Jananas

We’re leaving for Asia on Wednesday and will be coming back mid December. This creates some logistical problems around getting Christmas presents ready in time. In what may be a record setting feat, I’ve completed all of my major Christmas shopping already. All that was required was a little bit of forethought and a tiny bit of planning (as if I needed more answers for behavioural interview questions). For my own family, I’ve gotten major presents taken care of. I know that I have a week when I finally get back to Canada to deal with stocking stuffers and other goodies.

Jason’s family is a little bit more of a problem. Mostly because I have to mail their presents down to them, but won’t have enough time given crazy Christmas mailing rushes to get their presents down once I get back to Canada. Because I leave early Tuesday morning this means that I have to have their presents mailed out by tomorrow. I spend some time this morning finishing up some knitted goodies and wrapping presents. And yes, it did feel weird to be wrapping presents in October.

I want to share two of the presents I made with you dear interwebs (mostly because the surprise won’t get ruined for these ones!). Jason’s father had made a semi passive aggressive comment about the fact that I hadn’t knit him anything yet. In my defense, Jason’s father is a blacksmith and barter-enthusiast and hunter, and just generally isn’t into pretty scarves or hats or otherwise not quite practical things. After some soul searching and lots of browsing on Ravelry I decided that I’d make him some big woolly socks (so that his toes stay warm while hunting). Not that I’m a really a fan of hunting, but I’d rather make something that someone will use than not. Excuse the photos as I was modeling big manly socks on my rather average sized lady’s foot.

Last year I made Jason’s mother a neckwarmer in a dusty rose shade that suited her quite well. I was trying to think of something that would work both in colour and in theme/usefulness while keeping in mind that she doesn’t wear hats, etc. My friend Jess gave me some lovely variegated sheep shop yarn #3 that had some dusty rose and otherwise generally seemed like it would work well. I paired it with some black alpaca that Jason’s sister gifted me and voila, a Christmas present! I found this lovely pattern on Ravelry – Squirrel and Oak Mittens. It was my first time working with colours and I’m glad to say that it really wasn’t as scary or terrible as I’d imagined it to be.

Sadly, they look a little wonky lying flat. But they fit like a charm! The other side looks just as lovely and the pattern continues so well over the thumb that you can barely see it on the left mitten. Plus, I really like how the variegated yarn looks in the mittens.

So that’s the story of how I finished my Christmas shopping before October, including all handmade gifts.

More from jananas

• Antique Spinning Wheel & Yarn Winder
• The Dilemmas of Working
• Swallowtail Lace Shawls – Silky Malabrigo & Smooshy