Backstory, Part II

I have a lot of catching up to do on all things, but especially things Knitty. Well, knitty. They're not all connected with the magazine. I did knit the Vegan Fox:

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(And promptly lost it. No kidding. But I found it again at the end of the year, and gave it to Jen for Christmas. She loves it, I'm happy to say.)


Her husband got another hat, too. Here's DH modelling it. This one is my own design, and I'm pretty pleased with it. At that gauage it's also a great starting point to make a cloche. The yarn is vintage (1970s) ragg wool I found at my favorite thrift shop. It didn't even take the whole skein!



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What else...oh, yes. It was the Year of the Sturdy Shawl. This one began as a stole for my MiL. Then I decided it was for me. Then my boss saw it and fell in love with the colors (she's a blue-eyed blonde) and we made a deal; if she paid for the yarn and promised to never expect something knitted again, I'd make it for her. My pattern...and her request was that I not publish the pattern, ever! Oh, well. She loves it, though, and wears it a lot.



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Then I made a silk/cotton blend for my MiL (she's very allergic to wool).



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My sister saw it when she and the boys were up for a visit in July, and just flipped out. So I went out and found more silk/cotton blend yarn and made a slightly different one for her! (No photo, I forgot to take one.)


What else...more wacky socks for DH. Checkerboard heels. He loves them. (Forgot to take a picture of those, too...maybe one of these days before he wears them out.)


I also made more socks for myself, and Branching Out for my friend Jen (in soysilk I got in a swap with Seven (Knitty); she got THAT as her birthday present instead of the Vegan Fox.



I also made one in laceweight merino for me. The yarn for that came from a frogged thrift shop sweater.



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The Jimmy Beans Presto Change-o sweater was for a colleague's first grandchild (I subbed with Cascade 220) and the Fair Isle baby hat (my own design) was for a new employee's first child. (Don't believe what everyone tells you, the darned thing ended up being too big for her to wear before winter ended!)



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Oh, I made a silk/mohair blend collar and belt, inspired by a 1921 pattern for a sweater collar. The buttons are the real deal; pure Art Deco.



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This skating scarf and hat set pattern came from the same Bucilla Bear Brand knitting booklet. I added the lining and the trim. The scarf is about 7' long! And almost too warm. But I love the way it looks.



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Last year I also made a couple of "Three Hour" sweaters, from a free pattern that used to be available online. It's from the 30s. Three hour my foot, but I finished each one in three days. That's pretty good!



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Another mohair shrug, too, from the 1963 Spinnerin pattern I used for my very first sweater. Just as annoying to follow the pattern...and the end result was just as wonderful. (Still don't have a photo.)


Oh, yes, and the Y****** socks I made for my BiL were a huge hit with the nephews. They requested Nascar socks! *sigh* So Flattered Auntie fought over the design (and sizing...a small 6-year old and a big 10-year old and a strange mix of Fair Isle and intarsia...). But they were done on time for Christmas. I started the damn things in August!



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I made some toys for co-workers (my own patterns):



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A hot water bottle cover (my own pattern):



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These are the Monkey Socks (Cookie A.'s pattern, from Knitty) that I made for Theresa:


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I'm still on the board of the Robert Benchley Society, I'm proud to say. So I need to get going and do my judging for the annual contest! This year we are very lucky indeed; Bob Newhart is our finals judge! It's a real honor.


DH and I decided to attend part of the Wodehouse Society's gathering this year. It was held in Providence, and called "Divine Providence". I don't know when I've met funnier, more charming and well-read people. It was an evening and a half of pure fun! We still haven't attended any regular meetings in the area, though. There's a new president and apparently things are still falling into place for the year.


We also went to the California Art Deco Society's bash at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. The Ahwahnee is an Art Deco treasure, built in 1927. Parts of it have been renovated to an unrecognizable degree, but the common areas, for the most part, are still stunning. The music was out of this world, and so was the food in the dining room. Here are a few pictures:


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Whew...some summary! That's all, folks. For now.