done and done, but more to do

Posted on Posted in projects, Uncategorized

all the christmas socks are done

and, moving on, a few new things have been started. i think my niece will love these mitts. i don’t really relish working with novelties, but these mitts get a little edging in marrakech, because she likes embellishment, and i want to make something she’ll enjoy.

i’ll probably make her two or three pair—one with the leftovers from the rococo socks that are lacy, and, of course, the mandatory black pair. she is, after all, on the brink of her teenage years. i want to be sure to recognize that fact in my gift making . . .that is, if i can find that perfect ball of black yarn i have, the one that is eluding me at the moment.

every year this happnes. i decide to make black gloves for someone, and finally use that one ball of black taj mahal fingering yarn that has been in my stash seemingly forever. i got it at an oddball sale at patternworks when it was still in poughkeepsie, and i still lived in NYC.
anyway, every year i decide i will use it, but when i go to look for it, i can’t find it anywhere. then later, like maybe in february or march, i find it again, while searching for sock yarn or some other sundry item. every time i re-find it, i think “ha!this time i will remember where i saw it, so that next year, i’ll be able to get my hands right on it.” right, and here i am again, scratching my head over where it could be.

have you ever been a little bit sorry you introduced someone to a particular hand knit item?

my family and friends are addicted to felted clogs now, and it’s all my own fault. each year i knit a number of these—just to give you an idea, for the past two years, the total has been around 25 pair each year. this year i am getting off light; about 10 pair only, i think.

i need to replace my own, and then make a bunch for the nieces and nephews (they will probably not be done for christmas, but their feet will still be wanting them for new year’s i imagine. i mean hey, i just got the size chart last week!).

i enjoy these to a certain extent, but then i overdid it. i started embellishing them for the kids. i added fur and toes to make monster feet. i started fashioning animal faces onto the felt. i got committed to more work that was needed, by trying to make it more interesting for myself.

so now, i am obligated to making ever-more-funny-and-clever slippers.

the other night i went to gather the supplies and see what i could possibly use from the stash. because i am adament about that point this year—no more yarn for felting til the 10 pounds or so that i already have is gone.

i found enough yellow and black to make the littlest one a pair of bumblebee clogs. aaron likes cars, so i’m going to attempt a pair of VW beetles for him

i just realized that i should make his from two different colors, and then he could play “parking lot” with them. or drive thru, even.
andrew likes red AND he likes dinosaurs. i don’t know how i’m going to make that work together yet. maybe some lizards.

daniel likes blue, and he will get a pair of inside out clogs—those are the ones where i use all sorts of scraps in stripes and put the knots on the outside.

and, since daniel doesn’t do anything without paul (who like green), i’ll be making two pairs of those.

these will all be pretty fun, and since they are fairly small, they’ll go fast. it’s the bigger ones that are tough. and i know my brother wants some. and i love my brother greatly, but i hate knitting his clogs—the neverending ones. his will have to come last—i can give him socks and send the clogs for his birthday in january.

i was thinking about doing a bait-n-switch on the big kids’ gifts. make them something different. thus the mitts and hats. i wonder if they’ll mind . . .

27 thoughts on “done and done, but more to do

  1. I am just popping in to say that there are so many things I enjoy about your blog. The knitting content – of course! – but also your love of family, warm home, and your lighthearted spirit. Just sayin.

  2. i love the felted clogs! do you have a pattern you use for them, or have you just invented your own thing? i need to make myself a pair this winter, to combat the wild sea winds that creep into the house…

  3. Okay, you are either a saint or a masochist. I hate knitting the felted clogs! Love the pattern, love the result. Hate the process! Really hate it!

    I’ve only knit two pair. One for me, one for a brother-in-law. I need a new pair. No one else is getting them.

    It’s the attaching the bumper part that I hate. The stitches are bunched up in a tight and awkward way on the needles which makes me work for it and my hands hurt. Maybe I should try it flat next time.

    BTW – love your mods! Almost makes me want to knit a whole bunch of these.

  4. Love the various types of felted clogs especially the monster feet. I didn’t get to doing any felted clogs this year…. maybe for 07.

  5. you are sooo awesome. maybe someday i will knit as quickly. did i see felted flip flops? if so: must have the pattern.

    i am sorry not to have mad class this december, wayyyyyy too much going on. can’t wait to see you in january.. in the meantime, a very, merry christmas to you and david. love, m.

  6. The plans for the clogs sound wonderful, although I’m wondering how you’ll keep your sanity intact, even if they won’t be done for Christmas. (I’m guessing that you’re hoping to send them by New Years??)

    And I too am wondering if you have a favorite clog pattern you use or have you made enough to make it up as you go along? I’m guessing the latter, but what about us felted clog newbies? Any suggestions?

  7. That is a lot of clogs! I tried one pair and they turned out horribly. Which pattern do you use? Great ideas on making them interesting – all so cute!

  8. Fun fur! My eyes, my eyes!…

    (Though I think you have found just about the only acceptable use for the stuff: edgings. I really like the gloves in Handknit Holidays that have the fun fur edging, though I could take or leave the matching hood.)

    I’m glad to hear people like the clogs–I just got the pattern (last person on earth to purchase it?) and was debating making a pair as a holiday gift. I can see how that could easily become an annual tradition, depending on how quickly they wear out!

  9. Oh my. I am also knitting frantically to get five pairs of the clogs ready for gifts. Two are size 12 men’s. Unbelievable amount of knitting. Have never gotten around to knitting a pair for myself. Perfect gifts for the man who has absolutely everything and for mailing. They are so light (once they dry out). I play games with the order I knit them. Sometimes both tops, then both soles. Next ones complete one then complete the other. Most practical is probably knitting the sole first. Then knit the insole and tops. You are knitting two sole shapes in a row, so have probably memorized a bit of the shaping. Your children’s designs sound fun.

  10. love it ALL, but those felted clogs are some of the nicest I’ve ever seen… one week left and look at all you’re still making, and I thought I was insane with the 47 hats one year… beautiful things!

  11. “Have you ever been a little bit sorry you introduced someone to a particular hand knit item?” You bet! And it is the “Fabulous Furry Felted Feet” slippers that were once advertised in the Patternworks catalog. Husband loves these, but wears holes in them in a matter of months, despite the suede soles. Because making them was consuming all of my available knitting time, I’ve been slowly converting him to commercial fleece slipper socks.

  12. You are such a fast knitter. I can understand that your family and friends are addicted to those fabulous clogs. What pattern did you use?

  13. anne! you have been so productive!!! you shame me 🙂
    i live in one of those situations where i’m going to be the girl swallowed by the yarn stash. unfortunately, i don’t have a coffee table, so it’s all over the floor and on the sofa and down IN the sofa!
    and i’m majorly behind with everything.
    so, this is about the point where i say f*ck it 🙂
    (delirious knitter laughing to self)
    i think it’s fine you don’t consider yourself a sock knitter, because you’re a kick-ass shawl knitter!
    happy holidaze 😉

  14. I *love* the “inside-out” clogs. What a fabulous idea! I’m going to have to make some of those myself. I made Christmas clogs this year, with felted poinsettias on them, and just love them.

    Thanks for the swell idea!

  15. Uh oh, after seeing all your pics of those great clogs, I’m getting really tempted to buy that pattern. It does seem like a good stash buster project (see, I’m already rationalizing the purchase…)

Comments are closed.