Week 6: Liberty Tomato

I'm naming this tomato the Liberty tomato. I finished it last night at the capitol, during a knit-in hosted by the Sow's Ear. There were dozens, if not hundreds, of knitters picking up their needles in protest to stupid Scott Walker's asinine budget repair bill. There were hundreds (maybe thousands?) of people all over the capitol, protesting their hearts out. I finished this sweet little tomato hat in the midst of all that pulsating democracy. 

 Squeaker modeled the hat for me this morning. I love it!  I made it out of cotton for my friends' hot-headed little baby and the colors are perfect.

 I'm more than a little sad I'm giving this one away, I really like it. It's okay though, because I know it will be loved. MJ, it's coming to you soon!

I think the leaves are my favorite part. I am pleased that they actually look like tomato leaves.

Here's me with my knitting peeps last night.

Here's me this afternoon with the ever adorable Squeaker. Notice anything different?

Here's the pattern:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/68942606/baby-tomato-hat-pattern-knit?ref=v1_other_1

Take care!
Kate

PS I think "Pulsating Democracy" would be a great name for a band.

Week 6: You say tomato, I say tomato....

That's right folks, this week, it's a tomato hat!  I'm knitting this one in lovely red and green cotton. This hat is going to our prize winner Sara and her daughter MJ. MJ is one of those babies who is always hot and I was afraid if I made her a hat out of wool or acrylic, she might light on fire.

Knitting this hat is making me so anxious to get out in the garden!  I was at the store the other day and saw the seed packets in that spin-y thing at the end of the aisle. I almost started drooling. We still have lots of tomatoes--canned in the pantry, roasted in the freezer, dried in jars in the cabinet, a few precious jars of salsa left--but I'm itching to get planting. I think this year I'm going to plant Romas, Amish Paste, Black Krim (my FAVORITES!), and something new, like the Hillbilly or the Mortgage Lifter. Good gravy I love the names of heirloom veggies!

Take care!
Kate

Week 5: Just under the wire

 I just squeaked it in this week. I finished this hat at about 8:30 last night. It turned out so cute--but was a little harder because I had to create the giraffe spot pattern.

 It was little trickier than creating a pattern for one simple heart. I'm really proud of it though--it actually looks like a giraffe!

 I love, love, love the little tiny pompoms on the top of the horns. So cute.

  

This hat is going to be a birthday gift for the daughter of one of my dearest friends (I've already decided that Squeaker is going to marry her some day.  It's okay that she's 7 months older and likes to poke him in the eye sometimes.). Her birthday is coming up this week!  Little Violet, expect a package soon!

What a doll.

Here's the pattern link, if you're interested!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/68562076/baby-giraffe-hat-pattern-knitTake care!
Kate

Week 5: Sneak Peek

It's coming along nicely.

Fact #4: A giraffe usually sleeps from 1-12 minutes. 

What a horrible way to live. I like to sleep. I'm good at it.


Take care!
Kate

Week 5: Wikipedia confirms it!

I thought today's fact must be a joke, but Wikipedia says it's real.

Fact #3: When giraffes were first brought to Rome in 46 BC they were thought to be as big as a camel, with spots like a leopard. Although we've long since learned the giraffe is not a combination of these animals, the scientific name "giraffa camelopardalis" stuck.

Huh.
Have a great day!
Kate

PS So this is a picture of a camel and a cheetah...but you get the idea.

Week 5: Ouch!

Today's giraffe fact:

Giraffes are one of the few animals born with horns. I'm very glad human babies do not have horns, for a variety of reasons.

 

Take care!
Kate

Week 5: We have a winner!

Well, I thought the clue was a little tougher than that, however, I had not one, but two people guess correctly on the very first day!

The animal was a giraffe; congratulations to Sara!  She's a fabulous veterinary surgeon and was one of the 3 other people I work with who were pregnant at the same time as I.  Her daughter is almost exactly 7 weeks younger than the Squeaker. MJ will be receiving her own adorable hat in the next few weeks.

I'm still going to post some of the other interesting giraffe facts that I found, 'cause it's fun. You never know when such trivia might come in handy!

Fact #2: Male giraffes will often neck wrestle to establish dominance in their herd.

I do that too, whenever I have to lay the smackdown on JM. Hee.

Take care!
Kate

Week 5: My first contest!

Hello folks!  I can't tell you what this week's hat is just yet....It's a surprise!  The hat is some kind of animal and I am going to post clues about this creature every day this week. Start guessing anytime! Whoever makes the first correct guess will win...drum roll please.......a hat!  The winner will receive a custom baby hat, personalized for that special kid in your life.

Today's clue:
What animal has a heart that weighs 24 pounds?

Let the frenzy begin!
Kate

Week 4: Baby Valentine's Hat

I am ridiculously proud of this hat!  It involves my first ever attempt at creating a Fair Isle knitting pattern. It was a simple pattern, just one heart repeating. It was a good place to start, since next week's hat involves me creating a more complex pattern.

 I realize I've turned into one of those gushy parents who thinks their baby is the cutest ever--but seriously?  Look at those eyes.

 I was pretty pleased with how the color scheme worked out. I'm trying to work through my yarn stash as much as possible with this year long project. I'm not great at being able to tell what colors will look well together when a project is finished. Fortunately, this attempt was successful.

I debated on several different ways to top this hat--a pompom, I-cord sewn into a heart shape, a tassel, and knitting a little heart to dangle from an I-cord. I actually tried the little heart idea first and it just looked weird. The tassel is much cuter. 

Here's the pattern link, if you're interested!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68066209/baby-valentines-hat-pattern-knit
 Have a great day!
Kate

It didn't make it by game day...

...but it's still pretty cute. Thanks for the pictures Dan and Ashley. I couldn't pick my favorite either.

Week 4: Well, it involves hearts

That is about as far as I have gotten with the planning for this week's hat. It's going to be Valentine's themed: burgandy, white, and pink, with hearts. I knit up a little prototype last night, but it still needs some work.

The pink heart actually looks like a heart, but the red one looks like something out of an Atari game. Maybe Space Invaders?

 Hmm. It could be back to the drawing board.

Love,

Kate

Week 3: Go, Pack, Go--part 2

Hello folks! It's all done and here's the pattern link:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/67346435/baby-packers-hat

My goodness this turned out cute!  It's clearly a bit big on the Squeaker--despite the fact that his head size falls in the 90th percentile....That's okay, as this hat is meant as a gift for a 15 month old.  Squeaker is busy modeling my favorite of his cloth diaper covers--the cow print, or bovine booty as I call it. It seems so appropriate: a Packers Hat and a cow butt!

 The hat is a pretty simple striped pattern--with a nice wide band of ribbing at the bottom so it can be adjusted as baby gets bigger.

Pompoms rock!

  

This picture is my favorite--he's totally saying, "Oh, no!  I'm so embarrassed to be caught like this!"  Hee, what a cutie.

So, Baby Zeke, watch your mailbox!  I hope it makes it before game day.

Go Packers!
Kate

Week 3: Totally unrelated to hats....

So, this is what the snow plow did to our mailbox on Tuesday......