An escape clause!!!

Indeed I have managed to use my little escape clause to the maximum. Remember how I said I would not start any new projects until I finished my old ones? Well I also said EXCEPT for gifts. So guess who is feeling generous?

This scarf is a gift for my Aunt Maria as a thank you for letting us stay with her during our recent CA visit. This project was fast once the yarn finally decided what it wanted to be.

This was mystery yarn I purchased sometime ago on ebay. I had two skeins of it and wrongfully assumed that both skeins would be the same yardage. With that assumption in mind I knitted my way gleefully through the Hug Me Boucle Shawl. The concept was simple, knit until you finish half your yarn and then start to decrease to knit the other half. Well guess what, the two skeins were indeed not of the same yardage and this is where it ended.
Too bad too, because I really like the pattern. I think I may use it in the future with this boucle in my stash. However next time I will measure it out on my niddy noddy and give myself some room for error.
Frog, Frog, Frog was in my future.

After several different attempts at several different scarves with different needle sizes and gauges, I ended up doubling the yarn and using size 19 needles to whip this out. I sorta was at the end of my rope with this yarn and wanted to get this shipped out sometime this millennium. I kept with the yarn over pattern of the shawl and I think it turned out pretty well.

It isn't super long, but the yarn has a lot of elasticity to it, and besides it is more for accessorizing than utility given CA's mild weather.

The next gift was made at the bequest of my 17 year old son. Now it is a rare day when Ian takes any interest in my hobbies. The beautiful scarf that I so painstakingly made out of my own seat of my pants pattern, in my early knitting days to boot, alas ended up in the corner of his closet to be left behind when we moved. So although I was delighted for the request I also knew that this time I wouldn't be whipping out the luxury alpaca for this project, especially when this was the inspiration I was given directly from him.

He seems to be quite appreciative and happy with the end result. At least that is what I am assuming by the fact that he hasn't stopped wearing it. 17 year old boys aren't ones to gush their gratitude. I used Plymoth Encore and this pattern and heavily modified it, but luckily kept good notes because now both siblings want matching ones.
Btw, I did manage to do a few rounds on the infamous mom sweater, so I'm not slacking too badly.