Convertibles!

I'm ready to play. :) I had a nice interweb hiatus over my winter break. I took a break from my usual job with kiddos to work with some old folks and really refreshed my batteries. What else? I haven't really been crafting too much. I've been on an organization kick. I feel like my entire family has a hoarding problem, which leads to insane amounts of container purchasing. *sigh* We're getting there.

What else have I been doing? Knitting. I'm working on the Burton Bear Cowl and I can't wait to post my completed photos. Before Christmas I completed a few of these hat/beard combos. How do I look with a beard? Not so hot! lol I have a confession. Every hat that I've ever made is too small for the recipient. Why? I don't know. They look cute but the recipients should consider it a decoration and not feel obliged to wear them. Back to the story...

I looked all over Ravelry for bearded hats and then I realized no one will really wear a fake beard more than once so I made these convertible. When knitting your hat, make a button hole on each side. I used a pattern, mostly made up and definitely forgotten similar to this:

Cast-on 40 

Rows 1-3  Sl st pearl wise, *K* 

Row 4-  Sl st pearl wise, K14, Cast off 10, K15

Row 5-  Sl st pearl wise, K14, cast on 10, K15

Row 6-  Sl st pearl wise, K2tog, *K*, K2tog, K1

Row 7-14   Sl st pearl wise, *K*

Row 15-20 Sl st pearl wise, K2tog, K2tog, K2tog, *K*,  last 7 stitches, K2tog, K2tog, K2tog, K1

Cast off.

Then I stretched my beard out over my face to see how much I needed to add in length to reach the button holes. I did a simple garter stitch side burn to connect the two pieces. I sewed them together and added the button. 

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Whimsical Seussical Mantel

 

At last! Well, almost. I have one more piece to put together. It may be a little overwhelming but you can't possibly overwhelm an 8 year old with Christmas decorations. It melted my heart when she said, "Kort, you're the best at Christmas Spirit." Exactly what I was going for. But then she went on to tell me that the outside of a house is more important than decorating the inside...my measly strand of lights isn't cutting it.

Chunky Wrap

Oh hi there. I recently finished this scarf/wrap/shawl monstrosity and I've gotten so many compliments on it so I thought I would post it here. I have a friend who loves to make shawls and I've always envied his patience. I knew I wanted something warm for the winter that would match everything and this is my perfect piece. :) I searched all over Ravelry but didn't find a pattern that would fit my needs so I improvised this. The yarn is Berroco Sundae yarn in Marmalade. I used 3 skeins on size 15 needles. In retrospect, I should have cast on at a corner and worked my way up but instead I cast on 160 stitches which meant I was stuck with a big 5 feet triangle. Had I started small and worked my way up in stitches, I could have had more flexibility with the size. The pattern is a simple lace pattern: knit 1 row and then knit 1, yarn over, knit two together on the next row... repeat. To make the fringe, I cut pieces 10" long and folded in half and then looped them through the edges (ever 3rd stitch).

DIY Felt Heart Hand Warmies

How cute are these? I love to keep these handy in the mornings for the little one. They are so quick and easy to make. I'm always looking for beginner sewing projects to do. I don't think I mentioned before but I'm an Occupational Therapist. Last year I had some of my older students working on fine motor skills with stitching these warmers up. I found this idea on Etsy. I decided to make mine bright fun colors with wool felt. They don't stay warm for too long but definitely long enough to get to school. I chose to fill mine with rice and little lavender petals for a little scent.