Mess O' Hats, Part 2: Auld Lang Syne Edition

Remember last week when I told you I went on a hat-knitting binge that continued on . . . even after I completed my Christmas gift knitting? Well, today you get the rest of them! Welcome to . . . 

A Whole Mess O' Hats, Part 2: Auld Lang Syne Edition.

I made one for Tom. (Ravelry link.)

And one for me. (Ravelry link.)

One for my sister. (Ravelry link.)

And another of these quick-and-easy headbands for myself. (Ravelry link.) (And, yeah. It's made from the leftovers of Erin's hat from last week.)

And even though I've moved on from hats . . . and I'm currently busy knitting away at a sweater (this one) . . . I'm still dreaming of hats.
(Like . . . this one.) 
(And this one.)
(And another headband.)
(Or two.)

(Oh, help.)

Mess O' Hats, Part 1: Christmas Edition

My last knitting-related post . . . was about a month ago.
When I explained that I was on a hat-knitting binge.
(Christmas gifts for my kids, if you recall.)

Since the holiday is over now - and the hats all received -  I can finally share which hat I knit for which kid.  

But. I also need to confess that . . . my hat-knitting binge didn't stop there.
Nope. I just kept on knitting hats after the gift-knitting was complete.
(I get that way now and then.)

So.
Welcome to A Whole Mess O' Hats, Part 1: Christmas Edition!

For Erin . . . 

For Keith . . . 

For Brian . . . 

For Lauren . . . 

Fun knitting, for sure! And it makes me happy to know that even though I can't be with them, they can always count on me to keep them warm!

You can find all the details on Ravelry here (click the first link for my project details/notes, or the second link for the pattern):

• Erin's hat is Shear (Emily Greene, Brooklyn Tweed)
• Keith's hat is Windschief (Stephen West)
• Brian's hat is Gault (Jared Flood, Brooklyn Tweed)
• Lauren's hat is Shiftalong (Andrea Mowry)

Which is your favorite???

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And . . . stay tuned for Mess O' Hats, Part 2!
(Because there are . . . 4 more to come.)

Can't Stop Won't Stop

Around here, in my little corner of the world, it's All-Hat-Knitting-All-The-Time these days. (Because . . . apparently, for me, nothing says "I love you" quite like a hand knit hat for the holidays.) I am really cranking out the hats right now. But since they are gifts for people who for the most part do not even glance at my blog, but every once in a while surprise me by acknowledging that they do occasionally take a peek, I am hesitant to ruin my surprise by revealing too much. (As if they'd be surprised by receiving Yet Another Hat for Christmas.)

Anyway.

I thought it might be fun to throw some hints out there with a little guessing game. Let's play . . .  Match-the-Hat-With-the-Recipient!

The Contenders:
(and these are Ravelry links, by the way; I'm sorry, but to play you'll have to look them up yourselves; I felt like it would be too much of a hint to include a photo of the various hats . . . just in case, y'know . . . someone happened to be peeking in today).

First up, we've got Shear . . . a very interesting graphic design by Emily Greene. This is a great unisex hat that knits up quite quickly in DK yarn.

Next, we've got Gault . . . a cool textured design by Jared Flood. This is another unisex hat that uses DK yarn. Fun to knit, for sure.

And we've got Windschief . . . a hat with interesting lines by Stephen West. Yep, another unisex hat.  This one knits up really fast in worsted weight yarn.

Last, we've got Shiftalong . . . Andrea Mowry's fun hat based on her other "Shifty" designs (Night Shift, Shifty, etc.). This one isn't quite so unisex, but there's no reason it couldn't be.

The Recipients:
(all wearing previous hand knit hats, naturally. . . )

My daughter Erin and her husband Keith.

My son Brian and his wife Lauren.

(These photos are from our family curling outing last Christmas.) (Such carefree fun. Sigh.)

So.

Which hat for which recipient?

Take a guess!

(And if anyone actually guesses all four correctly, I'll think of some sort of prize!)

