A Little More Sewing

I made the Vivace Dolman top from Love Notions!  This was an easy and fast project to make.  I used a rayon challis fabric that I've had in my stash for a while, but I can't remember where I bought it.  The finished top is loose and flow-y.  The pattern details are getting lost in the print, but you can see them in the line drawings from the pattern page, linked aboves.  The pattern can be used for either wovens or knits, so there are plenty of options for whatever fabric you have on hand.  The design does look a little like scrubs (but there's no patch pocket - don't scrubs have pockets?), but depending on the fabric used and they way it's styled that shouldn't be a problem.  On the other hand, if someone was looking for a cute scrubs top pattern, this might work (if you added a pocket - for some reason I feel strongly that pockets are a thing on true scrub tops).  Anyway, I'll probably pair it with some cropped pants or a narrow skirt, and make sure to accessorize it well - not with a stethoscope!

Happy Fourth of July if you celebrate, have a great July 4 anyway if you don't!

Sewing

I made a dress!  This is the McCall's 7969, View A in a linen print.  The dress is made with no fastenings and is loose enough to slip over the head.  

I ended up adding ties at the waist so I can make it a little more fitted though because between the loose fit; the poofy, statement sleeves; and the gathered skirt, it didn't look like much.  Fifi doesn't have arms at the top of her shoulders so the sleeves are sitting closer to the bodice than they do on an actual human, but adding the tie really helps shape the bodice and makes it much more flattering.

I also ended up tacking down the front crossover section.  It was pulling open (probably from the weight of the sleeves - they're impressively huge), and I knew I'd be fighting gravity every time I tried to wear it.  One other change I made that isn't visible in the photos is to add inseam pockets, because pockets!  

I'm really happy with the finished dress and the linen feels amazing.  This should be wearable in Spring, Summer, and Fall around here - being linen and loose!

Sewing

Last month I had a cutting session and I was able to get about six projects cut out.  I've found that if I cut out a bunch of things, then I can sew them up as I have time, and even 10-15 minutes is enough to get a few things done.  I decide what order I want to sew them in (sometimes it's based on thread color, sometimes it's based on the pattern), and cut them out in reverse order, stacking the cut pieces and the patterns in a large tray I have.  Then I just carry the tray upstairs to my sewing room and get to work!

This is the Rhapsody Blouse from Love Notions, with the bell sleeves, sewn in Liberty Tana Lawn.  Since it's made in the lightweight Liberty cotton, I should be able to get a lot of wear out of it here, including into the fall, when I want to wear fall-looking clothes, but it's still 90 degrees outside.  This was not a difficult project to sew up, and while I haven't finished the ties yet (they're too long - I have to decide how long I want them, tie the ends in knots, and then trim the ends), it's otherwise finished.  The finished blouse is soft and comfortable, but I think it would also be nice in rayon or a lightweight linen.  (Both rayon and lawn are recommended fabrics for this pattern.)

Next up is a linen dress in some pink paisley linen from Lithuania!

Not The Collar

Before there is panic, I'm still working on The Collar, but I have also done a bit of sewing.  This is the Stanwyck Skirt.  I made the pencil version with curved pockets and straight waistband.  I made it in a Japanese Cotton Linen blend canvas because I was looking for something casual.  This is actually the same fabric I used for Mr. Noodle's Christmas leaf.

The pattern was easy to follow, although some of the directions might have been easier in a different order.  For instance, she has you join the side seams of the front and back before installing the zipper.  I think adding the zipper to the back first, then sewing the side seams would have been easier.  I don't know if there's a reason for this, and I did follow all of the directions in order to make this skirt, but when I make another one, I'll probably do a few things in a different order.  Also, I'll probably make the circle skirt version at some point (with pockets, of course!)

Have a great weekend!  I'll be finishing The Collar (hopefully) and blocking my cardigan!

We Now Return To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

Happy 2024 everyone!  Sorry to just ghost everyone like that, but we had some medical issues in the family and all of my mental bandwidth was spent on that.  There have been multiple days in a row that I didn't even pick up knitting needles.  (Crazy, right?)  Anyway, things are returning to normal, everyone is getting healthier, and I've done a bit of knitting, so here I am.

At the end of the year, I like to look at what I've gotten finished that year, and I hadn't done that recap, so here it is.  (This is mostly for my own records and you totally aren't going to hurt my feelings if you skip to the new project below the lists.)

