1 month until Christmas

I'm making good progress on my Etsy orders. Every promised stocking for 2014 has been shipped. Like every year I got a few more orders of people who I can't promise a delivery in time for Christmas. If I get them shipped in the next two weeks or so they might still arrive in time. 7 more Christmas stockings to go, 2 of which are small ones, 2 almost finished and 3 might be cancelled because the customer has disappeared. 

set of 3 all different main colors

Christmas stocking with hearts and polka dots

On instagram I'm hosting a giveaway: Simply follow me and comment on one of my photos which Christmas stocking you would like to win. Winner will be drawn on Dec 9th, 2014. So far there are 18 entries, so the chances are good. http://instagram.com/santas_sock_central


Find me on etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SantasSockCentral

Finished Christmas Stockings and a new crochet project

Last weekend I finished 4 orders. 

Reindeer and Snowflake in pure wool

Purple with grey with cute little ones

Each one a different colour heel

Set of 5, took about 3 months. 

As a reward I also continued on my crochet blanket. It will have stripes of different patterns. I see a lot of them on the internet, but I'm not following a pattern (just patterns for the different squares). I also want to do stripes and some sort of horizontal stripes. And maybe something really simple, like squares in one colour. I don't want airy patterns, these are pretty solid so far.

Christmas stockings & patterns are for sale in my Etsy shop (but no more custom orders for 2014): Santa's Sock Central

Knitting Week 42

Last week I've been busy again, finished 2 orders (basically finished). 

From left to right:
- set of 5 stockings (4 done)
- Emily stocking with snowflakes, now finished
- new colours stocking just started in the middle
- Purple stocking with smaller stocking
- 2 wool stockings finished (the turtle!)

Here's a better shot of this week's finished stockings:

Turtle! Christmas stocking, because I can! 

Snowflake Christmas stocking

Orders are now for 2015 in my Etsy shop: Santa's Sock Central

Christmas stockings in progress Week 41 2015

This week I've been working on the following Christmas stocking projects:

From left to right:
- A set of 5 stockings, 3 are mostly finished
- Two Wool stockings in the middle, need to finish Sara
- Carli stocking with reindeer to match previously ordered stocking
- Emily to match previously ordered set
- Set of 4 small yellow/ red stockings, finally finished the turtle one, these will be listed in my Etsy shop soon.


This set is now finished too, very happy with these:

There are 17 more stockings to finish, plus 4 if at all possible. 2 of the above are basically finished, so I made good progress this weekend.

Etsy shop: Santa's Sock Central

Currently Working on: Lots of Christmas Stockings

So much to do, so little time! I got all the personalized stocking orders I can handle for this Christmas, which is great! Now I just have to knit 19 stockings in the next 6 weeks. Fingers crossed there are no more do-overs. 

I'm going to take photos only on weekends and send photos on Mondays. The light will be bad soon when I get home from work in the evenings. So I will have lots of works in progress. Currently 6 orders I'm working on. One isn't in the photo yet, I started it yesterday afternoon. The set of 5 in the top right corner is basically finished, "just" sewing in of a million threads and the loops at the top. Then I have another set of 5 that is halfway done, then a wool stocking (1 of 2) with turtles, how cool! That's a new pattern. Then the yellow ones in the bottom left corner, I tried the turtle on a small stocking first. Finishing it is not a priority. Then 2 stockings that I wanted to make sure the customers liked the colours.

This is the set that is basically finished:

Aren't they pretty?! This is going to be my new main photo for the set of 5 on Etsy. But not this year, it's sold out and not getting renewed. Maybe I'll write the pattern for the snowmen and snowflake stockings.

Find me on Etsy: Santa's sock central

Now Taking Orders for 2015

I've had lots of interest in my Christmas stockings in the last few days, so from now on orders cannot be guaranteed to arrive in time for Christmas this year. Such a shame having to turn away customers, I do enjoy the popularity... The other stocking hand knitters on Etsy seem to have the same problem though.

Who can spot the copyright infringement?

This set turned out lovely, the stockings have very similar patterns but the main patterns are all completely different which makes them very striking I think. I'm a bit afraid the third stocking could get me into trouble with the trademark holders, so I'm not going to mention what the symbol is, so I wouldn't be accidentally found on google. A customer gave me a challenge. 

Christmas is coming

This is a set of pure wool stockings, the customer wanted the bear's nose slightly shorter, I agree that this looks better, so I changed the pattern for future projects. This colour way for a set of 2 and in pure wool is extremely popular, I already knitted a few and I have another one on the needles. 

