dye job on this yarn, with all the different shades of green and the deep red flecks, but can’t decide whether it’s a good fit for the lace in this design; so it may not progress much further than this. Stay tuned for the final decision!
Somehow I ended up starting another Gift-A-Long project as soon as Suncatcher was finished—Crisp Apple Strudel by Katy H. Carroll. This was a blazing fast knit and so much fun it almost shouldn’t be legal. Twisted rib, deep, plushy cables, and an almost painless thumb design (thumbs are the #1 reason why I don’t make more gloves), and I’m a happy camper. These are definitely one of My Favorite Things this winter!
To take a break from the Gift-A-Long for a moment, two little people I know will be getting crochet animal hats for Christmas. The dog hat (right) was actually made earlier this summer and has been waiting for a partner in crime ever since; the bear is hot off the hook. Both of these were whipped up without a pattern from stash yarn, so let’s hope they fit!
Another little person of my acquaintance will be wondering why his cousin sent him a giant stuffed orange wedge for Christmas this year, to which I can only reply that it seemed like a good idea at the time.
But you knew we’d be coming back to the Gift-A-Long, didn’t you? I’ve had my eye on the Shh! Shawl by Jennifer Weissman for ages; the old-timers around here will remember this shawl from Favorite Finds: Botanical. (What ho! It’s been 10 months since we’ve had a Favorite Finds installment. Must remedy that in the New Year…) The weather’s been quite nippy of late and I am needing a chunky winter shawl, so here goes! I have to finish by New Year’s Eve to qualify for the event deadline; but either way, I think this will be a wardrobe staple.
And we can’t forget Beethoven’s Birthday Cowl-Along! It’s only been a week since the kickoff; but we’ve already played some games and given out prizes, and a few enterprising cowl-alongers have already posted finished projects to the FO thread! The event will be running until January 20, so there’s sure to be lots more cowl goodness to come. Speaking of which, I really must make some headway on my project…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year; there’s lots to celebrate and lots of reasons to knit and crochet special things. May your holiday crafting (even the frantic, last-minute, hair-on-fire kind that we’ve all been known to do on December 24) be filled with joy and the meaning of the season. Merry Christmas!
Fruitcake image via Pixabay. All other images taken by yours truly.
