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Hat Tricks

Even with the holiday mail rush, two more sets of hats for homeless heads here in Austin arrived on Christmas Eve——wonderful hats that I'm so grateful for! With my latest hat finished, we have an honest to goodness hat trick. Anne sent four more warm and stranded beauties to join the four she had previously knit and sent, and Julia sent two that are soft and lofty and warm. All six are beautifully knit; observe!

Isn't that a terrific-looking bunch of hats? I leave it to your imagination to visualize them on veterans' heads. There is another arctic front anticipated here later in the week and so these hats are right on time. I'm amazed at the way the hats arrive. Sister delivers a dozen or so, then before I know it, there is another dozen ready to take downtown. Thank you very much, knitters, and thank you very very much, Anne and Julia! Julia also sent an adorable knitted sweater ornament that is decorating our puny Christmas tree even now. At the very last possible moment, I snapped and bought one of those pitiful little three-inch potted pines that you see wilting at grocery stores everywhere this time of year. Julia's sweater ornament helped mine look much more festive than you'd think that it could!

Sockelmössa?

A new dubbelmössa from self-patterning sock yarn is finished here; I don't know why this concept pleases me so much. When you punch the second hat into the first and, all of a sudden, have a lightweight but double-layer warm hat to wear, well, yes, I know I'm easily entertained. But how cool is that? Whee!

Another Unexpected Present!

Really! You are too good to me. I'm astonished at your generosity at all times, but lately, well! You've outdone yourselves! These arrived this afternoon:

Are those the most adorable pewter dachshunds you've ever seen? I'm enchanted. Amber sent these. I'm smitten! Amber has a new pup; have you seen her? While she was creating some new Knitting Tarot goodies and finishing knitted presents including her first steek and mailing pewter dachshunds to me and no doubt many other perfectly chosen delights to others, she also found time to knit matching coats for her pups Flannery and Ripley. Go look, but please do not buy up all the new fabulous bookplates until I figure out my correct email and password info :-)

Pups

The pups are happy but edgy; my son and almost-daughter-in-law are here, my son's dad, the moving van, a cousin, and Cousin Bear, the extra dachshund. With four dachshunds in the house and lots of packing and moving going on, every few moments there is an ARF that signals that someone is getting on someone-furry's remaining nerve. Overwhelmingly, though, it's grand to have a houseful of dogs and people. Moving day is Wednesday!

We'll be thinking of you and wishing you a happy new year!

Estonian Express

I mentioned earlier in the week that packages with surprising contents had arrived; one of them was from the brilliant, beautiful, and bilingual Minna. She recently visited Estonia, and while there, she picked up some booklets for me that are full of Estonian mitten and glove charts. Oh my! They are gorgeous booklets!

The first one, Kirkindad: Patterned Mittens by Aino Praakli, is full of fabulous charts, many of which I have never seen, and certainly would never have dreamed of. How wonderful it is to try to guess what was in the mitten-author's mind while she patterned away! The second is Mulgi Kindad, written by Heili Kirjastus. I have never ever seen any of the charts that are in this little booklet. One of the mittens is patterned to look like rows of ripe ears of corn, for example. Charming, and very unusual! The back cover has a glove that is embroidered, and to misquote Rod Stewart, "Every finger tells a different story."

Fascinating! One of the designs in this book contains crosses, diamonds, and stars, all in one integrated pattern...I've never seen the likes of it.

As soon as I'm over my hat-attack for the vets, I'm diving back into mittens and gloves. They are the perfect canvases to portray myth, narrative, and everyday life.

Kirkindad: Patterned Mittens may be available from Nancy Bush at Wooly West. The other seems to be only available from the publisher in Estonia. I am so delighted to have both. Thank you, Minna!

Pups and Admin. Matters

Blogging turns sporadic with this entry. I'm relocating over the holidays, and so will be disconnected for a bit (in terms of modems). Have yourselves a merry, and look for us around the first of the year. We may squeeze in a post or two, but blogging will be, by necessity, a lower priority than usual.

Happy holidogs from Mike, Jack, Della, and me!

Curfew Shall Not Ring Tonight

Several unexpected packages arrived yesterday, all with surprising contents. I was deeply touched; isn't it wonderful to receive knitterly gifts from knitters? Thank you, my dear dearies! The most surprising and touching thing about these surprises was that they were all so thoughtfully chosen to please me, and were so perfectly just-what-I-wanted! When I had never mentioned any of these items on the blog! Thrilling! And wonderful!

Let me show you contents from one of my goodie packages. This one is from Donna, who saw vintage glove patterns on ebay.au and snapped them up with me in mind!

