Fair Isle Hats and Charlie's Halloween costume

First things first. My knitting class is so amazing this semester. These girls (no boys this time, sadly) are fast knitters and are genuinely interested in learning new stuff. Most are still working on their baby hats (they have 3 due by Nov. 7th) but there are a few girls who whipped out their hats in a weekend and are hungry for more. I tossed out the idea of this cute but simple bunny. Basically, you knit a square then with the magic of seaming, you turn it into this precious little bun bun. I am making a family of them, a mommy, daddy and 4 little babies. This is one of the babies. About the size of a tangerine. I found the pattern years ago and made a few when I was just learning the basics. The kids are gaga for them and more and more are appearing each day (sorta like real bunnies, right?) We have pink ones, brown, fluffy blue and rainbow. Once they are sewn up into pocket pets, I will show their work off.


My latest projects have been hats. Lots and lots of hats. No idea why. I do know why, but am embarrassed to say. I have fallen in love with a new yarn. Maybe it is just a crush, too early to know for sure. The new yarn in my life is Berroco Comfort. Don't get me wrong, Bernat's Satin still has a secure place in my heart as the best baby toy yarn, but this Comfort is a dream. Knits up so soft and the color choices are great. One thing I love is that the skein seems to never have an end. I have made a few more Swell earflap hats, like the one in my last post. The first one is using the Swell chart.

Then I decided to try my hand at chart design. I did a repeating jolly roger skull and crossbones...

...and a repeating heart pattern that I have been drawing since i was a little girl. I used to fill pages of notebook paper with rows of these hearts, then color them in with markers. It was nostalgic and comforting (oh, using Comfort yarn!!!!) to knit this hat last night.


...then I decided to try a non-repeating chart. I did one hat with Obama '08 on one side and Biden '08 on the other. I love the result but let me tell you, writing this chart then actually having to use it was no walk in the park. But it was worth the experience, right?



Finally, Charlie Brown can't decide who he wants to be for Halloween. We want him to be the Dark Knight...


...but he is secretly leaning towards The Joker.



My Halloween costume is still a secret. I'll post pictures after the big day. This year I am part of a group costume with a few of my students. I am really excited about it since it is EASY and requires no tattoos unlike Amy Winehouse last year. Also, no wig! Have a great week. Hope to see you at SnB at Farmer's Market this week. Looking forward to the costumes and the yummy treats.

Blanket Donations!

The kids have finally finished their baby blankets. I took pics of the blankets with each knitter who contributed to that blanket. There are a few stragglers, so I hope to have 3 more blankets by tuesday.









The kids are doing great and eager to move on to baby hats. Almost everyone has started a hat and I am hoping for 90 hats to donate by the end of the month. I dropped off 5 hats with these blankets on Friday to Stitches From the Heart and Stitching Is an Art. It had been WAY too long since I sat at the table and heard the shop news. Nancy and Sandy are doing well, knitting and crocheting up a storm. I hit the giant sale wall and bought up a few dozen skeins of terrycloth yarn. The kids will make plush toy bunnies with this beautiful yarn, so watch for tons of little bunnies in the coming months.

My advanced knitters (2 this semester) are tackling knitty.com projects. Cristyn is sewing her Sheldon turtle together, and Erin is working on Swell. To help Erin understand the concept of knitting with 2 yarns, I decided to try the hat myself. Here is my version.


This hat is cool, there is a subtle peace sign on each earflap, and the waves are connected and roll all around the hat. I love it so much that I am already finishing up my 2nd one, in purples. I will post pics of Erin's progress next time.

Tubby by Mochimochiland

As you might already know, I have an obsession with amigurumi knitting. This is my latest completed project, Tubby by Mochimochiland.



Not sure why I need a knit bathtub with bubbles, but I just do. Some of you are nodding your heads in agreement. Others are questioning my sanity. Just look at the bubbles close up! Super cute!
The pattern called for something like 25 bubbles. At first I was enamored and never wanted to stop knitting these tiny delicacies, but by the end, I was counting down to the final one. Last night while watching USC stomp all over my Oregon Ducks I finally finished the last one. Today I assembled the whole thing and boy did it take a lot of stuffing. I knit this on size 7 needles. I recommend trying a 6 of even a 5. I think mine is too loose and floppy. Next time (not sure when this will be) I might do it on 4s, for a baby tub.

At school. the baby blankets are whipping together quickly and I should have 10 or so to take over to Stitches From the Heart by the end of the week. Of course I will photograph them with their knitters before we donate them.

Did anyone see this funny article? An elderly knitter/criminal was ordered to knit sweaters as part of her punishment. Funny stuff.

Happy knitting.

karyn