2023 - Sewing

• 6 Pajama sets (I actually made PJ's for all three of us over the course of the year)
• 6 Bags (One tote, the other five are smallish knitting bags)
  
• 2 Skirts
• 1 Top
• 1 English Oak Leaf (This was Mr. Noodle's Christmas gift, he sits on it.  This is the pattern.)

 

2023 - Knitting and Crochet 

• 14 pairs of Socks
• 5 Sweaters
• 3 Hats
• 1 Crocheted Shawl

So there it is, 2023 all wrapped up.  Apparently it was a year of socks and pajamas!

I have gotten started on some new projects and while I'll give my current Sweater-In-Progress it's own post, I'll show you my first pair of socks for 2024!

These are the Winter Dudes socks.  I'm actually just past the heel now, but this is a better photo of the colorwork.  I'm knitting them in Cascade Heritage Sock in 5629 Citron (a very pale, lime green), 5607 Red, and 5618 Snow.  I'm going for a Christmas sock feel, but I prefer lime green with red over a more traditional, darker Christmas green because it contrasts more.  The pattern has two different charts for the legs: this one with the gnomes and the trees, and the second is all gnomes.  I plan to do both socks using this chart, but you could knit one sock from each chart if you wanted to.

I hope you all had a lovely holiday season and I hope 2024 is a good year to everyone!  Caleb told us he has a feeling that 2024 will be a good year and that sounds great, doesn't it?  After the last few years, it's not like the bar is set very high after all!

 

More of the Sewing

A few weeks ago, when I was cutting out the Scenic Top (see the previous post for the details, links, and fabrics), I realized that since the fabric was 58 inches wide, I would have enough of the original two yards to get a second top.  Since the Scenic Top is semi-fitted, I wanted something with different lines, so I decided to make another Lou Box Top.  In the back of my head was the thought that I didn't need two plain, purple tops, so I decided to make the Scenic Top plain (especially since it was my first time with the pattern), and add something to the Lou Box top.  I didn't know yet what the something was that I wanted to add.

I thought and thought and played with different ideas, but nothing was quite right.  In the meantime, I kept sewing my way through the pile I had cut out and ready to sew.  (I always cut out at least three or four projects when I cut, that way I can keep up my sewing momentum without having to stop and cut again as quickly.)  The Scenic Top and the Lou Box Top were at the bottom of the pile, waiting for me.

Finally, as I sewed the Scenic Top, I used a scrap of Art Gallery Voile in a print that I really liked with the purple (but had no purple in it) for the bias neck edge finishing.  The directions for this finish are a little different with this pattern, but the finished result came out looking better than any other bias edging I've ever done.  As I was looking at the finished Scenic Top, my brain wondered, "What if we use this on the Lou Box top, on the outside?"  I knew that would be perfect!  I decided to use the finish on both the neckline and the sleeves (using a normal hem for the lower edge), and to add a pocket of the voile print just for fun.

So here is my finished Lou Box top, with exposed bias edgings and pocket!  This was such a fun thing to try, I've had to stop my brain from looking at different linen and voile/lawn combinations several times.  I'm sure I will do something like this again.  I might even use the exposed bias edge on the Scenic Top itself someday!

Some of the Sewing

When Autumn comes to Texas there is no mad rush for flannel, chunky knits, or boots - it's still 90 degrees here.  Our Autumn wardrobes are basically the same as our Summer wardrobes, in autumn colors.  When I found this rich, purple, handkerchief weight linen, I knew it would be perfect for an Autumn top that I wouldn't melt in!  I bought two yards, and since it's 58 inches wide, I was able to get two tops out of it - win, win!

This first top is the Scenic Top from Twig and Tale and this was my first time making the pattern.  (This was my first time making any of the Twig and Tale patterns and I'm very impressed.)  There's a lot of information about picking size and double checking your measurements with the pattern's,  and they give directions to adjust the pattern to fit.  The sewing directions were equally thorough and clear.  I didn't use it, but this pattern also comes with a video, walking you through all the steps.  The only change I made was to lengthen the body of the pattern a little as it is drafted for someone a few inches shorter than I am.

Sewing the top went quickly and very smoothly using their clear directions.  I don't remember the last time I used darts or did a true set in sleeve, but both of them were easy to do.  I used a scrap of cotton voile for my bias neck binding and while you can't see it while the top is being worn, I know it's there and it makes me ridiculously happy.

