Jackson's Aviator Bear Hat

I sure hope he likes it. Because if he doesn't like this cuteness, I really don't know what will impress him.

Pattern: Amelia Earhart Aviator Cap by Flor (Rav it)

Yarn: 1/2 skein of Cascade 220 Superwash in Walnut Heather

Needles: Size 6 straights for the hat and size 6 circs for the ears

Notions: Tapestry needle

Modifications: I took out a few rows of the middle section to make it smaller. Also, obviously, the ears. I made them the same way I make a toe-up sock. Using Judy's Magic Cast On I started with 18 stitches and increased every other round until I had 42 stitches. I bound off, sewed the ears together at the bottom, and then sewed them to the hat so that the ears turned in a little bit. Oh, and I added some seed stitch for a little bit of decoration. All in all I think the ears are adorable.

I'm still debating as to whether or not I want to add any cords to the earflaps. Seeing as how I have a lot of holiday projects to accomplish in a short amount of time, I might just pass.

I can't wait to try it on this little guy. Here he is modeling my Simple Shawl.

I get to see him in two weeks and two days!

Next up, I'll fill you in on how my Nutkin knee socks are going. And I'll be starting on Jackson's first Christmas stocking tonight!

Many thanks for many things.

Well, I'm surprised to say it, but I'm ending the day NOT holding my side wondering if my stomach has exploded. Don't get me wrong. We had a ton of good food to eat today (there were only four of us at dinner, but we could have safely fed 20), but we ate early and I didn't have the urge to go back for fourths so I'll sleep well tonight since my body won't be busy digesting a week's worth of food.

One of the things I am thankful for today is our wonderful turkey. Just look at that golden brown color!

As the main meat eater in our house, Jeff was in charge of the turkey, a job he takes great pride in. If it didn't turn out well, then he would have nothing to eat since meat makes up all of his food groups. So the pressure was on to make it great.

And great it was! It was so tender and delicious and I didn't have to reach for a glass of water like I did growing up in my parents' house (sorry, Mom).

Jeff's sister Lori and her fiance Andus came over from Haines to join us for the week and brought their three big dogs with them. Here are two of them "helping" Jeff with the cooking.

We have a tiny house so adding two more adults and three big dogs to the mix can sometimes make it feel like we're sitting on top of each other, but it's been a great week having them here since we hardly get to spend time with them since they moved across the water to Haines.

I have a few things to report on the knitting front, but I think that will have to wait until tomorrow when I have better light to photograph the FOs. Now that it's winter time, the daylight is disappearing. Right now we only have a few hours of direct sunlight, since we're nestled so deep in between the mountains.

The thing I'm most thankful for today is that I get to be home for another week before I'm off again. Time at home has been scarce this fall and I treasure it every chance I get. I'll be off to Juneau soon for a work seminar and then right after that I'll be braving the airports and heading home for the holidays. I can't wait to see this little man again. He's walking now!

Pretty Little Thing

So, I've been feeling fairly frustrated at knitting lately. I'm suffering from chronic start-a-new-project-every-day-itis and I just can't seem to get into any of them. I'm chalking it up to the fact that I still haven't unwound from the summer season, even though I've been traveling and trying to relax a little.

Consequently, I was on the lookout for a very mindless and easy project that I could complete quickly...a project that could somehow escape the clutches of my knitting A.D.D. I finally settled on Pretty Thing (Rav it) by Yarn Harlot.

I used exactly one skein of Sarah's Yarns Mongolian Cashmere DK 4-ply in Natural White. I've had the yarn for awhile and I wasn't sure what project I'd eventually use it for. I was hoping that I'd find a project that could be worn close to the skin, as this yarn is so soft and buttery. Pretty Thing fit the bill.

I used the Magic Loop method with my Harmony interchangeable circs in size 5 with a 40" cable. Because it seemed like this pattern was written for a munchkin, I cast on an extra repeat of stitches so that there would at least be a fighting chance that I could fit my noggin through the opening. And I added an extra repeat of the middle lace pattern to increase the length a bit.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with it. Heck, I'm just tickled pink that I actually finished a project.

Oh, and it appears that my Maplewing Shawl will have to wait a bit to get finished. While using my size 5 tips on Pretty Thing, I carelessly set my knitting on the floor at the foot of my knitting chair while I took a break. Upon return, I didn't see that the needle was sticking out and I stepped on it, breaking it in half with a heart-sinking snap.

