As you can see, the P - Man (and the rest of the FKD household!) is more than ready to see 2008 come to a close but......

Pumpkin and I are wishing everyone a Happy Healthy Joyous 2009 and better days for all!!

Here's to change....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

On occasion.....

I do knit something other than socks around here. Shocking, innit? :)

I know it's been nothing but socks, socks and more socks around here for a while but I do have a couple of non-sock items to share.....

First of all, I confess I finally popped my Malabrigo cherry....what was I waiting for?? This stuff is heaven in a skein!

In my defense, I have no LYS and you can't really appreciate the splendor that is Malabrigo on a monitor!

I have a friend in very chilly Ohio who's been having a pretty rough year health wise so I wanted to knit her something very snuggly for Christmas/her birthday (both in December).

Enter the Dolores Park Cowl (Ravelry link) Super easy, super pretty and extra super quick!

Have a peek:


Isn't it beautiful?

Specs

Delores Park Cowl designed by Parikha Mehta
2 skeins Malabrigo Chunky in Stone Chat
24" size US 13 addi turbo

Notes: My friend is a fluffy gal and I know cowls are supposed to fit with lots of ease so to be safe I added an additional 2 inches to the width. I figured if I was wrong and it was too big she could pin it a little tighter with a pretty shawl pin but serendipity prevailed and it's PERFECT on her!

Because of the extra inches I needed 2 skeins altho some people who knit the cowl as written had to eliminate some rows to use only one skein so your mileage may vary even if you knit the pattern as written. I did alternate the 2 skeins every other row (what a PIA that was!) but it was worth it cause it's so lovely.

I also knit the reverse stockinette rows at the beginning and end as garter stitch because I wanted a more solid border.

I finished it a few weeks ago when Florida was having a record breaking November heat wave. I tried the cowl on and despite the 90 degree heat I couldn't take it OFF! This yarn is that yummy! (side note: I washed it before gifting, no sweaty handknits here at FKD, heheh)

And then to further feed my newly acquired Malabrigo jones, I knit Jessie some matching wristers....


As further proof of the lure of the Malabrigo, FKMom, yes Florida dwelling FKMom got a gander of these and demanded her own pair!

Specs:

Extra Warm Malabrigo Wristers (Ravelry Link)
1 skein Malabrigo Worsted in Stone Chat
32 inch size US #4 addi turbo, magic loop method

These are just an adaptation of my free Extra Warm Kureyon Wristers Pattern with the ribbing on the cuff and thumb changed to a twisted 1x1 rib to better suite the elegance of the Malabrigo. (info is on my Rav project page linked above) I was able to get 2 pair, one large size and one medium size, from one skein.

All have been gifted and all are well loved already, WOOT!

Now if that wasn't enough, I also finished my second Fugly Sock Yarn Blanket of Doom!


This one is a Christmas gift for my next door neighbors....and I'm hanging up my hook for a while!

Srsly, while I love these colorful blankets and use mine every day (plus it's such a gorgeous way to use up all those little leftover sock bits!) I am a knitter much more than a crocheter.

In fact, I'm just dying to knit a real honest to goodness sweater cause it's been far too long!

I usually cast on a new project on New Years Day so I'll be spending the next 2 weeks purveying the perfect sweater pattern, hehe....

So far Kingscot, Ginny, Eastlake and Olivia are the front runners....anyone want to voice an opinion? :)

The P-Man says as long as he can make biscuits on it and there's an ample supply of chicken, they're all the same to him!

Hope your holiday knitting is finished and your mistletoe and eggnog (and chicken!) are plentiful!

See y'all soon, there are socks to show, dontcha know! :)