Around home and Christmas Knitting

This was a crazy find on the top of my compost tumbler the other morning. Ice in the form of a hollow looking spear.

Gabriel was pretty sick last week. Many who read this blog know that he is a third year medical student. Right now he doing a rotation in Internal Medicine. When you are on rotations, you don't take time off for pretty much anything. No dentist appointments, no DMV, and you have to be pretty darn sick to get sent home. Gabriel was the sickest he has been in a few years but I guess he still wasn't sick enough to go home. So this is what he looked like at the end of the day most days last week. This may or may not be better than another friend in med school who has no heat in her apartment and she needs to be there to let a worker in to fix it which is impossible with her rotation so she is just coming home to a freezing apartment each day. I can't tell you how many other stories there are like this. Med school is every bit as brutal as you could possibly imagine. At least Gabriel is safe and sound at this point. Another classmate recently fell asleep behind the wheel while driving home from the hospital after working 30 hours. He broke his pelvis and is lucky to be alive.

Sorry for the heavy tone.

Pattern: Drops 86-10 Heanband in Alaska
Source: Garnstudio website
Yarn: Sublime Cashmere merino silk aran
Colorway: #8 Sage
Needles: size 7 straight needles

One of the many Christmas presents being knitted. I am not sure what is safe to post or not around here in the way of Christmas knitting. Not sure how much my in-laws and certain friends look at my blog so I am proceeding with a little caution and I am sure that a whole lot more will be posted after the holidays. Believe me though, lot's of knitting is being done. What is even more fun is that Gabriel has also knit three hats as presents. I am stealing one of them though, it is just so cute and come on, my husband made it.

Slippers for Carolyn

Pattern: Aran Isle Slippers
Source: Interweave Knits Holiday 2008
Yarn: Plymouth Earth Oceanside Organic
Colorway: #4
Needles: size 6 straight and circular
Modifications: Did a different aran pattern for tops. Adapted aran pattern from the Lattice Cable on page 182 of the Cables & Arans Harmony Guide.

These were really fun, they are a great basic pattern that could be adapted to have lots of different patterns incorporated in the tops of them. These were a gift for my stepmother who helped me out with a wedding present for friends and generously gave me one of her amazing quilts to give to them. I have been looking for the right thing to knit for her as a thank you but it is hard A) because she is also a very crafty knitter, and B) because she is allergic to all animal fibers. The nice thing though about knitting with cotton is that these are very machine washable which is great seeing as they are worn on the feet. Thanks again Carolyn!

Hourglass Sweater

Finally finally getting around to sharing my hourglass sweater that was finished back in September. I do love it lots! It is my first basic pullover for myself. The yarn is sooo very warm, soft and beautiful. Pattern is super easy but I was pretty sad to find that even such a simple pattern could not be without a pretty major error in the raglan shaping. That is the last time that I neglect to check and see if there are any pattern corrections on Ravelry before getting started on a knitting project. My only modification was doing a few extra decrease rows to make the neck line a bit less boatnecked. This did make the front of the neck line flair up a bit on my neck and then another modification had to be brought in in order to calm that down a bit. Other than that, I loved the rest of the shaping and I am particularly pleased with the shape and little flair to the sleeves. These photos were taken over Thanksgiving on the back patio that is being built at my parent's new place in Celo, NC.

Pattern: Hourglass Sweater
Source: Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Queensland Collection, Kathmandu Aran
Colorways: Color 121 (oatmeal), Color 115 (green)
Needles: size 6 and 7 circulars and dpns