Of course, these are the same size needles I'm using on Maplewing...and my only pair in size 5. (Maplewing was resting on its long cable, needle-less while I had an affair with the cowl.)

So, it looks like I'll have to make a quick order to KnitPicks before Maplewing becomes destined to live in the UFO pile indefinitely. And since I'm already ordering some needle tips, I might as well throw in some Swish Bulky in Squirrel Heather, because I've been itching to start this DROPS jacket for a long time now...and if I'm already getting that yarn, then I might as well try out some Imagination Hand-Painted Sock Yarn...and then...oh no, this could get ugly...

Maplewing Madness

So, I didn't get as far as I thought I would on my Maplewing Shawl while I was traveling. It turns out that there is something that I'd much rather do than knit: hang out with my family! Who would have thought?

Here's my progress so far...
I'm almost to the end of the bottom lace section, however I'm thinking I might add another repeat (or four) to make the shawl a little bit longer. Even though I'm making the tall size, I'm still worried that it will be too small. Although Anne Hanson, the shawl designer, is modeling the petite size in this photo, I'm fairly certain from other photos on her blog that she is pretty petite as well. So, I'm thinking that even though the tall size is bigger than what is shown in that photo, I don't know if it will be big enough. I'd rather knit it a little bit bigger and not take my chances that I'll end up with a neckerchief instead of a shawl.

I am, however, a bit concerned as to how those extra repeats will play out. I think I have a picture in my brain of the concept of the shawl and I'm thinking that a few more rows won't do any harm. I guess we'll see. I'd hate to rip back all those rows of tiny stitches, but if it isn't right then the tiny perfectionist inside of my brain will bug me until I do. But I have a hunch it will turn okay after some intense blocking.

As for the particulars, I am LOVING the Malabrigo Sock for this project. It is just the right amount of softness and durability. I have had recurring daymares about knitting a lace shawl with true lace yarn and then snagging it on a doorway or other object (because, let's be honest, I'm pretty klutzy like that) and crying my eyes out for days at the destruction of such a precious piece. But I don't get that paranoia with the Mal Sock, so let's all keep our fingers crossed that it holds up to regular wear.

And I can't say enough about the pattern itself. Anne Hansen does an amazing job of laying everything out in such a logical order, so it makes even the more difficult projects easy to understand and accomplish. It's written out line by line as well as charted, so you can take your pick of how you'd like to go about it.

Here's a couple shots of the stitch work. I can't wait to block it and open up the lace a little, although I am rather liking the way it is right now as well...all dense and squishy.

I will hopefully be getting some more time work on it as I will be traveling again here shortly. I'm headed to Reno for a conference for about a week and then to Seattle to visit some friends for a couple days. Of course I have already scoped out all of the local yarn store locations in both cities! I had no idea that Jimmy Beans Wool was located in Reno...and it's right down the street...so I just wouldn't feel right if I went all that way and didn't go visit...right? I thought so.

I'm Back!

Well...I got back two weeks ago...I just haven't had the energy to blog about much! Many of you have asked where I went in my travels. Well, I'll tell you! The first week I was gone I was in Fairbanks for a work conference. It was fun, but it was work and I don't have any photos to show for it. :(

And then the day after my conference ended I flew from Fairbanks to Cincinnati for nice two week visit with my family in Ohio. That's such a long-haul day of flights, so I upgraded to first class to make it a little bit easier on me! It was my first time on the other side of the curtain and boy did I get spoiled. The leg room alone was enough to hook me, but they stuff you and wait on you hand and foot. What a nice gift to myself after a looonnnnnggg and stressful summer.

The first thing I did when I got home was scope out a yarn store, of course! Well, actually, the first thing I did was have my mom pick me up at the airport and we made a beeline for Bloomington, Indiana, where I could meet my nephew, Jackson. He's the most perfect little guy in the world and I can't wait to see him again in a few weeks.

But the second thing on my mind was yarn, so my sister took me to one of two yarn stores in Bloomington: In a Yarn Basket. It was a lovely store with very friendly staff...and here is what I came away with...

Two very generous 250 gram hanks of Alpaca with a Twist Baby Twist. They had several colors, so of course I had to get two shades! I had never seen this yarn in person before (only online) so it was a real treat for the eyes. And it's so freakishly soft that I just want to snuggle with it all day. And the yarn is local to Indiana, which is also pretty cool. I got a pale heathery pink, to break out of my mold of usual colors, and a deep eggplant. I have no plans for them yet, so they'll hang out in my yarn basket so that I can pet them regularly.

