Done! (With Two Small Things, but Still)

It's been a rough week around here, what with the start of summer classes coinciding with a nasty cold for me, which has turned into a nasty head cold for John. He's much more stoic (and much less whiny) than I am. Somehow, because I get sick so infrequently, I feel sort of justified in whining about it to anyone who will listen, and by listen I really mean not walk away. (When I'm not sick, I feel justified in whining about other things.) Last night, on our drive home, we made the decision to get very spicy Thai soup with lemongrass for dinner. This is a temporary fix at best, but John does sound so happy when he says, "This soup gives me the sweats!" in the same tone that anyone else would use to say, "This makes me feel so warm and content all over!"

And if you add to that the fact that the woman I wanted to be America's Next Top Model didn't make it to the final two AND Melinda Doolittle got voted off American Idol. Whatever. As Alex said to me and John, "American Idol is clear evidence that direct democracy doesn't work." How else could we explain Sanjaya?

But you're here to see knitting, and since I've had some down time (by which I mean time while I was too tired to think about what I was supposed to be thinking about), I've got some finished projects for you. The other good thing? I get to cross TWO things off my "on the needles" list! And I haven't added any (yet)!

Nora - The following is Ada's birthday gift. If it doesn't fit, tell me and I'll make another one that does fit.



This little summer top is the Monica pattern from the Spring 2007 issue of Knitty. Details? Cascade Sierra Quattro in bright green and light blue, at 5 sts/in on a US6 needle. I changed the pattern slightly, with seed stitch border instead of garter (because my mom once said that she thinks seed stitch is "the cutest"). I knit both pieces in the round, so there was no seaming except to join the straps from the front to the back. I crocheted an edge on the bottom out of remnants of Cascade Pima Tencel. Then, because it looked plain, I embroidered some stems and sewed on some buttons from my "I have no idea where these came from" button jar.



This was definitely the easiest thing I've made in a very long time. It's essentially two tubes, one twice the size of the other. The pattern is totally clear, and joining the ruffle to the body was serious fun -- I'm never convinced that these things are going to work out, and then they do, and I'm thrilled.

Now, after I finished the knitting on this guy, the green yarn was sitting on the "coffee table" in the basement, next to some yellow ribbon yarn, and I had this thought that if you put them together, it would be turtle colors. (Try explaining that one. When I mentioned this to John, he said something like, "I'm pretty sure turtles are not yellow." Then he walked away, knowing I was going to do what I wanted, regardless of his naysaying. Always Naysaying! Go sit in your tower!)

Last January, while playing around with the patterns in the Barbara Walker stitch dictionaries, I came up with a hat using the Hexagon pattern, and made two little girl hats for some friends. Remember?

This seemed like a good place to start. Figuring out the decreases was simple (though of course I didn't write it down), and the spacing "came out" so that I got a yellow patch at the top, and it's symmetric and appealing. I added a tail and legs by picking up some stitches and folding and 3-needle binding off, and then picked up a circle of stitches for the head, and made that, and there was JUST enough green yarn leftover to stuff the head. Sew on an eyes and a mouth, and really, who doesn't want a turtle hat? And what is wrong with them?





It was an on-the-fly design project, to be sure, but I'm pretty pleased with the outcome and will write up the pattern. But before I do, I'd better have someone else measure the gauge. Yeah, I didn't do that, and this hat would really only fit a newborn. Fortunately, even newborns need hats.

Also, do you think I need to trim the lavendar?