Wooly hats for little heads

Looking over my blog posts of the past year, I've realized that I've come to a more holistic approach to crafting.  Rather than JUST KNITTING, or SPINNING OBSESSIVELY, etc., I've begun to craft according to what my family needs/wants at whatever given time -- Daisy needed dresses for the summer, so I sewed a bunch of those over a few weeks.  We needed curtains for our windows, so I just got down to business and sewed up a few sets (supplementing with a few from Ikea -- but I intend to make hand-embroidered tie-backs for those in the future).  Instead of letting Greg cover our walls with band posters again, I have instead been slowly crafting and creating my own decorative touches to our walls (embroidery...papercut....applique...tiny knits...).  It's slow, but it's good.  I love the way that I'm discovering myself as I'm opening myself up to all of these avenues of crafting, rather than locking myself into one mode.  

 

Of course I still go off on different stints of ONLY WANTING TO SPIN or what have you, but I feel like I'm becoming a little more balanced, and I really love the outcome of it all.  Our house, while probably put together in a factory about 10 years ago and assembled on site with a few staples and a hot-glue gun, is gradually easing into a homey, handmade sort of a place on the inside.  And I love it.

 

All of the above is why my knits have been slower in coming lately.  I do always have a small handful of projects on the needles, but I work on them as I can, among all of the other home-enriching projects that I have in progress.

 

Last week I finished up my children's hats for this season, just in time for a cold front that has moved in.

 
Variation on a Meathead hat pattern.  Shetland wool Spunky Eclectic (vintage!) club fiber in "Celebration".  Handspun, 2-ply, worsted weight.


 

From left: ONline "Linie 120 Fiorino" in crimson (color # 0021), Spectrum Batt from Purldrop Studo in Graduated Green, "Spring Forward" BFL Southern Cross Fibre Club March 2009.

Here in Texas, we have to enjoy those chilly days while we have them -- even if it just means bundling up in the mornings and evenings.  I'll take any excuse to put on a snuggly hat and a pair of mittens.

 


Sparky and Max requested ear hats again this year, so I decided to make one for Billy as well.  The only thing better than 2 little boys in Shrek-like ear hats is 3.  Obviously.

I based the pattern on the one in Ann Budd's Knitter's Handy Book Of Patterns.  (I just knit straight up with no shaping until it was long enough to cover the boys' heads, then kitchnered across the top, tying off the corners to make "ears".)

 


 
Billy thought that ripping his hat off for his individual shoot was the Best Pose Concept Ever.  Thankfully, everyone encouraged him with hilarious laughter...so it became impossible.  Ah well.

Daisy's hat is essentially the Meathead hat pattern, but I modified it for a smaller gauge, and ruched up the back so that the point would aim backwards and perfectly contain her ever-present ponytail.  I finished up her mittens (also from Ann Budd's Handy Book Of Patterns), and this weekend I intend to get at least one pair done for the boys as well.  Sparky has requested gloves, but the other two have mittens on order.  I will also be knitting a little winter set for my 2-year-old nephew, which I will start as soon as I'm done with these.

 



 

 

I always end up doing projects like these in batches, and I have to admit that I'm feeling weary already, but seeing these adorable little people decorated with my stitches (and in most cases -- my handspun), never fails to put a smile on my face.