Slippers for Me

Over Christmas, I knitted these up for myself:

I love the accent yarn around the top. -- Quite different.

A Story Worth Mentioning

For some time now I have wanted to make something for Husband, but, save a very time-consuming HUGE project of a Norwegian sweater (my eventual goal), I could come up with nothing. Until I found a pattern for a Peruvian hat.

Armed with all my scraps of leftover wool, the project began. It knitted up quickly, largely due to the fact that I couldn't wait to see the addition of the next color, and the next and the next. (Multi-color knitting is addicting!)


In no time, the hat was done, and I dropped it in the washing machine to shrink it.

Now, previously, I have had mostly great success with shrinking things. The patterns seem to be written well, and items decrease to their appropriate size, albeit with a little stretching afterward on occasion. This time, though, no amount of stretching was EVER going to get this hat over Husband's head! I was so disappointed. Upon tugging, it will go over Son's head, but he is convinced it is Daddy's hat, and not his, so he absolutely will NOT wear it. When Husband and I mentioned putting some of my pompoms and tassles on it (in Daughter's presence), the hat quickly found an owner. Amazingly, it fits her head better than anyone else's. Her only request, though, is that I make another one, "with pink". Of course!

Once I put the pom-poms and braided tassels on, though, Indian Giver Son soon became a willing receiver of the new hat! Daughter agreed to share until she receives her pink one.



Incidentally, Hat #2 is in the works currently, with the pattern vastly enlarged to take into account the shrinking. (Don't you think I could have guessed, by looking at the "before" pictures, that shrinking would make it deemed appropriate for someone with a smaller head?) Clearly, the pattern did not take shrinking into account, although the directions for shrinking are included. Hmmm . . . Not all patterns are created equally, it seems.

Noni Hydrangea Bag

This one's for me!!


I've been eyeing Noni patterns for quite some time. -- Over a year, at least. I love the details and the surprise "different-ness" of these fulled bags. They just nail a punch, in my opinion. So, a few weeks ago when Sister and I went exploring (and found) a local yarn shop, and I found this pattern, I knew it was coming home with me!

The bag itself was quick and easy to knit up. -- Took all of a few sittings while Son took his nap. The flowers, however, will be another story! -- Forty-one in all, if I read the pattern correctly. -- GROAN! Two took at least an hour, each. And I was hoping to have this bag ready for spring. -- Maybe next spring, at this rate.


It all will be fulled, and then there are all kinds of details to do to the bag as well, at least according to the pattern: lining, zipper, snazzy handles, even FEET to rest it on! This is one detailed bag!

Wool Delights

Ages ago, while looking at Noni patterns online, actually, I stumbled upon these sassy pom-poms. Being purely a knitter, I thought (for now) they were beyond me. I love working with wool, though, so decided that one day I would figure these little things out. "Imagine what one could do with them!" I thought.

Over Christmas, while visiting in the town of Hastings, Michigan, I was overjoyed to find "Lady Peddler" open! I have attempted visiting this store before, but their posted hours are anything but regular, so they were never open when I happened upon their store. This time, however, they were! My mother quickly realized she had lost her window shopping partner to several hours in here. She passed along some snacks she had in her pocket, and found another ride home, telling me to take my time. How lucky was I!


In the back of the store, behind all the beautifully hand-died alpacas and silks and wools, was a solid wall full of huge balls of roving wool. And in a corner were two sectioned boxes filled with small balls of roving wool, dyed every color of the rainbow. I instantly knew that I was headed down a new road.

I took a couple of small balls to the clerk, who also happened to be the owner of the store, and timidly asked a question or two. She was busily knitting away on a shawl-type garment that she was designing as she went. Clearly, she knew what she was doing. And now, besides being in just a most wonderful shop, I was at the feet of an incredible teacher. -- Things just kept getting better!


The lady peddler showed me what needle I needed, and gave a brief description of how to make the balls, and I have been off and running ever since. What fun!

I have to say, the little single-owner stores built into a house or row of quaint shops hold some of the best yarns and most valuable teachers! I wouldn't know half of what I know as a knitter today if it weren't for them. I've had some incredible mentoring.

New Look

I'm after a new look! What do you think of the new layout/background for my blog? I like the cleaner, less cluttered look of this layout, and I think it goes better with my blog title.

What do you think?

P.S. -- Pictures coming soon! I've been way too busy making, and doing no recording. Sorry!

Some hints to upcoming photos:

completed fulled slippers for Daughter (I've already posted the pre-fulled pics)
fulled slippers for me (!!! I don't usually make things for myself)
needle-felted pompoms for garland/ornaments
too-fulled knitted hat intended for Husband, passed on to Daughter or Son
current project of re-make fulled knitted Peruvian hat for Husband
current project of cute Noni hydrangea bag for me (I'm on a roll of making things for me!!)
current project of recycled sweater blankets