A Happier Hat!

The mYak hat is now redone.  Is it a perfect job?  That would be a "no."  It is a good enough, wearable job.

The hat is photographed like this so that you can see the weirdness of the color jog.  While this could have been done better, it was not.   It is not a huge deal and I believe that I will be the only person bothered by it.

This time, I knit the mYak at 5 stitches to the inch.  The fabric was firm, yet pliable.  When I tried that hat on, it covered my ears and fit tightly enough to be good for cold day wear.

This time, I did do a gauge swatch.  As I was knitting, I kept a close on the the yarn to make sure I would not run out.  I really did not want to put another $30 into this project.   As I was knitting this, I kept thinking about hats, what I like to wear, and what I am willing to knit.  It is time to be more adventurous.  

Socks with Bling

On one of my many searches through the knitting bags in the dining room, I came across a sock project that I had ripped out and restarted.   The label for the yarn was gone.....I have a vague memory of where it came from....and an even more vague memory of the yarn label.  The memory of the yarn was strong and I remembered how much I liked it.  It became my "carry around" project.

I do remember seeing this yarn in a catalog and deciding I really needed it.  How long ago?  Best not to confess.

The yarn is fun to knit and lovely and rich in color.   I have, and I hope this is correct, a vague memory of more yarn like this somewhere in the stash.   I don't think this is available anymore...and I really do like it.

At one point, I did believe that sock yarn does not count as a purchase.   This changed when I realized that even if I was a millipede....I have WAY too much sock yarn.   Now, sock yarn does count.   I am glad to be using up some of the skeins in the hoard.

Death of the Pressed Rib Cap

Yesterday, I was out in the wind...and cold as the Pressed Rib Cap just did not give any protection.   This is not a fault of the pattern or the yarn, but of the knitter who failed to swatch.

When I got home and warmed up, I whipped out the scissors....and the hat is now two small balls of yarn waiting to be knit into something else.   I think I know what I want to do.....but must....must swatch.

The pillowghan is coming along nicely.    I am nearly halfway through the miles and miles and miles of garter stitch.    As it is very cold here right now, I am glad for the length of the knitting.  It keeps my lap very warm.

Why Swatching is Important....

Over Christmas and New Year's, I made a hat.  The yarn was a very expensive impulse buy....mYak....and seemed really nice.   One of the skeins did have a knot in it...which at this price point was annoying.   I used the pattern, the Pressed Rib Cap, that the yarn was shown with...which was plain but nice. 

I decided to skip doing a gauge swatch and just drop down a needle size and go for it.   This...was....a mistake.   The hat is....fine...but not as tightly knit as I prefer.   I am wearing it anyway as I hate to waste such expensive yarn.  I know I could rip it out and reknit it.  I could....but I just don't want to do that.  

As I am a big proponent of swatching, this was something that should not have happened.  The moral?  Don't be lazy.

Cold Weekends Means A LOT of Knitting Gets Done

This weekend was snow and cold.   The two social events I had planned to go to were postponed.  That freed up a lot of time to knit....and I did.

The Candyland Mittens

The mittens are finally done.   When I checked on Ravelry, I saw these were started last January.  At least it took less than a year.
The first time I knit the thumb, it took me five or six tries to get it right.   The second mitten...I was ticked to get the thumb done in one try.

Most of the black yarn is used, but I have a lot of the white, grey, blue, and mauve-pink.  I am thinking about graphing a cap to match the socks.  It would not be too difficult and would be way better to do than putting the leftovers back in the pile.

This weekend I was also able to finish the set of four Ms. Claus Pointy Hats that I was doing for four young ladies that I know.  This is a fun and very fast pattern......but it did remind me that I really hat making pompoms......

Now that all of these projects are done, I am moving along to others...mostly for me.   The yarn for the hat that I wanted to make is somewhere in the knitting bags.   When I decided to knit something else until that surfaces in the stash again, I picked up a pair of socks that needed to be re-started.   And just to make things fun, I cast on an afghan...for me.

Art I Like

My friend, Marjorie, knows that I like both cats and yarn.  She shared this picture from Bizarre Art on Facebook.  I love it....I love it so much everyone should see it.

Cat Looking at a Yarn Moon

My cat, Dolly, has been cutting into my knitting time by having me hold her while she sleeps.  While I know she loves me, I have a niggling suspicion that I am being used for my body heat.

The mittens are moving along slowly.  My travel project, an elf hat in purple and pink for a little girl is also creeping along.   At least I get a chance to knit...knit away some of my stress.

This morning, as I was slipping on my coat, I surveyed the yarn that is out in my dining room.   What a wealth!  I do feel the need to get to it and get more done.   My next home project will be another blanket for me.   I have a pick of two........which one...which one.....

I am at a loss......

Today is December 6.  There are 19 days before Christmas.   19 days.   My Christmas knitting is done.  Even the extras I added are done.  I am not sure what to do!

After finishing the blanket last week, I picked up a pair of mittens that I had started last spring. 

Themittens were slightly more than half done.....but put aside so that I could work on some projects for other people.   The thumb on the first of these mittens was, in a word, a trial.   Before I was successful, I worked the thumb five or six times.   It is getting cold again and another pair of mittens would come come in really handy.  Now, I have told myself that I can't start anything else at home until these mittens are done.

As I have a lot of things waiting to be knit at home, this is a good incentive. Somewhere in my collection, there are several pairs of socks in progress.   When they turn up again, I will use those as "carry" projects as they don't take much thought.   Those are good for the odd moments in transit or out knitting with friends.

These mittens require a lot of focus.  While the TV can be on while I am doing these, I am really only paying attention enough to follow the plot.   It is good practice for mindfulness.

Yarn will be left over.   There may be enough to do a hat.  That has to be contemplated.  Coming up with the design .....the fitting as the stitch pattern would match....would take some but not a lot of thought.  We will see (mostly if I want to even look at this yarn more once the mittens are done.).