Brakes? Slow Down? Talk to me again after Christmas!!!

As the title of this post suggests, my needles are still on fire!!  I am typically a knitter who works on one project at a time, but lately I have found myself bouncing from project to project.  Thankfully none of them are super time consuming, so I am still getting things done.

First up, a pair of slippers I made for the Alberta Children's Hospital.  During a recent visit to the hospital, Hannah noticed that a little boy was walking around in a hospital gown and a pair of slippers, similar to those I make.  That visit led me to contacting the hospital to see if they accepted donated items.  Yup...they sure do!  So, in between my other projects, I hope to whip up some pairs to donate.  These are a modified version of Aunt Maggie's Slippers.  I skipped out on some of the length so these would be more suitable for a child.  I think they are super cute and I can't wait to make more.  The yarn I used was some leftover Bernat Chunky from my Homeward Bound sweater. 

My next finished item is a hat.  I actually finished it about an hour ago.  The Diva and I went on a walk the other day and we stopped at the local Dollar Store.  She spotted some purple yarn and asked for a hat.  At a buck a ball, who was I to say no?  So, here is what I came up with...

As you can see from the photo, I started my decreases too early.  So, this one goes into the donate pile.  No biggie, I was going to make some hats to donate this winter anyways. 

I cast on 60 stitches on size 10 circulars...knit a bunch of rows and then started my decreases with knit 8, k2tog and worked my way down from there.   The 60 stitches is perfect for her, I will just start the decreases after the hat is the height of her head, know what I mean?? 

I had bought 4 balls of this yarn, and I only used one full ball and a tiny bit from the second (no yardage is given, so I'm not sure how much that equals), so I have plenty to make another hat.  I must say, for Dollar Store yarn, I am quite pleased with the quality and knitability of the yarn.  I may even pick up some more for my charity item stash!!!

And now for an item in the works.  Recently I was browsing through Ravelry with the Diva and we noticed some projects that incorporated Glow in the Dark Yarn.  The Diva had her eye on a treat bag that used Bernat's yarn, but of course I then found out that this yarn had been discontinued.  Argh!  Thankfully I was able to locate some on the Mary Maxim site, and voila...here is the start to The Diva's Loot Bag!! 

Since this photo was taken, I have finished the colorwork and have an inch or so left to do of the black before I bind off.  One big lesson I learned is that the glowing yarn has NO stretch to it!  Being my first large project with colorwork, I did everything too tight, and the lack of stretch made it even worse.  Oh well...live and learn.  I'm going to wet it down and try to stretch it a bit, then I'll make up the difference when I seam it. 

I am using Mary Maxim's Titan yarn for the black, and I am afraid I might run out of it.  To try to make it last the whole project, I am going to add some glowing stripes to the backside of the bag.  I might have to get creative on the straps, depending on what I have left.  Thankfully the Diva isn't very big, so I don't need super long straps!!  I'll be sure to post photos of this once it is done.

I have also been busy seaming blankets for the WCOBBS.  I have done two so far, and I am working on more.  Once I get some of my personal projects out of the way, I'll knit up some more squares for that project.

Oh, and I also finished a project that I started a million years ago.  It is a blanket, and I'm going to wait to show a finished photo until my friend Jenn gets it in the mail.  I decided that it would be perfect for her baby girl that is due next month, and that gave me motivation to finish it.  So, stay tuned for photos. 

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the first days of Fall.  The Diva and I harvested sunflower seeds yesterday and we're going to roast them this afternoon.  I'll show photos soon.

Cheers and Happy Crafting!
Sharon