Voted Best Hat!

 I just found out that the penguin hat I made months ago for my mother's friend was voted 'Best Hat' by everyone on the vessel National Geographic Explorer! How exciting!

 Here she is off the coast of the Antarctic peninsula.

Commission Completed and Sent, Whew!

I finished this commissioned hat last week while we were visiting family on the north island of New Zealand. It is one of my original grannie square hats, with a knitted top and sassy tassle. A friend of mine ordered it for her mother's birthday.

I put in a lining of some stretchy polyester that looks a little like crushed velvet.  Very cozy without too much bulk.

I was almost walking out the door to run into town to send it to the recipient, when news came that the Christchurch earthquake had just struck. From that moment on, everyone in the room was glued to the TV, watching live footage from the devastation in the city. We were especially worried, because so many of our friends were in Christchurch at the time *and* we have a house there.

So, that hat got mailed a few days later, as we made our way south back to our disaster-stricken town.

I am happy to report that no one we know was hurt or killed, but are plenty of people that lost loved ones. My heart cries for them.

Sheri's Hat

This was the last hat I completed before I left McMurdo. Sheri is a good friend of mine and one day about a month ago, she said she really wanted me to make her a hat. One of my favorite things is to design FOR people. So she picked out the colors of yarn (Cascade 220) and even the pattern and design. It wasn't normally colors I would have picked for myself, but as you can see, this hat came out beautifully, and is absolutely PERFECT for her and looks stunning.

The little 'beaded' band just above the rolled brim is actually something I just made up, but it looks great. It gives the feeling of a braid without being too bulky.

It's super simple. Knit a set up row in stockinette alternating two colors. Then on the next row, purl all stitches, alternating the same colors as the set up row. The third row is exactly the same, alternate purl stitches following the colors of the previous row. That's all there is to it.

Conquering the Bobble Brim Hat

I saw a photo of a bobble-brimmed hat that I really liked. I liked it so much that I cut it out and put it in my inspiration book. I've been trying the past week or so to re-create this hat, but so far I haven't found just the right formula.

First attempt:

 I cast on 90 stitches in a multi-colored Noro Silk Garden yarn and used moss stitch for the brim with a large bobble receipe.

The finished hat.

 

I'm not so wild about it. I think the bobbles are too big and too far apart and I'm not so hot on this Noro colorway either. I bought a whole bunch of it on sale and now I can kind of tell why it was reduced. I tried knitting a sweater with it and didn't like it then, and although I think it looks okay used on this hat, I'm not liking it too much now.

But having said that, someone out there might LOVE it. 

Second Attempt:

Cast on 85 stitches (using same size needles as the last hat was just a tad too big) with this gorgeous yarn I picked up in Wellington, New Zealand called Vero. 100% wool and super soft and fluffy but knits up beautifully.

Used all purling for the brim with a medium bobble recipe and spaced closer together. I like this much better, but the brim is rolling inward (as it does when you have straight stockinette on the edge of something). It looks fine when it's on a head though. I will block it and see what happens. But I'm liking this result much better. And love this yarn. I might bring back the moss stitch brim for the 3rd try...or maybe something else...

I washed all the cotton fabrics I bought when I was in Vanuatu and they look so pretty hanging on the line! So colorful and festive. I love them!

CHC to AKL to LAX to PHX and Back Again

If you have trouble keeping up with my global itinerary, you are not alone. Even I am having trouble keeping track of myself!

I just returned to New Zealand after five weeks in Apache Junction, Arizona...smack in the middle of summer. My Gramma had a hip replacement and I went there to help her through it. 'Weren't you just in Arizona...like, a month ago?' you ask. Yes, I was and I had to turn right back 'round and go back out there. But nothing could stop me really...my Gramma was in trouble and I needed to be there for her.

While I was gone I missed the big Christchurch earthquake that rocked our little town to the tune of 7.1 on the Richter Scale. Luckily our house survived without so much as a crack, but Antz was without water for 3 days.

During my month in the Valley of the Sun, I developed a serious addiction to air conditioning and Jamba Juice smoothies while obsessively hunting for the ever-elusive shady parking spot. Of course the interior of my rental car was dark grey.

One thing I love about Arizona is that a lot of the eateries have outdoor patios with overhead misters that put out a fine, cooling mist that gently floats down to cool you on even the hottest days. Wonderful!

Admiring the unique southwest architecture.

To keep sane during some pretty hellacious days in which my Gramma was in so much pain that the maximum doses of morphine still didn't quite do the trick, I knitted for hours, often in a dark hospital room.


I knitted the other sleeve to the Ariosa sweater.

 

I knitted a hat of my own design.

This was made with Noro Kureyon and another coordinating Peruvian Highland Wool. In retrospect, I ought to have chosen more contrasting colors, but I kind of like the subtle design and texture. Due to the scratchy-ness of the wool, I will have to line this hat with something.

I knit another pair of French Press slippers with Cascade 220 in 'Thunder.'

They look a bit Franken-slipper at the moment, but they still need to be felted in the washing machine which will shrinky-dink them down to a perfect pair. Just you wait and see!

Only home a couple of days and I've already lined the hat.

I cut up an old sweatshirt that I wasn't wearing anymore and used it to line the hat. You can see I sewed in a tiny green 'tag' on the seam that lets me know at a glance where the back of the hat is.

