Splutter

Apparently, Hubby is not as enamored of the wee hats as I am.
On Sunday morning I laid them all out on the kitchen island and requested his admiration.
He questioned the need for their existence.
Gasp!
I explained that half were for the store and half were for our tree.
He pointed out they aren't all Christmas colors.
I acknowledged one was purple and protested the rest were Christmas colors (but I kept to myself the opinion that the light green one might be pushing).
I threatened to give them all to his mother because at least she would appreciate them.
He asked how I intended to put them on the tree, asking whether I was just going to stick them on the end of the branches.
Nnnooo, we have extra wire hangers I intend to use.
He yielded to the reality that these adorable little hats were going to end up on his Christmas tree. (Hubby is a bit traditional about Christmas decorations.)

But it doesn't stop there!
He disparaged the Arrgyle Socks the last time I was working on them. The comment was something like they are such nice socks in such lovely colors—and then there is a skull and crossbones on them.
I dismissed his regret with, "But it's funny!" Besides they aren't for him.
See if I make him pirate socks any time soon (although I'll probably end up making him run of the mill argyles.)

Well, that makes up for it.
So I was standing there Sunday morning considering whether this behavior warranted rethinking our relationship, when he handed me a fancy omelet for breakfast and I realized he was wearing a pair of socks I had made him.
And I realized he's kind of handy to have around.
Even if he doesn't like my little hats as much as I do.

Wee Hats, Round 2

Close up on Ravelry or my photostream.
So for myself I think I'll do a plain hat in the purple. The all-over cable I'll do in cream and light green. I might do another striped one, but I'll make the stripes wider.
I have options.

Still Making Hats

And I don't have pictures.
Driving to work yesterday really cut into my knitting time. Going to bed at 9:30 probably didn't help either.
All I manged yesterday was finishing one hat and starting another.
I finished the light green one (I think the color is actually lime, it's the yarn I used for my bag). I did another cable. It's cute enough, but not what I had envisioned so I probably won't repeat it.
Then I started a plain one in the forest green color.
I finished that one on the train this morning. I think I even managed to make the I-Cord long enough to knot this time.
Then I cast on for a repeat of the white cabled on using the leftover yarn from Coronet.
Once I finish this lavender one I'll have my half dozen.
Then I can start knitting them for me!

Peacock Socks
You might see these make a come back soon. I was raiding the dining room credenza to get my US1 dpns and I had to pull them out of the Peacock Socks.
These socks stalled because I wasn't happy with the knit cuff, actually the crochet cuff can probably be tweaked as well.
But I was looking at it, and the pattern is fine, and similar to the crochet one, it was just too dense. And I thought, well what if I work the cuff on a larger needle? That will open it up and might achieve the look I want.
So I'll have to do that. But I have other stuff taking precedence first.
Like wee hats.
And my Cat's Pajama's Socks, which is why I needed the US1. P at the store is trying to test knit the pattern for me, but the heel flap isn't working out. We have studied hers and my pattern. I remember what I was trying to accomplish, but don't understand why it isn't working. So I'm going to knit it myself to see if I can simplify it at all.
As soon as I finish knitting wee hats.

More Cute Small Stuff

Aren't they just too cute for words?
And so quick to make! I churned these out yesterday. Ok, I was working on the white one until around 10 pm, which was pushing bedtime, but that was still pretty fast.
There are closer individual pictures of each in my Flickr photostream, which you should be able to reach by clicking the picture.
The pattern is from the Holiday 08 issue of Knit Simple Magazine.
The pattern calls for Cascade 220 yarn, of which I have plenty laying around from the felted flowers I made my mom, the felted wine cozies the gift shop never responded to, and my Felted Ravelry ID Bag. I'm also thinking about using the leftover Lamb's Pride from Coronet.
The pattern calls for US8 dpns, but I used US7 dpns as I didn't like the fabric on the 8s. The hats are about 4" tall when done.

Walk Me Through Them
The red one is the basic pattern in the magazine. I ended it with an I-Cord, but didn't make it long enough to knot. sigh.
Then I did the striped one. That was a bit of a disaster at the color changes when I was working it, huge holes, but I was able to pull the strands tight inside and make it nice. Since no one will be wearing it, I think I'll be safe. I'm considering making a pompom for it.
I'm particularly pleased with the white one. I ditched the ribbed brim, jumping straight into a 2x2 rib and executing a front twist every 3rd row.
I was going to take a break from the little hats today and weave ends instead, but I ended up driving today, so I brought the hat yarn with me.
Now I'm making one in the green yarn leftover from my bag and attempting to do a different cable. But I'm winging the cable pattern, so I don't know how good it will look.

