1 down 1 to go!

I finished Al's hat, almost. It still needs to be blocked and Don wants a pompom on the top in mixed purple & yellow. Obviously I decided against lettering because I really wanted it to be a good hat, so I needed a rib all over and the lettering and 1x1 rib just wasn't cuttin it.

Tonight I will CO the bear blankie because I need to knit up to a point after the pattern in order to take it to my knittogether tomorrow. Although I did swatch up that sock yarn, and I can CO both to bring....we'll see :)

FYI: Last night I discovered that in a pinch a sz 1 DPN can double as the key to unlock our bathroom door ;)

I also got a post card in yesterday's mail from my SP giving me the clue that she lives in Toronto, Canada. I've been to Canada once...to elope! It was a cute surprise.

2 gifts OTN

Originally I was working on these for my secret pal spoilee, but then once I started them and tried it on they seem pretty snug, and perfectly fit for me which made me wonder how it would fit her if I have no idea what she looks like much less the size of her fingers. So I decided to keep these for myself and made her something from the book I gave her instead, a muffler scarf in which size didn't matter. But its mate has to be put on hold while I knit up a couple gifts.

The first of which is a hat with the team name "Vikings" on it. Our neighbor was recently diagnosed with cancer...thank God a very treatable kind. He is a Football Minnesota Vikings fanatic so I picked up some Red Heart wool in purple and some yellow for the letters and started to think out how to graph the lettering. I think I'll do just a basic 1x1 rib with a flipped up brim where I can have the Vikings name. I suppose the brim will have to be st st to look right for the lettering. I'm going to swatch that up tonight.

The second is one of my own Blanket Bears for my Cousin Dawn in Florida who had her second baby girl yesterday. For the longest time I have been meaning to actually write this pattern out and put it up on my blog to share with anyone who wants it so I think I may actually do that this time. Now that I finally finalized and perfected the pattern....it only took me 2 years, and everyone I know who had a baby getting a different prototype. Its a great stash buster and cute gift. Usually I give this along with a full size blanket but I know my Grandmother has already taken care of that for all her grandchildren!

Sending Out My First Spoilee Package

This is going out a litter later than I was hoping, but with Don's ear injury lots of stuff got pushed back...but here it is!

Book- "One Skein" by Leigh Radford
From the book I knit her the Triple Cable Muffler in black using KnitPicks Gloss in black and included "one skein" in Burgundy for herself.

Clover No. 8 DPN's

A cable needle

Grandma's Secret Spot Remover

A jar of raspberry chocolate pretzel dip

A Ghiradel chocolate carmel square

Magnetic memo pad

An Americana style bear and heart decoration tucked in a little mesh gift box

And a cat bungee toy for her fur baby

Along with a card it will be in tomorrow's mail off to Vange somewhere in Connecticut :)

Some Excitement

We've had some excitement in the Stiles household this week. My husband was injured at work and part of his ear was amputated! It had to be surgically reattached. With the help of some good pain meds he is doing pretty well. On the whole he is fine, nothing with his hearing was effected. He does have a small fracture in his cheek bone also. He is an elevator mechanic and was trapped between the wall and an elevator and when he tried to get free his ear was ripped by the ear lobe.

I'll post more on knitting notes later with some pics. I have a secret pal package that I want to get out by the end of the week. I need to check up on my patient now :)

Secret Pal Birthday Surprise!

I got an email B-day card from my secret Pal that had a pic of Dr. Jack from LOST on it :) It also told me to keep an eye out for this little goodie package. Along with the card came the SnB ca lander...I love those rip away daily calenders and I usually get one over Christmas but didn't this year :) There was also a fabric zippered gadget bag that had an Ice cream Cone lolly pop in it, Sz 9 Clover needles in 9 inch length, A Margarita Fruit Dip mix, AND a ball of Lana Grossa Sock yarn in an awsome multi reds & blacks!!! OTN I have those fingerless gloves for my Secret Pal Spoilee and when those are done I am ready to make my 3rd pair of socks! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to my Secret Pal! You Rock :)