Have You Heard About Knitting Projects from Hell?

No? Good for you! ;-) I am working on two at the moment - or better, I am trying to work on them... Of course both of the projects are on my Christmas gift list - so I am working on a deadline and I keep getting into trouble.

Here is the first project. I knitted the Four Corner Hat a while back and then I realized it was way too big. Naturally it was finished when I discovered this. It was about 4 inches too wide... So, I thought that I would just felt the hat and keep it for myself. Here are the before and after pictures:


I just wonder how many times I will wear this hat in Georgia? Maybe global non-warming will bring a bunch of winter days - that would be nice. I sure miss the four seasons in Germany.

Last weekend I started another fairisle hat that I had to rip because it was too small. I have to sit down and re-think the pattern this weekend. Yes, I wrote down my gauge - actually I was smart enough to measure before I ripped the second try. I'll keep you posted on future progress.

The second project from hell is a scarf - you would think scarves and hats wouldn't cause such drama. I don't know what's wrong with me... Either I don't like the pattern, or the yarn, or I am knitting a wrong size.

Remember - I started the Campus Scarf from Scarf Style and then I realized it would have way too many ends to weave in. So, I looked for another pattern. And then I didn't like the yarn anymore. So, I bought other yarn. Then I didn't like the yarn knitted as scarf... Goodness gracious... A while back I bought the Andean Silk & Andean Silk Twist Sampler from Knitpicks. I found five colors in the sampler that will make a wonderful scarf. I like it, it knits up nicely. When I am at the end of one ball, I simply start a new color:


Yarn: Andean Silk & Andean Silk Twist (55% Super Fine Alpaca, 23% Silk, 22% Merino Wool)
Colors: Lettuce, Poppy Field, Leaf, Prairie, Olive
Needles: Size US #5

And the colors really match - Andean Silk Twist picks up the greens from the Andean Silk. This is a close up of the reversible knit/purl pattern - love that for scarves. It's called "Flying Geese" and I found it in Big Book of Knitting:


So, it seems I have the scarf problem under control and I'll take care of the hat this weekend.

I told you that I knitted a gnome at the cabin. Here is a picture of the little guy - still in pieces. I have to sew his parts together, stuff him and get PVC pellets to give him a weighted butt, so he stays in a sitting position:


At the cabin I also finished the front of the Menorah Pillow. I really like the way it knits up in the Debbie Bliss Cotton/Wool blend:


The back is knitted in two pieces and has button holes and buttons made from I-cords. And then all three pieces are knitted together with an I-cord. Very intriguing.

I am going to do something new tonight - maybe I'll blog about it tomorrow ;-) or not, depending on if I like it or not. HAH - we'll see if you check back - you nosy people! ;-)