 

 

Can't Help Myself

Looking for something super quick and easy to knit???

That will also keep you (or someone you love) warm and toasty???

And - as an added benefit - will tame your "pandemic hair" or that (un)timely decision to grow out your bangs???

Well. 

Look no further! I've got you covered!

(It's even a free pattern.)

This is the aptly-named "headband with a twist" by Mirella Moments. (The free pattern is available on their website, here.) It takes just a tiny bit of yarn, a tiny bit of your time, and - for those of you who hate to purl - it's a basic one-color brioche stitch (or English rib if the words "brioche stitch" stop you dead in your tracks), which means . . . ribbing but NO purling! (And super easy to do.)

This is a perfect thing for me right now. (Because we have reached the bangs-growing-out stage where I need a paper bag otherwise. . . ) I'm definitely going to be knitting up a few more. . . 

'Cause sugar pie, honey bunch
(Sugar pie, honey bunch)
You know that I'm weak for you 
(Weak for you)
Can't help myself
I love you and nobody else

Ravelry details here.

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Be sure to visit Kat today for more Unraveled posts!

A Little Riff . . . Sound of Music Style

Things got you down?
Me, too.
Let's take some advice from Maria . . . as the thunderstorms rumble around us . . . 
Let's SING!

blue and white dishes
and
things in grid patterns

flowers
and 
polka-dots
and
warm woolen everything

knits that look great from their back side as well

. . . these are a few of my favorite things!

when the Trump tweets
when the pandemic bites
when I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things . . .
and then I don't feel . . . 
so bad!

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This is the Pressed Flowers shawl, finished and with some modifications. If you're interested in more information (and, I promise, no more strangled lyrics) you can click here for Ravelry details and more photos.

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(And, yep. That is my current full-on-pandemic hairdo. Because if you can't grow out you bangs during a pandemic, when CAN you grow them out???)

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It's not too late to join the book discussions for The Women of Brewster Place! Bonny and Carole and I each posted questions yesterday. We'd love to hear what you think.

 

Did I Mention

. . . that the "bunny girls" have a brother?

Yeah.
They do.
A big brother.
And what do you knit for a sweet little boy who loves books and wrestling and Star Wars? The answer is Not A Bunny, for sure. But what???

Why . . . how about a dragon?

I have a very clear memory of the last time I actually met a friend for coffee just before All Bets Were Off and coffee-dates became just another thing of the Before Times.  There we were, comfortably sipping and chatting and knitting and showing each other possibilities for future knits on our iPads . . . so casually, so lightly -- not at all imagining how much our lives would change the very next day (I digress) (but sometimes I'm just struck with how much things changed, y'know?).  Anyway, she had a brand-new grandson and had just knit a sweet bunny for him (this one). I shared my plan about knitting my own, different bunnies (these). I mentioned that I didn't know what to knit for the big brother, though, so we started brainstorming and looking things up on Ravelry with our iPads. 

And she found the little dragon pattern. 

And it was Just The Thing!

(And here I am, 7 months later, finished with the very dragon we decided on that day.) (And all I can do is send her the photos.)

Anyway.
Isn't he just adorable?

It's more "futsy knitting," for sure. But less futsy than the bunnies. Much quicker. (Plus . . . no wardrobe for a dragon.) (Thankfully.) Someday I may need to knit another dragon. For myself. Because he's awfully fun to have around, and I'll miss him when he's gone.

But not today!

(Click here for Ravelry details for my Little Dragon.)

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How about you? What are you making this week?
And be sure to visit Kat to find more Unraveled posts today.

On Knitting With Precision. Or Not.

There are some knitting projects that are just more . . . forgiving . . . than others. Projects where you can figure out ways to "fix" or "modify" your goofs so you don't need to "knit backwards" or rip back or -- (heaven forbid) --  unravel altogether.

And then there are projects that require precision.

Like . . . this one, say.

