Once Per Year

For the most part, I've given up on knitting for my husband. He used to wear the socks I knit for him, but over time the allure of handknit socks faded and he rarely seemed to wear them anymore. No point in knitting them if he won't wear them. I've knit him two sweaters, but he rarely wears those either. He's just not a sweater guy.

But hats. Hats he wears.

And so each year I knit him at least one new hat. I can count on him to either lose one or destroy one each year, so there is always room for a new one in the lineup.

This year's hat is Anne Hanson's Hot Waffles pattern. I knit him one of this pattern a couple of years back and it's his first go-to in the hat lineup, so I thought he'd like another.

I used FF Superwash Merino Wool Sportweight Yarn in the Metaphor colorway. The pattern calls for a heavier weight yarn, but it's an easy pattern to adjust with a few added repeats.



So darn cute that I've got to get another shot:



I couldn't resist. Much as Bruce likes his new hat, the pup is still much cuter!

Everyone have a great evening (or day or night as the case may be)!

Mmmmmm ... Yarn



It's been quite some time since I've done a batch update of yarn to my shop, but I'll be rectifying that soon.



The update will include a bit of this and that, with some Tight Twist Superwash Merino Sock Yarn, some much-needed replenishing of Laceweight Merino, a sampling of a few colors on the BFL Superwash Sock Yarn that I've offered only once in the past, as well as likely a few items added to the shop's Sale Section.

I have no firm date yet for the update, but it's coming soon. I'm just waiting on a few more things to dry in my workshop, then I've got some photos to take, listing descriptions to write, labels to put on, and other such minor details before we're off to the races.



Mmmmmm .... yarn :)

Knit, Sweat or Sleep?

I still haven't found my missing knitting motivation. From time to time, I pick up the sticks and fiddle around for a while, but the end result these days is usually just a few minutes of swatching followed by some frogging. Occasionally, I get a small burst of knitting inspiration and finish a quick project, like the Ivy Vines Neckwarmer I showed you in my last post. (And to answer the question posed by a couple of people, the yarn in the project is my FF Sportweight Cashmere. The cashmere is pretty much sold out right now, except a few odds and ends, but will eventually return for another appearance.)

My spare time these days has been spent - now steady yourselves here, for if you know me at all this will come as something of a shock - at the gym. Yes, that's right. The gym!

My husband talked me into joining a gym a month or so ago. Perhaps "talked me into" isn't the right phrase. "Guilted me into" might be more appropriate. He basically told me that it will all be downhill for him from here forward, he is rapidly ageing and becoming increasingly decrepit. It will be one quick downslide toward death if he doesn't do something soon. All of this comes from him, mind you! This is the same man who is only 42, plays softball and bowls, works in the yard and on the house constantly, and - although admittedly overweight - is as strong as an ox. (I can't tell you how much I appreciated hearing about his inevitable and accelerating slide into death's door, given that I'm three years older than he is and in worse physical condition as well despite his being more overweight than I.)

Anyhow, the guilt got to me and I reluctantly agreed to join a gym with him. Reluctant is an understatement actually. It was more of a dragged kicking and screaming and whining sort of a thing. I've never gone to a gym and the whole thing was so foreign to me that I had it worked up in my mind to be some sort of torture chamber. Oh my, that first week or so was so awful!

Now that I'm getting used to the drill of going to the dreaded gym, I'm finding I rather enjoy it. Well, again I think perhaps I've chosen the wrong word. "Enjoy" isn't really right. But I don't hate it anymore and I am feeling pretty motivated to try to get into better physical condition.

And so now when I have free time, I'm off to the gym rather than to my recliner for a bit of knitting. Even in the house, I find myself flicking on the TV for an On Demand Exercise TV workout when I've got a half hour to spare.

According to this website, I could burn off around 90 calories an hour knitting. Then again, it also says I burn off around 55 calories an hour when sleeping. I guess I better stick to sweating it out at the gym.

Perhaps I can learn to knit while on the treadmill or stationary bike?