Two Little Hats

Two little baby hats all in a row!
I finished a couple of hats - they are soooooo cute! Tis the season for babies i guess - I'm just glad it's not me! Babies are sure fun to knit for: quick, easy and a good way to learn new techniques with out wasting a lot of time. The Candy cane hat is seen below and the PomPom hat is a superwash Dale of Norway/Baby Ull.

Stephanie's SweetTarts Candy Baby Hat

The newest little addition to my Baby gift collection. Maddie's friend, Stephanie, is having a bambino soon, so I whipped this out yesterday. I love the yarns together - Katia Arc En Ciel and Kool Kotton. The Katia is a 200 yard skein - I'll be able to get a couple more hats out of this!

3 projects finished! Almost at once!

      It's amazing! I've finished 3 projects almost simultaneously (plus I just took some bread out of the oven) I don't have all the pics yet but that will happen soon. I finished the baby bottle for traca - I think it looks better than the first one, and I finished "Henrietta" the chicken. Kudos to Julia for actually felting them for me - her washing machine is a top-loader; I have a front-loader and it doesn't work as well. Henrietta is at work, so photos will be arriving shortly. She's cute . . . . sort of. We'll see if she generates any buzz.

 I whipped out a quick scarf, based on the Brooklyntweed, using a N.Y. Yarn, Gypsy. Lot's of fringe. I think I'll send it to Maddie, thinking it would go with the A & F Cargo coat I sent her recently (It was a steal - $228 coat for only $40!!!!!)

Target Wave Mitten

I've been working on a new mitten - It's called the Target Wave Mitten, by Norah Gaughn. I found it in the Interweave knits, Fall 06, but it's been published in a book "Knitting Nature" . It appealed to me since it was a small project - I can get done it quickly  -  If by chance there are some techie problems, it wouldn't be much to rip out and fix.  And yes . . .there were some fit issues. I followed the original pattern, calling for a #6 needle for the body and #8 for the the thumb target. It is a kid's mitten, and I made it in the youth large size, but still had problems with the "thumb target" area. It looked too "balloony". So I went back down to the #6 for the thumb area. That helped, but it still poofed too much. I thought about it a bit, and adjusted the decreasing so it got smaller faster, and ended up making the thumb a  bit shorter. It actually matches the original photo from the IK mag, which fits maybe, I don't know, a 6 0r 7 year old.

A side note: If you've knit from this Book, Knitting Nature, here is a link for a knit-along blog.

Mrs. Henry and the Baby Bottle.

This is not a children's story. However, I just finished watching the movie starring Renee Zelweiger and Ewan McGregor about Beatrix Potter, so I gather I'm in the "storybook" frame of mind to come up with this title. I've made my move and decided I just had to get these two projects done. I'm very close on both pieces, so the felting is just around the corner. Mrs. Henry is getting her underside done. She's thrilled, believe me! Wouldn't you like to be tossed about in a bag, in public places mind you, with out your underside. Quite embarrassing, I'm sure. 

And the Baby Bottle . . .  well, a baby bottle isn't a baby bottle  and not much use, mind you,  until the nipple is finished. Just so you know the baby bottle is for my friend Traca! 

NO, she's NOT! 

I also am getting back to Jim's sweater, hopefully, I'll get that done by the end of March. Just in time for the cold weather.

I'm sure my hubby won't read this for a couple of days, so I can say this: While I was watching Miss Potter, I made the"man-of-the-house" an actual birthday cake. I'm a lousy cake maker. Everyone can attest to that. There have been many misshapen cakes at our house. They all taste very good though. But I think I hit the mark on this one. He told us at dinner the other night, that if given the chance, he would overeat on chocolate. Even if he was full, he would keep eating the chocolate. So I made a chocolate cake with really gooey frosting. Sweeetie, if you read this,  act surprised. I hope you'll know that of all your birthday presents, this one took the most effort and love.

Finished Danica

I've been wanting to knit a scarf for me - most of us seem to knit for others - but choosing the yarn . . . the pattern . . . . .  It's worse than shopping for jeans sometimes. I've been hoarding some black Mountain Colors Twizzle for about a year, and have been fantasizing about the Danica pattern on knitty for some time now. Twizzle is a blend of wool and silk and has a lovely soft texture and drape. When Maddie was home for the holidays, she helped me choose a complimentary Twizzle.  So it came together. I love the simple symmetry of the entrelac technique - it lends itself to so many color possiblities.I finished it Saturday nite so I could bring it with me to Bozeman while I chaperoned Alice's orchestra to an orchestra festival.

Alice really lucked out - she stayed with a host family there - a fabulous family, a great home. The mom, Barb Cribb, as it turns out, has a successful home-based craft business, Wild Thymes Pattern Co. She focuses on wool felt kits for home decorating. She dyes her own wool fabrics and creates custom wall hangings, table linens, purse and

more. It is really quite impressive. She has an online presence, and travels to retail and wholesale events.

Barb also took the time to show off downtown Bozeman and took me to the LYS there. Bozeman has 2; The Yarn Shop and Stix. Both great stores and it was interesting to see what we had and they didn't, and visa versa. Here is some pics of some yarn I plucked while I twirled in their shops. Some Crystal Palace, Noro Cotton Hill, some fun mohair, Borreco. Somehow I ended up with lots of purples and greens. Guess I'll have to be on the look out for the patten or inspirations.

Busy, busy, busy

I guess I've been busy! I'm a cheer mom and we cheer mom's know how to stay busy! For the last 3 or 4 weeks  - I've lost track - we've been decorating a whopping 500 bottles of Orange Crush! It's a Valentine's Day fundraiser for the Cheerleaders - you know - A "crush" for your "crush"!

I'm also leaving today for Bozeman for a AA Orchestra Festival for a couple of days - I'm the chaperone  - scarrrry!

Knitwise: I've finished my entrelac scarf and will post pics later. I'm bringing 3 projects with me to Bozo - I'm starting work on a sample for the store   -  a felted stuffed Mommy Chicken and some little chicks; the Target Wave Mittens (Interweave Summer 06), Baby Bottle Bolster Pillow (KnitScene). During my private lessons with Glenda the Good Witch, we are going to start on my fingerless mitts. So Everyone have a Happy superbowl sunday.