This pattern has four different sleeve options included and I used the cap sleeves.  I thought those would be most useful now, while it's still hot, as well as later, tucked under a cardigan.  In addition to the four included with the Scenic Top itself, the sleeves from the Vista Top, and the Sleeve Add On patterns can all be interchanged.  This gives you options to make basically any woven top variation, and the top itself is neither too fitted, nor too loose.  I will definitely be making more of these!

The second top I made out of this fabric will be making its debut next week, because I still haven't hemmed it, so you'll have to wait in suspense until then!  Have a great weekend!

Finished Things!

Today is a day of finished things!  I've been doing a little bit of sewing in short breaks while Obi is having his morning nap, and I finished another Brumby skirt.  This one is made in Art Gallery's quilting fabric.  I don't normally like quilting fabric for sewing garments because most patterns call for fabrics with more drape than the average quilting fabric.  (There are patterns designed to use quilting fabrics, so it obviously works great in those.)  Art Gallery quilting fabric is very soft, has some drape and is a very nice fabric to sew.  It also still has some body, so it can't replace rayon challis, but for patterns that call for chambray or linen, it might be an option.

This is the pattern with the impressive pockets, but they kind of get lost in the flowers on this skirt.  (They still function just fine, they're just hard to see.)  I'm tempted to make a tiered maxi length version of this skirt, with the pockets.  The structured (non-elastic) waistband would easily support the extra length.  That's a pattern hack for another day though.

In addition to the skirt, I also finished my Sagittarii pullover!  This is knit in Sweet Georgia Yarns Tough Love Sock in Charcoal and Lady Dye Yarns Sock in Benedict.  I prewashed both yarns to make sure there would be no bleeding.  I'm really happy with the way this came out.  The yoke pattern reminds me of vintage Christmas ornaments, but I purposely made it in non-traditional Christmas colors so I could keep wearing it through winter.  If you live in a place that has more cold weather around Christmas than we do, it would be lovely in more Christmas-y colors.   (We really don't get super cold around here until January and February.)

I didn't have to re-re-do the neckline a third time since it blocked out nicely.  I just steam blocked the sweater and everything settled right into place.  I know superwash yarn isn't the traditional choice for stranded colorwork, but if the gauge is tight enough it works just fine.  I have another stranded yoke colorwork pullover planned and the yarn is in my stash, so you will be seeing more of this kind of thing!

Two! Finished Projects!

Yes, you read that right!  I've actually finished two things!  (Insert Happy Dance here!!!)

First of all, I finished the Musselburgh hat I showed you last week.  This is such a great pattern because you don't have a huge cast on, you don't have to check your gauge, you just start knitting with a yarn and needles that work well together.  Then you fold the hat in half, stuffing one half into the other half (instant lining) and it's done.  It means knitting a fingering weight hat that is actually warm.  

See?  Here's what it looks like when the knitting is done.  Crazy, right?

I also finished a sewing project.  This is the Brumby Skirt, and I don't think this will be my last one.  I made it in a navy cotton with slubs running both ways in the weave.  If you zoom into the photo, you can see the lighter crosshatch in the fabric.

Also, did you see the pockets in this thing?  I think you could put kittens in these!  I made the medium length version with the pockets (the pattern has mini, knee, and midi length skirts).  I also used an invisible zipper instead of the exposed zip the pattern calls for.  I can definitely see doing this again, but I also think it would be cute with gathered tiers for a maxi skirt (still with the pockets of course)!

A Dress

I finished a sewing project!  This is the Eva Dress from Tessuti Fabrics.  It's a lantern shaped dress with pockets.  I lengthened it so it would hit me in the right place, but Fifi is a little shorter than me, so when I wear it, it won't be quite as long on me.  It's still definitely in the realm of maxi dress length though. 

This was the first time I made a design from this company but I really enjoyed it and I wouldn't hesitate to make more of their patterns.  I could also see making another one of the Eva dress in a color.  I used IL019 Black FS Signature Finish linen fabric to make the dress.  I use this fabric a lot and have never been disappointed.  It has a nice weight, a nice drape, and is easy to sew.  Being linen, it's wonderful to wear in the heat, which can easily go into September and early October around here.  I think the shape of this dress could work with cropped cardigans or a drapey scarf, so it could be wearable in cooler temperatures as well.

