I’ve finished off a bunch of projects, large and small, in the past week.

There were a pair of socks, for giveaway winner #3, Madison – she wanted fall-colored socks to wear at Thanksgiving.  I found some very fall-colored yarn, and a pattern called “Embossed Leaves” in the Interweave Favorite Socks book, et viola!  Les chausettes!

Then there was a two-hour bunny, thrown together in an afternoon to be added in to Emily’s camp care package – more on her return once my ears stop ringing.  Pattern from one of those page-a-day calendars, yarn is Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool.  Two hours.  Really.

Then, a rainbowy and cute sweater for Magi, the fourth blog giveaway winner – don’t look, Magi, if you’re into surprises! – her daughter is not yet 2, so this will be big on her now but will last her a while and is in Lion Brand Cotton Ease yarn, so it’s completely machine-washable.  The pattern is from Ann Budd’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, the raglan cardigan.  Jacob agreed to model it, but he would only permit photos from the back.

And, last but decidedly not least, I finished the Pearl Buck Swing Jacket by Kate Gilbert, from The Best of Interweave Knits.  It’s in Cascade 220 Heathers yarn, and I had to use US size-3 needles to get gauge… an awful lot of straight stockinette, but it makes for an elegant, classic sweater.  I don’t plan to add any sort of clasp or button to it; if my mom wants me to, I can later on, but I prefer it without.  It’s for her birthday, which was a few weeks ago, but I think she’ll forgive the delay.  (And, yeah, she’s a bit smaller than I am, so it’ll fit better on her.  I’ll get photos this weekend.)

All finished within the past week. I cast on for the green sweater back in April, and could have forced it to be done by late June in order for my mom to have it before her birthday, but I really didn’t have time and besides, who needs a wool sweater in New York in July? The others were quick, ranging from a bunny in an afternoon to the socks and the rainbow cardigan each taking about a week.

Now I’m throwing together some quick coasters from dishcloth cotton, because they work so much better than either the cork or cardboard coasters that we already have. And then a bunch of other big projects in my head, but none are actually yet on the needles. Oh, the possibilities…