and another thing

I’m copying this post from my regular journal because it’s really a knitting post disguised as a journal entry. Or something. I wasn’t going to bother but my OCD categorization issues got to me and I found it was actually more trouble NOT to do it than to do it. So.

So, yesterday I was finishing up this sweater:



(full sweater details here on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/webhill/fresh-picked-color-3-4-sleeve-cardigan )

and this old man comes and sits down across from me (I was in one of the scattered chair areas in a Barnes and Noble, knitting and listening to episodes of the Private Practice official podcast on my iPhone) and he is just staring at me, I can feel it, so I look up at him, and he has this kind of sad look on his face and he’s watching me knit. Then he says “just don’t make the sleeves too long,” and he kind of half-chokes, half-laughs, half-sobs (I realize that is three halves. Line up to the left to file your lawsuit) and then says “that’s what I always said to my wife.” I smiled and said something non-commital, probably “oh,” and kept knitting along, and he was quiet for a minute and then said “she used to knit all the time, and I always said to her ‘don’t make the sleeves too long,’” and it became clear he needed to chat so I paused the podcast, looked at him, and said “I guess one time she did that, huh?” and he went into this whole thing about how she never actually did, but that was only because he reminded her when it was time to stop. Then he asked me if I did tatting, too, which I am honestly not even sure what tatting is, but I think it has to do with lace? So I said I didn’t think so. And then he told me again not to make the sleeves too long. I felt really bad for this guy, it was clear he’d lost his wife and he missed her and there I was sitting knitting and reminding him, he probably wasn’t expecting it. I don’t know, he was pretty old, too - the whole experience just started getting me all emotionally worked up. But I did finish the sweater, and I showed it to him on my way out, and he calmly commented “I hope the sleeves aren’t too long” as I walked away. I just smiled at him.

hats for men

I have knit two hats in three days. See, I found out on Wednesday that it was Micah’s birthday on Thursday. I didn’t have time to process that and I figured I wouldn’t see him til Tuesday anyway so whatever. I decided to try to make him a hat over the weekend. But when I spoke to Michael, he said “well, just give him the hat you made me - I never wear it. It’s too itchy.” He gave me his hat back. I thought about it and decided that now, that hat (viewable to Ravelry members at http://www.ravelry.com/projects/webhill/easy-adult-cable-hat -- sorry everyone else) is relegated to the hat reject pile. I mean, I can’t re-gift a rejected hat, even if it is totally my husband’s BS that makes the hat rejected (I can wear the hat just fine. It’s not too itchy for a normal person ☺).

But, now I had a husband who admitted wanting a hat. Husband trumps colleague, so I made Michael a hat first.
He actually modelled it for me!



The reverse is so pretty, isn’t it? I used traveling color changes to avoid a major seam. Anyway, it’s Jared Flood’s “Turn a Square” and I used the leftover green llama-silk from my minimalist funnel neck that I made myself, and my leftover grey alpaca from the mittens I made myself. (those projects also available in my Ravelry notebook! I am user webhill). It’s soft and wearable for Michael and he wore it twice so far with no problems.


So then yesterday I was able to cast on a hat for Micah. I used stash yarn again, go me! I also used the same pattern. FAST knit.
He also willingly modeled it.

From Knitworth new

From Knitworth new

From Knitworth new

From Knitworth new

This hat is made from Blue Sky Alpaca’s worsted hand-dyed yarn that I had leftover from Jacob’s navy blue sweater, and some baby blue Cashmerino Aran I had lying around from who knows what project I used it on. Oh, MIL’s scarf that was my first lace project, Branching Out! Ha. Bad yarn choice for THAT project, but great in this hat. Anyway. I magic looped both of these hats. This one I cast on fewer stitches because the yarn is bigger.

Moving on. Now I have to decide what to knit next. Such agony. I truly can’t decide. I’m such a loser. I have a bunch of laceweight waiting for me to do a new wrap of some kind. I have a billion things in queue. I should just DECIDE and get started. I’m just restless about it. Maybe socks. I have bad sock mojo and maybe now is time to fix that. Oh, right, I said I was MOVING ON.

I am so happy that these guys both really seem to love their hats. It really makes me feel good when someone appreciates my work!!

Daisy

Knitty's daisy in lana grossa cool wool. For my sil.

My new bumper magnet

resurfacing

I know, I don’t call, I don’t send flowers, I am just never here any more.

I finished a scarf for my mom:



And, I started a new sweater - the minimalist funnel neck tank. I’m excited - it’s Royal Llama Silk. This stuff ROCKS.

New project

A peacock colored lace scarf for my mom, 2 days and 3 repeats in. Claudia's handpainted silk on size 4 us needles.

Speaking of penguins

The last entry seems impossible to fix, so I'm trying a new photo upload method with my iPhone. Here's the penguin: