Merry Christmas!

The true meaning of Christmas.

More Hats

After the marathon knitting just to get Jo a hat that fit right with her ponytail Scout thought she needed at hat. What do you want? She replied purple and white. I had some purple in the stash, Loops and Threads Impecable #1310, amethyst. I also some Lion Brand White multi #301. It has a small metallic thread through it. I do not know if it is stress or what but when I finished the hat it was a little too short. I have never in all my hat making had this happen so often. I looks ok but seemed to ride up.

So I took some white and picked up all the stitches and knitted one more row. It turned out ok but I was not happy with the fact it seemed a little tight.

This fit a little better length-wise and is ok but I was still not happy. This was also a K2,P2 pattern for the whole hat. I decided to try adding four more stitches to give it a little more stretch and did a 1x1 rib pattern for the whole hat. I used some Bernat Pink Camo from the stash (it is now discontinued) and some Lion Brand Wool-ease White Frost. The white is a little fuzzy and looks cool on hats. I used the white for a small trim and the rest of the hat in the pink camo.

Not only did it fit good but she can pull it on and off all by herself.

Perfect.

Seriously? Three hats?

I wanted to make Jo a hat since she started school this year. Her favorite color is yellow so I thought...easy, I will just use the standard kids hat pattern. I can do that in my sleep. First I made the hat in bright yellow, her favorite color. It was so cute. Then on the first really cool day I gave it to her.

Seriously? It does not even cover her ears! This is the standard lower elementary hat pattern. I do not know if the it was the yarn or the fact that I knit it while sitting around in the hospital but it was too short. What to do. Make another one of course. So I took this hat, let Scout choose a contrasting color, purple, and crocheted an edge around it. At this point I thought I was making another hat just like this one.

Ok, ears well protected and she was glad to have a new hat. Allison said she liked a 1x1 Rib hat that I had done a long time ago. It had been in and adult size so I had to adapt it to kid size. Again Jo chose bright yellow but I also had some Lion Brand WoolEase White Multi yarn I thought she would like. It has a sparkle thread in it.  We were now doing stripes along wth a 1x1 rib. I thought things were going great. I measured, re-measured, counted. It came out cute but dang, what the heck, it was too short also for what I wanted. I mean seriously, she could wear it with her hair down ok but a ponytail made it hike up.

What the heck? Ok, now I am a woman obsessed, maybe possessed. Yeah I get this way when something does not work the way I want it. I was going to make a hat that would work if I had to research Ravelry and google hats till I was bleary eyed. I had already had to look up how to make sure the rib went to the crown of the hat correctly. I had even emailed my sister knowing she had done a lot of rib hats. Apparently not too many people want to do 1x1 rib for the whole hat. Once you get in the swing of it you really do not have to think about it. I was going to get this right. I was determined. So I reworked the pattern, added a few more stitches in width then measured Jo's head length, again. As I reached the decrease I had to alter the pattern again because of the odd amount of stitches. I decided that if this did not work I was going to have to take a break because this was crazy. I thought this all the time knowing that I would just start over on a new one again. Apparently the third time was a charm. This one seemed to come out good. Oh, yes, when I asked Jo what color we should make this one she said yellow, orange and white. Three colors now? I did not have any orange in the stash but had some I Love This Yarn in Candy Corn. It was perfect. The result? It Fit!!

Finally, it works. It fits, her ears are covered and the ponytail does not cause it to ride up. I also found that the 1x1 rib makes the hat a lot thicker feeling than my regular kids hat of a 2x2 rib for the brim and the standard knit up the rest of the hat. I am so pleased. Now I wonder, how much will I need to reduce it down to make Scout one. You know she is going to want it.

Dang RA, Dang Weather

I am tired of the unpredictable weather. The ups and downs of low 40's to high 70's in a matter of a couple of days. Back and forth with today an unbelievable wind making it feel colder than it is. First it is the knee, then the elbow, and to top it off the neck. All are griping at me about the seemingly instantanious weather changes. Argh!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good;

His love endures forever.

Psalm 118:1

Scarves Mailed

I mailed the "Soldier Scarves" today. Well, that is what JE and I call them. A few months ago we learned about the Operation Gratitude organization. While they help send boxes of all kinds of things to deployed soldiers ( see http://www.operationgratitude.com/ or click on the link in my blog roll), the scarves were what caught our attention. Knitters that we are we saw the scarves as a way we could send a hug to deployed soldiers and help keep them warm. A little love sent across the miles. I started knitting and let JE know what I was doing and she also pulled yarn out of her stash. Since my son Joseph enlisted in the Army I have felt the mother's pull toward all servicemen and women even more than before. I see the uniform and want to let that soldier know that they are loved and appreciated for all they do, for their sacrifice. No one made them sign up. It was their choice. So here is the first box of hopefully many for as long as we have soldiers who need a litttle touch from home.

We always take a picture of the things we knit. We knit 28 scarves since August.

Boxed and ready to mail.

What My Sissy Gave Me

My sister Jane Ellen (knittinginnaples) was here for a visit this last week. Things have been a little overwhelming lately, to say the least. She surprised me with an beautiful knit shawl. It is made out of Euroflax Linen (love it) with little tiny beads on the fringe (love them). No words can describe what it feels like when someone knows things have been difficult and then gives you something so beautiful. As a knitter I am doublely, triplely, quadrupely (are these real words?) appreciative since I know how long it takes to knit these things. Thanks Sissy, I will love it and you always.

Veteran's Day

Thank you to all those who serve or have served in our military. A special thanks to those in my family.

My son Joseph

My Dad

My brother-in-law (with Joseph)

Life

The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together.

William Shakespeare

Happy Birthday Jo !!

Today is Jo's 6th birthday. I cannot believe it has been six years. Jo you are a delight and I will love you forever.

Bluebonnet Girl

Fun with Scout

Summer Fun

Tea party with Aunt Jane Ellen

Love you Jo! Happy Birthday!

Cambridge Shawl 2

Here is a picture I found on http://www.whatkatewore.com/ of Kate wearing the original design of Cambridge Shawl. I have hopes of mine turning out this nicely. For pictures of Ravelry members completed projects go to http://www.ravelry.com/ and check them out.

 

Cambridge Shawl

I have been working on Cambridge Shawl by Carol Sunday since the end of July. Yes, by now I should have finished it but a lot has happened. So I have been knitting hats for Knit-A-Cap because I can knit one of those in my sleep and they take no counting. The shawl pattern came off of the Ravelry group. Carol Sunday designed it to look like a shawl Kate Middleton, the Dutchess of Cambridge worn while grocery shopping. After a few false starts getting the correct count and twisted stitches I was coming along nicely. Moving and the hospital got in my way. I pulled it out again the other day and did a couple of rows. I am using yarn that has been in the stash for who knows how many years. It is Lion Brand Wool-Ease Sport which has been discontinued. I think I got 10 skeins at a couple of dollars a skein. Yeah, too good to pass up. This yarn has tried to be many things and just never found it's calling until a few months ago I made my sister a shawl and hat. Then when I saw Cambridge I thought maybe it would work. I think it has found what it wants to be.

Yes, that is a lifeline 3/4 of the way up.

The ruffle.

Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Needlework From Years Gone By

When you are packing up and moving after 34 years in one house you come across things you have made in the past. Two samplers I did in the 70's. Yes, they don't have a frame right now. Yes again, I was just as picky about embroidery as I am about all my other needlecrafts.

Saw This at the Doctor's Office

Happiness is a Box

Scout found this box today. She played in it all afternoon. Imagination in motion.

Fog

"The fog comes in on little cat feet." This is the first line of the poem The Fog by Carl Sandburg. I thought of it this morning when I opened the front door and was greeted by this...

Then there was more....

You could barely see in front of your car. It took until around noon before it all burned off.

The Many Faces of Jo

We recently went to Sam's Club for some "stuff". Lately every time we go we have to have the hotdog combo . If you haven't had the Nathan's hot dogs there they are pretty yummy. I usually have my camera because you never know when there will be something to snap. Jo started making these funny faces and I had to take a pix of them.

Scout is apparently thinking what the heck is she doing.

What is going on in her mind?

Extreme closeup.

The girl of many faces. Gotta love it.

Party Ponchette

Back in the early summer before everything in the world started happening at once, I came across this pattern on the Caron yarn website. It is called Party Ponchette. I decided that I would make one for Jo since she was to start kindergarten this year. It is crocheted with a size I crochet hook and I used I Love This Yarn  worsted weight from Hobby Lobby. I cast on 88 stitches for  a 6-8yr size. I did it in hot yellow, Jo's favorite color and then added orange beads. It was very fast to crochet. Can you tell her favorite color is yellow?

When I finished Jo's I knew I could not give her one without giving Scout one too. So I used Vanna yarn in

blue, Scout's favorite color. I used white beads for the fringe trim. I made her's in the 2-4 yr size. As you can tell she sort of liked it but was not too thrilled with having her picture taken wearing it.

The pattern also has a 10-12 yr size. It is a very fast, easy and cute pattern. I think if you kept going you could make an adult size.