Must be the end of the Q4 Finishalong ('cos I've written a blog post!)

Way back in  October I produced a ridiculously long list (because I'm indecisive), and though I have actually finished 3 things, they've only popped up on Instagram.

So I proudly present my first finish (which was also item no 1 on my hopeful list in October) - my lovely soft and squishy Adriafil socks:

I'm being quite cautious about wearing them though as they're 100% merino - which means they will wear out quicker than my 75% wool socks.

Dk yarn does knit up quickly for socks though (even at my slow and steady speed)

Disappearing nine patch quilt

This was item 9 on my Q4 FAL list  and I was pretty sure it was even going to be started before the end of the quarter - given that I had only got as far as washing and pressing the fabrics by 23rd December.

Circumstances in the family though, meant that both my husband and I really wanted this to be a Christmas present for Mother in Law this year. I started cutting - and then sewing - mid afternoon on the 23rd. More cutting and sewing continued through the day and the following morning. Fortunately I's chosen to back the quilt with plush (so no wadding) and this meant that I could do very simple quilting following the outlines of the blogs. I finished hand sewing down the binding (whilst watching "White Christmas" for the first time ever!) just before midnight on Christmas Eve.

Thankfully, my Mother In Law loved it - and my gamble on matching the colours was repaid - it looks as though I took swatches from the furniture and curtains to the fabric shop with me!

Finish no 2.

I showed a photo of my poor ball winding on my FAL list in October.

I did though finish my wonderfully stripy socks. The pattern is available on Ravelry as Hermiones Everyday socks - I just reversed it to knit toe up instead. I also knitted a Fish Lips Kiss Heel on them to try and preserve the stripe pattern as much as possible (it would have got quite narrow if I'd knittted a heel flap and gusset.

This is the second pair of FLK heels I've knitted for me, and I think that overall I actually prefer the fit and feel of a gusset and heel flap. Just personal choice and I know it's a brilliant heel pattern for lots of people (and I have knitted it on a couple of other pairs)