Winter Break: The Fiber Version

Isn't it wonderful to make the fiber blog rounds and find everyone unveiling the precious gifts they made for others and the thoughtful ones made in return? Just makes a person want to jump on in and contribute to the fiber-y goodness.

For one of my brothers (the other got money to go skiing):



Yarn: my handspun Rambouillet :)
Pattern: Habitat
Notes: What a wonderful pattern! The attention to detail in the instructions make it seem so simple. I do want to offer a word of encouragement to anyone who has a sudden fear that his or her habitat is turning out too big - I was worried halfway through, but the hat decreased more rapidly than other patterns I've used, so the length worked in the end.
Mods: I increased after the ribbing with K1F&B since I got strange holes trying to increase the other way. At my brother's request I also sewed in a small, polar fleece lining around the bottom. Works wonders for those who are scratch-a-phobic.

For a friend's birthday:



Yarn: Vanna's Choice, 1 skein - nice to work with and great color selection.
Pattern: improvisation based on a 40 st cast on. Thumb gusset worked with M1F & M1B increases every other row. Changed needle size at wrist for shaping.
Needles: size 7 cast on, size 6 for arm, size 5 for hand.

For my dear MIL:



Didn't get a picture of the FO (as I was up knitting it on Christmas Eve), but this turned into a tiny triangular shoulder shawl. Yarn is my handspun, BFL from Abstract Fibers.

For me: (ahem)



I got around to spinning up some of my Flawful Fibers BFL that I have been meaning to turn into a hat. Lo and behold... my sister gave me a coupon saying that she would knit me a hat for Christmas. Let's hope that this will turn into an awesome collaborative project...