Revamping and Renewal

Ok. Last year I challenged myself to do 100 hats by the end of 2008. Ambitious, yes. Fool hearty, quite affirmative.

But now, I've basically wiped the slate clean and started the challenge anew. So, hopefully by the end of February, I'll have 16 hats finished. So far, I've got one. But granted it was a little more involved since it was a fish hat.

Now that I broke the daunting task of making the first hat, I feel I can do anything! Well, more like I've got the hat thing under control and can crank out 15 more hats by the end of the month.

The hopes are that they'll be all different and unique hats. Towards the end I may fudge that rule a little to include the meaning of different including making the same hat but out of a different yarn.

WIP Where I Need to Be.

So, for those who arent in the knitting terminology know how, WIP is short for Work In Progress.

It always feels that I have at least half a dozen projects going on and a gazillion things I want to make. (Let alone the fact that my bedroom is slowly being taken over by my yarn stash).

Right now I'm knitting up a hat that was giving me problems. The orig directions seemed a little wonky when I first scanned though them, assuming that the hat, like all the other hats I've knitted from patterns, would be done in the round! I started the pattern, and the changing of the colors were giving me issues of making the change over smoothly.

I had realised that the pattern had you knit the first 3 rows in the round THEN switch to working flat (going back and forth as if on two needles as apposed to continuing in the round). I thought it was a bit poor for the designer to have you start in the round and then switch it up so soon into the pattern. At that rate, it should have been just straight up two needle pattern (non-cicrular needles) and then have you sew the seam up - you'd still have to sew a seam up in any event might as well make it all one seam.

Weird weird weird.

I am also knitting up two pairs of Fetching, fingerless gloves that has cables at the writsts and just below the knuckles (the cables make it snug enough to keep your wrist warm with out cutting off cirulation to your hand). Its more of a wrist warmer than fingerless glovess.

Also, I'm working on pair of socks (just bound on and no other progress).

I'm scheeming about knitting a vest for myself. Something that's professional enough to wear to work but can be a casual dress up vest as well.

Well enough of my ranting for the moment as I go off and print more hat patterns (as if i need more patterns! ha!)

Procession of Hats.

Now, I've been talking about the hat's I'm knitting for my 100 hat challenge, but so far have failed to show what has been accomplished thus far.

So for this little blog, I'm posting some pics of the hats (or head wear in some cases) I've knitted for this challenge.

Knitting to a Different Hair Colour.

To start off. I've dyed my hair, again.

Yes, I even did my eyebrows.

I enjoy freaking my mom out. This is one sure way of doing it.

So, here's what I've been up to knitting wise:

1. Participating in Hat-Attack (an elimination competition that the winner gets $500 worth of yarn - I've been knocked out already, but I'm proud that I've lasted thus far - about 50% of the other people were knocked out before me).

2. Knitting birthday presents - a couple friends birthdays are coming up soon in October. The gifts are going to be hats in their preferred colour schemes.

3. Making a mojo for a friend to inspire songs.

4. Continuing to make hats for my 100 hat challenge.

5. Queing up assorted projects for Christmas (family's presents).

Oddly Exciting.

Ok. I have a YouTube account. My first video is of my loveable glove hat (and yes, it's named Jeffty Jeff Jeff).

Lately, I noticed that the video has gotten up to and surpassed 1,000 views!!! *gasp*

Seriously, the number jumped from a couple hundred (somewhere between 300 & 400) to over 1,000.


Seriously.

Hats Hats Hats.

Ok. So this post is going to be a bit short, just wanted to show the different hat's I've started on my 100 Hat Challenge!

Hat One:


Hat Two:


Hat Three:



So 3 of the 100 hats are finished, 97 to go, currently working on two. And only a rough 128 days stand between me and my deadline!

Hat Time.

Ok. Huge help here. Which of the following two hats should I enter in this years county fair?

A: Hat from Golden Compass Movie

or

B: Cookie Monster

County Fair.

The county fair is coming up in roughly a months time. I have a couple thing to enter into the knitting section, but I would like to have some more things for it (greater chance of getting at least one ribbon from the fair).

Here's a pic of a scar I'm currently working on:

The foot in the picture is more so for reference of size.

You may see the cables better on this one:

The plain stitches are to be ripped upon finishing, leaving the cables in tact. What this does is gives the item fringe, with out worrying about saving enough yarn to do so. (You've incorporated the fringe into the amount you're using. Genius I say). I know when I finish the scarf I will not have to worry about getting more yarn, since the chances are the company discontinued this yarn (it was bought by my mom's parents for her, when Sears actually sold yarn).

I've also made a glove hat. Yes, a glove the size of a hat.

But I want to make gloves/mittens to go with this hat, so I can enter another hat into the fair (you can have no more ONE item entered in each category to be judged). I'll see if I can find the other hat to take a picture of for you.