A Very Wilkes Christmas

So here is the partner post to the previous post: a showcase of all the gifts I knit for my family this year:

For Miss Caroline, I knit Interweave Knits Tilted Duster by Norah Gaughan. I used Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Maple Syrup. Had I unlimited funds, I obviously would have used a more luxurious fiber, but their wool is very sturdy and all makes all that ribbing look great. It will also keep her very warm.

I managed to knock this baby out in about a week, but I credit that to it being Thanksgiving week and spending a lot of time in front of the tv with my family. And unlike Venezia, I had her try it on to make sure it fits and it does, yay! What a relief.

For the newest addition to the Wilkes family, Sandy, I also knit a sweater. Caroline said the poor thing had been shivering whenever she went outside, so now she has a little sweater to keep her nice and toasty.

I used the Rainbow Pooch Sweater pattern by Caron and knit it with Cascade Eco +, which is an 80/20 Acrylic/Wool mix. Normally, I really hate working with acrylic, but for her dog my sister wanted something she could throw in the wash because there's no way that thing will stay clean long. Surprisingly enough, the 20% wool kept the yarn from feeling too icky. Not a bad route if you need something acrylic.
My mom, of course, had the most outrageous request of anyone in the family, more so than a duster: she wanted a shawl like the one I made for my wedding, but in black. Obviously, I did not want to knit the same thing again because that is very boring. So I mined Knitting Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush for something different. I found the Leaf and Nupp shawl, which I think suited my needs very nicely.
I omitted the nupps because I just plain don't like knitting them and I used Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud, which is 100% baby alpaca and unbelievably soft. My only complaint with this shawl is that I was not able to block it to the proper dimensions, largely due to my lack of proper blocking materials. A towel on the floor just doesn't quite cut it. It's still super soft and will make my mom very happy. Branwen liked it too.I am still currently working on my Christmas stocking and then the next installment will feature the completed pair, even though pictures of Walker's stocking are already up on Ravelry. After that, I am all done with my Christmas knitting (unless I decide the kitties are deserving of some new catnip toy. I have some scraps, that might happen). And then I need to get to making myself a hat, since it has gotten VERY cold all of a sudden and my poor little head is freezing :(

Walker and I are off to GA on Wednesday, so I should definitely do another update before then, as the stockings both need to be done.

Hope all of you are almost done with your pre-Christmas obligations: finals, shopping, etc. And if you're not, I hope you are soon.
Cheers,

-Allie