In addition to gloves, there were several patterns for hats. Vintage knitted hat patterns are harder to come by; they are usually crocheted. I was delighted with these, especially the name of this one:

Oh! I'm in heaven! Curfew Shall Not Ring Tonight. Why? Because of those little pom-poms? I love everything about vintage patterns!

And, because doggies like surprises too, Donna kindly included some previously unknown and unavailable to us treats: Schmackos!

Thank you Donna! Dear me. We are nearly overcome with emotion here. We'll just recycle one of our greatest-hits for today's dachshund photo.

Happy Tuesday! Hang in there with the ho-hos!

Chock full o'Weekend

The most splendiferous package of hats and scarves arrived from Anne on Friday! These are all for the effort for homeless vets in Austin, and they are right on time...bizarrely, after a few days in the 80s, we are expecting cold weather through Christmas, with the possibility, even, of flurries!

Observe the fantastic warm woolies:

and observe this one in particular:

I spent the weekend coveting a hat for a homeless person! How low is that on the scale of human vices? But isn't it fabulous? The dachshunds (there are more than one) form a nose-to-tail ring around the hat that I just am crazy about. However, I handed all the hats, and the scarf too, very nobly over to Sister for delivery downtown this morning. Laura has been such a help with this by being the delivery person. "Downtown" is a bit inconvenient for me, so Sister, who works downtown, has been very generously donating her lunch hour to deliver them to the Homeless Task Force.

Anne also sent some Kidsilk Haze for further knitting for the homeless here, but I suspect she was trying to distract me from the evil deed of coveting the dachshund hat :-) Here it is, though, and it's gorgeous:

Fabulous! Thank you, Anne!

Meanwhile, I finished the dubblemossa hat made from sock yarn. Here is the blue and yellow Socka hat:

or is it?

This is a nice warm double-hat; very very easy and it uses up sock yarn when you are sick of knitting socks but still have heaps of self-patterning yarns.

Pups

The pups had an exciting weekend as they had a short, dark, and handsome visitor: Cousin Bear!

Cousin Bear grew up in the same California avocado orchard as my pups, and they share a father. Or an uncle. Or something like that. He's Cousin Bear. And it was a regular riot of dachshunds + one chihuahua (who thinks she is a dachshund) around here when Dyna and Apple came to visit.

Monday. Have a happy one! We'll be wishing you the best.

Hatalogue

It's been a regular hat bonaza around here! Margene's three lovely wooly hats arrived and went out to cold heads so quickly that I didn't even have time to photograph them! But they are so wonderful that I can't bear it that you didn't see them, so go look at them here :-) Margene knit these hats during a week in which she experienced a painful loss, so they are infused with the spirit of contemplative serenity turned into functional objects for some people in need that she doesn't even know.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! Yesterday, the woman who I will now always think of as Saint Tamara the Busy stopped by my office with FIVE hats and TWO scarves!

She works full-time, she directs a choir, she has children and a family and her own holiday knitting to complete, but she still took time out of her life to knit FIVE beautiful hats and TWO scarves! I could hardly believe my eyes. Thank you so much, Tamara! They are one their way downtown this frosty morning.

Julia blogged an idea that I really appreciated: re-purposed hats! Julia is checking through her many knits hats for some that can travel to Austin. Thanks, Julia!

I'm reluctant to categorize ~2000 homeless veterans as "an issue," but as "an issue," it has really bothered me! While any/every action can be seen as political, this particular issue feels apolitical to me. It's not about being for or against the war, or for or against the troops. It's about the large population of cold homeless veterans in Austin. The two most-made requests by the homeless, according to people who work with them on the streets, are for hats and socks. It is probably the same in your community (and you can check here to find out). In the months ahead, I am going to work on hats and socks to stockpile for the next Central Texas winter. But I know I couldn't have covered so many heads in so short a time without the help of Janine, Hope, Margene, Tamara and some anonymous knitters. Thank you.

Other Knitting

Actually, it's knitting that I haven't done, but lately, consider mentally frequently. My son is an admirer of the Matrix movies, and in the second one, the character Neo wears a close-fitting sweater with a few dropped-stitch holes in it. It's the only sweater my son has ever requested I knit for him. How do you make a sweater artfully ratty-looking? Seems like it will be an interesting project. And, that reminds me, perhaps by the time I'll have knitted it, these will be available. I love The Scotsman .

Bad Haircuts

The pups went to the groomers and instead of "Tidy and Trim," they accidentally received "Puppy Cuts." All of their curls and feathers have been trimmed away, and they are furious about it. Della was the only one who would consent to a photo, and I think she did it only with the intention of making me feel guilty.

It's like those three dreaded words you hear from your mom after you've been to a new salon: "It will grow."

And it will, of course. Thursday! Let it grow! Cheers!

