Second Hat Syndrome

There is a baby board book that I absolutely adore. It is called Urban Babies Wear Black. When I found out that my hairstylist was expecting, I knew I just had to buy it for her. Since I have spent a lot of time knitting in her salon's waiting area, and in her chair, I knew she also needed a hand knit baby gift. Inspired by the book itself, I decided to make a black baby beanie. (Generally speaking, baby knits are pastels or brights...it was actually quite difficult to find nice cushy soft dk yarn in black!)

There was just one hitch...as there always is with my knitting attempts...Hairstylist was having twins! That meant 2 baby hats, because while I could and do expect them to share one copy of the book, I couldn't very well expect them to share one hat!

I will be going home for Christmas, so I made a hair appointment for while I am there. (Hairstylist is the sweetest person in the world, she is actually coming into the shop the day after Christmas just for me! I do not deserve her! Although, granted, I do travel hundreds of miles so that she can still do my hair, so some accommodation can be expected.) I plan on giving her the baby gift then as a part-congratulations-part-Christmas present.

I ordered the book online and it has already been delivered to parents' house. I have even finished one hat. It is adorable. But I just can't seem to get around to finishing the second hat. It is worse than socks. When I knit socks I either use exciting yarn or do a fun stitch pattern. The hat is a plain, and boring, 2x2 rib, and it is solid black. I did cast on the second hat, and I even knit most of it. I am actually all the way to the decreases. I just can't get motivated. I have cast on three scarves and a sock since starting this hat, and I am running out of time.

Here's hoping for motivation or a miracle in which the hat knits itself!

COMPLETED!

My frequent buyer card is, as of 10:23 this morning, full! I now get $25 toward my next purchase! (And there is no minimum purchase amount. If I buy $26 worth of yarn, I only have to contribute $1 and the buyer card!)

Now, what to buy?

Does this mean I can finally give in and buy the hand-painted beaded silk that is over $50 a skein? (Pros: I will stop coveting and drooling every time I walk into the shop. Cons: I will still have to spend over $25 for the one skein which is not large enough to do anything with.)

Should I use it toward finally buying the yarn for the Abotanicity sweater I have been planning? (Pros: The sweater calls for a lot of sock yarn, and this would be a useful savings. Cons: The shop doesn't have enough of any one color way to make the sweater and I am not sure I can use the buyer card on special orders.)

Should I be practical and use it for needles or notions? (Pros: They have gorgeous Lantern Moon needles and Addi Turbos that are pricey. Cons: I already have a zillion needles and don't really need anymore.)

ARGH!!!! TOO MANY DECISIONS!!!!

I think it best if I just think on it for a while. Wouldn't want to do anything rash...the stash is already full of rash decisions!

Blood and Shadows

I really liked the Twilight books by Stephanie Meyer, and I had been looking forward to the release of the Twilight Movie for over a year. I made arrangements to go to see it with B1, Jester, and Pizza at the midnight showing weeks before it came out. And, as I usually do, I spent a lot of time pondering what I would wear. I wanted something appropriately festive...black and/or red. But, at the same time, I did not want anything "costumey" since I don't want to be one of those fans. So, being me, I decided on jeans, a long sleeved black shirt, and...a hand-knit Twilight inspired scarf. The only problem...I did not have a hand-knit Twilight inspired scarf. Still, it was over a month until the movie, which should have been plenty of time for me to make one.

I went to my LYS (Knit This, Purl That) and bought some beautiful variegated red, black, and grey wool yarn. It had some uninspiring name like color #something or other, I lost the ball band so don't remember what it was, or even what brand. I immediately renamed the yarn and the scarf "Blood and Shadows!" But, I didn't want to make just any old scarf, this was for an EVENT. It called for zip, zest, and zeitgeist. Since I have always gotten a lot of compliments on my meandering mohair scarf, I thought I would go with something like that.

After bemoaning the fact that all of my knitting books are in storage, I decided to bite the bullet and do an original design. It was only a scarf...how hard could it be? I had just made a set of coasters for the Sister, and so had mitered squares on the brain. I came up with a design that was a series of interlocked mitered squares, cast on, and merrily began knitting. Now the pattern itself was fairly easy. The only fidgety bits were when I had to cast on at the end of the rows to increase again for the next square.

There was one teensy little issue. My beautiful yarn was sock yarn, and I like really long scarves. It takes me long enough to knit socks, let alone a whole chain of socks. The scarf took forever. It was a black hole of time and effort. No matter how long I sat there and knit, it did not get any longer. Weeks passed and it still was nowhere near finished. (Confession...I worked simultaneously on another project, namely the berets and a sock, and grad school was really work intensive this quarter.) Needless to say, the scarf was NOT finished by the movie.

So, instead of wearing it TO the movie...I knit on it AT the movie. I had many hours of waiting for the film to actually start, first in line and then in the theater. Pizza thought it was hilarious that I was actually knitting, and Jester took a picture.

Once the movie was over, the rush/need/desire to finish Blood and Shadows waned considerably. If it weren't for the fact that I had to stay home from work sick one day, and have been spending a lot of time on the phone (lets hear it for hands-free that lets you chat and knit!), it still might not be done! I did finish it though, and personally think that it is quite lovely. I actually got it done in time to wear it to Berkeley's going away/graduation party. It is one of my favorites, so will not be given away...and it has good memories associated with it (the movie and the party). Not to mention the fact that everytime I wear it I think of Edward and all his wonderful vampire-ness!