Hot toddy feeling

[vaneramos]

Me wearing the new beanie made with Noro Silk Garden colour 224 yarn, photo by djjo


This has been the Christmas of knitting. In creative overdrive I even found time to knit myself a beanie. I have one more project nearing completion, a scarf for Mom.

This evening I finished shopping: some facial cleanser with tea tree oil from the Body Shop for Marian, wrapping paper and a few oddments from the dollar store. The girls' gifts need to be wrapped this evening so I have time for a more baking in the morning. Tomorrow afternoon I head to Toronto for Kensington Market Festival of Lights, celebrating Winter Solstice.

Just did a mental double take. Several years ago I gravitated more toward solstice, but as it turns out I'll have had my daughters with me three Christmases in a row, two in a row spent with my parents. Family returns emphasis to gift-giving and more traditional expressions.

My apartment's sole decoration is a string of pink lights in the Norfolk Island pine.

Natalie from the chorus introduced me to a hot rum toddy at the Pennywhistle a few weeks ago. I made myself one this evening. It makes me feel Christmassy, solsticy, whatever: generally warm and fuzzy. I'll make another one and go wrap those gifts.

Comments

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

that's a really great hat! i like the colors. :)

i only have a single strand of colored lights, not even blinky ones, on the mantle. no tree, so no good pine scent. maybe next year!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thanks, it's not the usual colours for me at all, but I'm pleased with how it turned out.

I hope you and the whole family have a wonderful holiday, even without a tree.

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

oh, thanks so much! i hope you have a happy one, too. :)

[draco-kc.livejournal.com]

I second the compliment above on the colors. I like! (The knitted item it nifty, too. Great work!)

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Playing with fibre has opened me to explore past the jeans and black t-shirt image. Exploring boundaries is always fun. :-)

[e-musings.livejournal.com]

Isn't Noro fun? Great hat! What pattern did you use?

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Noro is addictive! I used this pattern:

http://acunningplan.typepad.com/andsheknitstoo/patterns/silk_garden_beanie.html

But I had to revise it for my 24" head. I started with a total of 112 stitches instead of 96.

Then to start the decrease: K2tog, Knit 6, repeat to end (98 sts)
knit once around
K2tog, Knit 5, repeat to end (84 sts)
From that point you can follow the rest of the pattern exactly.

[e-musings.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[ubermunkey.livejournal.com]

bring on the christmassy solsticy vibes
nice hat, be well
love
munkey

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Warm furries to ya. Cheers! Van

[eloquentwthrage.livejournal.com]

Nice hat, and you look very handsome!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Hehe, thank you!

[missprune.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you're getting to enjoy the season, and that beanie is beautiful!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thank you, and I do hope you and your family have a warm, happy season.

[queenmomcat.livejournal.com]

Love the hat! I've got to try the Noro Kureyon now (that was the yarn you used to make it?)

I prefer my hats a little longer as I don't care for drafts whistling around the back of my head, so no beanies for me, alas, but I'm sure a hot rum toddy for me would bring inspiration.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

No, this is more of the Noro Silk Garden. I would like to try the Kureyon, which has somewhat brighter colours, but haven't had a chance yet. Kureyon is pure wool, I think, and Danny says it's a little more scratchy. Silk Garden is remarkably soft, and the colours are more earthy.

I would prefer to have made this hat a little longer, but it used up an entire ball as it was. Knitting starts at the brim, so you just have to make it as long as you like before you start decreasing.

[queenmomcat.livejournal.com]

(amused) So ok, I'll have to try the Noro Silk garden for my next hat.

For hats, I quite like the Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted weight. Not variegated, but very soft/non-scratchy, nice colors and one skein makes a hat long enough to pull well down over my ears, neck and forehead.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

What is your hat size?

[queenmomcat.livejournal.com]

24" (approximately) around the forehead; I usually make ribbed watch caps, which are very stretchy, so I never measured before you asked.

I expect the one skein of Lamb's Pride ought to be plenty for a hat for you, if that's the reason you're asking.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I was thinking if you want to try the beanie you could use the adapted pattern I mentioned under e_musings' comment. 24" is my size, too. I checked the Brown Sheep website, and think it would work for Lamb's Pride, too. I'm just not sure about American needle sizes. Noro is a bit expensive, $12.95 Cdn per skein and you would need two to make a warm hat, but it's lots of fun.

[queenmomcat.livejournal.com]

Sorry; that was me/queenmomcat.