Thinking gifts? Look here! (Subtitle: Janelle teaches more classes)

Slipper Socks: MORE to come! 2 more styles coming up--
and in the same pattern! 

When you become interested in something--that is, so interested in the thing that it practically consumes you--it is inevitable that you will want to share your very intense joy with others. Of course, you probably want to temper this intense joy when meeting new people, so as not to make them think you are going to follow them home like some sort of aggressive missionary gone wild, but you want to share, nevertheless Even if your enthusiasm does leak out a bit too much sometimes.

I am extremely excited to announce that our wonderful new LYS, Urban Wolves Fibre Arts, here in Vancouver is giving me a chance to teach knitting classes at their shop. Excitement and all.

I have posted a class list for this month in the side bar. We are working on getting a KAL going with the Fall Woods Quilt Squares hooded cowl for Wednesday nights during knit night. However, if you would like to knit along with us in spirit, please feel free! Christmas is heading our way and it's time for some gifty knitting! (Those of you who have already finished your gifts or are nearly there, I bow to your amazing time management skills!)

Speaking of gifts... my classes for the last-minute gifts will be using my Green Giant Fingerless Mitts pattern and a new thick and very quick top-down slipper sock pattern, which will be finished up here shortly.

For these last minute gift projects, I have been experimenting with different yarns and needles sizes to see what sort of fabrics I can come up with and to see how long it takes to make each pattern.

A pair of the slipper socks in an 8" foot circumference (about a women's medium) took just over 4 hours to complete and just 206yards/188m of Wendy's Aran yarn held double. I used a US5/3.75mm dpn to create a very dense fabric (4sts/inch in slightly stretched ribbing) that will stand up to walking around in the house. (Love those puns!) They have very nice body and shape, like boots.

Almost here!

I also tried out the fingerless mitts pattern in the Wendy's, held double on a US9/5.5mm. The hands need more stretchiness than the feet and I wanted to very closely match the original Green Giant pattern gauge. The resulting product winds up being a bit smaller than the original, but much more forgiving. The Wendy Aran also makes a shorter mitt, which I like, and a stretchier fabric than the original yarn for that pattern, which is the Lion Brand Hometown Super Bulky. The fingerless mitts took me only about 3 hours for a pair!

Coming soon!

And let me just mention: I am NOT a fast knitter!

The pattern for the Fall Color Mitts is nearly finished in testing and will be out next week. The matching tam for those is under construction and the slipper socks pattern will be available before the class begins. All will be in my Ravelry store. 

Oh yes...and my Whovian friends!! I have not forgotten the mittens-- soon soon soon! Oh that I had a TARDIS...