Taking the Scenic Route

I haven’t posted much lately because I have really been busy.  I am likely to make a longer post later tonight, but we will see if he goes to bed on time.  lol.  Besides planning his graduation party and working on the invites  I spent most of yesterday on the computer trying to modify maps to print out since there are so many out of town guests that either don’t know the school, or the host’s house, or both.  I was on Zach’s computer most of the day because my keyboard is a little screwy and my monitor colors are way off, something you definitely don’t want when doing graphic work.

I have also been knitting like crazy.  Zane needed a hat before cold weather hit.  I still have to make the gloves, but I finished the hat.  (pictures below).  The yarn is hand dyed yarn from Jessica at Fabric Connection.  It is dyed to compliment his coat, which is black with blue trim.  I didn’t use a pattern.  I just started knitting and hoped for the best.  lol.  I started by making the two earflaps, starting at the point and then increasing at the second to last stitch in every other row.  The earflaps were in garter stitch and done on the same set of needles, one after the other (each with their own skein, so I only had to remember the most recent row of stitches and didn’t have to remember what I did for later).   I was planning on making them smaller triangles, but I was thinking while knitting (dangerous, I know) and ended up making them a lot bigger than I intended, so I ended up joining them together on the back instead of just having them on the sides.  I cast on some more stitches to make a front, and eventually started doing the rest in stockinet stitch.   I decreased until it was almost able to be closed up, and then made a tube, decreasing at a much slower rate, but ending up transitioning to i-cord the last few inches.  Then I made a quick pom-pom (see mom, it was worth all the annoying hours you spent with me on those dang pom-poms, because I was able to do this one in about 2 minutes..lol).  Then I put about 6 pieces of yarn on a tapestry needle, pulled it through the tip of the earflap, and then braided the strings.  I think I am going to need to cut those ties a little, they are so long right now they look silly.

My next project was for my stint as a “helper mommy” at MDC.  I am sending a few gently used toys and a hat for a mama in need.  I hope I have money for postage.  I might have to ask Gemini for postage money.  lol.  I was planning on using up the acrylic yarn I had, but I just couldn’t do it.  I ended up grabbing up some of the Bernat cottonTots that I love because I just couldn’t stand the idea of that scratchy acrylic on top of a tender little head.  I finally tried cables!  woo hoo!  I didn’t have a cable needle, but read that a dpn works just fine, and it did!  It was a small cable, and the process took a lot longer than I was planning on, but I am fairly happy with the results.  I made it with a frilly type brim to make it more girlie since I hardly ever get to knit for a girl.  It was the same thing I did on one of my pumpkin hats that I couldn’t afford to send to my nieces.  I only had a little bit of yarn left on the skien, so I decided to make a pom-pom top for that hat too.  I sure hope it fits the little girl!  I am always so nervous about that!

Earflap “Dr. Seuss” hat on Zane

The pink girlie-girl hat