Holiday Knitting

I've had about 10 days off, away from work and I've been in pure knit heaven. Here are the latest finished objects:

Make the most of long color repeat yarn, knit a short row hat. The following is based on a pattern by Danny Ouellette titled "Head Hugger Hat". I ended up knitting 14 sections instead of the 12 recommended, and the brim was knit in a seed stitch instead of Danny's oblique knit/purl pattern. The hat is for a large head (24"), so instead of knitting it smaller (directions were included), I elected to knit the full size and full the hat, then block it.

Yarn: Noro Kureyon, 2 skeins ; Needles: Size 4 (Knit Picks brand)

Head Hugger Hat | Side Views, warm and cool

  

Baby Bliss
Sweater Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac, February "Some Babie's Things"
Changes to pattern: Knit in smaller gauge, so this would fit a newborn (it is tiny); Elected to do a stripe instead of a lace pattern so it was more gender-neutral.
Yarn: Bliss Cashmerino
Needles: Addi Turbo US 3
Hat pattern: was just my own knit-as-you-go hat from the top down. Cast on 6 stitches, Knit Icord until you can tie it in a knot, then divide stitches on to two circular needles, then increase 6 stitches every-other row. Stop increasing when the circumference seems right, knit straight (I knit a ribbing pattern.) Cast off.

What did I change? I knitted the in-place garter edging and it looked awful due to the stripe color changes. I used steek method of sewing the stitches, then picking up, knitting a garter border, and cutting the old border off.  As the baby is not yet born, I'm not sure that the design will fit all that well, so the jury is still out on this pattern.

A fun challenge Elizabeth discusses somewhere near the February chapter of her almanac is to try knitting with your eyes closed. I love her challenges, and have been attempting to look less and less at my work as I go. Not hard with a simple pattern like seed stitch or stockinette.

Here is the baby duo (although you cannot see the scale here, this is a very tiny sweater.)

July 07 Follow up: The receipient of this sweater and hat: After a 26 hour transit time, beautiful baby girl Elsa Alden arrived at the full moon at 10:15pm on Sunday, 29 July 2007. Congrats Mike and Michelle!