Jumping Up and Down for the Pom Pom

My favorite winter hats as a child made the list because of the pom poms on top. The bigger and more colorful the better. Needless to say when you are knitting a hat you start with simple and add more complicated details later. After knitting my first hat on the loom I still had enough yarn from that skein to knit another hat on my needles. Then there was still some left so I jumped in and added a pom pom on top. Thrilled with my newest details I modeled the hat. Some very honest opinions informed me it was cute but, not me, too young for me, and my favorite, just plain silly. Alas, one day perhaps a child who believes like I did, the bigger and more colorful the pom pom the better, will get to wear this hat.

Knitting Version 2.0

Great presents come in small packages...or something like that. The other day a friend of mine, lets call her Tiffanee stopped by and dropped off this oddly shaped wrapped gift. Usually a quick glimpse at an oddly shaped you can tell what it is but this one I couldn't figure out. So like any child with a wrapped present I tore the wrapping off in record time and found a soft plastic case containing four round knitting looms. I had seen these before but had never been quite brave enough to have a go at it. So with this great present in hand, I read all I could, and waited until I got home that night to whip off a hat.
One of my bears was kind enough to model the hat (so the square parts of the hat are probably his ears sticking up). It is of course knitted in the round so the variegated chunky yarn (yes, another skein from Jane) sort of swirls between black and white in this knitted version. To have a brim you fold back three inches and knitted the bottom into the hat itself which I thought was interesting. It took less than a skein of yarn to knit a hat that would fit an adult. It is very light weight and resembles a typical ski hat. I can't say it was any faster than using my needles, but might be when I get the hang of wrapping the yarn around the posts. To adjust the size of the finished product you use different size looms.
These looms would be awesome for anyone learning how to knit and they are a great break for me to do something a little different. I seem to have a stock pile of yarn that I am trying to knit through now and these rounds will allow me to keep knitting but offer me a challenge of learning a new way to do it. The books also offered ways to to ribbing, blankets, scarves and much more. So much to learn...so much fun to have!

Stylishly Warm

This one is just too cute. So cute, comfy, and warm I might knit one for myself. This purple and black hat is made from the same batch of scarf that my friend Jane gave me. I found the pattern for the hat at the same place I found the pattern for the biker scarf, as a matter of fact they were on the same page. To create it is simple just a stocking stitch for 11 inches and then decrease the stitches by knitting together every other row. The bottom will turn up about 5 inches or as much as you would need it to to cover ears, different size heads, and adjust s it fits any head you put it on.

I have a tradition that if someone requests or really likes what I am knitting when I am knitting it I give it to the person. So this hat is going to a teacher that I had the privilege of working with this weekend. She lives in the western part of the state and said she has the socks to match the hat. How could a knitter resist giving this first time hat to someone not only willing to wear it but with matching accessories.

Biker Wife Scarf

I admit it looked like a Halloween experiment gone awry. Here I sit right after ringing in the New Year knitting an orange and black scarf. No, I did not knit this because of some longing I have for the scary holiday. Actually I did it to fulfil a promise. Curious yet? Actually a friend of mine, lets call her Jane. Jane handed me a bag with four really big skeins (actually double skeins) of yarn. She had tried to crochet with it but the type of yarn made it difficult and she had given up. So she gave me the skeins and her only request was that I knit her a scarf out of the orange and black skein. Of course I agreed, after all a true knitter never turns down free yarn.
I had knitted with this yarn before and after spending two weeks using size eight needles I was a little frustrated myself. So this time I scoured the Internet (my new crafting buddy) and found a pattern specifically for this type of yarn. I adjust the pattern a little and went to knitting with a knit two purl two pattern. 65 inches later we had a scarf that was full, soft, and unique. I also figured out why she wanted this yarn for her scarf. Not long ago Jane's Husband purchased a motorcycle. Their favorite pastime now is riding everywhere, and anywhere on it. I realized as I was knitting that the colors are also the colors for a very popular brand of cycle. As I presented Jane with her scarf, I asked if it was for the chilly rides, and she said overwhelmingly confirmed my theory.
I'll let you know if it keeps her warm on her next ride.

Wrapping Things Up

As the New Year came in it brought a front with it that dropped the temperature by a good 30 degrees. Makes me want to spend the day curled up on the couch with my favorite Coca-Cola throw tossed over my legs, fire in the fireplace, and my favorite book in hand.

One of my favorite pastimes on a day like this is knitting. I will knit scarves, blankets, caps and save them until winter to give away. My favorite are baby blankets, easy to knit, doesn't take too much time but I do not have any friends who need a baby blanket. So I donate them each year to Southeastern Regional Medical Center. Beth, who is in charge of volunteer services, will take them and distribute the blankets to those in need who might not have someone who would make something like a blanket for them or their baby. This is an annual event now. This year, thanks to the help of Penny I was able to donated 10 knitted blankets, 7 incredibly beautiful crocheted blankets, and two knitted caps.

It is nice to give a little warmth and love to someone you haven't met. Those of us who are part of DeJ. Creations would like to wish you and yours a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year filled with warmth and love.