Christmas Knits

Well, life is slowly returning to normal after all the excitement with Halloween, the election and hubby coming home after a long trip. Now I might find some time for knitting again!

I have managed to complete the cutest little strawberry hat for my niece. It really is adorable. The King Cole Superwash Merino turned out to be perfect for this project. One 50g ball of each colour was perfect for the one year old size (45cm head circumference) and its anti-tickle blend should mean that its not itchy for her. Making it brought back memories of my son at the same age. I blessed him with a blueberry one and he looked adorable. Don't tell him I said so though!

I've also managed to cast on for the deep navy hat for DH. It's a very simple knit taken from a Gjestal pattern so it'll be my 'out-and-about' project. It fits perfectly inside my handbag, so I'll be able to whip it out in doctors waiting rooms and at sports events should the mood take me. I'll only need to concentrate when I come to shaping the crown and that won't be for some time yet, so I should be fine. I'm using KnitPicks Telemark to make it with, which feels as if it will knit into quite a robust fabric.

As for the Central Park Hoodie? Well, I'm about to cast on for the right front, so hopefully I'll be able make some good headway on it this weekend. Mind you with the amount of sporting and church events on the calendar, DH's hat could actually see more action!

WIPs And Gifts

Well I finished the Odessa Hat and it looks lovely. The blue beads add a subtle elegant touch to the piece which will suit its recipient perfectly. I also came across the tube of pearl beads that I was sure I'd bought in the summer, but couldn't find when I went to start this project. (That's how I ended up using the blue ones.) I found them in a pocket in my handbag! Looks like I've been walking around with them in there for months!!

I now seem to have several works in progress (WIPs). Despite a totally manic weekend when my time was certainly not my own, I did manage to get myself organised enough beforehand, so that I had a small project with me wherever I happened to be. The project in question is Nicky Epstein's Chameleon again. This is my second version and on Thursday I took a moment to wind a skein of Cascade 220 (whose shade is aptly named Puget Sound) into a suitable ball for the project. I do not have a swift, so resorted to my Nan's tried and tested trick with a couple of chair backs. My greatest challenge was completing this exercise before the cat decided to investigate! Thankfully, I just got finished before my large ginger and white bundle of fluff strolled languidly into the kitchen to check out what I was doing.

I repeated the same procedure with the lilac Cascade 220 that I am using to knit the Central Park Hoodie. I cast on on Saturday evening and am so excited to see this pattern taking shape.

I managed to score a whole bag of this yarn at a closing sale at the beginning of the summer and it's knitting up beautifully.

My other WIP is the Strawberry hat that I'm making for my niece. As I've hit the construction of the top, it's not such a portable project anymore (I actually have to concentrate a bit now!) so I'll be working on it at home over the next few days. It will be another of my Christmas projects completed, so I'm feeling quite pleased with myself now.

I'm now awaiting the arrival of a KnitPicks order which will contain some beautiful yarn for my final Christmas project - a lovely hat for the man in my life. After 20yrs, it's about time I knitted him something!

Hat Spotting

Isn't it funny how you start looking at knitted items that other people are wearing. At church on Sunday, I found myself looking at this very sweet little knitted grey jacket that a lady was wearing. It caught my eye because it was a knitted fabric, possibly a handknit, with a very interesting basket weave pattern worked into it.

It's the same when I'm watching my son's soccer games. Now that the weather has turned more autumnal, people are breaking out the winter headgear, so there I am spotting different styles and wondering how I can make them into knitted hats. I then race home and draw a quick sketch, so that I don't forget what I've seen.

In the meantime, I'm cracking on with my Christmas projects. Yesterday, I finished my second Odessa hat and I must say the blue beads on the blue yarn have actually been pleasantly surprising. It's a cute little hat with a very feminine design, which knits up quickly once you get into the pattern.

I have now cast on in King Cole Merino Blend DK for a strawberry hat for my niece. I love this yarn because it's so easy to work with. My pattern is an old one from a Norwegian magazine, which I have used several times before with great success. The little green stitches incorporated throughout really give it the look of a summer fruit. Every child looks cute in this hat!