If At First You Don't Succeed

I've obviously been on quite the hat kick lately with the Warm Up To Winter Knitalong and have been happily checking lots of hats off my to-do list for others. A lot of the projects I've been doing however have been fast and quick and that's starting to get a little old. Like really fast, a few hours fast! I feel like I've been dumbing it down. I want to do some hats for me and a couple friends. I'm liking the Jane Richmonds hats and have never knit one of hers. I have knit the Rustling Leaves Beret before, but am thinking I'd like to do another one as it's such an interesting knit. Maybe some more complex gloves or mittens. I'd really appreciate some suggestions. How about a real humdoozie?! One that really challenges me. Like a five alarm project. Please give me your best suggestions. I'm up for it.

Pattern: Snappy Hat

Yarn: Ariosa

Needles: 10.5

No modifications

6th Project for Warm Up to Winter KAL

8th Project for 2012

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Pattern: Easy Peasy Eyelet Wristlets

Yarn: Ariosa

Needles: 10.5

No modifications, but pattern has an error on row 29, states there will be 25 stitches when there will only be 24.

7th Project for Warm Up to Winter KAL

9th Project for 2012

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Pattern: Flurries Baby Beanie

Yarn: Flicker

Needles: 6

No modifications

5th Project for Warm Up to Winter KAL

7th Project for 2012

In the meantime, I've whipped up another snappy hat. Madison had fallen in love with the pink one I had knit for a friends granddaughter that she modeled so I made her one. It takes just over one skein of Ariosa, so I looked on Ravelry for a pattern to make some mitts for her using the remaining yarn. I came across the Easy Peasy Eyelet Wristlets, which besides the crazy amount of typos (pearl=purl) and a couple other mistakes, were very simple. I decided to knit these using the magic loop method, which is a method that I usually detest, but thought I'd give it another whirl. Remember they say it takes 21 tries before it becomes a habit (don't know if this is actually true or just something my mum said to get me to east liver and onions, which I now actually love). Well, maybe this was try number 21 or I finally learned the correct way to do it because I didn't hate it, I actually liked it. I still wouldn't say it was my favorite method... 2 circ's is still at the top of the list, but it's yet another tool to put in the tool belt. It's always good to being open to new things.

I also hosted a baby shower this weekend, which I'll post about later this week (I think I did a bloody good job if I do say so myself and thanks to Pinterest - thanks Earthtonesgirl for getting completely hooked on it). One of the gifts I had gotten for Baby Lucy was a chic little Black and White outfit. It needed a cute blingy black and white hat. I know that black isn't always the color you expect to see at a baby shower, but I like blingy things and luckily so does Lucy's mum. I still have to whip up some Blingy Saartje booties like I have knit before to finish the whole ensemble. Forget pastels or naturals for babies when you can have bling!

While we're talking about Madison, here is a picture she snapped of Sir Winston on my phone this afternoon using the Poster setting. Could he be any more handsome?! No, I don't think so. I'd make him a hat if I didn't know that he'd eat it within 30 second.