hats and more

I have had a lovely Christmas here in Ohio at my parents house. Its nice to just sit back and do nothing for a while. I am ready to get back home tomorrow though. I miss my boyfriend and friends and the little things that make a space yours.

I decided to hold off on one idea for my boyfriends present. I'll be saving it for his birthday since its only a month away. Instead I knit him a hat. Its the half pipe hat from the Son of Stitch N Bitch. I highly recommend this hat to any and all knitters but especially beginners. Its a great looking hat, it knits up fast and its super easy. What more could you want really? The hardest part is sewing in the brim and even that isn't that hard. Here is a photo of me wearing the hat almost completed. All I had left to do was the grafting and sewing in the brim. I added stripes in the Nashville Predator colors since Joe is a huge Preds fan. I am debating whether or not to add GO PREDS in Navy on the gold band or not. We'll see it looks good with out it so its not a major thing to worry about. Not to bad for using yarn left over from previous projects.


I started another half pipe hat in a variegated gray yarn, Vanna's Choice Charcoal print by Lions brand to be specific. This one is for my brother Paul. I haven't made anything for him that I have ever completed. Paul usually asks for complicated patterns like the DNA scarf so this will be a nice one to make for him because I can finish is quickly and painlessly. Although I really should finish that DNA scarf because it is pretty bad @$$.

The Martina sweater is still coming along. Its following the old adage of two steps forward five steps back but I am bound and determined to finish it. Its a beautiful sweater.

knit to decrease another day

So far since I've made it to Ohio for the holidays all I have done is read and knit, watch movies, knit and read. Not all that interesting really but its nice to do something that is almost completely stress free.

So far in the past 3 days I have read the first installment to the Sisters Grimm, Coraline, some romantic novel about faeries, worked on finishing Crime and Punishment, and started the Gideon Trilogy. I have also watched the new bond film <3, the Saint, Stranger than Fiction, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, part of Speed Racer the movie, and the third Pirates of the Caribbean Movie.

Martina has been my constant companion through all of this. She has finally resolved her lace issues to lead me head long into a decreasing mistake. I decreased and decreased and decreased but some how did not decrease correctly or enough so I have ripped back once again. Happily not the beginning of the lace, though that isn't very far from where I am, merely to the place I assume I went wrong in decreasing. I don't allow myself to work on it when I am tired or occupied by persistent distractions so reworking things is going a bit slow. But I am enjoying knitting again despite the ringers Martina is putting me through.

I am looking for a sweater to knit out of a bright kelly green I have come to own. If anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear them.

Martina strikes agian

I have taken my needles back up and am determined to finish the Adrienne Vittadini sweater Martina. It really isn't a hard pattern at all but I keep making small mistakes that cause me to have to rip out the lace portion on the front panel. I started it in June 2007 to give you an idea of how long I have been battling this sweater. I am feeling more confident however in my understanding of the lace portion of the pattern and am now as determined as ever to overcome this section of the sweater. I will not abandon such fine yarn to an unintended project. NO! I will finish this sweater and wear it with pride knowing I look fabulous in this color and that I conquered the demon called lace knitting to wear its hide upon my back! Haha!

In other news. Upon reading on Nipper's blog that the book Coraline is being released as a stop action movie in February I am ecstatic! I can hardly contain my excitement. In fact the next small sum of cash I run into that I can afford to spend on frivolity will go to purchasing yarn to knit the Coraline Sweater Nipper created. The sweater is a replica of Coraline's sweater and can be found in the bedroom of Coraline on the website for the movie. The website is loads of fun so I thoroughly suggest you check it out and find the pattern.

I am almost finished with a rasta hat for my soon to be old house mate, Jen. I will be making some matching fingerless gloves to go with it as well. The hat is a modified pattern from Treats and Treasures. I knit it as specified in the pattern but am going to come back and add a tighter rib to the opening of the hat to make it a bit more traditionally rasta since the opening on her hat is super wide and Jen wasn't in favor with it. Just a minor change.

so close to the end

Wow! Its hard to believe the year is almost up.

This past fall semester took my by storm and I am just now recovering. I've had a lot of good things happen with my art and craft though. I've sold or traded some of my paintings and am really happy with the direction of my work for once. I can't wait to start some new work after I get back from my parents home after the holidays.

I made a knife bag for my current beau, Joe, a culinary arts student. Its gotten a lot of good response and it sounds like I'll have a commission for another for a woman he knows from culinary school which is flattering and exciting. I hope it happens but I am not to worried about it if it doesn't.

I am finishing up some back logged knitting projects namely a rasta hat and some gloves for my roommate. Jen. The hats about half done and should be finished by the end of the weekend. I am hoping to get it and the gloves done before we both go ur separate ways for the holidays. After the holidays we are parting again as she'll be moving back to the craft center and my friend Sophie will be moving in with me.

Nathan and I separated during the middle of the semester. We are both in good standing with one another and keep in contact. His photography is really taking off and I am very proud of him. www.nathannovakphotography.com is his wedding photography site if your interested to see his work. It is about to be updated soon so keep checking back to see his latest work.

I hope everyone is having a great holiday. I've been decorating with paper snowflakes and twinkle lights in the window. Since I am at Joe's more than my place we got a small rosemary tree so he can cook with it all year round. Its currently decorated with red bulbs and silver beaded garland. I am about to make a secret family recipe for a german cookie that I absolutely adore which is traditionally made around the holidays.