Dad’s Watchman Cap

oh man! I have so much to catch up on. I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions, if I did they would be the same things I tell myself I need to work on all year long, eat better, drink less, exercise more, be a kinder person, have more patience, you get the idea.  How about you? Do you make resolutions?

Let’s start with the back log Christmas gifts!

This went to my Dad, he loves real wool hats and I am happy to knit them for him, so I think he’s gotten one every year since I started knitting. I used the Berroco Peruvia I had left over from Tree Jacket

• Pattern:  The Marsan Watchcap
• Cast on: ???
• Weaving in: ???
• Needles: size 7
• Yarn: Peruvia from Berroco
• Modifications – none, other than I knit more rows than the pattern called for my dad likes his hats long .

A couple of FOs

I have two small FO that really are weeks old. I almost forgot about them, hard to believe since the first one appeared in this video. After seeing Turtle Girl blog about these a couple of weeks ago, I whipped up my own. The problem – I don’t actually have anywhere to use it, the apartment is carpeted other than the kitchen. I’ll be sending this off to my mom for review. Oh and yes that’s crochet, I do know a bit.

Second, a You Don’t Know Our Women Hat for Him. Puv’s bday was in July and he lives in the cold Colorado mountains so I used doubled stranded Cascade 220 and my favorite hat pattern to whip this up for him.

I’m headed to Denver later this week and I need to decide what knitting to take on the plane. I’m “this close” to finishing Juno Regina so that may go but I’ll need something for the return trip. Off to look at my Raverly queue!

happy knitting!

Lace Cap

I’d like to report that so far the Yarn Diet has been a success. I know, it’s only been a week, but hey ever little victory counts! I took the extra money and joined a gym. I even got a personal trainer and I’m meeting with him later this morning. Let’s just say it’s a love/hate thing

Before the diet started I’d ordered the Lace Sampler and Cotton Samplers from KnitPicks. The cotton one came with some one skien patterns, this is the only one I liked. It was a fast easy night. I have both One Skein books so I know I’ll find something for the others.

This cotton lace cap is perfect for those Saturday mornings where I over sleep a bit and have to hurry to the farmer’s market before all the good stuff is gone, so I don’t have time to do my hair.

• Pattern: Lace Cap from KnitPicks (sorry no linky luv I can’t find it online)
• Cast on: May 24th
• Weaving in: May 25th
• Needles: size 7 circs & dpns
• Yarn: KnitPicks Comfy – I hadn’t used this yarn before, but it was really soft and reminded me of Cascade Pima Tencel.
• Modifications – I only did 2 rows of stockinette before starting the lace pattern.

The “You Don’t Know Our Women” Hat

I’ve had one skein of chunky Malabrigo since I went to KC in April. I knew it would probably be a scarf or a hat, since there was only 104 yards of it. But I hadn’t found anything I like. I knew I wanted cables. So with some figuring I came out with simple pattern that would show off the yarn and look great. I knit most of it while watching 300, so in honor of the movie I named in the “You Don’t Know Our Women Hat” If you haven’t seen the movie it’s full of badassness, lots of near naked men kicking butt and the women, while not a big part of the movie, are given their due. They are at war and the King is talking to his enemy and they have this exchange

Xerxes: Consider the fate of your women.
Spartan King Leonidas: Clearly you don’t know our women! I might as well have marched them up here judging by what I’ve seen.

Granted no one in the movie would would wear a knitted hat as they are too busy running about half dressed and being bad ass. But if they were in danger of freezing to death and HAD to wear a hat, this would be it. It’s plenty bad ass.

When I watch TV alone I like to add my own narration, for example – Official Narrator : Only the hard and strong may call themselves Spartans. Me : and apparently only the very hot. Followed by giggles because I think I’m hilarious.

I did take notes at I knit this so if anyone wants one of their very own let me know and I’ll type them up.

PS I know I have a lots of email to answer and blog posts to read, I’m trying to catch up, so if I haven’t answered an email I will I promise!

The panic

It’s started! For some reason all during October I think I have alllllll this time to get xmas presents made and decided on. But somehow November creeps up on me and as soon as I turn the calender I feel it, the panic! There is NOT enough time to get everything done! I have so much to knit, things to shop for, goodies to make and my wine charmbusiness! The biz just gets crazy! Things are steady all year then start picking up in October, increase rapidly through November, then snowball out of control after Thanksgiving. Everyone thinks they can wait to the last minute to order online presents. Never-mind that everyone else is doing the same thing and that First Class mail from the postal service often takes less than a week during other times of the year can now take FOUR!

In other news! Here’s some unfinished knitting projects. Most of them are destined to be xmas gifts. Except Fetching, those are for me. I need to get the thumb re-knit so I can at least take it off the needles and declare one thumb done. No idea when I’ll have time to do that.