Yesterday was Abigail’s kindergarten field trip. It was cold. It was raining. And I’m going to stop there. (long pause) OK, I’m not. We were at a farm. Outside, in the very cold wind and rain, at a farm. I actually really enjoy farms, in decent weather. The problem with farms in the rain, and lots of it, is that there is mud. In the city, and even suburbs, mud is comprised of water and dirt. Yeah, you can make the next conclusion all by yourselves. And there were no sheep. BUT, since Hedi was kind enough to drive, I got some work done on the blue tote! Enough to get me on a roll, in fact, and I continued working on it much of the day.
Seeeeeeeeeee?
I included, for your viewing pleasure and interest, the felted swatch to the right. Isn’t it amazing how much it changes in the wash?
Also, I stayed up late doing some swatching for the Bottom’s Up. The first swatch didn’t survive the night, but the second is actually quite nice, if you overlook the mistakes. It was pushing midnight, and I wasn’t going for perfection.
What do you think?
A question for those of you who have completed this pattern: I’ve been looking at some of the finished hats on Becky’s Bucket Hat Knitalong, and I’ve seen some that look like they fit and flair great, some that look a bit like beanies, and some where I can’t tell where the brim ends and the hat begins. Can anyone shed some light, or give me some tips before I begin mine?
My thought was to do what the pattern suggested and pick a size smaller than my head, which measured at 22 inches. I was also contemplating making the brim and hat a little taller, to avoid that beanie thing I saw going on, but I’d love to hear some experienced opinions.
PS- The Farm really wasn’t that bad. It was freezing and wet to the point that I spent much of the last hour zipping each of my three, shivering little children in my coat with me, in turn, to warm them up. But the people that run The Farm (which is capitalized) are extremely friendly, and keep it remarkably clean. I’m sure the girls enjoyed it to some extent. Seeing little Veronica holding a baby chicken in her tiny little hands, all by herself, with that look of wonder and awe in her eyes was fantastic.
May 28th, 2004 at 12:32 am
Hey the bag looks like a cabled sophie bag. What a great idea to do a felted bag with cables! The swatch looks cool. Can’t wait to see how the final tote turns out.
May 28th, 2004 at 12:58 am
Just found your site…love it! I love cables…..are you going to sell your pattern when you’re done?? Everything I seem to be starting has cables right now!
May 28th, 2004 at 4:29 am
You got off easy at the farm! I remember going on a preschool trip, and one of the boys in the class fell in the manure! I was the only mom who would let him into her car. I wrapped him up in a crocheted blanket and took him to the babysitter, who was not happy with him, the poor dear! My cousin pointed me to your blog, and I love seeing the photos of your daughters. Don’t forget the doggy cheesecake photos! Perhaps Olivia could knit something for a teddy??
A drop shoulder sweater that you could help sew together? Or a hat ? Great blog!
Jenny
May 28th, 2004 at 4:31 am
I just discovered your site via Country Girl Zine. I also live in Seattle, well, Shoreline, but close enough 🙂 Your felted bag looks really great. How clever of you to incorporate cables into it!
As for the hat, I made one for my son. I actually did the opposite of what the pattern suggested and made it a size larger. I think that prevented the beanie effect. I also believe what yarn you use makes a tremendous difference. You really do need to use something with body. Good luck!
May 28th, 2004 at 6:45 am
I’ve still been thinking about something different for Olivia to knit………how about a small pillow for her room??Legwarmers??? Perhaps a simple purse like a garter stitch rectangle folded in half with a strap added??
May 28th, 2004 at 7:25 am
Thank you for the wonderful comments!
Susan- I hadn’t thought of selling it. My husband, who is an artist, said that I have changed it enough that legally, it is MY pattern, but I feel weird about taking credit when all I did was alter another pattern. I would love to hear opinions on this, because I’m not sure where I stand yet. I’ll keep it in mind, though.
Jenny- What fabulous ideas, thank you! I particularly like the drop shoulder sweater idea. It would be pretty simple to do, and she would be so proud to have knit a sweater. I will be sure to track her progress in the blog.
Also- I have to ask, sorry: what are doggy cheesecake photos?
Amy- Ooo, a Seattle knitter! Great! Where do you go for yarn? Thanks for the hat info. My Cotton Classic is pretty floppy. I’m going to try it anyway, since that is what I have. But if it isn’t coming along the way I like, I might shop around. This is my first experience with cotton yarn. Does anyone know of a good cotton with some body?
May 28th, 2004 at 12:10 pm
Laura, by doggie cheesecake photos, I just meant frequent photos of your golden retriever Abner!
I guess cats are more likely to hang around yarn and knitting. One of my brothers lives in Tukwila. Alas! I’ve never been there to visit.
May 29th, 2004 at 7:49 am
I have posted a pic of Abner. I’m sure he’ll pop up now and then. He puts on quite a show when I’ve got the hose on in the backyard. I’d love to get some pictures of that. He’ll be two in September, so his coat is still a mess, plus, he rips hair out of his tail by the mouthful. I don’t know what’s up with that. Thanks for the interest. Tukwilla is about 45 minutes from me, with light traffic. That being said, it’s about 1 1/2 hours from me in the real world.