Hat's All Folks!!

I recall a Bugs Bunny cartoon from my youth in which a hat-laden truck spills its cargo, dumping a plethora of hats into the wind. As Elmer Fudd chases the waskily wabbit, hats land on their noggins and they assume the roles dictated by the headgear. Wearing a bridal veil and top hot, the two eventually marry and head off into the sunset. I wish the hats I create could be as magical. While my hats are not task specific, I would be thrilled if the wearers could adopt the spirit of joy imbued in the textures and colours of these playful brain cosies. 

Apparently I am still adjusting to my new sleep schedule, I am back in the classroom and could barely keep my eyes open all week. This means that I didn't get much knitting or pattern writing accomplished. On Friday I finally knit a small Turn-A-Square hat. I used Noro Kureyon, an aran weight yarn, instead of the recommended worsted, so I cast on 80 st using a 3.5mm needle and switched to a 4.5mm needle when I finished the ribbing. I just need to attach a pompom to it, and it's a done deal. I made a second hat on Saturday for my friend Joan.

On Friday our new cabinets arrived, a mere 8 weeks overdue. While Jim and I are annoyed at the quality of service, we love these cabinets made from repurposed materials: doors, tin ceiling tiles, church pews, etc. The look is very rustic and they look good in our bedroom. The units are made by a small Toronto company called Forever Interiors.

It' s been a good week. I'm back to teaching and I think I'm gonna enjoy my classes; I'm teaching grade 12 art and grade 10 media arts.  Forty-five grade 12s are already knitting and will start their mitten projects this week.  Jim and I had a great day at the Georgetown Farmer's Market. I sold three of my original shawls (two are heading to Arizona  and one is off to Minnesota as a Xmas gifts) and Jim had exceptional jewellery sales too. Jim and I have also been approached about participating in the fourth season of an on-line video magazine called Define Yourself. It focuses on the responses to aging by those who are forty plus. If we are selected, we will the first men to take part in this venture. A videographer was taping us as we went about our business on Saturday. It was both interesting and unnerving 'cause while Jim is extremely gregarious, I definitely on the shy side. It also offers us an interesting question to consider: Will we take them up on an offer to undergo a variety of "enhancing" treatments which may include botox and restylane injections? Hmmmmm.

I also managed to complete the re-worked Sea to Sea Shawl. It looks much better than the original version; it's lacier due to a few thousand added yarnovers. I need to complete the written pattern and post it this week.

The next design is sloshing around in my noggin; I want to create a shawl inspired by one of my favourite old movies, Arsenic and Old Lace. I already have the perfect lace weight from NoTwoSnowflakes. Its a silk with a sweet silver sheen.

Selling the High Seas

I've decided to re-knit the From Sea to Sea Shawl. This is an opportunity to tweak the pattern in preparation for releasing  it for sale on Ravelry. I'm using another alpaca yarn, Classic Elite Yarns Silky Alpaca Lace.  It's nice and squishy with a light halo that does not interfere with the fields of texture and yarnovers. I've also gone against my usual instincts and am knitting with beige yarn.  I don't do beige.  This will force me to focus on the look of the piece and not rely on colour as a way to add the wow factor. 

Commissions: Grin and Beret It

It's been a busy couple of weeks. I designed and knit a sweater and beret at the request of a friend. The project is currently on its way to Switzerland as a gift for baby Chloe. While I worked on it, I thought a lot about commissions and whether or not they are worth my time.. No surprise that they are not. I think this will be my last one; Including the cost of materials, I made a 50 cents an hour. I must say I did love working with the DROPS Alpaca. It's not overly pricey and it's super soft, perfect for baby clothes. This yarn also comes in a wide range of colours. I may use it in the future to create some playful mittens for the upcoming winter.