A Hat Completed

I had every intention of taking you through the production of my latest hat.  The cast on, the pattern, the finishing.  Well, I'm done.  And here it is:

I loosely followed the pattern December Stripes Hat by Elinor Brown which is a free download on Ravelry. The Latvian braid edge was a very easy technique which has a beautiful result.  I was wanting to insert the braid throughout the hat, but decided it would be better to save that for another time.

The yarn was given to me by my sister, Leslie.  It is a soft, loosely twisted yarn with a lovely stripe, Bernat Mosaic in a soft rainbow colorway. This yarn has been discontinued, however.  The accent is Debbie Bliss Rialto DK in teal.   I did not specifically plan the placement of the accent, just every 4 rows I knit alternate stitches with the teal.  And it worked out perfectly.  This is my project on Ravelry.  The name was inspired by friends.  What can I say??

Getting Started

I'm really not ignoring my new blog.  I just needed to get started.  A new job occupied my time, but things are settling down there.  And, I've got some interesting projects in mind.

First, I have just finished knitting a pair of socks.  They took me just over a month (as opposed to two years for the last pair).  I used some lovely Miss Babs Cosmic yarn in  the color Wilding.  The pattern is Hermione's Everyday Socks which is free on Ravelry.  You will hear me talk about Ravelry a lot.  It is an amazing web site especially for the knitting and crocheting community.  Take a look around.  Here is a photo of my finished socks:

I had a really fun day yesterday with Sandra exploring thrift stores.  There were great bargains available for a little searching.  I'm most excited about two projects.  The first will be long-term.  It is an antique chair that really needs some attention.  Plus a new rung.  Plus new caning.  Here is the current picture.  I'll update as I actually get started on the work, but I think she will be a beauty.  (And she was a steal at $5.)

The other project I'm anxious to begin is cutting a dress down to make Emme a summer play dress.. It has beautiful  embroidery edging.  A bit of a hefty thrift store price of $5, but certainly a bargain.  First, the sewing machine needs to be functional but I'm looking forward to the challenge.  The dress is a bit wrinkly,  Photos:

That's all for today.  I cast on a new hat tonight that I'll be discussing soon.

Re-Creation

My best friend and sister, Leslie, and I have been talking about getting back into blogging and showing our creations.  And perhaps venturing into the world of Etsy as well.  So, this is my new beginning.  A new blog name and a new excitement for talking about my crafting efforts.

Now, what to do today?  Maybe a little knitting, maybe a little sewing.  I'm off to get started!!