Emerging from the hat jag

Ack. Trying to get caught up on your blogging when you're working/commuting/spending time with your children/sleeping/doing chores for 23 hours out of 24 is challenging, to say the least. Fortunately, the commuting time is also knitting time, so even if I can't post about my knitting progress, I am at least making some.

So let's start with the whole KWB/TSF hat thing. Thank you very much to the folks who gave their opinions on price point. A very strong majority (including people on a bulletin board I'm on that I polled for help, too) liked the $4.99 price, so that's what it is. If you'd like to get yourself a copy of the pattern, you can either click on the 'Buy now' link for it in the sidebar at the right, or head on down to my LYS if you're in the area - the owner, June, has very kindly agreed to sell it in the shop. As mentioned, all profits will be donated to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, which is an extremely worthy cause, so if the pattern tempts you, by all means, give in. :) Especially exciting was getting a gungo-ho comment from the Director of Fundraising for MSF Canada herself. Wow! (Thanks so much, Gill, for sending Rebecca over!) The lovely news is that I've sold nine copies in the week-and-a-half or so since publishing it. Hopefully that's just the beginning.

Unsurprisingly, the hat jag continues. I know it's probably incredibly egotistical of me to be complimenting my own pattern, but I just find it really addictive and enjoyable. Actually, the only reason I was able to stop making more hats from it is that I started to run out of yarn. So far, we have: (and yes, some of these pictures are repeats from a few weeks ago, sorry)

Original KWB/TSF Hat

This one will be going to the neighbour kid/young man who inspired me to start making the thing in the first place. I just have to find the right moment to give it. Right as the winter is finishing and spring is starting doesn't exactly strike me as the perfect time, so I'll probably be waiting until the school year is over to make it more of a 'thanks for all your help with my kid in her first year of school' kind of thing.

KWB/TSF hat for DD2

This was the second one I made. DD2 needed a winter hat. Also, she was feeling the need to look cute as all get-out:



I swear, I get all squeaky and cooey every single time I see that shot.

KWB/TSF sample hat

My favourite colourway yet, I think. I love how the top of the hat looks like it's blushing on the lighter-colour-as-background side. I made this for Knitters Attic to display in the shop, since they're selling the pattern, and then later on when June doesn't want to display it anymore, I suspect it will come home and be mineallmine, even though I look crappy in earth tones.

First KWB/TSF hat for an actual charity

This one will be extremely hard to part with because it suits my older daughter's colour so fantastically. See how good she looks in it?

I've also made two more of the hats - another in the child size, and one in the baby size, but I haven't taken pictures yet. Soon, soon. And I've got another one on the go right now...but it's on hold for the moment because the colourway isn't jazzing me.

So I've taken advantage of the hat jag lull to make a wee bit of headway on The Schedule...

Ragna for bro

This came with me on my commute for a few days, and grew quite a bit. Again, no pictures yet, sorry - I'll try to get one up soon. (Hint: It looks exactly like it did the last time you saw it, except longer.)

Unfortunately, I've had to stop because it's getting close to the point where I'll need to start shaping the neck...and I have no clue exactly where that point is. I have completely lost the notes I took when my mom and I snuck into my brother's room one evening and measured one of his favourite sweatshirts for size. I remember what the width of the sweatshirt was supposed to be, because I got gauge exactly to achieve it...but length? Armhole depth? No freakin' clue. I've asked my mom to try and find the sweatshirt again (can we even remember which sweatshirt it was...heck, no!) and get me a re-do of the measurements. Until then, it stays on hold.

Ljod for moi

Faced with absolutely NOTHING ELSE I could take on my commute today, I packed this.

I swear, every single time I pull this project back out I am surprised by how much I enjoy it. Why do I keep being surprised by this? The yarn is gorgeous, the pattern is terrific, it knits up very quickly...and yet, when I'm not working on it, for some reason I consider it this big drag that I don't feel like getting back to. My psychology is weird, I tell you, weird.

Again, unfortunately, no pictures of the progress on this, but I've gotten far enough along on the left front that I've finished the cable pattern and am approaching the end of the decreasing for the hips.

And now, I'm off to bed. I do have more topics to get caught up with, blogging-wise (such as stuff about my Sweetness pattern and the Yarn Harlot's book launch), but it will have to wait for another time.

Later!