My sweet Emily…she’s absolutely attached to her pumpkin hat. I knit two of them, one for her and one for Charlotte, nearly three years ago. This year, Emily began wearing hers sometime in September and has hardly taken it off since. Think “security blanket.” Emily, like her mommy, likes to “hide” and what more comforting place than behind a knit hat? Alas, the pumpkin hat was hardly appropriate throughout Advent, and since we’re exiting Christmastide, it seems time to retire this particular “lovey.”
Which called for a little creativity and a slightly altered knitting pattern…
So mommy knit her a new hat today…something decidedly “springy” and very, very Emily-ish. A daffodil. Should you decide to make this adorable hat, note that the above pattern has more than a couple errors and you should start every petal with four stitches, not two! The result is still quite sweet and definitely worth the few hours of knitting it took:
Simply perfect for a little girl who just loves daffodils! One of my favorite photos, taken by Clementine:
Isn’t she cute? Rather like a flower fairy, don’t you think? She quickly shed the pumpkin hat and even Charlotte has asked for one…perhaps something in pink for the fairy princess…
On the subject of knitting…I’ve been more productive than ever before! I owe it to an extended Christmas break and my new Verilux lamp , a surprising gift from a very generous Elf. I can’t begin to tell you the difference this lamp has made in my knitting. No eye strain…I actually feel better after having knit for extended periods. Could it be the benefits of full spectrum light? I don’t know…it just works for me, and that’s good enough. Check out the projects I’ve completed in the last two weeks:
These are for a sweet little boy I know:
Shhh…don’t tell Sandra…these are for her! Uh, oh…Sandra!! Scroll to the bottom of the page! No peeking! Just kidding…I had to show you. None of us are ever going to be well enough to celebrate Christmas together! Do I sound a bit pessimistic? Gareth is feeling quite ill, as I type…
Look, mom…your socks! In your very favorite color. There toasty warm and knit in a lovely merino wool:
I have a few other projects in the works: cable knit mittens (an original design), a hooded scarf, leg warmers…and yes, Dad! I’m still working on your socks, too!
Hand Knit Blessings,
January 7, 2009 at 8:48 am
Very cute hat. One goal I have this year is to learn to knit mittens. Help!
January 7, 2009 at 11:10 am
The lamp really helps that much? I love to knit but have noticed as i age that i am having a more difficult time keeping my stitches neat and i attribute it to the amount of light (certainly not my eyes, lol).
The projects look great.
Barbara
January 7, 2009 at 11:30 am
The lamp really, really helps! I wouldn’t have believed that lighting could make such a difference, but it does!
January 7, 2009 at 1:36 pm
I LOVE MY HAT AND MITTENS!!!!! They are absolutely awesome and will look great with my new coat! Thanks! What great cables! You are amazing. Such a tease, though… I almost did scroll down so as to not ruin the surprise… but you knew that would be too much temptation for me! And I love Emily’s new look. My little C. was standing next to me as I was looking at it, and said “Can you make one of those for me?” So… next time I’m over…
January 7, 2009 at 1:38 pm
P.S. I love your new banner picture!
January 7, 2009 at 2:08 pm
I am having Knitting Envy. I am a novice and have never done socks or mittens (I am knitting my first hat right now) and I feel like I will never find enough time to get good at it! Your things are so lovely! My main knitting time is in the van, since we are rural out here and it takes a while to get anywhere.
Same with my sewing machine. I keep waiting for the babies to become toddlers and then little self-preoccupied children, but then I go and have another baby!
Oh well, maybe when I hit 50 I can dust off the machine and finally learn to use it!
January 8, 2009 at 1:59 am
Those are such darling hats on your little cuties!
January 8, 2009 at 10:23 am
So beautiful. The hats and your girls. I really need to try to knit again. I’ve gotten casting on down. It’s been kind of downhill from there!