It's not a difficult pattern to knit. It's super simple to memorize -- and "read" (once you've done a repeat or two). But it does require precision. As in . . . any mistake will stick out like a sore thumb and drive you mad. 

Trust me.
I know!

I have knit back on more rows of this thing than I can count. (Mostly because . . . I can't count, apparently.) (And I'm also apparently particularly challenged about remembering the simple increase-on-every-right-side-row thing.)

This is not a forgiving pattern. Perfection is paramount. (And I'm not particularly into perfection.)

Yet I will soldier on. Because this . . . 

flower/grid/high-contrast combination just . . . tickles me!

Besides. I have plenty of "explanations" for when my knitting focus goes off the rails like this:

News anxiety
Pandemic fog
Captivating TV
Knitting-with-wine
All of the above

But, as of last night, I have a new one: mercury retrograde! Yes. Mercury is retrograde again. Which really doesn't mean much . . . except that you can blame pretty much anything* on it. 

And I will!

*(Except politics. We know just who to blame there.)

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How about you? What are you making these days? And do you find yourself less focused? (Or is it just me. . . )

Be sure to visit Kat today for links to more Unraveled posts.

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I have a BONUS for you this week!

For some reason that I can't pin down (pick any of the "explanations" from my list above, even if mercury wasn't retrograde), I seem to have subscribed TWICE to Making magazine. Which means . . . I have duplicate copies of the last two issues: No. 9 Simple and No. 10 Intricate, which just arrived yesterday in my mailbox.  I would like to share! If you're interested in a copy of either issue (or even both), just let me know in the comments and I'll draw a name out of a hat next Tuesday.

Bunnies on the Catwalk

Brace yourselves.

It's Bunny Fashion Week!

Yes, friends. I'm finally finished with those damn charming and adorable little bunnies! I feel like it's been one long summer episode of Project Runway: Bunny Edition.

Let's join the "Little Buns" (as I've taken to calling them) as they hit the catwalk, modeling the newest looks for the bunny set.

Fussy much? 

But really cute, non?

And soon on their way to (hopefully) make a couple of little girls I know . . . smile.

Glad I made them, now that they're finished. But I'm REALLY glad they're done, y'know?

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If you want more details (and more photos), you can check out my Ravelry project pages here (bunnies in the dotty dresses), here (textured dresses), here (top-down sweaters), and here (t-shirt dresses).

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How about you? What are you making this week?

 

 

All Summer Long

Click here for some Beach Boys to get you in the mood! 

I've been dragging something along with me . . . all summer long.

Slogging knitting away, off and on.
Mixing it up with baby sweaters and bunnies and embroidery.
On the patio, up north at the lake, in front of the tv.

All summer long
you've been with me
I can't see enough of you

All summer long
we've both been free
Won't be long til summer time is through

T-shirts, cutoffs
and a pair of thongs (flip-flops)
We've been having fun all summer long!

But now . . . summer time is through.
The weather is turning, it's time to move on.

It's so nice to add a new layer to my closet -- just in time for fall.

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You can find the details here on Ravelry. 

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What are YOU making this week?

 

Dying of Cuteness

After hours of futsy finishing. . .
(Hours.)
And more fiddling and adjusting than you can imagine. . . 
After being ready to just throw-in-the-towel on numerous occasions. . . 
(Ask Tom.)
And so much swearing. . . 

I am now . . . 

Dying of cuteness!

The little faces.
And the seed-stitch ears.

The stripey legs.
The shoes.
(The damn shoes nearly did me in.) (Just sayin.)

The little backsides.
(Where even the little tails are knit and stuffed.)

Truly.
Now I can say they were worth it.
Perfectly imperfect, but plenty good enough.

Just non-stop cute!

Now.
For the wardrobe!

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What are you making this week?

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Here's a Ravlery link to the pattern. (Y'know. In case you want to make some for yourself.) As for the wardrobe? So much to choose from! (Let's just say . . . it's kind of like shopping at the Able Sisters shop in Animal Crossings.)