Hat Stack

A hurried photo (because we are late for work):

Isn't that wonderful? A big heap of hats! I stopped by the local to drop off a basket for small knitted items collection, and there were a dozen knit hats to pick up! We are expecting a hard freeze in Austin tonight, and so Sister is dropping them off downtown today at the Homeless Task Force. Thank you, anonymous knitters. And there are more hats coming. Thank you! The generosity of knitters astonishes me on a daily basis now. Counting these, we've got 26 heads covered so far.

It's difficult to get into a holiday spirit here just yet. But stuff like this helps...imagine! Knitted Magi!

Because Mikey can't knit, the links above don't cheer him. But we know he'll return to his sunny self soon. Meanwhile, he's just not going to be about holiday spirit. No-ho-ho.

Tuesday. Get your ho-ho on!

Self-striping

We worked on the self-striping hat at odd moments over the weekend; it has grown quickly but I find that working with the US3 needles that I had available (12-in) hurts my hands. I still like the concept of using up self-striping yarn in this manner, but it is, in spite of being plain stocking stitch, a slow knit.

You could choose a more subtle set of socks yarns, but I like the yellow and blue. Note the incredible third color at the join:

Still, it's self-patterning sock yarn. For a devine-ly knit hat (as well as socks and mittens) knit without self-patterning yarn, visit Catherine's gallery. Gorgeous.

Pups

Lotsa paperwork this weekend. The pups helped out by quietly watching Screen Door TV.

We wish you a happy Monday—cheers!

Clever!

I'm working on a hat right now that I think is the most darn clever thing ever to do with the tons of self-striping sock yarn that I have — are you as tired of the self-stripers as me? I love watching Nanette's non-striping yarn become beautiful art socks. And I feel overwhelmed when I visit the sock yarn section of the local stash here, because I just bought so much of it when I was finding it irresistable. What to do with it if you don't want one of those sweaters or, heaven forfend, socks?

Ho! Use it all up on Debbi Young's cute double-knit hat! It's a free pattern from Elann designed for use with their in-house line of sock yarn, but hey! I don't think Ann will mind if we use up more yarn. The other great thing about this pattern is that it gives you a chance to practice provisional casting-on. Win-win! I'm making mine in some Socka self-patterning mostly yellow on the inside, and mostly blue self-patterning on the outside, and it is happy mindless no-paying-attention knitting...all stockinette, in fact! It's actually almost exactly like the Swedish Dubbelmössa (scroll down), only with self-patterning yarn. Cool.

Pups

Yesterday afternoon we tried to take advantage of the sunny weather and get some adorable holiday pet photos. Well. The cute pets were having none of it. Here is Della, fleeing the scene:

And here is Little Jack, wishing you would please call the SPCA already:

Even Mikey, our reliably cheerful camera-loving hound, looked quite abject at the possibility of having to be a cute pet:

What's a mother to do? Besides not buy holiday antlers? I guess we can only warn others: dachshunds do not want to pretend to be three tiny reindeer. I don't think that information is in the dachshund owner's manual. But there you have it.

Friday! and a weekend coming! YAY Schmoos!

No Knitting Content Today

I know it's the holidays! I don't want to serve as Ms. Bringdown!
but veterans of the Iraq war are already showing up on the streets, and babies, it's cold outside.

You can locate a community-based organization for homeless veterans in your neighborhood here. Just enter your state to search.

You can read about what the National Coalition for the Homeless is working on here.

You can find out what HUD is doing with your tax dollars for Local Homeless Assistance here.

You can write your representative in Washington here.

Thursday. Try a little tenderness. Or get tough. Your call.

Another Really Swell Hat

Those of you in harried knitted-holiday-present mode might consider the Snail Hat from E. Zimmermann's Knitting Without Tears. . . it spirals marvelously in a sculptural way, and is my favorite stress-knitting. You can knit one in a couple of hours, and the resulting hat is not only aesthetically pleasing but warm. If you steam block it, it will spiral like the one in the photo inside KWOT. (I was in a hurry and didn't stop for steam.) I just can't wait for that book to arrive, so it is all EZ all the time around here.

Mine goes on the current stack being prepared for delivery tomorrow to the Homeless Task Force in Austin. Thank you again, you extraordinary league of big-hearted knitters who have helped me out.

Some knitters have big hearts, and some have big creativity muscles that they flex in impressive ways. Did you see the very exciting Conceptual Cosies by Rebecca Vaughan at KnitKnit.net? This type of knitting fascinates me. Some day, when all I do is knit, you'll find me in my little dream cottage with all surfaces covered cosily with knitting :-)

The sun came out Tuesday and so the pups quit sulking—it was nice to see Little Jack smiling again after so many rainy days.

