Otterly amazing!

What's that?

More yarny goodness?!

Otterly amazing!

Bad puns aside, I did have some yarny fun this weekend. =)

I went with fingerless mitts to go with the hat. I hope she likes them. I think the fit is nice, fitted without being too baggy or too snug... on me, at least. And because she's a fellow critter fan, I'm throwing in something for the furrier members of the family...

Catnip kitties for her kitty, Joe.

Those two better stay out of the pb dog biscuits I'm sending! Think she'll be surprised?

(The little hibiscus wood otter came home from SF with me via an awesome woodworking shop in Ghirardelli Square. Such a cutie, how could I pass up that face? He had to travel home in my checked bags thanks to that crazy tail though. Didn't want to risk any extra searches from security... or have him end up in the trash bin.)

The hatmaker

It's all hats, all the time around here lately...

 #2 in my 2011 Pay It Forward craftiness - done!

This is the Roman Earflap Hat (Ravelry project link). I mostly followed the instructions for this one, though I did hold the yarn double throughout the crown as well since this particular yarn is rather thin in places. The ear flaps were worked with one strand in doubleknit and I opted for tassles instead of the pom poms in the pattern. =) I like the results and though this is pure alpaca, it doesn't seem as warm as I thought it would be... probably a good thing since the recipient lives in AZ and though it gets cold, it doesn't dip far below freezing. Planning to make something to go with this hat - a cowl or fingerless mitts perhaps.

 Best of all though, I got a photo of one of my handknits ON the recipient! Woo!

New big sis, Elizabeth, in her Poppy hat. I hope at some point to see a pic of Katherine in hers, but I'm elated to at least see one of them on since it's such a rarity to get pics back once handknits are mailed away. 

PS -- I'm not telling her she has it on sideways. lol Maybe she'll start a new trend. =)

Pay it forward

Several weeks ago, my friend Moni (of Blatherskite) posted this challenge on her facebook page.

Pay it Forward 2011: I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. They must in turn post this and send something they make to the first 5 people who comment on their status. The rules are that it must be handmade by you... and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011

It sounded like lots of fun, so I responded and re-posted on my own fb page... and now have my own list of people to craft for. =) I've been thinking about what to make, but had been working on my own and Reilly's sweaters. Then, my friend Denae (of DenKnits), shared a link for Knits for Needs looking for hats to be donated (and having a contest if you're interested). I shared the link on my page, commenting that there were so many cute hat patterns but so few people around me who wear hats. I nearly instantly had comments from two of the people to whom I now owe hand-crafted items. Well, that makes it easy! lol

#1 of 5... done. =)

I love it. This is for my sister (who I made the braided cowl for at Christmas). I didn't have any more of that yarn so used another brown (that I hope is close since I'm not sure where the tiny remnants of that other ball are) and paired it with a pretty semi-solid blue from my stash. This is my favorite color combo... I hope she likes it. =) I already plan to make myself one of those cowls... might just have to make myself a similar hat as well. heh

Pattern info: Turn a Square by Jared Flood (of Brooklyn Tweed) - I lengthened the rib so it would fold up (a request of the recipient) and added a big, fluffy, fun pom pom.

Now, back to my sweater for a bit while I figure out #2...

Winter Blues

My sweater's not done yet, but someone else's is!

I did this one in wool and alpaca (details on my Ravelry project page) for a little extra warmth. I'm likeing the color combo. I've had that alpaca for awhile with no idea what to use it for. Holding it with a strand of wool seems to be a good combo. =)

This week has been full of indoor time thanks to ice, snow, more ice and snow.

 Nice, huh? And I'd already brushed the loose snow off the top! That's solid. :-/ The drive was a solid sheet of ice too so I was stuck out of the garage for a few days. Thanks to some fresh snow (and the traction it brought), my baby's back under a roof. It may be a tough jeep, but it's sure a heck of a lot easier running errands when I don't have to chip ice off it first!

  Someone hasn't been at all bummed about the weather. Pure Alaskan, born and raised! =)

He's about 3" off the actual ground there. Still pretty solid under the latest snow, but at least we got off a heck of a lot easier than a lot. Looking forward to the thaw so I can head west... not so looking forward to that thawing and creating a mud pit in the back yard. lol