A Little Like Your Great Aunt Mavis

Last year, and this year, I pledged to make everyone something handmade.  I almost made it, except for my colleagues at work.  The problem with handmade stuff is that it’s really difficult to make something for the men.  Unless they really love socks.  A lot.
Here’s what I made for my mother’s partner.  Photographs are always a safe bet, and I figure they don’t mind what kind of frame they come in anyway.  So I knit one.  It was pretty easy.  Even though I kind of felt like a knit picture frame is the sort of thing you see in in the fixed-rent apartment of an ancient maiden aunt.
The pattern came from a Ravelry user. 
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/photo-frames
I used a picture from a hike the three of us went on the last time they last came to visit taken with my cell phone.  The result:

The Tables Turn!

Project: Roger Socks (Knitspot)

My grandmother taught me how to knit when I was seven. Then I forgot.

Then my ex-boyfriend’s roommate taught me to knit when I was twenty. Then I forgot.

Then my best friend taught me to knit when I was twenty-five. Third time’s a charm?

But I was still a little afraid to do anything that involved more than two needles for a long time. So, last fall, I signed up for a sock knitting class at my sweet local yarn store.

The process was surprisingly painless…with the exception of a yarn emergency in which I dropped a stitch when I took my knitting to choir practice and didn’t notice until a few rows later. I was quite pleased with the fruits of my labours, at any rate.

My socks ended up being a Christmas present for my very first knitting instructor. And I hope I did her proud.

Something Practical

I've resolved to make all my gifts this year. I can always use dish cloths, but I remember a time in my life when getting a bundle of handmade dish cloths would make me wrinkle my nose, then put on my best fake smile and utter my best insincere thanks. Anyway, I hope whoever gets these also is sick of using crusty, questionably scented dish cloths.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/traditional-dishcloth

It's an easy pattern. If you know only the knitting basics, then you'll be fine with this pattern. I can knit one up in about an hour and a half now.