I've been knitting for Christmas gifts. The first shrug (on the left) was made for Emelie. She chose the yarn which is Lion Brand Heartland yarn, color Olympic. The pattern is called "Basic Shrug", a free pattern from Lion Brand. It calls for a different yarn and needle size, so I knit a swatch and ended up using a size 9 needle and casting on 152 stitches. This shrug was knit mostly on a camping trip to Eastern Washington with Denerd, Phyllis, Susan and Gary; from where Merwin and I continued on for several days at Glacier National Park. On the way to Glacier, we stopped at a JoAnns store to purchase yarn for a shrug for Leslie.

Leslie's shrug (on the right) uses the same pattern and yarn (color Kenai Fjords) with some changes. I used size 9 needles again, casting on 150 stitches. Instead of knitting in stockinette, I used a one-row pattern that is reversible. Since Leslie is a little shorter than Emelie, I made her shrug a couple inches shorter.

Next, I made a drop-stitch scarf for Emelie. This is Lion Brand Heartland yarn again, color Cuyahoga Valley (all the colors are named after National Parks). Emelie had trouble choosing between Cuyahoga Valley and Olympic for the shrug, so I'm surprising her with the scarf knit with the other yarn. I used a pattern that I found on the internet for a drop leaf scarf knit on the bias, changed it up just a bit, and ended up sewing the ends together to make it an infinity scarf. I wanted it bulky, so I knit with two strands of yarn together on size 10 needles, cast on 30 stitches.

Moving right along, I decided to make a mermaid afghan for Iris for Christmas. This pattern is "Mermaid Tail Lap Blanket - Toddler thru Teen" available on Ravelry. The yarn I used is Lion Brand Scarfie, (color 215, cream/teal) which is a bulky (5) weight. Although Iris is 7 years old, I knit the size 8-11 year old size on size 10 needles.

That's all the knitting for now! I need to decide what to cast on next.