Christmas Knitting

Last year I knit lots of little things for Christmas - mostly scarves and fingerless gloves. It wasn't until I found a book in my local library, Christmas Stockings - 18 Holiday Treasures to Knit, that I had an idea for this year. That was to replace our store-bought stockings with hand-knit ones. I had each family member pick out a stocking design and tell me their color preference, so I now have a knitting plan for fall. As it turns out, each stocking is in a different style, so the knitting will be interesting.
First up is DD's stocking, which will be a giant felted stockinette sock made with Noro Kureyon:
Then for DS, a Nordic-style Fair Isle stocking, black background with green design. The green is a little brighter in real life. This is my first try at stranded knitting and it's all David Reidy's fault. Based on his descriptions in his podcast, Sticks and String, I want to give it a try.

DH has requested a Gansey-style stocking in Deerfield green:

In keeping with the spirit of trying new things, I've chosen an Argyle stocking for myself. The main color is white, with green and red as the diamonds and gold and blue for the diagonal lines.

I'm torn between what to start first - and whether swatches are really needed, because these don't have to fit!

K.I.S.S. applies to socks, too

The very first pair of socks that I knit was in stockinette, and after that I went to patterns. I wasn't happy with my Fawkes socks(page down), and wanted something to work on while I figured out what to do with those. At the same time, I had a skein from A Piece of Vermont that I wanted to knit, but couldn't decide on a pattern.So, thanks to the Simply Stockinette group on Ravelry, it finally hit me. Just knit a simple sock, and let the yarn provide the interest. Which it does. I'm also knitting these socks tighter than I usually would, since the yarn is 100% Merino. I've read that it wears better when it is tightly knit. I'm really enjoying being able to knit and not worry about the pattern. The knitting also seems to go more quickly.

The red scarf is making progress - has to be mailed by October 15th!

Fawkes with STR, mixed results

Despite changing needle sizes, I couldn't keep the spiral going - it switched directions on me, leaving a blob in its path. I'm not sure that I like the effect, but don't want to start over, either. Given the wild colorway, it may not matter what I do!


Pattern: Fawkes, with 4 pattern repeats on US2 dpns for the leg, then the instep knit on US2 and the sole on US1. This may become the first sock that I have ever completely frogged and reknit, with the whole sock on US1. I just weighed my sock and the remaining yarn, and the first sock has used 1/3 of the yarn. I left the ankle short just in case, and now will have a lot of leftover yarn.

I'm going to have to think about this one. I love the pattern, and it was a pretty quick knit. Fawkes will have to sit in time out while I work on my stockinette stitch sock with the Piece of Vermont yarn I got at CT Sheep and Wool, and figure out what the Firebird wants to be.