knit-wit

This evening I got into a fight with a telemarketer. The call ended when he hung up on me. It's not like it was all my fault--I thought he was a jerk and I'm sure he left the conversation thinking the same about me. I hope his night gets better...mine did. I ate an enchilada!

Today is the knitting edition of my project retrospective. I should probably preface this by saying that I'm sort of a knitting hack. Yes, I can make stuff and it looks decent. (Catherine says I have nice stitches.) But I blatantly ignore important knitting rules, like gauges and blocking. I'm sure I've mentioned this before. Anyway, you should know that anything I make is pretty simple--some of it might look fancy, but the process is almost never that complex. 

Recently, I knitted myself that slouchy copycat hat and made a pair of hand warmers for Mom, but since I'm lucky enough to have a couple friends with little ones, I also get the immense pleasure of knitting for kids! (Does that sentence seem sarcastic? It isn't.) There are tons of terrific baby projects out there, so if you know anyone with a baby or toddler, you should definitely make them a few items. You won't regret it, and they, being the nice people I'm sure they are, will be very grateful (or will put on a convincing show of gratitude--oh, you'll be fooled all right). So, here are some knitted gifts...

Baby washcloths. Now, who wants ice cream?

A toadstool rattle for Zoey.

Quite simple to make, I assure you.

A striped blankie for Kyra.

And one for Zoey.

Hooded sweater for Zoey, stacked up against my
Lemony Snicket books.

Those are nice stitches.

But I can't sew a button worth a damn.

I'm currently working on something for Kyra (and will post it in a couple of weeks), so don't worry that she's falling behind on the knitted gifts. In the meantime, if you're looking to learn how to knit or searching for a new project to tackle, I recommend checking out The Purl Bee. Catherine steered me towards this site a couple of years ago, and the washcloth, blanket, and toadstool rattle patterns all came from The Purl Bee. They have great tutorials, excellent (free) projects for all skill levels, and beautiful pictures of everything. Plus, they're into more than just knitting--you'll also find info and project suggestions on crocheting, sewing and quilting, felting, and embroidery. They have you covered on all fronts. What are you waiting for? You should really go there now...