The Chevron Love Hat

Okay, well here she is in all her glory. There are a few little imperfections which I won't dwell on (like the hem being a bit crooked which skews the knitting to the side a bit) but overall I think it's pretty cute. It fits more like a watch cap than like a cloche -- I was anticipating it would not be so snug at the hem but would bell out more. If only I had seen more of them on Ravelry, I would have been aware of this. Perhaps in the future I will make another one and change the pattern slightly to allow for it to have that lovely shape. Even just using bigger needles at the bottom and progressing to smaller ones at the top would probably accomplish this... I would also need to use a firmer yarn than the drapey loveliness of the Louet Gems I have used for this one. Hmmm... *begins to plot one out*

In fabric news... because I didn't get my fabric fix when I was in Portland (and had planned to spend oodles of money on crafty goodness) I went online for a little fabric shopping to make up the difference. Imagine my delight to come across this beautiful fabric collection by Sandy Gervais, called Fresh Squeezed.
The patterns have a lot of citrus colours and shapes, with a bit of watermelon pink and blueberry blue thrown in for a lark. I grabbed a jelly roll of strips plus enough fabric to make this adorable little diamond patterned lap quilt. It is certainly more of a challenge to put together than the hexagon ones I've been making (though the pattern assures me that the top can be sewn in a weekend) but I think I can handle it. *crosses fingers* Watch for this one to show up when I am a bit closer to finishing the hand quilting on Requiem. I find that the hand quilting makes my relationship with each quilt a lot more personal. It also prolongs the process of completing it, which is probably the only thing keeping me from making a new quilt every couple of weeks.

In the meantime, I have been working on some secret little baby projects which will be revealed when the time comes... and now I find out there will be twins! *dusts off her EZ books again*

Great Things in Small Packages

Well today I learned a lesson about the importance of using the right tool for the job. I have been working on my Chevron Love Hat, and making some progress, but it's been a bit annoying, since I was fighting my way around double pointed needles with it -- don't get me wrong, I love my double-points, and use them for socks and mitts and all sorts of smallish projects. In this case, the number of stitches on the hat brought them awfully close to the ends of the needles, so I was always stressed about possibly dropping stitches, as well as worried about having the right length of yarn carried between the needles, so there wouldn't be either ladders (carried yarn too long) or puckers (carried yarn too short) between the needles. Last night I realized that it's silly to be so stressed out over what was meant to be a cute little Instant Gratification Project to take my mind off the endless entrelac lap throw. Today I just went out and bought a short little circular (which is what the pattern directed me to use in the first place.) I may never need it again in my life, but the $5 is so worth it, since this project is now infinitely easier and less stressful and will have better memories when it's finished.


The other exciting thing I have to show off today is this itty bitty little skein of yarn which I've spun myself for the first time ever! Whee! Yeah, okay, it goes thick and thin, and parts are underspun and parts are overspun, but in essence, it is yarn. And I made it. Despite my frustration at not being perfect with it the first time around, I am reminding myself that there is a learning curve to every new skill. If I am helping someone else learn to knit, I remind them over and over that while it feels awkward now, and the stitches look weird and uneven, in a few weeks or months, it will feel like second-nature to make those motions, and things will be uniform and lovely. This is the lesson I am reminding myself of when I despair that I am not made to be a spinner. Between my quilting and sewing and knitting, I will keep making tiny little skeins and before I know it, they will be beautiful and worth showing off. This one, I might frame and put it on the wall to remember how it all began.