So after many more months, I was poking around in Ravelry (an obsession that Susan, my Pod-mate, instilled in me when I was just learning to knit) and I found them again.  The very same picture I’d seen on Pinterest.  And a pattern available for purchase.  So, being the awesome Pinterest-savvy person I am, I pinned the Ravelry link so that future boot cuff droolers wouldn’t face a dead-end Tumblr account.  You’re welcome.

And then, only months after that (this a short story that I’m making long), I finally overcame my fear of cable knitting, purchased the pattern and got to work.  Things I learned with this knitting project included :

• Cabling is, in fact, not that hard.  Quite easy actually.  And now I’m cabling everything.

• This was super fast project.  I’m a slow knitter and had both cuffs done in a few days time.

• I now had the cutest boot accessory and felt so fashion forward.

• I had no idea how to wear them.  And I felt like a moron for that.

Sad but true – even after all of Amy’s styling advice and lessons, I struggled with figuring out how to wear the boot cuffs.  I tried with skinny jeans.  Hated it.  Tried with taller boots.  Hated it.   Tried them tucked in and folded over.  Tried to wear them straight.  Tried to wear them around my ankles like I’d seen other women do at the airport.  Hated it, hated it, hated it.  I had failed.  Which made me frustrated because I was so excited about these dang boot cuffs.

Last week I was at Target and just *happened* to walk past the stocking section.  I stared at all the shades of leggings they had available and heard Amy in my head saying, “Do it!  I told you to get leggings months ago!  They will become your saving grace for wearing skirts and bloating up like hibernating bear this winter!”  (Caveat: Amy would have said something much more clever.  She’s very clever.  But just go with the flow.)  I reached out for the last pair of black leggings on the shelf and tossed them in the cart.

Target carts are the worst about finding extra things in them come checkout time, no?

It didn’t click until the next day that I should try the leggings with the boot cuffs.  With the weather looking dry, I planned a photo shoot in our driveway featuring my legs, my favorite pair of boots and the boot cuffs I knitted in December.

So here’s the thing: even as I was getting dressed for my little photo shoot, I still felt like an idiot in the boot cuffs.  (The leggings made me feel like an idiot as well, but we’re not going to discuss my weight issues and skin-tight bottoms with the free world.  Amen.)  But I told myself that I wanted to actually show off my first cables the way they were meant to be worn, even if it was only once – I was taking this one for the team.  The team being me.

While I felt silly in this outfit (and you can’t see all of me for a hot mess of a reason), the photos actually turned out well.  And, while I’m on this honesty kick, the boot cuffs looked OK.  Cute even.  Does this mean that I’ve found a new cozy and fashionable outfit to wear?  Heck no.  Leggings will not be exiting my front door any time soon.  But there are these things called baby steps and I’m going to take them.  Let’s just hope I take them before it goes out of style.

*Pattern: Boot Candy by Sara Gresbach, pattern download available on Ravelry.com.

It’s been hot outside, so the urge to sit with warm yarn in my lap hasn’t really existed.  But with football season upon us, I started a new project in August.  Football season – it happens to be my reminder to start knitting again.

I decided to recycle a slouchy hat pattern I knitted earlier this year.  But instead of bright color, I opted for a muted merino/alpaca blend fiber.  This yarn was delicious in between my fingers, incredibly soft to the touch but perfect for the pattern.  Once I had some rows behind me and the repeated pattern began to form, I knew that it was the perfect gift for a new friend in Chicago.  She had opened her home, her business ideals and heart to me – I wanted to do something personal for her as well.

When I made this hat in solid green, the swirling of K2togs and PSSOs could easily be seen.  With the animal fiber and the self-striping if offered between cream and soft taupe, the pattern is a little more hidden.  But where there’s a loss, there’s a gain.  With everything combined – the pattern, the color, the feel – this hat is fall in Chicago.  It’s simple.  It’s warm.  It’s a style that’s popular and has the “I didn’t try so hard” urban look.  Yeah, I think it’s perfect for Chicago.

