Not Socks!

So I haven't posted in a while, but that doesn't mean I haven't been knitting! Though, as promised, there have been no more socks! (I just offered to make my sister a pair yesterday, though...)

Here's what I HAVE been up to. I made two hats, one for each of the kids I've been babysitting this summer. Hat number one: navy blue regular old beanie, knitted for a boy.


The first go was too small, so I redid half of it and made it bigger so that it could cover his ears and give him some room to grow into. And then he said he wanted me to add some red ears to it, skinnier than bunny ears. I thought it'd be fun to put some wire in them so that you could bend them and so they'd stay up more. So I bent up some paperclips, wrapped them in red fabric, and stuffed them inside.


Then I closed up the bottom, and attached them to the hat. I tried it on and bent the ears so that they flopped down, but then I was SO SAD because they looked like either devil horns or bull horns. I thought his mom would not approve. But I unbent them and just let them flop and thought I'd see what they thought. They loved it!

I don't remember the yarn I used because I got it so long ago and threw away the label. It was knitted on US size 6 needles, I think I did 88 stitches around.

One down...


The second hat, I went out and bought some pretty, girly yarn. Hand-dyed yarn with subtle variations of pink, orange, and fuchsia. It was so soft and pretty and such a fabulous texture (Araucania: Patagonia Nature Cotton, hand-dyed 100% cotton yarn, color 223)

I'm disappointed that this hat went so quickly. I used size 8 needles, so I guess that made it zoom by. I started while watching Jerry Maguire (why isn't real life like that movie?) and knitted the ear flaps. I started with a 3-stitch I-cord and then to make the earflap, I increased to 17 (I think?) stitches and then did a few plain rows to add length. Repeated this for the other ear flap. Then I adapted this recipe, which I've used before, and I really like for earflap hats. I had 13 stitches in the back of the hat and I think 23 (accidentally) in the front. A little ribbing. Anyway, what I was saying is how this hat went too fast. I finished the rest of it in like 2 hours. Well then I added the pom-pom and tassels, but that didn't take any time either.


Isn't it cute? I love it. It looks way cute on her, too. Oh, haha, funny story, though. I totally messed up the decreases. I accidentally stopped decreasing one seam, and then just started back up like 5 rows later. I thought it was going to look bad, but you can't tell at all unless you look really closely. Phew! I guess that story wasn't really funny...

Anyway, I knitted hats like I promised. On my queue of hats to knit is an argyle hat for a friend. A couple weeks ago, I had my wonderful, knitting, wise grandmother give me a lesson in intarsia. She used to knit argyle socks in her college days! How fun! I'll try that sometime, I'm sure... But before I jumped into this argyle hat business, I had to practice. Coincidentally, Elizabeth sent me a package a day or two later, and in it was a perfectly appropriate (and ADORABLE) sticker.



Haha, how cute, right? Thanks, E! But yeah. Argyle is a mess. But I think I've got it down. And now that I have my kiddos' hats finished, I'll get started on the argyle hat!

I also finished this scarf that I had halfway finished since June, and finally picked up more of the yarn that I needed to finish it. I'll post that later though because I forgot to take pictures. I still have some yarn left so I'm thinking I might try and make a hat out of it. Maybe I'll do like two more hats, and then start on a mitten kick. I started one pair of mittens a long time ago, but I wasn't following a pattern so I had to stop after the cuff. Enough, Teresa! Shut up, already!! Okay. Goodnight, knitters and friends.