I was going to use windblock fleece, but from experience a Fair Isle hat that has two yarns running along the inside plus a layer of windblock fleece is just a smidge too warm for the summer season in Antarctica (oh by the way, did I mention that I am keeping this hat for myself?). So I thought if I lined it with this cotton sweatshirt material, it would still be warm, but not quite as warm as with the fleece...and it would breathe. The cotton material is really comfortable to wear too. Usually cotton is not recommended for cold weather gear, but the thick layer of wool on the outside should be sufficient for insulation, even if I am working outside. There's nothing worse than a sweaty head down on the ice. Or frozen ears. We shall see if I am right.

Spring has sprung in New Zealand and my favorite flowering tree, the Magnolias are in the middle of their very short but exquisite blooming season.

The Hat...Personified

The Penguin Hat finally found it's way to the head it was meant to sit on. This co-worker of my mother's is bound for Antarctica in a few months and this hat will ensure her head stays warm -- with style. She really loved it ad I think it suits her perfectly.

Another view...

In Other News...

The 'Little Blue' parka was again modeled by wee cutie Isaac. He seems really thrilled to be helping us out with the photos. What a great little baby!

Really goes well with those gorgeous peepers of his.

His brother Dominic seemed to be enjoying himself as well...

Now I've traveled 7,000 miles across the Pacific and am enjoying some time in Southern California with my family. I'm knitting a sock -- with teeny tiny yarn -- in an interesting color/pattern mix. Photos coming.

Commission Completed

I put the final touches on my commission hat tonight and it took some time to decide what colors to use in the tassle. In the end, simple red won out...everything else seemed to fight with the pattern of the hat. It's lined with windblock fleece, so it's very warm. The recipient of this hat will get to travel to Antarctica in style and warmth, with a one-of-a-kind hat.

Here's the hat...well...flat.

I get the added bonus of getting to hand off my creation to its new owner and see how it looks on her noggin. I've heard that these colors will work very well on her.

In unrelated news, we are being pelted with a big storm causing wide-spread flooding around New Zealand. At high tide, our street is almost completely flooded, but it recedes when the tide goes out. I feel sorry for all the poor farmers down south trying to keep their livestock out of harms way. Hopefully it will pass soon.

I Heart Noggin' Warmers

I love making hats! They are the perfect project for me -- just enough room to be creative -- yet they only take a few days each to make. And the result is something fun and very useful, especially for those in colder climates. Antarctica is such a climate and I've sent 10 of my hats down to the Ice this winter for folks to purchase. The nice thing about my hats is that they are all lined with windblock fleece, for add added layer of warmth and comfort. Here's a few of the ones I sent down:

This hat is made from all the bits of leftover hand-dyed that I had lying around. Stripes are FUN!
I found a wonderful knitting book at Barnes and Nobles when I was in California, called 'The Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques,' by Margaret Radcliffe. In this book are wonderful new patterns and ways to use color including these fun ovals. I added bobbles to the top for texture.
This is a Parka Hat. It is red, like the parkas the U.S. Antarctic Program issues to their employees. And it has a reflective patch on it, just like the backs of the parkas. The reflective patch on the parkas is to increase visibility of people walking around town, especially in winter when it's dark and when blowing snow can make spotting people difficult. Years ago, someone was hit by a vehicle, breaking their leg and that prompted the "Hoffman Patch" to be put on all issue parkas. So this hat mimics the parkas and the patch is worn to the back. It's made with Lamb's Pride worsted.

I had a bunch of brightly-colored Icelandic wool in my stash so I created this fun hat, just playing with intarsia and having a ball. The wool is so thick and warm, but a little scratchy, so like the others, this hat is lined with windblock fleece.

I'm really happy with how this black hat came out.

I used another technique from the book I mentioned before in this post...it looks like chains and it's SO easy! I used some more of my hand-dyed scraps to make the three chain rows and the very top of the hat, and Cascade for the main color of the hat. It's just a sharp looking hat I think. Great fit, looks good and just the right amount of pointy-ness on top. I think this hat would suit men and women both.

Here's an inside view of the lining...

Even though it is the first days of autumn here in New Zealand, summer feels like it wants to stay for a while. The past week the weather has been brilliant; warm and sunny with the clear air full of fun and promise. I hope it stays like this for a while. It's only a matter of time before things get really chilly here which, now that I think of it, will be an EXCELLENT excuse to knit and wear more hats, socks, scarves and things!

Street Hat

I finished another granny square hat last week. The colors are a bit muted, but I like it. Kind of reminds me of street colors...asphalt and metal. Made with Japanese Noro Silk Garden yarn and hand-dyed wool that I made last winter in Antarctica. Fully lined with windblock fleece for warmth. This one will probably go to the ice to be sold this winter.

Then in a mad rush of knitting addiction, I finished this hat tonight.

This is a much different style than I usually do, but I was inspired by a new book I just received about Fair Isle knitting. Fair Isle knitting is famous for its intricate patterns and unique color schemes. I had a bunch of Icelandic wool in my stash that was all about the same weight, so came up with this fun hat, which is seen here blocking happily. I will put a windblock lining in this one as well. I think it's just necessary for a properly warm and functional knitted hat.

I'm really quite fond of the outcome. So festive!

A parting shot of Murphy the Cat. The coolest cat in the world. She's tiny, about half the size of a regular cat, but makes up for it with a huge personality, which is obvious in this photo of her loving my leg.

Antz and I are heading for California on Monday, so may or may not get to the blog, but I have a new handy pocket-sized camera that S-antz-A Claus got me for Christmas, so there's no real reason why I can't. I plan on buying yarn for upcoming projects and doing some serious shopping for things to bring back to New Zealand...things I can't get here (or at least don't know where to find them). Things like my favorite cinnamon dental floss, cans of green chilies and Jello pudding mix.