They were also having a clearance sale on Cascade Luna, of which I also got two different colors: the first is very pale lavender, which I thought would be great for a little girls shrug, and the other is a bright in-your-face green, which I have no plans for as of yet.

And the one thing I was REALLY excited about was my Namaste bag. I have had my eye on them for a while and I finally caved and got one. I originally wanted red, but they did not have any red in stock so I settled for teal, which I am now glad I got. It carries SO much and it's been by my side every since I bought it...and I'm not really a purse kind of gal, but I love this thing.

I was disappointed that I did not get to visit the other yarn store in Bloomington, Yarns Unlimited. I was only in Bloomington for two days, but the one day we decided to go, it was closed. And I found out that the day before they were having their 30th anniversary celebration and even had a trunk show/booking signing by Alison Stewart-Guinee, the author of Fairy Tale Knits. Maybe next time...

Other than knitting, I packed in quite a bit of stuff into my two weeks at home. First off, I got in some much anticipated snuggle time with the little man.

Then once we had enough of the snuggling, we took little man to a pumpkin patch. By the time we got there it had been pretty well picked over, so we tossed him into a big barrel of gourds for a photo op. As you can see from his face, he's not too thrilled about it.

Then, after picking out a crazy big pumpkin, we took it home and promptly cut it open and threw the little man inside. He even got to cull out the insides of his very own mini-pumpkin and loved every messy minute of it. Seriously, does it get any cuter than this?

And how about our matching shirts? I got these shirts made up just to take photos in them. Jackson's nickname is Kitty (much to grandpa's chagrin) so I got my sister and myself t-shirts that say 'I Heart Kitty' and Jackson a shirt that says 'I'm Kitty'. I know I'm a dork for doing it, but I'm obsessed with ordering personalized gear from zazzle.com. Just ask Jeff how many coffee cups he has with our picture on them. ;)

Then after all the excitement of the t-shirts, we took a trip to Paint Creek Park, where Lib and I used to play all the time when we were little. It's so weird how small everything looks once you're grown. The slide that seemed to be a mile long when we were younger just didn't seem to match up to the memory I have retained. Anyway, here we are posing along the path to the creek.

Jackson had a really fun time swinging until his mean mommy stopped him.

Then one evening we had a campfire by my grandma's pond. Apparently they happen all the time in the summers when I'm not around, so I told my mom when I was home I really wanted to have a fire. It was totally worth the wait....and it's such a beautiful setting.

So, without my consent, The Ohio State University has been making a ton of changes to campus since I've been gone and I was none too pleased that the area is now almost totally unrecognizable. Where are the dive bars I used to go to? And the gritty storefronts of High Street? They've all been replaced by brand new trendy shops and eateries and campus just doesn't have the same heart that it used to. Begrudgingly I put aside my feelings long enough to take a personal tour of the new student union, still under construction. My childhood friend, Sara, works for the construction company that is building it and she gave me and my friend Molly a tour one evening. Here we are looking dead sexy in our hard hats in the main entrance hall. All feelings aside, it's going to be an amazing place, although it will never hold a candle to all the memories I have of the old student union. *sniff*

And in the further adventures of Allison and Molly, here we are next to the float that hitched a ride on through the Fall Festival of Leaves parade.

Every year that I'm home for the FFL, Molly and try to sneak onto float so that we can wave our way through the parade and pretty much make jackasses of ourselves. Molly, of course, being the extrovert that she is, loves every minute of it. Me, on the other hand, not so much. It always seems like such a good idea in the beginning and I get all high on adrenaline as we run out to a float in the street and clamber on up. But then reality sets in when the float starts to make its way through the huge crowds of people...and then I get the urge to jump off the float before I have a massive panic attack. But I have to just grin and bear it and wave...but in the end I'm always happy that I did it, as I am with most of the things I do with Molly. By being friends with her I've done a lot of things I wouldn't normally have done on my own. And that's a good kind of friend to have.

Special thanks to Joel and Cathi who let us ride on their Lazy H Cabin Rentals float! It was a blast!

And after all that excitement, it was time for me to fly back to AK. I was definitely sad to leave, but I knew that I would be back soon for the holidays so it was a fairly easy goodbye. At least there were no hysterical crying jags while at the ticket counter at the airport. Because that's been known to happen a time or two. *ahem*

Here's one last look at the frosty morning that I left. The sun was just beginning to rise over my parents' front yard. Can't wait until I'm back again!