FO: French Press Slippers

Here's another Christmas gift that I knit very late in the game. This pattern has been on my queue for several years. I'm ashamed to admit that I was too cheap to purchase the $7 pattern, and I finally had to pinch myself a little bit and just pay for it, because these are beyond cute and make great gifts.

Pattern: French Press Slippers by Melynda Bernardi

Yarn: Paton's Classic Worsted Weight Wool

Needles: US 15

Size: 7/8

Started: 12/17/16

Completed: 12/18/16

If you knit these, make sure to label them similar to mine. They curl up and are hard to tell apart.

The knitting process is super quick. You can whip up both slippers in a day. It's the seaming and the felting process that is the most time-consuming. I haven't felted anything before in my high efficient top-loader machine, and I was having trouble getting it to agitate enough to felt, so I ended up doing them by hand. Yowzers.

You'll want to apply some paint (I used "puffy paint") if you don't sew suede to the bottom so that it can grip the floor. If you are already writing/drawing something, you might as well write some instructions?

I found the same large buttons as the pattern's at JoAnn Fabrics. This slipper benefits from a nice large button on the side.

I knit these for my MIL, who wears the same size shoes as me, and so it was easier to feel good passing them off since they fit me.

I have bought teal yarn and the same buttons for my own pair. I think I will make it in the beginning of the new year. For now, I have to make Joe's Antler Hat for his birthday January 5th.

FO: Antler Hat

Are you looking for a free hat pattern with simple cables that works up quickly? Look no further. I whipped up this bad boy in a few days, and it looks more complicated than what it is.

Pattern: Antler Hat (free pattern) by Tincanknits

Yarn: 1 skein Paton's Classic Worsted Weight Wool

Needles: US 6 and US 8 circular needles (magic loop method)

Modifications: 2.25 inch brim and only 6 antler cables before decreasing

Started: 12/18/16

Completed: 12/21/16

I made a cardboard cutout to open up the hat for presentation purposes as a gift. The cutout seemed to be the perfect size/shape, so I made an extra one for future photo sessions.

The cable pattern is pretty easy to memorize. The cables move further and further away from each other each time you have a cabled round. If my memory serves me correct, there's only 6 total rounds per rep.

Fo: Fisherman's Rib Hat

This is a simple hat pattern that is easily memorized, but can get you in the end if you don't mark down which round you have last completed, since the ribbing doesn't show you which round you just end with.

Pattern: Fisherman's Rib Hat (free pattern) by Christina Coutts

Yarn: 1 skein Lion Brand's Wool-Ease Chunky

Needles: US 6 and US 8
Started: 12/21/16
Completed: 1/24/16

A fisherman's rib is simply (in a multiple of 2 sts):
Rd 1: *k1below, p1* across the rd.
Rd 2: *k1, p1below* across the rd.

My modifications:
I started the brim of the hat on size US 6 needles and did regular 1x1 ribbing for 5 rds. Then I switched to the larger needles. I knit the fisherman's rib until the hat measured 7 inches, and then I did the hat decreases.

Here's a quick photo of the project. It's not my finest work, but it was completed in time for Christmas. It could have used a good blocking if I had the time.