Piece of Cake

Nothing is as inspiring to me as a piece of cake.  

Yarn cake that is. Calorie free and so promising.  

I know this won't become calories on my hips. 

 It will become something more warming to someone special.

I wonder who named this circle of yarn a cake.  

A baker? A bakers knitting spouse? A knitter who bakes?

Maybe its because it is shaped like a cake. 

Maybe its because it can be as pretty as a cake.  

All the colors of the yarn showing through here and there.

I know it makes me smile.  

I don't have a project in mind but I know I want to use these stashed yarns next. 

They inspire me to look for just the right project deserving of such sweet treats.  

As you can see I have a few newly wound, 

fresh cakes inspiring me to find just the right projects and cast on.

Spring - I'm ready when you are!

Raspberry Beret

Raspberry Beret by Prince.  Who doesn't now that song?

My niece, Maia, recently discovered Raspberry Beret and requested a raspberry beret.

I immediately thought of the pattern for the Baby Rollin Beret
since I've recently made a couple of these for holiday gifts.

This time I knit a Rollin Beret, the adult version of the Baby Rollin Beret.

By the time I'm knitting the same pattern for the third time its safe to say I like it - a lot.

Maia and Sabine sport their berets

I knit the first two baby hats, in two different sizes, for my nieces Sabine and Delphine. 

Then I knit it in a larger adult size for my niece Maia.
All were knit in Cascade 220 Superwash.

And now I have yarn on order to make their Mom a basic black beret.

Delphine's smaller baby size (16")

It is so cute, so easy and so fast that I can see myself knitting lots of these berets for gifts.  

I have to say I might have to knit another for my mother, who loves berets.

I highly recommend this hat.

Thanks Woolly Wormhead for another great pattern.

Them Yarn Bones

I like yarn bombings. 

I've often thought of yarn bombing a light pole right outside of my apt building.   
I have a board on Pinterest with yarn bomb pics. 

 My non-knitting friends send me yarn bomb photos all the time.  

When I visited my niece this summer she made a point of showing me the ones she has found in her home town on our way to the local yarn shop.

But this has got to be the most unusual thing I've ever seen yarn bombed . . .

Yes that is a yarn bombed skeleton.  

It is part of a larger display of skeleton art.  

You can find it on display in Kiehl's on 13th Street and Third Avenue in NYC.

Yarn bombing a pole might seem a little tame now

By Request

     My husband, Danny, asked me to knit him a neck warmer.  I passed out from the shock.  He has never asked for anything knitted before so when he asked for a neck warmer I nearly fell off the planet.
     Dan is a cotton man.  He wears short sleeved cotton T-shirts year round.  We call him Mr.Freeze because he keeps the A/C on so high in the summer that people come into our home and put sweaters on.  He doesn't even get a goose bump while I'm blowing frosted smoke rings.  This man likes it cold!  Its no wonder that winter is his favorite season.  
      He does wear store bought wool socks when he skis now because he ran out of cotton ones (that I "forgot" to wash) and had to try the wool socks.  He converted to wool socks for skiing but declined hand made ones.  He will borrow a hat from our son on occasion but refuses when I offer to make him his own. He regularly refuses knitted goods - no hats, no scarves, no sweaters, nothing, nada, zip.
      He supports all of us in so many ways and asks for so little in return.  He has a "provider" personality. When he asked for a neck warmer, and after I regained consciousness, I dropped what I was knitting to make him a neck warmer.

      Its plain and uncomplicated yet strong and stand up - just like him.
I used Miss Babs "Yummy" hand-painted 3 ply sport weight yarn.  The colorway is called "Wreck of the John Barry".  I used a US size 5 / 3.75 mm needle and cast on 120 stitches with a long tail cast on.  The stitch pattern used is called a broken rib stitch.  I knit for about 8 inches and bound off with EZ stretchy sewn bind-off.  I bound off from the inside of the ring because I liked the way it looked better.  Whats even better is he likes it and we both hope it cools down again this winter so he can wear it (without passing out from overheating.)

I have had a hard time motivating myself to write a blog post 

when so much more important happenings deserve our collective attention.  

I feel for all the fellow New Yorkers still left homeless by hurricane Sandy 

while they await desperately needed help.  

I feel for those who just wanted to escape into a movie, 

do some holiday shopping or go to school and lost their lives to violence.  

I feel for the parents, siblings, children, friends and other loved ones who will miss those smiles.  

As this year winds to a close I appreciate my life more then ever.  

I give thanks for all that is good in it.  

I am grateful to be able to hug my son at night and ask him about his day.

 To sleep next to a man that loves and cares for me.  

To be alive.  

I look forward to this new year with hope and optimism.

Happy New Year - now go hug somebody!