Miniature dachshunds and rain; a dreary, damp combination. When I imagine stepping in a waist-deep puddle while standing in a downpour, I cut them some slack and just hope for sooner sunshine.

We hope you are the recipient of sunny smiles today! Stay out of those puddles, keep those needles buzzing! Cheers!

A Really Swell Hat

I'm so very excited about the new Elizabeth Zimmermann book (see yesterday's update) being so close to available that Monday night, with only a couple of hours to knit, I decided to start the swell Three-Cornered Hat from Knitter's Almanac. It's a triangular Tam-o-Shanter. Whoa! In Lopi on US 10 needles, it took less than two hours! I put it on our handy recycled glass head to photograph for you.

Is that swell or what? A triangle!

I'm planning to make a couple more, paying more attention and being less sloppy with my increases and decreases. They are paired in EZ's pithy directions, and paired in my hat, too. Just not in the same place every time. Perfectionists, please look away.

It rained here again most of the day Monday, so the pups were bored and boycotted photos and sprawled about following me only with reproachful eyes. As if the rain was my fault or something.

The pups really hate to go out in the rain for any reason, but of course I insist on their going out in the rain for one particular reason. I was thinking that I was a bad dachshund mama until I followed a link on MetaFilter to a blog by a woman with four dachshunds. It's hilarious! And very true to life with dachshunds. They just don't realize they are d-o-g-s.

Cheers! It's Tuesday! We're hoping for more sun and more knitting!

We Heart Knitters

From the needles of some busy knitters, we have more hats for the homeless in Austin! Janine and Hope sent these, and they are beauties!

(Hope has a better photo of her diamond-earflap hat here.) Fabulous hats! Fabulous knitters! I'm so grateful! These out-of-state knitters have increased our warmed heads here in Austin by three, so we're up to 15! Knitters are awesome creatures!

I worked on a scarf that I saw in Susan's list of quick projects. You knit this:

and then you have this:

This dorky-looking design charms me completely; on a person, it's quite spiffy looking, and just right in terms of warmth. And it's a true one-skein wonder. This one is in Koigu Kersti no. K118L and it will soon be warming a neck that needs warming in Austin. Aren't knitters the cleverest people? This was fun and fast.

In other knitting, I worked on the long-languishing Ocean Lace Stole from Jill Vosberg, and knit a little coat for one of Sister's pups from Lion Brand Fun Fur and some other pink stuff.

You can find the pup-coat pattern at the Lion Brand website if you'd like one just like it.

Lots of knitting going on everywhere! And it's a good thing. Della is a bit worried that we won't finish everything on time, but I just keep reassuring her that knitting is never really finished. . .there's always something urgent to cast on when you're a knitter.

Hey! It's Monday! Have a happy and productive one! Cheers!

Pre-orders are being taken for the new Elizabeth Zimmermann book!! YAY! From the Schoolhouse Press website:

The book is $30 (hardcover) and if you place a back-order before
1 Jan, you will get free shipping.

The hardcover book has
-83 color photos
-26 b&w
-42 designs
-38 different knitters contributed garments. PLUS
-15 "new" articles and stories from Elizabeth's journals and notebooks.

WooHOO! (By the way, have you seen that cool fox on the gifts page?)

A (small) Heap of Hats

We're on a little roll with our hats for the homeless. Thanks to Susan for a couple of warm beauties.

With the lovely hats from lovely Susan and a couple I finished up this week, I felt as if we were off to a good start. But! It got off to a better start than I could have imagined! Get this for lucky— Thursday night I dashed into the LYS (with another Susan) and asked Suzanne-the-Wonderful-Owner if we could designate the shop as a collection point, and she agreed, and pointed to a STACK of hats that someone else had organized a knitalong for at some other point in time. Those hats were never picked up, she said, and so now there is a bigger than small HEAP of warm headgear! It's been near or at freezing the past couple of nights, so these are all going to be very useful. BTW, the red hat is a Bea Ellis design, Flenten, and the gray and red is knit from charts from Knitters No. 53. Tamara, one of the founding members of the League of Extraordinary Austin Knitters, created a button for this project; it's in the sidebar. Thanks, you gorgeous knitters!

Meanwhile, from another compassionate knitter are these links for phone cards and other needed items for troops. Thank you, Shelley.

Air Bê-ê-êtê!

A perennially brilliant dearie sent me a box of goodies Thursday that left me simply flabbergasted!

Flabbergasted, I say!

There was a goodie inside that made me howl, but I can't show you yet per an agreement with the goodie-er. Being the goodie-ee is tough sometimes :-)

Pups

We're happy (as ever) that it is Friday, because that means we have big juicy blocks of knitting time coming on Saturday and Sunday. Wow! Whoever invented weekends was one brilliant humanitarian.

Get your knit on! Only 21 gift-knitting days left!