Christmas Hats

Here's a bit of delicious torture for the kids ... Christmas Hats!
I convinced Evan to wear his with a piece of Chocolate this morning.  What?

Baby Handwarmers

My son's getting to be about the age where I can convince him to wear hats, scarves, and mittens.  As long as none of them are covering his head, neck, or hands, and as long as he's not tired, hungry, or awake.  But that's beside the point.  I knit; therefore I force him to put these things on (and he pulls them off and throws them at me).

I was recently theorizing that the reason he won't wear mittens is that they cover his fingers.  After all, even I don't like my fingers covered.  That's why I wear handwarmers instead.  So, I decided to make him some handwarmers.  I think they turned out really cute - and he did too (he calls them his boxing gloves) - before he yanked em off and hurled em at me.  But the point is, he wore them for probably a whole five minutes!  That's about 60 times as successful as the hat I made him earlier this week!

Best part?  I did the first pair in 2 bus rides, and the second pair in just one bus ride.

Here's a pattern for the mittens.  It's not exactly what I knitted, because afterwards I thought of how to make them better.  But it's close, and you know what?  It's free :).

Size 7 DPN needles
Worsted weight yarn

5.5 sts/in

~ 2T Candy Cane Handwarmers

wrist

co 24 in white. join to work in the round
purl one round
knit one round
purl one round
knit one round
switch to red here and alternate between red and white every 2 rounds
knit 12 rounds

thumb hole

work back and forth in stockinette for the next 6 rounds (keep alternating red and white)

hand

join to work in the round again
knit 6 rounds (keep alternating red and white)
cut red and continue in white
knit one round
purl one round
knit one round
purl one round
bo

sew in ends

~24M Blue & White Handwarmers

wrist

co 21 in white. join to work in the round
work in seed stitch for 4 rounds
break white, switch to blue yarn
knit 6 rounds

thumb hole

work back and forth in stockinette for the next 6 rounds

hand

join to work in the round again
knit 4 rounds
cut blue and continue in white
work in seed stitch for 4 rounds
bo

sew in ends

Cardigan

I just finished the Keep On Truckin Baby Cardigan (raglan, bottom up) from The Brown Stitch (http://thebrownstitch.com) today!  I think it took me under 2 weeks of commute time (on the bus) to knit in worsted weight - which is kind of amazing, I think.

Generally I find the neck pretty large (although I haven't seen it on a baby yet), and the sleeves overly wide at the ends.  I'd change those things next time if I knit this pattern again.  I am trying to be a little more daring with colors (I'm extremely conservative), so I used blue for the collar and the button bands.  I think it looks kinda nice.

I'm totally in love with raglan shaping!  It's sort of magical!

This is for my MIL's best friend (who has a new grandson) - so not really anyone I care about personally - which makes it more a present for my MIL from my perspective.  It's fun to give people who aren't expecting anything from me a nice handmade gift!