Progress and hats are off!

 I finished both hats in record time, it helps with worsted weight yarn they work up so quickly.

I hope they fit the guys and aren't too small. I sent a photo of me wearing the green one to show what the sizing is. They are loose-ish so enough play in the stretch. I mailed them off today and should be up there in about seven days or so. It took me about nine or ten days to make the green hat, I can see why a lot of people just make hats for charity, easy pattern, works up fast and you can have one done in about a week.

More progress on the Cypress Hill mitt. Started on the thumb gusset but it was too confusing trying to work the slip stitch with increases so decided to do flat knitting. It's ended up with a little poof at the bottom so I may have to use some extra yarn and stitch that in.  The cuff and body are a bit snug on me but will see what happens later. I decided to start on the second one since I have the needles free and hoping by the time I finish the ribbing on that one I'll be done with the body on the first one. I doubt it because I'm working the ribbing on the second one for now. I think I'll do that until I'm long enough then go back to the first one and finish it. I wish I had the needle to do both of them at the same time but it was just too confusing. I hope to use the green yarn as well in the same pattern. The slip stitch doesn't stretch crosswise easily so the green ones I might size up to a 3 for the main body for a bit more ease. 

I rediscovered the blue wave socks in my main bag of projects, those are going to wait because the pattern is a bit more fidgety and the color is dark. I also picked up the Sheepicorn socks and am working a four row repeat in the evening when I'm sitting in bed. Sometimes two repeats. 

That's all for now, just working the patterns trying to keep calm and knit on!

 

And more progress, a hat is finished!

 Not the green one though. Since I decided to frog that one back completely, it was just too loose for my comfort knowing my sons head may be big, but not that big. So I frogged that back and wound it into a cake at the same time, a bit of a trick but it worked okay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I considered that done and cast on the Neon Nights to start the other hat. After starting that is when I decided to frog the green hat. I cast on with the same needle size I did the green one and decided it was just too loose. Those are the before and after same number of stitches and it still stretches enough to fit my head a bit loose. So it's perfect I hope.

 

The spiraling of the colors are wonderful, all my favorite blues, greens and purples in this one. It seems like it would be a bit short but it's not a 'watch cap' style so the brim doesn't fold up it's just snug. A 'summer' hat for Alaska ha!

 

I'm making the 'Saffron Hill' fingerless mitts with the Hawthorne I thought was too dark. That left picture was taken in my car in natural sunlight and the other was taken at night with all the lights on in my bedroom. So big difference. I'll get a better picture of it in the sun to show off the slipped stitch pattern better. The pattern called for 4 inches of ribbing, I got to 3 1/2 and called it good. I was toying with the idea of making them for my son's friend to kind of go with the hat but I have a feeling they would be too snug. They are comfortably snug on me right now and the slipped stitch pattern makes it rather dense so will have to see how it works.

 

The start of the Irish Hiking Scarf, it's about three times that long now as there are four twists in the cables. I realized that the needles I'm using are the same exact ones I used with the original scarf I made years ago. It's an odd feeling, the same needles and pattern bringing back memories of the other yarn I used (which I think was a Wool Ease in Aran color). 

 

I restarted the green hat tonight, took me four tries to get the long tail cast on the right length. The Sheepicorn socks I decided to go with a different pattern for the foot. The diamond shaped pattern wasn't looking right so I'm using the left diagonal rib which has a kind of spiral appearance up the foot. Unfortunately, the pattern completely turns to a blur when it stretches. Oh well, at least the cable will look good on the leg I hope. 

Now, what to do with the leftover yarn mish mash?  I'll have some of both hat yarns left over but not enough to make another hat. Used just over half the skein for the hat, will have to do some research and figure out what I can do.

That's all the catching up for now. Knitting to keep my sanity these days.