Mad Hatter

I've been on a hat jag.  A pretty serious one at that.  In my defense, they're fast and seasonally appropriate considering it's snowing as I write this.  I'm saying they're fast so as to justify that the plethora of pending baby blankets did not get pushed back at all and will still be finished on time.  Have  I mentioned that I may be delusional?

I've finished the Dinosaur Hood for a very special little dinosaur.  Modeled here on my much older dinosaur, I hope it fits the wee one for whom it was intended.  And I will never again doubt the necessity of a box full of buttons older than I am.  I managed to find a tiny little purple button.  Perfect. 

This Dinosaur's daddy also has a penchant for hats.  Unfortunately, none of his include spikes or scales of any kind.  The most I could do was change the color and the stripes.  

This one is Knit Picks Cadena in "Caspian" and "Admiral."  It is a blend of Peruvian Highland Wool and Superfine Alpaca, leaving it warm but still on the thin side.  

Next up we have another alpaca/wool blend.  This one is Reynolds Andean Alpaca Regal.  It's been discontinued for a while, and I have no idea what these colors are other than "black" and "sort of purplish."  This one is much more alpaca than wool.  It's a bit on the thick side and has a halo to it.

Lastly we have an all alpaca number.  This one is Misti Alpaca in "Natural Brown" and "Mustang."  It's thick, incredibly lightweight, and equally warm and cozy.  It also has the honor of sporting the most halo.

Considering none of these are machine washable or dryable, I'm considering taking bets on how long they manage to stay this size.  Any guesses?

It is Thanksgiving Eve.  On this day, I am thankful for the recipients of these hats, and the little boy modeling one.  I am thankful they wear my knits proudly and lovingly, rendering my desire to cloak them solely in woolies nearly impossible to resist.

I am thankful that this week alone I received 3 requests for knitted goodies from friends and family, in addition to 2 separate requests from others for help understanding how to make goodies for their own loved ones.  I am more than happy to oblige, and lucky to have you all in my life.

Bits and Pieces

I was taking stock of my Works In Progress bin and I decided that even though it's November I still have plenty of time for Christmas knitting and added a few more projects to the queue.  

First up, we have a scarf for the son of a coworker.  I used Knit Picks Brava in bulky so it moves along a little faster.  This scarf was requested to be a minimum of 8' long, preferably 10'.  I'm enjoying the mindless garter stitch for now.  Ask me if that's changed around the 5' mark.

Next up we have a Dinosaur Hood for a lovely 4-year-old who is, in fact, a dinosaur himself.  Made with Knit PIcks Swish in "Bordeaux" and "Gulfstream" I'm hoping it will be durable and comfortable for his delicate little head.

I made this much in just an afternoon and ran out of yarn.  I clearly read the pattern, noticed how much blue I would need, and promptly ordered less than I would need to finish it.  It seems the 110 yards I ordered is less than the 180 yards I actually need.  Who knew?

And now, in his blog debut, I present Eli Waites Kulik.  This would be the Canadian baby from a prior post.  Here he is looking snuggly and perfect in his swaddle blanket.  It seems it's doing its job quite well.

I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting Eli in person, but I hope to do so in the very near future.  In the meantime, I'm trusting his mommy and daddy to keep the woolly pictures coming.

Stay cozy, little one.  It supposed to snow tonight.  Just a dusting, but the first snowfall always strikes a cord in knitters.  There are loved ones to keep warm.