Cuties for Cousins

I grew up in what was once a small community in San Diego. You knew your neighbors. Moms volunteered for the PTA and Girl Scouts. Dads commuted to work. Eventually, our community experienced a huge population explosion after the main road was connected to one of the freeways. But many of the families that my parents met in the early years remained. (Who could blame them with $40,000 mortgages instead of $250,000?!) Thanks to the internet, the kids I knew from elementary school are still connected and stay in touch through media network sites like FaceBook and LinkedIn. We laugh and joke about the good old days, though I don't think any of us want to surrender our smart phones and fuel efficient cars.

Just down the street and around the corner, there was a family with two girls. We walked to school together, sang in the talent show together, even did Scouts together. Now both of the sisters are pregnant together (with baby 4 and baby 2 respectively) and I couldn't wait to knit up a few cute items to send to the cousins in Texas and Northern California.

The California baby's gender is still unknown. So I used a pattern my mom had found for me that called for thick yarn and big needles (my favorite!)..."Baby Diamonds Hat & Blankie" from Creative Knitting's January 2005 issue.

The hat was especially quick to knit up and the blanket did not take long either. Just used knits and purls to create the diamond pattern. The hat, however, was definitely not a newborn size. Good thing it fits baby #2's big brother (who makes the cutest model ever!).

The Texas baby is a girl which gave me a chance to pull out my pinkish yarn.

(The purple hat is for another friend who is pregnant. I can't believe how many of my friends are popping out babies!) The top of the pink hat is completed with an I-cord flower and a button. A simple touch but I think it goes a long way. The hat pattern is from "One Skein Wonders" and the bootie pattern is the same that I posted before.

I got so excited by knitting the baby hats that I actually went and bought two new pattern books. Since I usually just find my patterns online, that was an investment but with all of the babies that are due this year, I'm definitely putting them to good use!

Brain Eating Monster Hat and Sister Bonnet

I love Pinterest! Such a great tool for both saving and for finding cool ideas. It was through Pinterest I first saw the Brain Eating Monster Hat and fell in love with him. I just had to try it! There aren't many boyish patterns that are cute without being too frilly and I thought that just maybe, my friend and fellow crafter's son (D Man) might like to wear him.

I even managed to follow the directions for the ear flaps, which are just too cute, if you ask me. I didn't make the pattern, so I can brag on it ;0) The BEM hat wasn't my only hat project of the week. My mom gave me an awesome pattern book for Christmas "Last Minute Gifts." The projects are all supposed to be created in a day or less (though when it comes to the Bunny, which I will blog about later, it definitely took more than a day!). I found this darling bonnet and had to use the alpaca yarn I'd picked up at Hobby Lobby. I even learned how to knit an I-cord into an edge. It looks a little big but I hope it fits D Man's sister, Baby Girl.

Unfortunately, Phat Cat is rather attracted to Alpaca yarn :0( I had to sew up a tear in the bonnet which he chewed for no reason at all that I can determine. He does have strange fetishes but let me tell you, that escapade ended in a cat time out. YES, I put my cat into time out! LOL Well, he had to go into the bathroom while I calmed down. ;0)

The bonnet also required some seaming and while it's not perfect, I'm proud of my attempts.

As my skill level grows, I am more and more willing to try new patterns and techniques. I can't wait to show you what else I've been up to. In the meantime, what have YOU been knitting?