January 30, 2007

Pirates ashore!

Pirates have landed! Here's the cap I finished for my grandson's birthday in two weeks. I think it looks "piratey" but votes from the household are, "No" and "Piratey enough". Oh well.... I like it and that's all that counts! BTW, if you haven't met her, that is a pic of my eldest grand daughter. She turned six in December and is in Kindegarten at the nearby Waldorf style school I teach knitting classes at on Tuesdays.

Pattern for child size: With WW and size 9 needles CO on 78 sts, join.

K2 P1 ribb for about an inch. K2tog and continue in rounds until it measures about six inches.

Decrease round: *K 5, K2tog* around

K 3 rows even

Decrease round: *K 4, K2tog* around

K 3 rows even

Decrease round: *K 3, K2tog* around

K 3 rows even

Decrease round: *K 2, K2tog* around

K 3 rows even

Decrease round: *K 1, K2tog* around

K3 rows even

Decrease round: K2tog around

K 1 row even. Cut yarn leaving a 6 to 8 inch tail. Weave yarn back through remaining sts, draw tight and weave yarn inside the hat to secure. Add tassel if desired. Hat can be made with stripes or solid color.

Millie Fey is sniffing some gauntlets I'd made last year and put in the Christmas Box. YD wanted them and then promptly lost them. I found them under the car seat yesterday. They are mine now! It's the Old Shale or Feathers and Fan pattern. I just did it flat and seamed them up.

Millie is a nice kitty, but very noisey and demanding. She's also very cautious of anyone but my son and me. She avoids everyone else in the house and only comes down when it's quiet or she has to eat or use the little kittie's room. I think she must have been abused as a kitten as she won't let you get too close to her face, hug her, or in any way move to confine her. She seems to be content, tho, so I guess that's what's important.

And the last cute shot of the day. Chocolate ice cream is so much better if there are no clothes in the way!

Housecleaning extended to the back yard yesterday. We have a lemon and a grapefruit tree. Both have been neglected and overgrown the entire back yard almost. Nice canopy in the summer! However, I need to do some research on when and how to pick the fruit as well as when and how to prune them. My best friend, F, will do it for me, once we find out what we are supposed to do! Anyway, got the leaves and doggy doo all raked up, bagged and carted away. Washed all the throw rugs that'd been tossed outside so they can come back into the house. Brought the area rug back into the living room to cut down on the carpet shedding, too. Productive day, all in all, from pirate hats to clean rugs!