I did make a muslin of the bodice and sleeve portion of the dress to check fit before I cut it out in the linen.  My size was between two of the pattern sizes so I wanted to double check things.  This also gave me a chance to measure for length so I'd know how much I needed to add.  With the lantern shaped skirt I couldn't just add length at the bottom edge or it would end up too narrow to walk in.  I should probably do a muslin more than I do, but I tend to be lazy about them.  I'm trying to get better!

Forward Momentum!

I've been doing a little sewing around here.  I made a Sailor top in some Art Gallery Voile.  I think this will be perfect for the hot summer days that are coming.  The Sailor pattern has been adapted and tweaked a bit and is now called the Cordyline Top, but this is the original Sailor top.  I made this once before out of double gauze (which is also super cool and comfortable on hot days), but it's been a while.  I'm hoping to get a couple of other things cut out of some black linen later today, so I'm ready to sew when I have a chance.  

I've also been working on my Imber Socks.  I've made it past the stranded colorwork (still painfully slow) to the striped foot on this first sock, but I really like it.  I hope to finish this first sock by the end of this week.

I got the second skein of Herb yesterday, so now I can finish my Elsom wrap.  Hopfully, I'll be back next week with a finished object!  Have a great weekend!

Many Pictures, Few Words

My Blackberry Snuggle.  This Too Shawl Pass in Cascade Eco+ 3121 Blackberry Cordial.

An overexposed shot to show the lace design.

Long sleeved, long pant Christmas pajamas.  Ladies Tranquil Nightwear by Love Notions.

Short sleeved, shorts Christmas pajamas.  Modified Lou Box Top, self drafted shorts from a pair of ready to wear.

Second bobbin of my Easter Egg spinning project.  

Have a great Thanksgiving if you're celebrating this week!  I'll be back next week!

Sewing

I've been doing some sewing this fall, but I don't think I've shown any of it here.  The first thing I made is a Remy Raglan with the short sleeves and split front option.  I've gotten a lot of wear out of it since I made it in linen which is perfect for the Texas climate.  This is the fabric I used.  This pattern is written for French seams so you don't need a serger to have a beautifully finished garment.  I do have a serger, but I love French seams so I did them anyway (also, while both methods finish the seam edges just fine, the French seams are prettier).

Then I decided to make another Remy Raglan for Thanksgiving.  This time I used the solid front (I thought it would work better with a necklace) and the new sleeve update for the puffy sleeve.  (The pattern also includes a 3/4 length sleeve with the same shape as the short sleeve.)  This is sewn in the same fabric as above in the Wild Cherry color.  Also, I forgot to give it a final pressing before I took this picture so it's hanging a little wonky.  It will be pressed by next week!

I can tell you that I will definitely be making more Remy Raglans.  It's a great shape and with two front options and three sleeve options, it's a versatile design.

Right now though, I'm working on pajamas.  I decided to make a pair of Christmas pajamas and as soon as the Thanksgiving frivolities are over and the house is put back together, I plan to wear them.  This means I better get sewing on them!  

I decided to make the Tranquil Nightwear pajamas from Love Notions, using the long pants and the long sleeves on the top.  I ordered some fabric (I had it printed on Robert Kaufman Laguna Knit) and since this is the first time I'm making this pattern and I usually have to add length, I ordered some extra.  When I was cutting out the pattern, I realized that I would have enough left over to make a pair of short sleeved/shorts pajamas (I used the pattern I traced from some ready to wear shorts and my Lou Box Top variation, which is my tried and true summer pj's pattern) as well, which is actually useful in Texas because we're just as likely to need short sleeves in December as we are long sleeves.  So now I know that four yards of knit will give me summer and winter pajamas! 

A Finished Sock, But Not Really

I finished my first Vanilla is the New Black sock.  This is an interesting construction and one of the reasons I wanted to try it is that I heard it fits well for those with high arches.  I have high arches and while I've never had trouble fitting a sock with a traditional heel flap, I figured I'd give it a try.  On US 1's (2.25mm) needles, I get about nine stitches to the inch and a 64 stitch sock usually works perfectly depending on the stitch pattern (cables and traveling stitches both decrease elasticity while most laces and ribbings make a sock more elastic).  Naturally, when I started this sock, I cast on for the 64 stitch size.  When I finished the sock and tried it on, I realized that there was a problem.  The lower leg/heel/upper foot area is too big.  Not just a little loose, but seriously floppy with extra sock fabric.  The leg and the foot themselves fit fine.  So, while it's an interesting construction and I'm glad I knit it, I decided to frog it.  This photo is the only evidence that I knit it.  I will be casting on a different sock pattern later today with a traditional heel flap.  I do think this design would be great for people who find their socks too tight in the heel/beginning instep area, and I'm sure there are some foot and leg shapes out there that would be perfect for this shaping.  It just doesn't work for me.

