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More Handmade Gifts

I'm dreaming of spring gardens.  On Christmas Eve, the new Burpee catalog arrived, maybe that's what started it.  I have been getting Last Chance! emails in my In Box regularly from several seed and plant companies, but the new shiny catalog really caught my eye.  And now that all my Christmas projects are over, I have time to consider a new direction.  But before I delve into all my green aspirations, I thought we should visit the last of the Christmas projects... 

I had big plans that did not make it to the Done list this year - knitted ornaments for all my loved ones, embroidered gift tags for all my gift recipients; ah well.  I did make a Calorimetry for my brother's wife, who actually said she wanted "one of those big headband things."  I wish I'd gotten a picture of it on her, it looked much cuter on her than on me.  Of course, I bought the yarn with her in mind so that's as it should be.  But first, I made these Toastys for her which are just like mine that I love.  This is actually the same yarn I used but different colorway, and I worked to get the color change at the same spot.  Since this is 100% wool, I just broke the yarn where I wanted to start and felted/spliced the piece I broke off to the end.  No waste! 


And now for the felted hat.  BFJ's brother told me he wanted a Scots Bonnet.  When I looked that up on Ravelry I was surprised how few there are, because I know there are a lot of Scotch/Irish lovers who knit.  There was one pattern that looked like it would work.  Now, what color?  I was knitting a sock (currently mateless) on Thanksgiving when he walked by and said, "That's the color of yarn I've been looking for."  Luckily he doesn't shop at yarn stores and was having a hard time finding 100% wool (for felting), so I knew I'd beat him to it.  If you're a knitter and you've never felted you should definitely give it a try!  Here's the hat before felting, modeled by Zoom... 


And here it is after felting, again modeled by Zoom, and with a grosgrain ribbon edging. 


I knew what was going to happen, but I still found it amazing!  I'm not sure I ended up with exactly the hat my brother-in-law wanted.  I think he might have had something more like this in mind.  Regardless, he seemed to like it and I loved felting so much that I think I'm going to make myself a felted hat or two this year!
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Comments

  1. DebDecember 30, 2009 at 8:33 AM

    Felting is great fun. Did you do spit and fray for your splicing? I learned that in my clogs class, kind of gross but it works great.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ThimbleannaDecember 30, 2009 at 2:37 PM

    Wow! I LOVE that hat -- very cool -- I would think he was thrilled with it. I love to felt -- I'm thinking I want to make some felted clogs or little elf booties this winter. ;-) Sounds like you've been doing lots of beautiful knitting!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Stephanie DDecember 31, 2009 at 12:12 AM

    Cool hat! Felting made such a difference!

    ReplyDelete
  4. MARCIEJanuary 2, 2010 at 8:20 AM

    You are certainly an accomplished knitter! Love the hat! Both of them! LOL! And your other items as well. Enjoy your seed catalogs and all the pretty pictures! Happy New Year Karen!

    ReplyDelete
  5. RebekahJanuary 6, 2010 at 5:19 PM

    wow, you have been busy! Great felting job. It turned out amazing!

    I LOVE the Toasty fingerless gloves. Thanks for sharing the pattern. :) I might have to try it. I think I have just the right yarn for it too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Safdar AliMay 3, 2012 at 1:19 AM

    great job. these are so beautiful and is a perfect gift to someone in the winter.

    Send gifts to Pakistan from Australia
    Send gifts to Pakistan from Australia
    Send gifts to Pakistan from Australia

    ReplyDelete

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