Whipped Up in a Frenzy...

Since being unemployed, there are 3 things I've been able to do a lot of: rest, knit/crochet and go to the gym.

My friend ITGD saw Bailey's birthday hat and requested a version for HIS 5 year old, Livy.  I didn't take pictures of it, so imagine Bailey's hat w/o the funky teeny white stripes.  :)  Just the big ones, pink, white, orange, repeat.

I have had the yarn and pattern for what seems like FOREVER to do a hat for my dear friend Samantha (who doesn't know her hat is done and coming yet) and it is finally off the needles.  Pictured below!

Then, since I was actually able to whip out ITGD's daughter's hat in time, he asked if I could do a beanie for his sister in law, who just finished breast cancer treatments and is bald as a cue ball.  Oh, and by the way, she's a huge Denver Bronco's fan...think you can whip something up by Christmas?  Good thing I can crochet like the wind, and the pattern was nice and easy!!!

I was truly excited to do this one for ITGD's sister in law...anything for a chemo cue ball!!!  :)

Bailey's Birthday Present

My friends Casey and Bethany's little munchkin has a birthday this month.  Happy Birthday Bailey!!!

Since I always get the kids pj's for their Christmas presents, I needed something for her birthday present!

Mom said that Bailey's favorite color is red, however I wanted to do a few colors in her hat, so I needed a little more help.  When I called, she said that Bailey's other favorite colors were pink and orange.

Red. Pink. Orange.   Well crap.  Those don't work together.  However, you leave red out, add white...and VOILA!!!

YOU GET THIS:

Can't wait to see it on her!  :)

Hats Hats Hats!!!!!

Now granted, I did have these done prior to being unemployed, just haven't had time to post them!

My bff Spartacus saw Sister's newsboy hat I was working on, and I knew she'd look fantastic in it...so I whipped one up for her too!  She (like me) has a love for things that are that beautiful combo of robin's egg blue and chocolate brown, so when I got this Spud and Chloe yarn, I knew it was perfect for her hat!

"Jack" for Spartacus

Yay!

My friend Robin, saw me making the pink hats for my friend from high school (see here) and asked if I would make her a hat for running.  I had her look at a couple patterns and as soon as she saw the pattern for a hat with pom poms...that was it...and THIS was born...er...made...

Ummm...ignore the badge on the counter and cords on the floor!  :)

Fun right???  I've already made another hat in this pattern, but for a munchkin.  I just haven't gotten pictures taken of it yet.  Plus, I'm not as thrilled with the pom pom placement, stay tuned for that in the next post or two!

Life...

So, as of 12/3/10, I lost my job.  Actually...technically, I lost my job the evening of 12/2/10.  What a blow. I'm doing okay.  I know what I did was right, and if that is what it takes, then so be it.  As one of my good friends (ITGD from "fanny pack" fame) said...now nothing is standing between me and Seattle.

That's right.  I'm not limiting myself to job searching in Colorado.  I have a prospect here in Colorado, and I'm eagerly waiting to hear what the details might or might not be.  I'm just not putting all my eggs in that basket.  :)

Anyways, I'll be happy to tell you all the details if you just call...it takes too long to write out, and Lord knows what someone might do with my words if I put them here.  :)

In the meantime, I have been having lunch with friends, working my network, spiffing up my resume, doing a LOT of knitting (and those pictures and posts are to come) and actually getting some rest.  I know that all these things happen for a reason...even if I don't know what it is, HE does.  Just have to keep reminding myself of that.

Enough seriousness...on to the knitting posts!!!  :)

The Year Round Faux-Hawk

So, Audrey's momma ordered a Roar hat (just like Jackson's) so that her super cute faux hawk could rock year round!

Here's a picture of the adorable faux hawk in it's natural warm-weather state:

This also one of my all time favs I've seen of her yet!

And here is the year-round, cold-weather version:

Can't wait to see it on her noggin at Christmas time!

Jack Kelly

Hello all!!

So, Sister and I were chatting one day last week and I sent her the link to a pattern I had found that I had fallen in love with to which she too fell in love with and HAD to have.  One trip to Knit Knack later, some stash yarn and the holiday weekend and voila!  Her Perfect Newsboy Cap!  I love how fast this worked up, and already have another request for one for BFFR.  I just might have to make one for me!

Didn't it turn out cute???  BTW, mad props if you can figure out why I called it "Jack Kelly"!!!

Sister came by today and picked up her hat, snapped a couple pictures!  She looks so cute!

Yay!  Sister!

Side View

Audrey, Aubry and Emily - The Inspiration and the Product!

Months ago, I did a hat for for my SIL's new niece, which turned out so teeny and SO cute.  (See the original post here.)  Well, Peanut has grown enough to fit into her beanie, and SIL's Sister, sent/posted the cutest picture of little Audrey!!!  Also, this was one of the first pictures of one of my finished projects on a munchkin, so it's fun to see!!

*squeee* she's just so CUTE!!!