In other news, I got some sewing projects cut out yesterday: a skirt and two pairs of pajamas.  I actually cut out two pairs of shorts for each pajama set because I cut one from my self drafted pattern of my favorite store bought knit pajama shorts and then a second pair of the Brianna pajama shorts to try them out.  I love the full length Brianna pajamas and would like to make a pair, but checking the fit on shorts seems like a good idea before committing to a full length pair.  The photo above is one of the pajama top back pieces in possibly the most awesome fabric in the universe.  The skirt I cut out is the Emaline Skirt.  This is the first time I'm making it so I used some stash fabric to check the fit.  Now I've got to straighten my sewing room up enough that I can actually sew in it.  In the continuing effort to keep Newton safe, a lot of things kind of got dumped in there.  I need to do some organizing.

This Weekend

I have some plans this weekend.  

Yesterday I finished spinning the singles from my Merino/Tencel fiber in the Arcade colorway.  I spun this top from end to end without splitting or predrafting it.  For one thing, it definitely didn't need it, the fiber prep and dyeing were wonderfully done.  Also, I was working on spinning back and forth across the width of the fiber evenly.  If I had worked more to one side of the fiber, the colors would have gotten muddy and while there's always going to be some blending where the colors change, I think I did a pretty good job.   I hope to get this chain plied over the weekend and I've already decided on my next spinning project.

I also pre-washed two pieces of knit fabric for pajamas.  

I don't expect to get everything sewn up and finished, but I'm hoping that I can get them cut out this weekend.  If I have a really good weekend, I'll even cut out the floral print with all the flowers right side up!  Thankfully the magical unicorn kitties go every which way.

I'm sure there will also be knitting this weekend, but I'm hoping to get these other projects worked on as well.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, whatever you've got going on!

A Top For Warm Weather

As I've been knitting all these big, boxy sweaters this past fall and winter, I've really enjoyed the shape.  It's easy to wear, works with skinny jeans and ballet flats and feels like pajamas.  When I saw the Lou Box Top pattern I knew I had to sew up a few for warmer days (you know - spring, summer, fall).  It's not a new pattern, I'm just slow at finding it.

It can be used with knits and wovens; it comes with two neckline options and three hem options.  I made the straight hem option with the crew neck, using Cotton and Steel rayon fabric and really, this was the only thing tricky about this pattern.  The pattern itself is very simple.  There is a bias neck binding but they aren't really hard, just fiddly and you have to take your time.  The thing is, when a top is this boxy and oversized, it really needs to be made in drapey fabric.  Drapey fabrics tend to be a bit squirelly, but if you use a fabric that isn't drapey enough, the top is going to make you look like a box.  The rayon is perfect for this and I have two more pieces of it for two more of these.  The oversized nature of this top means it will be breezy in the summer heat and while sometimes there are sleeve issues with oversized tops (if the sleeves are too big, the world can sometimes get more of a show than you bargained for) these are perfect - no show, but not tight either.

I actually think this could be really great in a silk charmeuse or even a drapey crushed velvet for the holidays.  I don't have any definite plans for these, but the ideas are bouncing around in my head.

First Finished Project of 2019!

 

I made pajamas!  This is the cami with the optional shelf bra and the shorts from Love Notions' Luna Loungewear pattern.  I made them in some Art Gallery knit I had left over from a dress I made a couple years ago.  I've got fabric for a couple more sets, but I'm going to sleep in this one for a few nights just to make sure I don't want to change anything.  I tried them on when I finished them and I think they're just about perfect.  This is my first time using this pattern brand and I found them to be easy to use and the directions were well written.  (Full disclosure: I love print at home patterns and actually like putting them together.  I think it's easier for me psychologically to make alterations, knowing that if things go wrong I can reprint the original pattern and start over.)

