November 2010 – That Crafty Cara

Pattern: Edith Hat, by Johanne Landin
Yarn: KnitPicks’ Palette in White & Bluebell, about half a skein each.
Needles: US 1 & US 2

I made this cute little hat for my mother-in-law, who I have been promising a hat to for quite some time. I went with the idea of making something that I really wanted so that I knew for sure that it was a good gift.

The problem with this gifting philosophy is that while you’re busily knitting away, you develop a sort of sadness that you will not be keeping the beautiful thing you are creating. I would share my frustration at knit night as I plugged along–how beautiful the hat was and that I couldn’t keep it and would have to suffer my way through the pattern yet again when I embarked upon knitting it for myself. (I’m generally not the kind of person who starts a project for someone else and then decides to keep it for myself…I would feel guilty each time I wore “someone else’s” project!)

So my knitting buddy made me one:

(And I totally stole the picture that she took of it for her Ravelry project page. Hee hee!)

I almost cried when she casually flopped it onto the table and remarked that she had noticed that I seemed to really like the pattern and she figured that I’d appreciate it if she made one for me because Heaven knew when I’d be able to get to making one for myself.

I was speechless. (And that’s hard to do to me.) I still get a little choked up when I put this hat on each morning as I head out into the bitter winter wind. Especially since I’ve worked through the pattern myself and know how time-consuming and challenging it is…what a wonderful gift.

Bluebird did me the favor of modeling her grandma’s hat for the blog.
Her verdict: “It’s so warm and toasty, Grandma will love it!”

Seeing how my mother-in-law isn’t obsessed with knitting like myself, I don’t think she’ll get all emotional about her hat every time she wears it…because I’m pretty sure it’s kind of weird that I do that and we just don’t need any more weirdness like that in this world. But hopefully it brings a smile to her face. She has really pretty brown eyes and I think the blue will complement them ever so nicely.

It’s just such a beautiful hat, it even has a picot edging! Oh, just lovely. If I didn’t go cross-eyed while reading the pattern, I’d make a whole lot more. Love it Grandma, love it…it’s destined to be a one-time-only creation.

(I wrote this post before I gave the hat to my mother-in-law and it turns out that I think she was pretty pleased with it. And it fit quite nicely. I’m kind of hit-and-miss with making things that actually fit other people. Success!)

Pattern: Molly Beret from Never Not Knitting

Yarn: Knit One Crochet Too “Crock-O-Dye” in Tomato colorway (#250) & Dale of Norway Baby Ull in Light Peach (#3403)

Needles: US 1 & US 3

Size: 20″/Small Adult

I buy our winterwear during the summer when it’s 80% off, which limits the colors we can purchase. This year, Bluebird had to choose between white/gray, grass/lime or a peach/coral winter coat. (She was not happy about this because she wanted pink or purple, but alas, those are the colors that sell out and usually aren’t available on clearance.)

However, the Brooke family is well-known for its love of the color orange and she went with the orange-hued parka. Upon receipt of said coat I began to wonder how in the world I was going to match any sort of accessory to its non-traditional color palette.

Bluebird accompanied me on my Yarn Quest shortly following, and she spied the Tomato Crock-O-Dye yarn while we were investigating The Black Sheep Wool Company. She brought it over to me and announced that she had found the perfect yarn to match her coat. I agreed that it did match, and complimented her on her good eye for color.

Bluebird browsed through the Ravelry pattern database with me and chose the Molly Beret pattern, which just tickled me to no end. (I think little girls in berets are just one of the cutest things ever!) I paired up the Crock-O-Dye with some leftover peach Baby Ull from the Peach Yoked Cardigan and was quite pleased at how well the two yarns matched her crazy technicolor winter coat.

All in all, I really like the finished product. I made it a touch too large, but her head measured 20″ in circumference, which was the small adult size. However, upon further reflection, one wants a hat to fit snugly and should therefore knit a cap one size smaller to assure a secure fit. It still looks cute despite its super slouchy appearance. She receives compliments on her beret every time she wears it and her little face just lights up with pleasure whenever someone notices her hat. I have more than enough yarn leftover to knit mittens or a scarf, but I have other projects that need my attention first. (And I’m already in the midst of a scarf knit with fingering weight yarn and I don’t think my sanity could handle casting on another scarf in skinny yarn.)

A friend laughed at me when I told her about my predicament in trying to find a yarn that would match Bluebird’s coat and quipped that not everyone frets about matching their children’s accessories. And I guess it’s just not an issue to a lot of people, but I garner great satisfaction out of attiring my family nicely and I experience pleasure in knowing that I created those items myself. It’s such a fun process to pick out the yarn and pattern together and then watch your child’s eyes light up while they watch you create something just for them.

However, the other children become very vociferous with their requests for handmade items when a sibling’s project is on my needles. Next up is a scarf for Penguin. But knit in a very bulky-weight yarn. I can handle that.