Back when I finished Audrey's hat, one of my friends from high school (who I've reconnected via facebook) saw the pictures I posted and was so thrilled by it, she asked if I could make it for her little girl.  Emily sent me the yarn that her little girl, Aubry, picked out.  I cast on for the hat and did everything according to gauge, only to wind up having a hat that was nowhere NEAR small enough for a 2 or 3 year old!!! (Let me put it this way...MY fat head could fit in it!) I decided, hey, I have enough yarn, I'll finish this one off  and then mom will have a surprise when she opens the box!  So, here are the pictures...Mom's is the dark pink, and Aubry's is the light pink!!

I have them all bowed up and ready to mail out, just need to make it to the post office!  Can't wait to see how they look on the girls!

I've figured out that in doing these hats, that super bulky yarn, is VERY warm (when all done)!  I switched after these to a worsted weight yarn project and it's like comparing rope to spaghetti noodles!  :)  I loved learning from these!!!

Patterns are all available on Ravelry!
Audrey's Hat:  Umbilical Cord Hat (my modification was to not do the cord)
Emily and Aubry's hats:  KnitPick's Easy Peasy Hat 
Both sets have the following pattern for the flowers:  Crochet Flower Fridgies

Whitecaps

Yay!  A project for ME!!!  :)  I started this one while on vaca in Seattle, and the title of the pattern is Beaufort (based on the wind scale for nautical waves) and when I saw the whitecaps on the water, I decided that would be the name.  I searched all over Seattle for the right yarn, and I love this tweed yarn in the natural color.  Enjoy!  (I know I will!)

Whitecaps - laying flat

Top View

On my noggin!  I love that its long enough to cover my ears too!

Pattern is on ravelry here.  :)

Payin' Rent!

Not as exciting knitting post...

Our good family friend, Jane (also referred to as Auntie Jane) let me stay with her in Seattle on my recent vacation, and she at one point had made a comment to my mom about with my new found knitting ability, she would love to have some potholders and/or dishcloths.

WHAM.

Mom goes and gets the yarn, I do a quick couple ravelry searches and have 2 potholders and 2 dishcloths completed, however, one of the dishcloths I finished, while I love the pattern, hate how the yarn looks.  (Note to self, basket weave looks better with solid color yarn than self striping!)  Oh well, live and learn right?

Dishcloth # 1 (not my fav!)

Dishcloth #2

Potholder #1

Potholder #2

See...interesting turnouts, but not as fun as the hats right?  ;)

Jackson goes "ROAR"!!!

Jackson...such a cute punkin boy.  I use punkin because he decided to make his world debut on Halloween last year, and knowing how close momma was due to the holiday, I found him a jack o' lantern hat.  Just so happened, it was the perfect birthday hat!

How freakin' cute is this Punkin???

Momma and Jackson!

Daddy and Jackson

Couple months later, he, Momma and I got together...this is one of my favorites of Jackson and I...

Look at that squishy cute face!!!

So, Jackson's daddy went to University of Michigan.  I looked around and tried to find a relatively easy U of M pattern to do for a hat for J-man. (Sensing a theme?  Yes, I'm a bit hooked on hats...)  No dice.  Found the infamous "M" but decided to go a different route.  Jackson is about to be the recipient of a "Roar" hat.  :)  I wanted to do something a bit different from the hats I've been doing lately.  So after doing a bunch of looking on Ravelry I found this adorable pattern for the "Roar" hat.

Now, as I said before, Jackson's daddy went to University of Michigan.  MY daddy, went to Michigan State University.  When my dad found out I was doing a hat in the traditional blue and gold, he looked at me with that "look" and asked "could you do another one in green and white?" (Michigan State's colors of course)  After doing some quick research (clickity click, scroll scroll...compare colors, clickity click) I found a green that looks very close to the Michigan State green.  So, Jackson, for your 1st birthday, you are going to be the lucky boy who gets two hats.  I just hope daddy lets you wear them both!  ;)  (Update: the yarn for hat #2 hasn't shown up yet, so it's more likely that he's going get the Michigan State hat later!)

Jackson's Hats:
University of Michigan:

View #1

View #2

How cute is he???
(I love the look he's giving me...hurry up already, I wanna take it off!!)

Michigan State University hat to be added when finished!

Fall Play Day

We're a motley crew, but we're fun!!!

Some friends and I went to Estes Park today to play some disc golf.  Gorgeous day and fun course.  I had a crappy round of disc golf, but got some great pictures of some aspen trees!  :)

Homesick

I love Colorado.  Colorado is called "God's Country" for a reason.  Sunsets on the water, at the beach are wonderful (don't get me wrong) but if you have never seen a full blown, absolutely gorgeous Rocky Mountain sunset, you my friend, are missing out on one of God's most beautiful creations.

We moved here while I was in high school, at quite possibly one of the worst times in a person's life to move.  Right smack in the middle of high school.  Just when you're finally finding your niche in things, WHAM, everything gets upended/uprooted and you start all over again, only to find that everyone else has already settled, and squeezing your way in to the already established grooves is a lot harder than you think it will be.