There wasn't anything particularly difficult with these.  I was a bit concerned about the knit binding/straps, but I pressed some folds into the binding before attaching it and my coverstitch machine finished them off beautifully.  I didn't do the fly front on the shorts and I also didn't add the drawstrings.  Since Max sleeps under the covers, I've found drawstrings on pajamas to be "distracting" to him (which is a nice way of saying he tends to lose his mind in the middle of the night and attack my pajamas).

I actually really like knit cami's with shelf bras to use as layering pieces, not just pajama tops.  I love them under cardigans and even under an oversized pullover like the Relax sweater they're great for keeping the drafts out!  Unfortunately, it's difficult to find a good color selection of cami's in stores right now.  For the cami portion alone, I'm pretty sure I'm going to get my money's worth out of this pattern.

Sew Together Bags And A Recap of 2018

 

I've been sewing.  I made six Sew Together Bags this month, some for gifts, some for me.  I heard about this pattern a few years ago, thought it was an amazing idea, bought it, downloaded it, and haven't done anything about it since then.  Periodically I would sort through fabrics and try to decide what to put where, but I never really got anywhere.

 

This year, I decided to make some for gifts and figured I'd make myself a couple as well, for a total of six.  I sat down with my piles of fabrics and some post-it notes and figured out (and marked) what was what.  I had the pattern, the link to the sewalong, and an insane number of zippers (the company at that link sells a set of the long zipper and the three short zippers you need for this bag in your choice of colors - NAYY).

I separated the fabrics and zippers for each bag into their own ziplock bags so I wouldn't get confused.  I realized I could sew three of the bags with white thread and three with hot pink thread.  This meant I could use assembly line techniques and not have to change thread too often.

Some of the bags have the same fabric in each pocket lining, some only have one fabric.  Some of the bags use different fabrics for the interior and exterior side panels while some bags just used one.  Cutting out took an entire afternoon, but I stayed organized and kept each of the bag parts together.

I quilted all of the exteriors with a 1cm grid (my sewing machine is a Pfaff - metric markings), and after trimming them down once they were quilted (quilting can make a piece of fabric draw in, so for projects like this, you cut your pieces bigger than necessary, quilt, and then trim down to the correct size as listed in the pattern), I was ready to go.  I was also 12 hours into the project and hadn't even started the actual construction yet.

I used a combination of the pattern directions and the sewalong directions to put the bags together.  I also used this tutorial for zipper tabs on the interior pockets.  I think it makes the zippers look neater and it reduces bulk as you sew it.

When I did the binding, I sewed them on by machine first and then turned them over and stitched them down by hand to finish them.  For the long, top zipper bindings, I only did hand stitching along the bag.  I machine stitched both sides for the ends of the zippers where they make little handle loops.  I felt like this would make them more secure.

While this is definitely not a beginner pattern, I didn't think it was difficult either.  There are some fiddly bits and being comfortable with your sewing machine makes it easier to get through these.

This was not a fast project, but I enjoyed it and I think the fact that all six of the bags are different kept it from getting monotonous.  Everyone who got one of the bags seemed really happy with it and I hope they get lots of use!  (By the way, I just have to add that in the bag in the photo above, the zipper at the bottom is a color called Monster Snot Green.  I can't tell you how happy it made me to be able to use this and also how weird it is that this color really works well with so many of the Kaffe Fassett prints.  Best zipper color name ever!)

On a completely unrelated note, since today is the last day of the year, I went through my Ravelry notebook and took a look at everything I've knitted or crocheted in 2018.  I only counted finished projects, but here's the count:

• 4 pullovers
• 6 pairs of socks
• 4 pairs of footie socks
• 2 shawls
• 1 scarf
• 1 cowl
• 1 blanket (the Meditative Blanket was finally finished this year)
• 3 tentacles
• 5 hearts
• 11 stars
• 4 leaves
• 2 narwhals
• 1 Cthulhu

I didn't knit a single cardigan last year, but I did make a lot of weird little things.  I currently have another crochet blanket in progress (Granny Goes Large) and two pullovers on the needles (Relax and Sipila).  Those won't be finished until after the new year.  I'm hoping for fewer injuries next year and I'm guessing I won't knit as many weird things, but there's no promises (seriously, who makes three tentacles and a Cthulhu?)

Hope your New Year is amazing and I'll see you there!