Queue of presents!

Incredible! This is the only word that comes in my mind when thinking to the development of my hobby in those last months!
Christmas is a nice time of the year to show to the beloved ones you love them and you think of them and you dedicate a special moment to them... when all this is made with knitting presents the situation starts being hectic.....

Who are the ones I love most?
First of all my husband... and I started knitting for him a scarf... the longest scarf I've ever knitted!
Long because of the length but long even because of the gauge: to make 10 cm of scarf I had to knit 40 rows... when I came to the end I could just repeat to myself NEVER ANYMORE!

It took me two whole months, but the result was awesome! I'm really proud of it!

Then it came to my parents: who does not love mum and dad?!!!

For dad I went for a simple ribbed beanie of soft alpaca. I was happy with the result and it took me 4 hours of work,but I did not expect the fact that my grumpy dad could be so happy to receive it... project really worth doing!

For my mum I was a little doubtful to what exactly she would like because she continues to say that after a certain age she decided to wear more sober outfits, with dark colors... so I let her decide the color, that was a dark gray, but I decided the shape... that was the patter of the Meret hat that I find lovely and feminine... she loved it too and I was happy!

Then my heart is all for my nephew and niece... two little ones of four and six that decided to draw themselves their own sweater.....

After Christmas I started with the more difficult one... the one for my nephew....
he wanted a green like a field sweater with triangles on it and trees!

Now I'm not just the genius of the knitting.... I'm a beginner and this was a real challenge... it was the first time I had to project a whole sweater by myself.... I started with the gauge and his measures, programming the developing of a top down raglan sweater. Then, to that plane project, I added some design elements....

It can be a simple result, but I'm glad because I was able to finish it!

Now that it's January I'm ready to start the sweater for my little princess... it will be a variation in pink and I bet she will love it! As she did not ask for a specific design element, but just for a color I will base it on a ravelry project and it will make me go faster!

The only thing is that, wanting to show them how much I love them, I had to put on hold my nice red Ambiente project... will I ever finish it?

Two quick presents!

What happens when some birthdays come and you did not have time to go shopping but, luckily you have a lot of yarn at home and a pair of free evenings?

That you can plan two quick presents....

What I know is that I can knit a little hat in a pair of hours, so, when I had to decide what to do I when straight to check whose hat patterns I already had and which of those could be paired with the yarn (Smart) I already had....

The first pattern I chose was the Quick Cable Slouch Hat by Azure and available for free here: http://azknits.azure-m.com/search/label/free%20pattern

I knitted it in almost one hour and an half and I was very happy with the result! I had even some more yarn so I added a little bag... I found very nice and quick at the same time the Petit bag pattern ( here ) by Pierrot 

The hat was knit with a 5mm needle, while the bag pattern suggested a 3.25mm needle, anyway I decided to work it in the round.... I casted on the starting stitches in a double row, so that they were the base of the bag, and then I built the bag in the round from this base... the first few rows where made in 6mm needle, then, after the first cable, I passed to 5.5mm needle and, near the change of pattern, after the last cable, I changed with the 5mm needle... I wanted tho make it with a trapeze shape and I'm glad it came nice. The only doubt is if to add even a pompom to the hat or not... I think I will let the girl chose!

Second present, second hat!

This hat is made on the base of the Kid's Cotton Neat Beret (here) by Pierrot. I had this lovely pink yarn of Alessandra Filati - Rugiada and I decided to add to it a little movement with a white yarn and a pompom. I love pompoms for little girls....
The pattern was easy and I added this little fair isle motif on the widest part of the hat so to make it match with the pompom. I used 3.5mm  needle for the edge and 5mm needle for the body of the hat.

To tell the truth, next time I will chose a yarn that makes more contrast for fair isle...white and pale pink are too similar for little motifs, anyway I liked how it came out!