Making Miscellany 2:12

And so long 2024!

Hello, hello!

I come to you from the confused but mostly happy tumult of holidays with wee folk, a Twixtmas (side bar: still not sure how I feel about this term) that has felt even more, well, betwixty as I lost a few days to illness. I feel in my bones that we still have at least three days until the new year arrives. The calendar, however, insists I am wrong.

So, here I am, trying to get my thoughts in order and remember where my making time went this month. It was mostly focused on making small things (often for small people). I’ve spent the better part of the year with at least one biggish project on the needles, and it felt surprisingly refreshing to change my focus.

There was a new hat, cowl and mittens¹ for a five year old. She has not once, but twice, willingly put them on: success!

There was a miniature hot water bottle² and headband made for my two-year-old; her favorite game is pretending to be a cat. I have to say, the headband was one of the quickest and most fun gifts I made, an exercise in using what I had — and my first (sort of) needle felted project. I cut base ears out of white 100% wool felt, inners out of pink felt (also 100%) wool), then applied wool roving with a needle felting tool. As it stands, it was a no sew project — I let the needle felting tool do all the work, from applying the inner pink ear, to attaching the back and front of the ear to encase the headband. I think I will go over it a bit more with a needle, and might add a few stitches to make it a little sturdier, but I’m so pleased wiht it. So far, the headband has had a few look ins, and the hottie, despite affectionate embraces on Christmas Day, has been rejected at three consecutive bedtimes. But I imagine they’ll both come into their own eventually!

There were crocheted festive ornaments³ for friends. For the last four years at least, I’ve made some sort of ornament at Christmas; every year I intend to make one for our tree too, but end up giving it away! (Maybe today I will whip one out to be put away with the Christmas ornaments tomorrow — although this is looking less likely by the hour.)

And this was the year I finally made us a set of stockings⁴! This project was both fun and slightly anxiety inducing, but I’m delighted with the result. I’m still on the fence as to whether I should have embroidered our names … maybe a task for next year.

My festive crafting this year was very relaxed (except for my worries about my imprecision and inexperience making sawtooth stars) and enjoyable. It felt nice to be focusing on useful gifts, and other than a sheet of pink felt and some linen swatch packs from Ray Stitch (for the stockings), I bought nothing for the projects.

With holiday making done, I returned to my last WIP of the year, some warm and fuzzy socks⁵ (made extra warm and fuzzy as the yarn was sent to me as part of a lovely crafty exchange) that I’ve been working on for quite some time, and got them finished. My last pair for this year’s Make Socks Mend Socks (I must do some tallying); if you have been taking part, I’ll draw the last quarter winner in a few days time, so you still have time to share what you’d like over in the Q4 thread.

I then had a good few hours (at least) with … nothing on my needles! I can’t remember the last time that happened! I’ve since rectified the situation, and I am entering 2025 with a simple sweater (which I’m challenging myself to knit in a month) and a new pair of socks on the needles.

I’m also looking forward to getting back to some garment making in the new year — I really lack in cozy long sleeve tops, and I’ve got some lovely fabrics that I’m looking forward to turning into a Nikko Top, an All-Around Crew and a Jackson Pullover.

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I had big plans to set aside a bit of time on New Year’s Eve for mending; I liked the idea of going into a new year having mended this year’s holes and tears. But the day is hurtling by, and I have party food (including my new year’s crab dip — you’ll find the recipe in last December’s Miscellany and rice crispy treats!) to make, so I imagine instead I’ll enjoy a few rounds on my new Janni sweater when I can. The forecast is not looking promising for our usual New Year’s Day walk, so perhaps some New Year’s Day mending instead! Thank you, as always, for spending a little time with me. It’s hard to believe that this is a wrap on two years of the Making Miscellany! If you know someone who might enjoy it, please do share. I’ve got some fun plans for 2025, including some tutorials, which I’m looking forward to sharing.

I’d love to hear what projects you’re taking with you into the new year, too! Wishging you all good things for the start of 2025!

Katherine

Housekeeping note: I’m trying out using footnotes to share details like pattern/yarn/fabric if I’m not specifically discussing them in my round up. I’m hoping it’ll keep things a bit more readable, while also ensuring people can find the relevant details if they’d like them. Plus, I love a footnote!

1. The hat was improvised, in some stashed Dusty Dimples DK, using the cable motif from my Parkamoor Socks; I shrunk this pattern for the cowl and used some deep stash bulky yarn I won in a giveaway many moons ago; and the mittens were knit in a strand of undyed merino held with Fab Funky Fibres leftovers, using Ann Budd’s Handy Book of Knitting Patterns mitten pattern.

2. I used this free pattern from No Frills Knitting as a jumping off point, changing the numbers to suit the sportweight Shetland wool (another deep stash skein!) that I used. The shop also sells mini hotties, and I was very happy to buy it from them!

3. I used this tutorial and various stash DK yarns for these.

4. I used MeandKiddos Nicholas pattern for these, squeezing them (and I mean squeezing them!) out of one meter of Robert Kauffman Essex Linen; I had to cut the pocket facings and hanging loops from the lining fabric to make this work, but I like the contrast pops. For the Sawtooth Stars, I used two linen swatch packs from Ray Stitch. The lining was a small green check cotton that I had remnant pieces of in stash. Overall, I thought the pattern was good, with clear instructions. But the seam allowances were all .8 cm, which seemed quite awkward to me. I ended up using my 1/4” foot, thinking it better to use something that would help with my own consistency, even if it deviated a bit from the pattern. This worked out fine in the end, but I had to do a bit of jiggling to get everything to fit together as it made my square ever so slightly bigger.

5. Homebody Socks by This Handmade Life, knit in Lang Jawool Magic 6ply. These are the epitome of cozy.