A Bevy of FO's

Today's post will be filled with FO's I've been meaning to share with my dear readers for quite some time.  Hope you're sitting down for this!

I realized there are some projects I made for holiday gifts that were never shared here as FOs, only WIPs.  The first among these would be the crazy rainbow socks I knitted for my husband, Tyler, who made one casual off-hand remark about wanting some crazy-colored socks and then promptly forgot about it.  Of course, I didn't, and immediately ran out to purchase the brightest skein of sock yarn I could find. 

Yarn:  Zauberball Crazy

Pattern:  Tsunami by Judy Sumner from Knitted Socks East & West

I also knit my grandmother a pair of socks every year for Christmas.  She loves them because not only are they unique and knit with love (awww!), but they also don't compress on her ankles the way store-bought socks do, so they are infinitely more comfortable for her to wear.  You may recall seeing these intermittently over the last few months - a slightly modified version of my sock pattern that debuted in the Sanguine Gryphon's Fall Steam Punk collection. 

Yarn:  The Sanguine Gryphon Skinny Bugga!  In Gryphon's Purple Soldier Fly (Limited-Edition Colorway)

Pattern:  Heliotrope Stockings

The next pair of socks were intended for my father, but as soon as I finished them, I knew they wouldn't fit him - I always knit my colorwork too tight, and these were no exception.  On the plus side, they fit me pretty well...so hurray, a surprise gift for myself!

Yarn:  Knitpicks Simply Cotton Sport in Bittersweet Heather and Green Tea Heather

Pattern:  Sneaky Argyle Socks by Wendy D. Johnson from Toe-Up Socks for Everybody

As soon as I was finished with all of my gift knitting, I cast on for some fancy cabled gloves using some possum yarn that I'd been wanting to play around with.  These look complex, but they were actually pretty simple to make, and they fit fantastically!  This is the first drops pattern I've knit to completion (I'm still working on the sport-weight cardigan - I'm about halfway through the sleeves, which I'm knitting two-at-a-time, but that's another post for another day!)  There are certainly some different phrasings to get used to, and it was kind of fun using the metric system, but overall I found it fairly easy to follow.

Yarn:  Zealana Kia Ora Rimu DK (60% Merino, 40% Possum)

Pattern:  Drops Design ME-015

I also couldn't resist knitting with some of my Christmas yarn booty immediately - and this skein of Sanguine Gryphon Codex, a beautiful BFL/silk blend, was irresistible.  Lately I'm all about the fancy cables - and somehow I've never knit a Brooklyn Tweed pattern.  How is that possible?  I'm not sure, but it's been remedied now!  Again, this is a case of something that looks incredibly complex, but I assure you it's a very fast knit - and my new favorite winter warmer!

Yarn:  The Sanguine Gryphon Codex (52% Silk, 48% Blue-Faced Leicester Wool)

Pattern: Habitat by Jared Flood

Also had to finish knitting the languishing stuffed alpaca from another time and place - he's finally all in one piece! 

Yarn:  Blue Sky Alpacas 100% Alpaca Sport Weight in Medium Tan

Pattern:  Zeke the Aloof Alpaca by Rebecca Danger

I should probably take down the Christmas tree now that I've knit the other Rebecca Danger Monster Ornament.  Or maybe I should let Olive hang around a bit before she's retired to the ornament box for eleven months....

Yarn:  Shi Bui Sock in Cranberry and Shi Bui Staccato in Apple

Pattern:  Olive the Christmas Monster by Rebecca Danger