So pretty

This set could well be my favourite new design of 2014, looks great with the colours like this. I like how I'm moving away from the black and white (+ colour) I used to only do. 

I'm also pleased with the elephants, this is the first large stocking I have knitted with elephants. 

There's a third stocking to be knitted, with reindeer. 

Madly grinning gingerbread men

And finally I got an order for a gingerbread man, I've been dying to knit this again. Classic design, very popular this year again. 












My current count is 20 stockings to knit, but there are up to 4 prospective customers who I'm saving time for as well. 

This weekend I should be able to finish 2 orders, and start 3 new ones, I hope anyway. I want to only take photos on Sundays, it's getting quite dark in the evening now. 

So no more orders for Christmas 2014 please. But I have started the waiting list for 2015. 

Santa's Sock Central

Santa's Sock Central

I'm proud to announce I am now: 

I changed my shop name from Gigi82knits to SantasSockCentral on Etsy. Many considerations went into this name. I wanted something with "sock" or "stockings" in the shop name, I wanted something catchy, something unique and something that reflects what I'm doing in my Etsy shop. There were other choices of names (any competitors reading this looking for inspiration? Send me a private message and I'll give you a few good names). I would have gone for Sock Central only, but someone is using that user name in one of the social media platforms. So now I'm Gigi @ Santa's Sock Central, isn't that cool! 

 

 Find me on Etsy: Santa's Sock Central
 

Christmas Stockings of 2014

These are some of the Christmas stockings I have knitted in the last 6 months for the early shoppers:

Set of 4 Christmas Stockings, 4 colours each. 

Same colours Christmas Stockings, different main patterns

Christmas stockings without names, two colours per stocking.

Brown instead of Black for the red stocking, makes them feel warmer.

Set of 4 Christmas stockings, 3 colours per stocking

Pure Wool (Donegal Tweed) Christmas stockings

Pure Wool stockings, set of 2

Now taking orders for Christmas 2014 in my Etsy shop: Gigi82Knits
Patterns available in my Etsy shop or on Ravelry: Gigi82

WIPs: Works in Progress

I most enjoy sock knitting at the moment. Actual socks to wear more than Christmas stockings. So I have 4 different socks on the needles at the moment, as well as Christmas stockings. 

In the top left hand corner I have a pair of "Frankensocks", that's going to be a pair of socks that will look like two different socks have been stitched together (unnaturally). There's a very obvious seem indicated by a fair isle. I'm sure they'll look great, but they're turning out very small. Next time I'll use bigger needles.

Then there's the Christmas stocking in the middle, very nice colours. It's going to be a set of 4. 

The purple sock has a easy knit and purl pattern, it's 6ply yarn and I'm only knitting with 12 stitches per needle. 

Next to it is a vanilla sock, no special pattern, for when I don't want to concentrate.

And at the bottom is possibly my next masterpiece. A whale/ shark pair of socks. The top part is knitted in double knitting, then there's a wavy pattern with contrasting blues. The cast on was extremely! awkward, but it was all easier after it and well worth the trouble. I'm hoping to get the pattern written as I knit the second sock. Then I'm going to model the socks for photographs which is always fun and I get to keep them for myself... 

When a sock is finished and yarn is left - sock yarn leftover projects

I have lots of yarn. This is one box of sock yarn, but there are more boxes (1 for cotton, and 2 smaller ones for 6ply and 4ply):

Mostly I make all kinds of socks out of the sock yarn. 

There is a good bit left over when a pair of socks is finished (using 100g sock yarn), so I might make socks that need 2 or 3 different colours.

I still have lots leftovers from the various socks I have knitted. 

So there will be some monster socks, anything-goes-socks, that might only have the same colour in heel and toe. 

And after this, the yarn that is leftover will have become less again, and it goes into a jar. This is pretty enough in itself and would work for me as a home decoration. 

I'm making a sock yarn blanket out of the tiniest little bits. It's just knit stitches, and the yarn is held double. This is a long-term project, I've been doing it for about 3 years (though I haven't done anything for about 2.5 years, but I'm back motivated again to continue).

Sock yarn is great! I can justify buying lots because it will get used up eventually ;) I've been watching the World Cup in the last few weeks and needed something easy to knit without paying attention. 

Check out my socks for sale and knitting patterns in my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Gigi82Knits

Small Christmas stockings for 2014

This is incredibly early for most people, but I've been at it for weeks:

Hoping to all the same patterns in all the different colours:

It's going to take awhile, but it's lots of fun and they're quick to do (about 4 hours each). Check out my Etsy Shop where I'll be listing them over the next few months.