*Pattern: Ballard Slouch Hat by Felicia Lo, free download on Ravelry.com. Yarn: Cascade Yarns Eco Duo

The working of K2togs and PSSOs give the hat a fun, swirly texture.  Of course, those same K2togs and PSSOs gave me a headache because I started this hat three times.  The first two times I successfully ribbed the start of the hat but then it went down hill in a hurry.  I couldn’t figure out how so many people on Ravelry “love this pattern” and had “knitted this eight times now.”  The problem wasn’t the pattern but rather the knitter.  (Not a shocker, folks.)  Something about not having the right number of stitches to repeat in the pattern. But I’m a smart cookie.  And third time’s a charm.   And the finished piece was perfect.

And of course, I made Lauren model it for me.

It looks really good on – and with Lauren’s blonde curls sneaking out the sides, it works for her style.  It was made for her.  Literally.  Because I made it.  Whatever, it just works.  Now that I know the pattern, I want to call a rematch and cast on a second one because I know there would be no hiccups.  But now the problem is finding time to knit.

*Pattern: Ballard Slouch Hat by Felicia Lo, free download on Ravelry.com.

I casted on six times.  And ripped it out six times.  Failure.  Six times.  Gah.

It was time to try a different pattern.  A lush-ious one.  And once I did, all was right in the knitting world again.

The swirl cowl had been in my queue for months.  The admiral navy blue yarn had also been in my possession for months.  The two were married in late February and a beautiful union it is.  Together, they have movement, like waves, but still soft and warm enough to make any neck delightful.

The pattern flew by.  Easy to follow, easy to read, easy to complete.  I did skip the last repeat of rows 1-9 – my yarn was running out faster than anticipated.  But even with a few rows shaved off, the cowl is a really nice length and finished up nicely.  I learned my lesson from the last cowl I knitted and made sure to keep the CO and BO loose.  Success in the department of slipping it over one’s head. *high fives*

The blue waves have made their way to Baltimore to keep the lovely Wendipants a little warmer.  I’m always so happy to hear that I made someone’s day a little brighter.

*Pattern: Lush-ious Swirl Cowl by Linda Frydl, free download on Ravelry.com.

I got this wise idea last year to knit matching infinity scarves for my three lady friends.  I found the GAP-tastic pattern and immediately fell in love with it.  Simple.  Trendy.  Useful.  So I casted on with light brown yarn and got started.  I finished in about 2 months.  And then I casted on with pink yarn.  I finished it in about 3months.  Finally, I casted on with purple yarn.  Six months later, on Thanksgiving Day, I wove in the ends.   And it will be a very, very, very long time before I even blink at another pattern that has a seed stitch.  But the screaming fingers and 11-month time line was well worth it.  Because they were perfect.

For Natalie, a natural color.

For Abby, a bright and lively color.

For Kelly, my Little Skipper, purple. When I look at her, I see purple.

Squishy.  Warm.  Perfect for a cold winter day.  I really want one for myself… but I will be waiting a long while before I even decide what color I want.  Just the thought of knitting the seed stitch over and over and over again… yeah, it will be a long, long while.

*Pattern: GAP-tastic Cowl by Jen Geigley, free download on Ravelry.com.

I patted myself on the back a little too early with this project.  I was so proud of myself for reading the pattern, not skipping a yarn over or a slip slip knit, until one evening at knitting class.  You could say the conversation was distracting.  Or that I talked too much and forgot my place.  But I had messed up – enough to throw the pattern off and make me a sad knitter.

Luckily, I surround myself with prized knitters and the following evening at dinner (in a booth at BW3s), Martha attacked my project.  She slipped out the needles and began to unravel it.  I closed my eyes to avoid the horror.  And as she slipped the stitches back onto the needles, all was well again.  A stitches were accounted for, even the yarn overs.  And so I began to knit again and my pattern was perfect.  Until I tried it on.

