Thanksgiving FOs

I had a minor fit of startitis right before the holiday weekend, so the time this weekend helped me finish a couple of smaller projects, and I finished sewing up and blocking Spanky's sweater. I'll get to the sweater when I can get some pictures of Spanky in the sweater, so that I can make sure it fits, but the others are blocking now too...



1. Toe-Up Socks
pattern: Moving On Socks (rav link)
yarn: Regia 6ply Crazy Color yarn, 2 balls, color 5264
needles: size 2 dpns
notes: I bought this yarn probably years ago, planning to make knee socks with it, before I knew how much yarn that would take. Obviously I didn't have enough! So I just used the pattern there to try doing a short row heel and toe. I like the way the toes fit and look, but all around, I think the socks are just a tad too big for me. They're even a bit big for the blockers. I should have decreased a bit for the ankle, but I'm still pretty new to knitting socks. Anyway, I think they'll make good house socks when it is cold in here, and also to wear out when it is really cold and I don't have to walk very far. I really liked the colors when I started knitting them, but I think I'm going to have to put them away for a while before I start liking them again. I have more of this self-striping yarn in my stash, and next time, I think I'm going to go for a simple pattern, just so I don't end up with tons of plain, stripey socks. I think I knit these basically to get the yarn out of my stash. It was one of those impulse projects that you don't mean to cast on, and don't notice until you're halfway done with it. I needed something simple to take to jury duty, and these fit the bill and went really fast.



2. Seamless baby sweater
Pattern: Seamless Yoked Sweater from Knitting on the Net
Yarn: Lane Cervinia Calzetteria, 2.10 balls. I used two full balls and a tiny bit of a third to finish the second sleeve. I like this yarn, which is good, because I have like 7 more skeins of it. I bought it at a Smiley's yarn sale in the city a few years ago. Again, I bought it to make knee socks, which I never did. But I also thought I could use it to make a few baby things, and for that, it is great. Because it is sock yarn (70% wool, 30% polyamide), it is machine washable, which is great for babies.
Needles: Size US 4 straights and DPNs.
Notes: I love the way this variegated yarn looks in the slipped-stitch pattern on the yoke.



It looks like red and pink camouflage. I liked everything about this pattern except that it doesn't suggest how long you should make the sleeves and body, and I really don't know how long a baby's arms are, so it would have been helpful to know what a typical baby's sweater would be. I guesstimated, and it looks about right, so hopefully it will fit for a while. It is for my cousin, who isn't due until Feb. She is having a girl, obviously.

Ok, a sneak peek of Spanky's sweater, because I'm so excited! (excuse the mess!)