Sunday, December 14, 2008

dashing WIP's

Our family had its first Christmas celebration yesterday.  The kids were very excited for it, but I couldn't muster the same.  There's something about multiple Chrismases that wears on me, and it's not just that it creates multiple knitting deadlines.
I gifted the first round of handknits: one Birthday Cowl and pair of Toasty to my step-mother-in-law, and a Turn a Square and one-and-a-half* pair of Dashing for my father-in-law.  You've seen the others, but here is the Dashing:

I modified the Dashing by only knitting 12 rounds -- not 18 -- in the rib pattern from the last cable twist to the thumb opening. The husband (a small framed 5' 7", just like his dad) thought they were too long as it was. Imagine six more rounds between wrist and thumb.  The Dashing might have reached his elbow.  

I knit Dashing in Cascade 220, colorway 7821, to coordinate with the Turn a Square.  I like the pattern overall, but when I had holes at the thumb opening, I thought I must be an unskilled knitter.  After a hurried photo shot and harried post on flickr, I was comforted to know that some of you still get holes, too, and all you do is sew them shut with the tail end.  Phew!  I've knit mitts before, but always with a thumb gusset.  Guess I'm a gusset girl, with two more pairs of Dashing to knit.

*So I had the left-hand mitt of another pair of Dashing on a table near where the gift unwrapping was happening.  I think the father-in-law accidentally picked that one up, too.  I'd like to be a fly on the wall when he unpacks his loot and finds three mitts! ;-)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would love to see you f-i-l's face too! Total bemusement I should think! These look really great though.

Kirsten said...

They look great! And thank you for the idea. I think I'll be making a pair of these as a last minute stocking stuffer for my son - with your mods as the men in my family tend to be on the smaller side as well.

IrishGirlieKnits said...

Maybe he'll think its a spare one :) Love the dashings! Great color too!!

Anonymous said...

Oh, my God! I can barely take ONE celebration. I cannot even imagine multiples! The dashings look great. You really cannot beat Cascade 220 as a nice workhorse yarn with a huge variety of colors.

Ally Jay said...

They look really dashing. You made the right choice with the number of rounds.

a friend to knit with said...

oh, i know. Christmas celebrations every weekend! and i don't even have my tree yet!!! (today)

love that you have been busy knitting for everyone. i have not been as motivated this year. (bummer)

peaknits said...

The dashings are, well, dashing indeed! The photos are gorgeous too! You shoud be proud of your holiday knitting so far - yay!

Anonymous said...

LOVE THESE...not sure if its the yarn or the color but the detail of the twists & cables is yummy!

Happy Holidays~