I bound off too tightly.  So tightly that this beautiful cowl didn’t want to fit over my head.  If it wasn’t going to fit over my head, how in the world would it fit or my friend’s?  I pondered my two options: give to a kid who has a small head or undo the binding and reknit it.  I chose the second and I’m glad I did.  Because even though I had two set backs with this piece, I loved how it looked in the end.  How it actually fit.  How the leaves climb up the neck.  And I loved sending it off into the mail to keep a neck in Indianapolis warm.

*Pattern: Growing Leaves Cowl by Meghan Macko from Macko Design, free download on Ravelry.com.

It’s true.  Every gal needs pom poms in her life.  They’re cute, they’re fun and the name itself is darn fun to say.  Pom pom.

When I first started knitting, I hated pom poms.  I didn’t understand the point of having a tuft of yarn to top a hat.  But after looking at knitted pieces and patterns over the past couple years, the pom pom makes complete sense to me.  It’s the finishing touch.  And I love them best on ear-flap hats, right on the end of the I-cord that ties around your neck.

I finished another hat a couple weeks ago.  A kid-sized hat, with ear-flaps, pom poms and two little triangles on top – it was a kitty hat.  The hat itself is cute.  But the pom poms are my favorite part.  Fluffy, soft, perfect to tug on.  They make the hat, people.

*Pattern: Kat’s Hat by Diana Foster from 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve finished my last knitting project and it’s been so hard to bite my tongue because I’m in love with it.  Of course, it was super secret.  Super secret is my new theme for knitting.  Shhh… don’t tell.  I torture myself with super secrets, but they’re usually worth it.  As this one proved to be as well.

I gifted the super secret last night.  To a good friend.  Who is expecting.  (Who isn’t expecting these days?  Riddle me that?)  So I made a special little something for her special little gal who’s making her debut in just one week.

I really, really like it.  Not just the pattern – the pattern is super easy and looks great and it’s free – but the colors and the yarn.  In all the examples I could find of this little sweater, everyone had made it for baby boys.  It really is a unisex sweater but I wanted to girl it up a bit without making it fru-fru.  Thus the cool purples and gray.  The little silver floral button ties it all together.

At least in my opinion it does.  And today, my opinion is all that matters to me.

The cotton and pima yarn… it’s so soft and snuggle-y… and still washable.  Apparently, that’s a very important thing in baby wardrobes.  And will be perfect to layer for this fall.

The stripes are what sold me.  The purls make the transitions between colors stand out.  It would look nice in a solid color too, but why would you not want stripes?

My only beef is when I slipped off stitches to work on the back and arms, I did not have the number of stitches the pattern said I should.  I had to add two stitches on the back and both arms.  No biggie.  But I thought I had messed up somewhere… and kept counting my stitches over and over again… and I hate counting stitches.  Finishing the piece was a tad difficult as the holes under the arms were much larger than I expected, but a mattress seam helped hide them.  And it may have taken me 30 minutes to crochet a one inch chain.  (That happens when you’ve never crocheted before.)  In the end though, I’m a huge fan.

I can’t wait to see weeMohn in her purple stripes.  Out of all the baby pieces I’ve knitted, I’ve only seen two little guys in little hats I made, so now I have something to look forward to.  I might also look forward to seeing weeMohn herself.  Very excited for our friends and their new addition – and hope to hear good news in the next week!

*Free Pattern: Super-Natural Stripes baby sweater by Fawn Pea

You wouldn’t expect less, no?

Gah.  The cuteness kills me every time.

A dear friend of mine is expecting.  (What?  No way!  You know pregnant people?  Shut up!) She had shared with me that her little man’s nursery was invaded by owls and I made it my personal mission to incorporate something owlish on my Ravelry queue.  When I stumbled upon these little guys, I had to knit them up.  Just look at them – how could I not?

I started with the gray owl and followed the pattern (he finished about 2.5″ tall).  I wanted to try my hand at a second one, a larger one, so I casted on more stitches and improvised (he measured about 4″ tall).  After they were knit up and I finally found my bag of Polyfill [hiding in a closet top among a bazillion white pillows], I sewed up some rice bags to weigh them down, attached their eyes and stuffed them up.

