Thursday, February 24, 2005

Sweater Grrrl

Sweater Grrrl

Jeez. I haven’t had any time to get on here (or indeed, to update my site, or check my e-mail.)

Hubby has bronchitis. Cough cough wheeze wheeze! Doggie has been going to the vet almost every day to get his stitches checked and the bandage changed.

Knitting got molested by aforesaid doggie, and I ended up having to rip out a few rows of my cape (not to mention, try to unsnarl the yarn, which I eventually had to declare a complete loss.) Yeah, I was pissed OFF. I am hoping to get into it more later on tonight.

I just have a ton going on that seems to be building up on a weekly basis. I just wanted to reassure you all that I am not dead! I am just trying to focus on getting healthier and getting my life back together.

There have been a few requests for the hat pattern- I just realized that I didn’t include a gauge for it. Whoops.

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Um...I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeVille....

Sweater Grrrl

Man, that is a huge-ass photo of my enormous noggin. Oh well. I refuse to be hard on myself, it's way past my bedtime.

Knitting Meetup went well, more on that tomorrow. *YAWN*

The latest Masterpiece- Switcharoo Bucket Hat.... Posted by Hello

Inside Out! Posted by Hello

The Incredible Switcharoo Bucket Hat Debut

Sweater Grrrl

I am so freaking excited.

I have been crazy busy- it’s like my need for knitting had gone dormant or something. I just haven’t had the time to sit and do it- even on my lunch breaks, I have been running home to check on my poor wounded doggie (to make sure he’s not ripping his stitches out or eating the weed whacker while he’s cooped up in the garage). I was planning on knitting on the trip to D-Land, but it was pitch black in the car both ways. Evenings, exercise or social stuff has kept me away from the house, so I just haven’t had an opportunity to knit much.

Anyway- on one of those social outings, Angela and I randomly went to Fashion Fair Mall. I hate the mall, and I haven’t been there since it was redecorated (I think that happened about two years ago). However, I needed to go to the Disney store to get my D-land ticket. (Wasted trip-evidently, they don’t have 1-day park hopper tickets at the Disney store. Word to your mother.) So since we were IN the mall anyway, we decided to check out one store, and there I saw...a hat.

I am not a hat person. Hats do not like me. I have a round face, a short neck, and completely out of control hair that frizzes out beneath any restraining headgear in a skanky metal chick kind of a way. Not attractive.

“Try a beret”, you say?

I’m sorry, but Ms. Monica Lewinsky screwed that one up for me royally. As another zaftig blue-eyed brunette, I get enough freaky weird comments from guys. I don’t want to enhance any kind of resemblance to the woman. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a compliment- she’s an attractive person.

However, the people who comment on the resemblance inevitably start off with, “Now don’t take this the wrong way…but has anyone ever told you that you look like Monica Lewinsky?” Then they leer at me like I just might have a fully stocked humidor and some kneepads in my purse. One guy actually pulled a picture of Monica out of his WALLET to double check. What the hell is that?! Can anyone here say ICK- what kind of freak-ass weirdo carries a pic of Monica Lewinsky around with him?!

So yeah. Berets are out. And I look great in cowboy hats, but- I am just not country. No, not even a little bit. Don’t even try to talk me into it.

So anyway, I finally found a non-cowboy hat that actually looked good on me. It was a black faux-fur deal- a nice “bucket” shape with a flare around the face. It was on clearance. There were also turquoise and pink hats that were similar, but were just a bit too small for my big huge head. I figured I would just go ahead and knit something myself that would work.

When I got home, I started looking for bucket hat patterns. Hello, gi-normous snag! Evidently, there aren’t any good bucket hat patterns online. I found a few that might work with major tweaking, but there was a charge for them. Oy. If I am going to pay $ for a pattern, it better be dead-on what I want to make.

After some deliberation, I arrived at the conclusion that I would just have to make my own pattern. I pulled out the new hat that I bought, and just went to town using it as a guide.

As serendipity would have it, I was trying to make a hat with 6 panels, and I didn’t knit a swatch. (I know, I know- shame on me). 4 panels ended up working better for those of us who are not the Jolly Green Giant. So I have two panels left over- but the finished hat is so very PERFECT. I can’t even believe it.

I did it all in garter stitch, using Jiffy Thick & Quick on size 15 needles. The hat holds its shape beautifully, due to the weight of the yarn and the creative seaming, and it needs only minimal blocking. You can cheat the angle of the brim to flatter your face, or even roll the brim back in a jaunty manner. You can also flip the hat inside out and wear it with the seams showing if you want to look a little bit rock n’ roll. I think I am also going to knit some flowers to pin on there, so I can sass it up when I am in the mood.

So, suddenly, my interest in knitting has been magically revived. It’s all I want to do right now- unfortunately, I have to actually do work. But I am going to Knitting Meetup tonight- hopefully, there will be a good showing! And I will be wearing the new hat. (Pics to be posted tonight…)

Thursday, February 03, 2005

Revenge of the Creeping Crud

Sweater Grrrl

You guys can tell I've been busy, right?

I am sick. Again. I have been taking vitamins, supplements, Airborne,
etc. for the last two months. Then I guess I got cocky. The creeping
crud strikes again.

On the upside, the day at home allowed me to get back into knitting my
cape. It's definitely progressing (pix to come soon.)

Well, it looks like the Get Out! Calendar came out- there have been
about 125 hits on the site in the past two days, and that's the only
explanation I can come up with. S N'B is on the calendar of stuff to
do.
However, I don't see any article on the newfound popularity of
knitting.
Perhaps I should call Meg and see what's shakin'.

Ok- so I am just sitting here, eating my pomelo sections. This day
cannot end soon enough!