homestretch...

Finished the Paris Night collection on Sunday morning. Behold:






















There's something nice about a set, and I hope my mom likes it. It's Grumperina's Shifting Sands stitch pattern, but I used Malabrigo worsted (in the Paris Night colourway) and adjusted for that. About 1 1/2 skeins for the scarf, 1/2 skein for the hat. The hat is pretty basic - I just used my wily math skills to work out a cast-on and system of decreasing that accommodated the stitch pattern. Something about the teddy bear photo makes me think paparazzi. As though he went on a mad Christmas candy binge, the stole the hat to try to hide the sugar hangover or something. I may not be getting enough sleep.

The lack of sleep is due to the festive deadline. I knit a swatch Sunday for my last knit-gift, and it was perfect. I left it alone, collected the right supplies and went off to my knit-meet-up last night to start on it. I re-measured the swatch, and it had grown. On its own. Somehow? I have visions of evil-unChristmas-elves coming in the night to pull at the sample and screw with my gauge. I went ahead and cast on the eleventy-million stitches required for this project, but had a moment of clarity this morning as I worked out the math and figured out how much too-big it would be if my gauge were really that off. Rather than find myself in tears on Christmas eve, frantically tearing at the garment, I decided to knit another gauge swatch. Okay. Smaller needles. This looks better. Now before it grows I have to go out and pick up the corresponding circular needle and get started on this. I hope I can finish it. And let's hope the gauge gremlins do not strike again. Wish me luck.

May the force be with us all at this festively frantic knitting time.

PS: Have you seen these? Pattern here. Too flippin' cute. (Thanks for the tip, Allegra!)
I must knit some. I must... finish this gift first!