Tuesday, April 12, 2011

You Gotta Know When to Fold 'Em

To say that last week was a crazy one here would be an understatement.  Between work, knitting deadlines, and a baby that still thinks it impossible to sleep longer than 45 minutes at a time, by the end of the week I was tired.

But there is no rest for the knitter, for on Saturday was  a baby shower.  Many of you know the feeling.  You're the crafty type and everybody knows it.  Handmade gifts are expected- it's your duty. So Friday after work I came home and got right to work.

I knit feverishly until we left for an evening party.  

One mitten complete.

I cast on for a matching hat late at night when we returned home.

I stayed up late, I woke up early.

Maybe it was sleep that cleared my mind, because when I woke to this at 6am, I wasn't satisfied. 

I went to bed thinking, "I'll finish the hat and then work on the second mitten at the shower".  I could've done it.  Even though the shower was in the morning, I still had a few hours to finish the hat, get ready, and tend to a baby. It was possible. 

But by 7am I started to see things more clearly.  What was with this color scheme I chose?  I felt something was off in the mitten so I decided to make cream the main color of the hat. Major fail. All of a sudden I was reminded of a certain Ken doll from my childhood. You know, the one with the light grey tuxedo and pink bowtie.  I panicked.

Solution?  Aviatrix!


I turned my size 1.5 needles in for size 6, my fingering weight wool in for dk, and in just over an hour I had a gift.

I made this hat for Elise when she was about a week old, so I remembered how fast it is. After a few weeks of knitting on nothing larger than size 2 needles, this seemed more fun than before. Instant Gratification?  Yes, please!

Pattern:  Aviatrix

12 comments:

  1. Very cute hat. You are a rock star to to be able to do that with a baby and with major sleep deprivation!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Adorable! I'm going to have to fav that pattern, for future baby showers! I need something to knit that I can keep up with all the babies coming these days!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Excellent choice! I am going to steal this idea for my little sister's upcoming baby! So cute!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Awesome choice! Both are so adorable! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm not even sure how many times I've given the Aviatrix as a baby gift - it's perfect! Plus, new moms have told me that they appreciate that baby can't pull it off easily. It looks gorgeous in purple!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love that hat! It's going on the "To Knit" list for my BFF's upcoming wee one. And I totally get the crafty-girl pressure. But there's something very satisfying about knowing when a project isn't working and being able to successfully switch to Plan B. Good job!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Perfect choice! Beautiful color, too - I need to put this one in my queue.
    And yes, I know exactly what you mean by "handmade expectations" - last time a friend opened a handknit baby gift from me, they said (with joy) "I was really hoping you would make something for me!"

    ReplyDelete
  8. Adorable. Much cuter than dressing your friends baby up like Ken ;)

    ReplyDelete
  9. So, I haven't been able to get that song out of my head all day! Thanks a lot. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oooh, excellent baby shower gift save!! that hat is so cute.

    ReplyDelete
  11. ....know when to hold them, know when to walk away and know when to run......ooops got that song stuck in me head now lol.
    What a beautiful gift, love the colours :)

    *hugs* Heather x

    ReplyDelete