Tip Up

No not those tips, my needle tips. I got some big ideas before Christmas and saw a couple of them to completion recently. 

First up, Oliver's hoodie. I wanted to make this like Papa's, but I didn't want to deal with all of the seaming. So, as I'm (slowly) learning is my modus operandi, I threw myself headlong into some really intricate modifications thinking that it would be simple. The problem with knitting seamlessly is that most people don't change yarn color. (Because then it's not seamless, see.) So I rigged my transitions by knitting with both colors for 2 stitches and called it good. It came out better than I hoped, and it fits really well! He loves it for looking at and wearing for about 10 minutes. Then, I think he finds it to be a little itchy. All that pure New Zealand wool. (What was I thinking?) Every time I grab it to put it on him or pack it in a bag, he says, "how about my cozy sweatshirt instead, Mama?" Humpf.

Next up was a hat for the guy who insults my knitting ("That's the ugliest hat I've ever seen") then asks why I haven't knit him anything. No surprise there. So I knit a super soft alpaca watch cap for Dad (aka Pap-Pap) for Christmas. But never took a photo. So here's one of the aforementioned ugliest hat:

Shortly after Christmas, when I should have been burned out with Dinosaurs, I thought I would swing another one in: mittens for Oliver. I got a pattern off of Ravelry, made up the parts of the directions that were seriously lacking, and out came a Stegosaurus and an Allosaurus. These are a hit and he loves wearing them, scratchy wool and all. I think I should make another, bigger pair for hand puppets.

All the while, I was working and working on another sweater for Darling. He had picked the yarn, but I wanted the presentation of the sweater to be a surprise. Shortly before his birthday, I revealed it to him. I wanted to be sure that it fit and I wasn't going to waste time. HAH! I had suspicions that it was running a little large but he thought it was fine. I did get the sweater done in time for birthday giving (hooray!) but it is in fact, too large. Not by much, but enough. He's debating it. He doesn't like the fit at the bottom, but doesn't want it to go away while I rip it and knit another. Oh such tough choices. By the way, there's quite a lot of knitting that goes into a mens sweater. Just sayin.

After finishing that behemoth, I needed some quick satisfaction and whipped out 2 hats for gifting. Kyle's was up first: a wool beanie with some flashy Noro color. I gave it to him at the Super Bowl party in exchange for raw fish. (Not really, but kinda.) He loves the hat, but I still think I made out on the deal. I really liked the turn-a-square pattern and the super fast, take anywhere knitting.

Next: a cap for Julie's recently bald dome, in fun colors and luscious Zitron Nimbus organic merino and alpaca. Very very soft. It's a little funky with the hearts, but so is Julie. Darling and I thought this would fit her to a T. It's stranded fair isle and I could still use a little practice at that, being only my 2nd go (the first one is the aforementioned "ugliest hat ever"), but overall it turned out well and not too bunchy.

On the tips right now? A pair of hemp and wool overalls for Etta. Talk about scratchy, eh? I think it'll soften up pretty well with wear and washing. I've once again taken the pattern, blindfolded it, and forced it to do my bidding. I apparently have no qualms about taking something wonderfully simple like knitting, and transforming it into an overly complex debacle.

Better go, my fingers are itchy.