So, this year has been the most active knitting Christmas for me in a number of years. I made a total of 8 separate items for 5 recipients. And I didn’t decide that I was even knitting gifts this year until Thanksgiving!

Washcloths

I made two washcloths as a part of my Gardner Christmas exchange gift.

The first was a Waffle Knit Dishcloth from Homespun Living blog. This was my first time making this pattern and I love the feel of the waffle knit. The pattern was easy to understand and it knit up quickly. The second was a pattern I have made before, Grandmother’s Favorite Dishcloth. Grandmother’s Favorite is always a quick, easy knit that makes a nice sturdy fabric perfect for the hard tasks of cleaning. Both were made with Lily Sugar N’ Cream cotton.

Fisherman’s Wife Cowl & Chunky Cabled Hat

For my SIL, I made a Fisherman’s Wife Cowl by While They Play Designs and a Chunky Cabled Hat by Lula Louise Design in her favorite color, blue. The Fisherman’s Wife Cowl has a pattern for a matching beret, which looks lovely. But, I opted for a pattern for a more snug fitting hat with a similar cable to it as I felt my SIL would prefer a more snug hat. I loved how they both worked up so quickly in the chunky yarn. And I especially loved getting to learn the picot bind off for the cowl. It adds a nice bit of feminine flair to this gorgeous cowl. SIL approved of them both!

The yarn for both items was Lion Brand Hometown in Lake Tahoe Blue.

Of course, finding this cowl pattern on Ravelry led me to While They Play Designs. Browsing this gorgeous site, I can see there are many patterns here I’d like to knit in the future.

Ribbed Hat & Mittens

Mom received a ribbed hat and mittens made from Lion Brand Homespun yarn in Candy Apple. About 8 years ago, I made mom a scarf out of this yarn and she loves it. She has been asking for matching accessories for a while now so I decided this would be the year.