And I'm Making Them Because?
Everyone on the Knitting Central staff is making a few hats which will be attached to a garland and presented to Cynthia as a birthday present. (She already knows, they told her while I was in Florida).
I think I'll stop after six.
Well, actually, I'll stop knitting them for the store after six and start knitting them for me. These would be absolutely adorable as ornaments on our tree. I might even have to make a couple for my mother-in-law and the sister-in-law I'll see at Christmas. I'll consider making one for my mom, I haven't decided. Wow, I've just over committed myself on little hats.
Or I can return to my original plan of keeping these for myself and "liberating" the ones the other staff members make. (insert sinister laugh here.)

Pretty Mini Obsessed
Between teddy's sweater and these little hats, I'm getting inspired to finish the mini sweater ornament I started last year. It goes along with the mini Christmas stocking ornament I took about six months to finish (and which doesn't seem to be in my Flickr set.)

From The Adventures of Traveling Ann

Ahha! It's in the Picasa Album Blogger built for me.
Anyway, the little Christmas sweater is cute, just needs sleeves, and was as big as teddy so I couldn't use it as an easy out.
So you could see this mini business continue for a while.

So Cute I Could Just Sigh

You remember the adorable little teddy bear I picked up on my trip to Florida, right?
Well, that t-shirt he came with was just too boring and over sized for me to stand, so yesterday I made him an adorable little sweater out of some leftover Regia sock yarn I had in my stash.
Which means his sweater matches two pairs of socks and my Hooray For Me Gloves. snicker.
The sweater used about 4 grams of yarn. I don't know the yardage because I don't really want to rip it out to measure, but it took about one complete repeat of the color pattern. Oh, hey, I have yarn left, I could measure that. Considering the small amount of yarn required, this would be a good project to use up little bits of sock yarn you have laying around. If you also had a little teddy bear of this size laying around.
So here is the pattern, but I've also entered it into Ravelry. There is a link to the PDF on Ravelry over in the sidebar, that should work even if you aren't on Ravelry.
In the pictures further down Teddy is posing with a CD and my iPod Nano so you can get an idea of his size. I thought what can I put him next to that will be fairly universal size-wise and those were the best things I could think of.

Mini Teddy Bear Raglan Sweater
By Traveling Ann Designs
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License

Size: X-Small. Finished chest 5 1/2 inches to fit a 4 1/2 inch belly.

Materials:
Yarn: Fingering Weight: 4 grams (approximately)
Model shown in Regia Jacquard Color
Needle: 2.5 mm dpn (or size needed to obtain gauge)

Gauge: 7 sts and 10 rows = 1 inch

Notes:
Body is worked in the round to the armholes.
Sleeves are worked flat.

Abbreviations:
BO—Bind off
CO—Cast on
K—Knit
K2tog—Knit next 2 sts together
P—Purl
RS—Right Side
SSK—Slip, Slip, Knit
St(s)—Stitches
St st—Stockinette stitch
WS—Wrong Side

Pattern:
CO 38 sts
Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist sts.
Work 2 rounds K1, P1 rib

Change to St st (knit every stitch) and work until piece measures 1 inch from cast on edge.

Create armholes:
BO next 5 sts for armhole, K13, BO next 5 sts, K13 (28 sts)

Divide for front and back:
Slip 14 sts for front onto one needle so they are easier to work.
Slip 14 sts for back onto one needle and ignore for now.

Front:
Working on 14 sts for the front only, P across row.
Next row: K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 (12 sts)
Next row: Purl
Next row: K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 (10 sts)
BO

Back:
Reattach yarn and work as for front.

Sleeves (make 2):
CO 16 sts
Work 2 rows in K1, P1 rib.
Work 4 rows in St st (K on RS, P on WS)
Next row: Next row: K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1
Next row: Purl
Repeat last two rows 4 more times, ending after decrease row. (6 sts)
BO

Sew itty-bitty sleeve seam.
Attach sleeves to body.