I digress...

We moved here as a family in 1994, from the great city of Seattle.  We have gone back for visits, my mom still goes back to go to the Washington State Fair every year, my sister went to college back up there, and I've been able to keep in touch with many people from those 16 years of my life.  I have now lived in Colorado (basically the Denver area) for the last 16 years.  I have said before that I would have missed out on a LOT if I hadn't moved here with family (there was an offer from friends to let me stay with them and finish out high school where I was).  I am about 99% sure I wouldn't have gone to college where I did, which means I never would have met my amazing friends that I still have from that experience in life.

In the 16 years I've been away from the Emerald City, I've only gone back for fun, one time.  To see my fellow graduates from the class I would have walked with as well as three of my best friends graduate from their local high school as well.  It was so much fun, it was also fourteen years ago.

Since then, I have been back for funerals, weddings and the like, even one Christmas and a couple summer trips with the fam.  I have never made a trek on my own for fun.  (As a matter of fact, I can't say as that I've ever been on a vaca by myself before.)

This summer, I have been the most homesick for Seattle I have ever been (outside of the summer we moved to Colorado).  I can't explain it.  I have this weird pull to go back.  I've been wanting to go for a while, but this summer, something intensified that feeling, and I can't put my finger on it as to what it is.  For the longest time, I pushed off the thoughts only because lets face it, I just can't afford a plane ticket, hotel room and rental car it takes (which by the way, are all complete rackets I swear) to go on vacation.  Then, I discovered how many frequent flier miles I had stored up.  The day I figured out I was less than 300 miles from flying for free, I started crying I was so happy.  Then, a great family friend said that I could stay with her.  (CHECK, no hotel cost!)  All I had to do was pay for a rental car.  At this point, I said screw it, there are very few things I am willing to put on credit cards anymore, but this one was worth it.  My plane ticket cost me $5, hotel is nil and the rental car...almost $300.  Ouch...but still doable.

I had been dreaming of what I would do on this vacation of mine for months, where I would want to go, what I would want to do, who I would want to see (and not see), and let me tell you, I have/had quite the list worked out.  Everything from exploring the towns I remember so vividly while growing up to visiting grandparents' graves, to visiting with a few old friends.  What I can't figure out for the life of me is why every time I started thinking about this trip, I started crying.  I think about the fact that I will actually be able to sit on a blanket at the waterfront area I grew up going to, and just relax and enjoy it.  I have been talking about wanting to do this for MONTHS and now that I'm THIS CLOSE to actually doing it, my body reacted this way.  This was especially bad for a few solid weeks.  I can say though that since talking about it with a couple friends and my sister, as well as since I booked my actual ticket, it's stopped.  Now, it's anxious anticipation of finally doing something for myself that I feel that yes, I deserve, but am also proud of myself for finally doing this instead of just talking about it.

Now, clear (dry) eyes, and 12 days to go.  Look out Emerald City.  Here. I. Come.

Just some good ol' boys...

...never meanin' no harm...beat all you ever saw, been in trouble with the law since the day they was born!

Today's knitting post comes to you courtesy of one of my sister's oldest and dearest friends, her hubby and baby Logan!

My sister and Becky have been "blood sisters" since kindergarten.  Becky and her hubby, Matt, have 4 munchkins.  Jacob, Grace, Nicholas and now Logan.

I have known Becky since she and Melissa were in kindergarten, however I've only known her hubby since my sister's wedding last year.  One funny funny man.  That, and we share an affinity for a certain 80's TV show featuring a certain orange Dodge Charger.  Yes, that's right.  Dukes of Hazzard and the General Lee.  (insert sigh of *OMGIFIEVERWINPOWERBALLIWILLFINDAWAYTOOWNTHATCAR*)

Anyways, that amazing car was the inspiration for my latest creation, that and the fact that Matt's company, The General Plumbing Company, has our beloved car as his mascot.  (If you need plumbing help, contact me and if you're in their neighborhood I'll totally send you his info!!)

All that story to lead up to the pictures of the finished project!  I had planned on stitching the famous "01" in the side, but stitching wasn't working so I tried to go to with iron on numbers...no dice.  1) the ones that fit didn't look like the true "01" and 2) I couldn't get them to stick.  So without further ado...The General!

"The General"

Up next on the needles: Someone's turning 1 and I found a great way to celebrate that as well as celebrate Daddy's alma mater!

For Audrey...

Hi all...yes, this is another knitting related post!  :)

I recently finished Baby Audrey's hat, and her proud auntie is taking it to her for me.

Without further ado, Ms. Audrey Leith's hat:

Front View

Side View

What you can't tell, that hat is TEENY!!!  The stack of Post-Its in the background...the orange ones are standard Post-It size...note to self...don't photograph finished projects on my desk...not such a great background!  I think this one is my most favorite yet...although I'm excited to get the next project going!  I'll post pictures of that one when finished.  Let's just say that the "General" would be flattered by the imitation (of sorts).  ;)