To say I like them is an understatement.  I’m smitten.

I hope the owls find a nice place to cozy up in the nursery.  I hope they get touched and squeezed and drooled on.  And I hope to see Baby C’s photo with at least one them while wearing his stellar baby beanie.  *hint hint*

*Owl pattern: Owls Two Ways (knit and crochet) by Ana Clerc.  Free pattern available through Ravelry.com.

I came home on Friday to see a mess of ziploc bag, yarn and what used to be bamboo needles.

I present Exhibit A:

Chase got into my knitting bag.  Pulled out my project that was in a ziploc bag.  Chewed a whole into the bag and pulled the project out of it.  Turned bamboo needles into toothpicks.  A second hole was chewed on the other side of the bag.  She proceeded to yank my skein of yarn, inch by inch, out of this little hole like it was stuffing from a toy.

To say I was mad is a complete understatement.  I was mortified.

The first thing I even said to her was “DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY HOURS I’VE PUT INTO THAT DAMN HAT!?!?!”  And my yells were justified as this is the dog that can hear.  She did not come within six feet of me the entire evening.  It’s amazing how “good dog gone bad” becomes “smart dog” in only a matter of minutes.

It appears that some of the bamboo was ingested.  No yarn was harmed in the process of this mauling.  She’ll survive.

I was able to salvage my little hat.  The dog apparently just pulled the needles straight out of the stitches – only four stitches were dropped.  All the stitches were place on a circular needle and ready to go.  The yarn… well, that was a complete mess and it took me two hours to wind the small amount left into a ball.  If that dog had thumbs, I would have made her do it.

So while a random business card, paper towel or even porkchop sandwich may be abandoned and easily accessible when when no one is home, you better believe that I will not leave my knitting projects at doggin height.  I’ve moved my working projects to a zippered bag behind a closed door – I’d like to see her try.

I finally started a hat that my pal Abby had liked.  When I finished it, I decided to make one for Little Skipper too.  They were birthday hats. (One might have been belated… yeah, sorry about that.)  It only made sense that I make one for the final birthday, for Natalie’s birthday.  I fed my Ravelry addiction and searched for a new pattern, something different.  I found a few but after a little reassurance from PodMate, I casted on.  So glad I did.

It’s a Mystery Beret.  Or, a Meret.  It has such a pretty pattern and knitted up marvelously.  Don’t get me wrong, I had two major boo-boos but I was able to correct them myself.  (By the way, I might have felt like Wonder Woman after I did.)  The red is a bit off in the photo (Photoshop failed me) but the bamboo wool is a dark red, rightly named Lipstick. So so pretty.  Natalie’s reaction last night only makes it better.

I kind of want to make another one now but I have some other tricks up my sleeves.  Possibly more super secret knitting… maybe a project for myself… the possibilities are endless… but I know I’m loving my new hobby.

*Yummy Birthday Beret: Meret (Mystery Beret) by Woolly Wormhead.  Free pattern available through Ravelry.com.

There are probably several reasons why this happened.  Two are really obvious to me.  One being that it was a large piece with nothing but a seed stitch.  (Which got boring and tedious.)  The second is that after I connected my second skein of yarn, the project felt never ending.  A third reason could be because I broke a circular needle that didn’t belong to me and I felt soooo bad.  (Thunder Thumbs, right here.)  But I finished it last week and it is squishy and thick and warm and will be perfect for the winter.  Next winter.

I casted on a new hat at knitting class and I’ve got my groove back.  The new hat is looking so pretty and flying by.  My funk is over.  Which is good because I received the most wonderful surprise in the mail from Dawn at Running at Dawn.

It’s beautiful.  It’s soft.  It’s baby alpaca, which I’ve never knitted with before.  I love it.  And I can’t wait to turn it into something special for me to wear.  I’m thinking something with ruffles… because when I look at this yarn, I see ruffles.  I think you might have started a bad thing, Dawn.

