Knit ALL the Stitches

I have started...slowly... working on all of the knit things I will be making people for Christmas this year. But, because I am a wife, mama, and full time teacher, I don't have a ton of time, which means my projects around this time of year have to be simple and fast. I wish that weren't the case. I actually tried to convince myself this year that I would get all of my Christmas knitting done over the summer. But then summer got here, and I had to do important things like read and drink lemonade and hang out at any swimming pool I could find within a 100 miles. Oh, and sleep. Lots and lots of glorious sleep until a staggering 9 am. I'm a party animal. I know.

Anyhoo, so I'm knitting. And the things I am knitting are relying on the good, old garter stitch, which is pretty much the easiest stitch in the history of all stitches ever conceived. But that's ok. Because it's not about the stitch; it's about the project and/or the yarn. The wonderful, amazing, beautifully colored yarn.

For instance:

I am a huge fan of multicolored yarn because it means I don't have to knit with multiple skeins all at one time. And a good colored multicolored yarn can make that boring old garter stitch look like uptown fabulous. This is a circle scarf I have knitted for my dad's lovely lady, Linda. I wish I could put a "feel this" button so you, precious reader, could understand the pure lushness of this yarn. After I finished it, I put the damn thing on just so I could love it for a little while.

That's not weird at all.

Another project:

Ok, so this one I've actually had shelved for a while. For a couple of reasons. The biggest being that it's made of chinchilla, which is pretty expensive in terms of how much bang you get for your buck. It's such an awesome yarn, though. It's thick and durable and perfect for big throws, which is what this will be. And, because I'm using a simple garter stitch, the project itself won't take long to finish. 

And finally, the project I love the most:

That was kind of anti-climatic, wasn't it? But wait until you hear the details. What you see here is grandmother's dishcloth. Seriously. That's what the pattern is called. Grandmother's dishcloth. It's a simple garter stitch that incorporates a "yarn over" after every second stitch in each row, which causes the pattern around the edges.

Here's why I'm most excited about it: It's actually my grandmother's dishcloth pattern. The one she has used for as long as I can remember. I even have a few of her dishcloths, sadly falling apart though.

Looks rough, right? I don't care. My Gran made that and there is no way I'd ever throw it away. 

Anyway, Gran's getting older and, while she still knits every single day, her hands aren't what they used to be. Last time I visited with her, I noticed her dishcloths, looking a little worn. So, I'm making her a whole stack of dishcloths with the pattern she's used for me for years.

I'm a fan of the sentimental, particularly when it comes to this woman. She's my heart.

The old and the new

Happy knitting!