FO: Heart Hat and Warmers

Hat Pattern: My Own
Handwarmers: Sucky Thumb Mitts
Yarn: Knitpicks Shine Sport
Needles: I don’t remember. AUGH!!!!

She seemed to like the handwarmers overall

Yes, it’s another hat and handwarmer set, but I have both a niece and nephew. They must each get something to fight off jealousy. Granted, both are 1+ but still.

As soon as the hat went on, it came off.

Since I need practice working with 2 colors, I decided to make the hat my practice piece. My original intent was less hearts and a bit more background color, but it had a mind of it’s own. I like it a lot even with the changes. I am hoping to make a pattern for this hat, but I will make it a little more like what was in my head.

A bit too long on top.

There are a few things that I wish I had done differently. The hat is too long. I’ve been thinking about slouchy hats lately, and I sort of knit it with that in mind. I’m just not sure it worked well in this style with this yarn. Of course she didn’t keep the hat on long enough to make sure so I have no idea. Other pictures it looks less pointy.

Less pointy and back seam

I do love the hat, though. A lot. It’s so cute and was a TON of fun to knit. I may become addicted to two-color knitting. Of course, ask me when I finish the Husband’s scarf.

Handwarmers!

I love the handwamers. It’s the usual pattern and I had no major issues. I think they turned out well and she seemed to like them. At least they stayed on for about 5 minutes–with a one-year-old, I consider that good. Plus, I used up 2 items in my stash! Take that, stash! I will get you down to a reasonable amount yet!

FO: Camo Hat and Handwarmers

Hat Pattern: 1×1 Ribbed Hat
Handwarmers: Sucky Thumb Mitts
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids, Heathers & Twists
Needles: US 6

And why are you making me wear these things?

My nephew moved from a warm climate to a colder one, Chanukah was coming, and I needed to use up my stash that is still going strong at 53 items (with more on the way) *ahem*. Enter, handwarmers and a hat!

She knew these weren't for her and gave them back after modeling them.

I used my standard 1×1 ribbed hat pattern because it just works so well. And that totally sounds like a shameless plug, but I didn’t mean for it to be. Of course now it is a plug. The Sucky Thumb Mitts pattern is a really good one, and I highly recommend it. Between that pattern and my last fingerless gloves project, I think I understand the idea behind the hand warmer construction and may try my hand at creating a pattern that’s in my head. But I’ve digressed, haven’t I?

The finished pieces

I guess I don’t have much to say about the project. It went together really fast and really well. I’m happy with the finished product. I’m a bit of a yarn snob and have had bad luck with Lion’s Brand in the past, but they redeemed themselves with this yarn. It was a good, solid yarn without any breaks. AND I liked the color. I bet it was because my Godson bought it for me.

Handwarmers on my kid.

We’ll see how the nephew takes to them. He may find the yarn tastes better than anything.

FO: Humanity

Pattern: Humanity
Yarn: Frog Tree Merino Melange
Needles: US 6

There used to be a blog by Yarnsticks who is one of my best friends. There are friends that will be old and infirm one day, sitting in rocking chairs on the porch of the old lady’s home, knitting and just enjoying each other’s company. That’s us. We’re in different states but she is so important to me that we will be friends long into old age.

When I turned 30, Yarnsticks made a pair of socks for me. A few years later, I drove to her house while 6 months pregnant. I don’t know how it had come up in conversation, but she mentioned that no one ever knit for her. I decided then and there, in my pregnancy-riddled mind to make her something. I made sure to sneak in a hand measurement and took note of a yarn she liked. About a year later, when I thought I was ready to make the hand warmers, I came up with a lie to get a list of hand warmers she liked. About a year after that, I made humanity.

Let me say this about the pattern. It doesn’t quite make sense the way it is written, but it isn’t wrong. It’s just not written to make sense to me. Basically, the cabling row says to put 2 stitches on the cable needle, then purl, knit 2, and knit the two off the cable needle. If you do that as written, then you end up off the 2 x 1 ribbing. Instead it seems to make more sense (to me) to put 2 stitches on the cable needle, then put the purl stitch on the cable needle, knit 2, purl off the cable needle, and then knit the last two off the cable needle. Did I confuse you? Yeah, I’m still confused, but it worked well enough as far as I can tell, and other than that, it’s a good pattern.

Frog Tree Merino is to die for. I almost did not give Yarnsticks the handwarmers because the yarn is so yummy. I really did struggle. The yarn was so soft that I tried to talk myself into keeping these and knitting another pair. Thankfully, reason took over and I decided that I can knit a second pair for me another day. I have a lot of projects I want to do so if I hadn’t done these, they weren’t getting done.

Seriously, though. Go get Frog Tree Merino and snuggle with it. It’s just that good. Even OP didn’t want to give them up.

Sucky Thumb Mitts

Pattern: Sucky Thumb Mitts
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted
Needles: US 7

So we left my last knitting project as the hat I had made a hat for OP. And she wore it. For the most part, but we started realizing we had another problem–her hands. The winter coat came with mittens and she doesn’t like them. They are HUGE and she can’t do anything with them. The Husband had a stroke of genius and asked why I couldn’t make hand warmers for her like I have for me. So I looked on Ravelry and found a pattern  I liked.

I finally got started on the pattern in San Francisco, and in a matter of days had two little hand warmers that were a little too big on the girl and not her most favorite thing in the world.  In fact, she’d scream any time I would try to put them on.

Of course, I’m a mean mommy who feels warm hands are important, so I added a piece of yarn to the bottom of each warmer to tie it tighter and made her wear the things. She’s still not happy and can still pull them off even with the ties, but she’s happy to play with them and that’s good enough for me. I’m happy just knowing her hands are warmer with these than without and she can still play with things or suck her fingers. Someday she’ll like them. Maybe when she’s 30.