The Crafty Bits: A Stocking Cap and Mittens (F)

No, I have not fallen off a cliff...it just seems that way.

If I recall we were looking over the bounty of Christmas knittables I gave as gifts...garter stitch scarves were the first things and now it's time for numbers 2&3 in the list of Shhh...tuff Kelli knit.

So before we dive in, lets consider this...what does one buy someone for Christmas when they're just 14 months old. Let's just say I had a hard time answering that very question this year...it's kind of a toughie since I'm not hip on toys...or clothes...or anything else a newly ambulatory little man might need. Plus gift transportation was an issue. (Compact car, dog & kennel, suitcases, gifts, laptops...we don't travel light!) So Mr. Max got a hat and mittens and Dr. Seuss. I figure you can't go wrong with things to keep you warm or build-up future brain power with top notch word play ...

"This one, I think, is called a Yink.
He likes to wink, he likes to drink.
He likes to drink, and drink, and drink.
The thing he likes to drink is ink.
The ink he likes to drink is pink.
He likes to wink and drink pink ink.
SO...if you have a lot of ink,
then you should get a Yink, I think."

Ahem, so back on track. This swirl stocking cap made up a portion of the hat/mitten gift. Done in Knit Picks Swish Superwash yarns Lawn and Bok Choy and the pattern is from the book, Knitting for Peace. The book itself is a lovely read with lots of stories documenting the many good deeds of knitters across the United States. The pattern wasn't so lovely. I'm still not exactly sure what the problem is/was but the swatch gauge and the final product...not so similar. there was WAY more stretch in the hat and the size it told me to knit it to was much, much to large. I ended up frogging back half of what I had knit and working the brim from there for slightly taller than intended gnomish hat. It's cute and swirly, but it should be knit it much tighter next time. (Assuming my gauge is what loosened up and not that the needle sizing was incorrect.) In the end it worked out fairly well and is pretty darn adorable.

The mittens are also from Knitting for Peace and were sooooo fast I had them done in an afternoon. I think I may have done the thumb gusset backwards...I'm not really sure how, but they just didn't quite look right. Or maybe I just didn't know what I was doing or looking at...either/or. Regardless, they are mittens - with thumbs - that Max will out grow before the hat ever fits. It's probably a good thing there's lots of yarn left over.

And this is Max.
This is also how he looks these days since most
of his time is spent running away from you.