Ravelry.com.  Yet another obsession I can blame on PodMate.  An online community for those who knit and crochet that’s chocked full of all things yarn.

After reading the pattern a few times, I decided I could totally knock the socks off this pattern and went at it.  I learned how to finally M1 without having to do a bar increase.  I worked only on DPNs (I might have also cursed a lot). I  tried my hand at another i-cord. It went well for the most part.

Well, there was those 30 minutes where I didn’t decrease correctly and I had to close my eyes as Martha took out a couple rows.  But other than that, it went well.  And it’s so dang cute.

Eat your heart out, people!  It’s a little tulip hat.  And it’s so tiny.  Apparently that happens when you make things in newborn size.  And there’s a new baby coming along in a few weeks and I’m hoping I can get it to the new momma in time.  But I couldn’t wait any more.  I had to share.

*Baby Tulip Hat: Clochette by Caroline Dlugy-Hegwer of Sock Pixie.  Free pattern available through Ravelry.com.

I’ve been a hat knitting machine all of January.  And two of the hats I knitted were intended for birthday girls.  Granted, one of the birthdays was in November but that’s just a technicality.  It’s the thought that counts.  And it’s still cold.  See, all is well on the belated birthday giving train.

The first hat was for Abby.  In December of 2009, she saw a hat that she fell in love with at Lynn’s Paradise Cafe.  I tried to recreate it for her.  In black.  Because the lady has to wear black at work and what’s the point of having a wool hat with ear flaps if you can’t wear it to work?

Ha – this is very Abby!  I used the Adults-Only Devil Hat pattern in my Stitch’N Bitch book but vetoed the devil horns.  The hat knitted up very fast (I had it done in a day) and the ear flaps were easier than I had anticipated.  After locating a pattern that included bear ears (which was for a baby’s hat… I improvised, folks), I had them whipped up and sewn on.  My Mom had to help with the pom-poms because I had a total pom-pom fail trying to do them on my own.

The second hat was for Little Skipper.  Her birthday was last Tuesday and I gave myself a three day time frame to start, finish and block her hat so that it would be perfectly dry by Friday.  Mission accomplished.

It’s the same pattern I used for my hat but I made some changes.  I only worked the right diagonal pattern because I can K2tog faster than I can SSK.  I also made the hat about 1″ shorter than mine.  Those two things made for a better fitting hat and didn’t make it as slouchy.  I don’t really see Kelly ever wear hats but this is her kind of hat – it can sit on the crown of her head and not mess up her long locks.

I gifted them on Friday night.  And you have no idea how happy I was that both my ladies tried their hats right then.  Even Kelly.  After she probably had spent an hour on her hair.  Abby kept trying hers on for people as they arrived.  I think they might have liked them. :)

*Black Bear Hat: Adults-Only Devil Hat by Kitty Schmidt. Opted out the devil horns for bear ears.

*Periwinkle Beret: All-Day Beret from Stitch Nation. Only worked the right diagonal for a different look.

It finished great (aside from my double pointed needles having a mind of their own and constantly slipping out) and then I blocked it.  To keep it’s beret shape, my pal Martha suggested using a dinner plate – I opted for a salad plate and it worked beautifully.  I love wearing it out and really can’t wait until it warms up because it’s the perfect hat for cool days (not so much cold days but guess who doesn’t care).

My only beef is that after I washed and blocked my hat, the brim seemed to stretch.  Not a big deal as it is a slouchy beret, but I wish it were a tad bit tighter around edge.  However, it doesn’t keep me from wearing it.  Because I luz it.

I feel like my knitting comprehension has expanded in the last few weeks and I’ve been churning out projects.  Well-made projects.  Props go out the ladies in my knitting circle and PodMate – you’re fabulous.  I heart you.  And my hat.

*Free Hat Pattern: All-Day Beret from Stitch Nation