Purling and Percolating

I can't begin to count the times I've shown up places with my knitting projects and had people scoff or call me grandma.  I also can't begin to count the number of times people have been amazed that I have the ability, or the number of times people have been blessed by the finished work that has come from my fingers. I don't do it for the recognition, or to be different - that's why I sometimes dye my hair purple. About 10 years ago I was pregnant with my second child, my first being 2 years old.  I had morning sickness so terribly that I could barely leave the house.  I think I survived on coke with lime and java chip frapuccinos.  It was a difficult time for me, having a rowdy, too-smart, smart alec toddler, I couldn't go many places because I never knew what smell or sensation was going to set off my nausea.  Just going to the grocery store was like running a gauntlet.  I could crochet, so I spent some time looking up crochet patterns.  My problem was I rea

1. If you're wearing a watch with a magnetic clasp, be warned.  Your stainless steel sock needles could possibly get sucked out of their place and totally mess up your work.  You may need to re-cast-on three or four times because of this.  Take the watch off.  It will make things easier. 2. My needles are, in fact, stainless steel. 3.  Your magnetic clasp will also attach itself to the fancy new circular knitting needle cable that you love.  Take the watch off. It will make things easier. 4. If you value your life and your yarn, warn your husband before you untangle a giant skein of brown chunky cotton yarn.  Otherwise as you work, it will seem to be alive and crawl up your chair and everyone will get perilously close to death. 5. Ball winders are amazingly more complicated than you could ever imagine. 6. Brioche is not for sissies.  Brioche in the round is fine until you get to the join.  Then, I still don't know what is going on. 7. DO write down amazingly helpful

I am super excited that I am going to have a new niece of nephew. They aren't finding out, which is a lot of fun!  That is, unless you want to knit something super cute for a tiny tot.  I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out what to do for this little one, not knowing whether it was going to be in need of pink or blue.  But the fact that they live in a land where football, reigns, and the colors red and white are king, helped my decision along.  I wasn't quite sure it was the right fit, but I remembered getting tired of seeing my little newborns in pastel colors, and figured it would be a good move. I am always looking for something new and exciting to do when I make gifts, and brioche caught my eye.  I made a little swatch of single color, but I knew I wanted a blanket with two colors, so once I had the hang of the flat single color, I went for the two color brioche.  I have a bunch of notes that I learned, so if you're beginning two color brioche, I wrote do

I have a sweet, sweet friend who moved away a few years ago, who had a baby girl recently. I thought it would be fun to make her something a bit unique. I used a Eurobaby SoftCotton chunky yarn for this, which is cotton, so nice and soft, but easy care as well. Using size 7 double pointed needles. Cast on 48 stitches, and join in the round. Begin with a K2P2 rib for 1" after CO edge Then continue in the round using stockingette (Knit around) until the work is 6" from the cast on edge.  Then, place a marker to keep track of your rounds K4, K2 together around to marker Knit around K3, K2 together around to marker Knit around K2, K2tog around to marker Knit around K1, K2tog around Knit around K2tog around Cut yarn and thread yarn through the loops, and finish off hat, weave in end.  I added a pom-pom to the top. For the bow body: CO 8 stitches Knit 8 Purl, Increase, Purl 6, Increase, Purl Knit 10 Purl, increase, purl 8, increase, purl Kni

The final Christmas gift hat, and my absolute favorite is this one. A few years ago, we were visiting family and my son showed his cousin the game Plants vs Zombies.  My nephew was probably 4 at the time.  Since then, he has become obsessed with the game, playing it, asking for themed birthday parties, building lego pea shooters to place in his yard to protect his house, and the whole bit.  It was very easy to pick his hat! I spent hours searching ravelry and the rest of the interwebs for a pattern for a hat that was to my liking. After a lot of looking and finding only a few patterns, none that were quite right, I set about making my own. Again, this is a hat with the base hat from Knit Guru's Minion Ear Flap Hat First Generation: This was it when it was completed.  I was in love with it.  It is a little flawed in that because it has three leaves, it should also have angry eyebrows.  (One leaf means no eyebrows) A few weeks after Christmas, my sister in law called me and