Spring is Sprung

I'm finally feeling spring and it's not just that my allergies have once again made a mess of my respiratory system and I'm treating another round of bronchitis...really, it's not.  I know I'm feeling spring because I want to make fun, warmer weather things with yarn.  I'm still leaning heavily towards knitting.  I look at it as a season, the crochet season will return again in time.  So today I'm feeling a little springy and and a bit flighty so here are my random thoughts on Spring and knitting. . .

1. I haven't knit a real pair of socks since I finished the Christmas rush and I'm itching to get back to them.  I got a small fix of them (pun intended) making two pairs for a friend's baby out of Christmas leftovers.  They were adorable and I'll try to get a picture of her in them soon.  For now, all you get is the picture from the pattern. I've also recently made her pink leg warmers (my own design, aka just winging it)...coming from a "dance family" there were a must!  I feel very honored they were used in her first portrait along with the tu-tu from Auntie I'm told.
2. I'm currently working on a pair of short-shorts for Sydney to wear for dance class out of a pale blue I Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby.  Only a couple rows of ribbing for the waist and those will be done
3. I want to make a hat for a dear friend who's having surgery next week, just to cheer her up.  I've knit many winter hats lately but this should be fun for spring...need to find the right pattern and yarn soon.
4. New babies now, new babies later - how does one get to make all the projects queued up when something (or some ONE) new always comes along? New baby socks (same pattern as above but these are the actual socks), forgot a picture of the matching hat but it was adorable too.
5. I'm in love with sock yarn, corriedale sheep (well really just their fiber/yarn, don't know any of the sheep personally), double knitting and the prospect of making Folk Mittens.
6. I'm really looking forward to seeing my friend Jim this Friday and watching him shear his Alpaca herd...company of Luann and Sydney are part of the bonus package!

God bless your stitches,
nance

Hats!

In my last post I mentioned not being able to focus on anything so I made hats. . . lots of hats.  I wanted to share the joy of my inability to read a pattern for several weeks. 
First was Allen's hat, 100% wool left over from Leigh's Christmas socks

From 2010-02-04

Then Sydney's hat

From 2010-02-16

Then my headband/earwarmer

From 2010-02-04

which became another hat for Allen because of my inability to measure gauge or my pig-headedness to just NOT.....but does it really matter?  Can we just move on now?
So at this point I still have no hat.  January in the midwest requires one to have a hat, unless you're a 12 year old boy who would rather just complain about how cold it is....but I digress.  Following the completion of the mitten/gloves, it was finally time for MY hat; my thick, warm, cozy, keep-every-part-of-my-head-and-ears-warm hat.  It became my latest knitting nightmare.  Now, when I make mistakes, choose not to read a pattern, choose not to measure gauge, etc. I get frustrated but there's no sense in getting upset or angry because it's my own fault.  But when I do use a pattern, and I do measure gauge and it still comes out wrong, then I get a bit testy! Ok, the gauge thing I'll take partial blame for, I did measure but measured in seed stitch but the pattern said (see, I did read it, just not all of it) to measure in stockinette even tho the only thing done in stockinette is the earflaps, go figure.  So I have the lady at the local yarn shop order the pattern book for me.  Her website says she carries Sundae yarn so I don't bother asking her to order that.  When I went to pick up the book and buy the yarn I find out she doesn't keep it in stock, but she can order it for me. Sigh.  Long story short, I opted for three strands held together of yarn from Dollar Tree in just the right colors.  Once finally vindicated that the pattern was indeed incorrect I was able to move on and finish the hat.  But alas, as you may have guessed because my gauge being unknowingly off, it was too big...another sigh.  Now my husband can be the best maker-of-lemonade ever...he says he likes the hat and will add it to his collection and procedes to wear it around the house the rest of the evening.  I did forego the 6 inch pom-pom the pattern called for.

From 2010-02-04

Of course with all the wrinkles ironed out I just HAD to make one for Sydney!

From 2010-02-16

(bad picture from cell phone as she left for school!)
So with one final attempt I actually finished MY hat!  No, not the one I imagined for myself but I love it, it fits AND its keeping my head and ears very warm. . . :-) 

From 2010-02-16

(panda is for modeling purposes only, the hat is MINE!!!)

God bless your stitches,
nance