A gift for a Neighbor

Here we are at December 22nd and I have done pretty close to nothing for Christmas this year. I have not a single decoration up. I have baked nothing. I have purchased nothing. BUT I have knit/crocheted a couple of things. 

One of those things is a scarf for the daughter of a neighbor. I actually worked on this at school while waiting for class to start for the most part. Crochet goes really fast so I had it done in no time. Since it was for a toddler, I made it with one skein of yarn - Bernat Pipsqueak in the color Neapolitan on a size K (6.5mm) hook.  I don't have many notes on this, but my Ravelry page for this project can be found here. I think this was double crochet? Uffda. Can't remember!

Then when I was at the store I found the perfect gift box to tuck it in. It's all set to take over to them as soon as I buy something for the adults to go with it. I suspect I will be out shopping with everyone else today!

Being Neighborly

Our neighbors were expecting there first child this spring so I spent some time knitting a blanket and then a little hat to go with it for there Babe. They did not want to know the sex of the child until it was born - so I went with a generic Bee Theme to the items thinking a girl or boy could rock those out. The pattern for the baby blanket was in the Plymouth Pamphlet 636 - The Encore 8 hour baby blanket....revisited. It's an "8 hour" Pattern but I am pokey - so it took me about 24 hours knitting time. (Probably longer as I clocked myself through a pattern repeat and multiplied it out - and there is no way I kept that speed throughout the whole thing.) The pattern is not available except in the pamphlet - but here is a link to the page on Ravelry for more details on it: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/beautiful-texture-baby-blanket

I knit the hat out of the leftover yarn. There was a LOT of ends to weave in as I cut the yarn at every color change rather than carry it up. I used 40-45 yards of each color. It's REALLY hard to take good pictures of baby hats without a cute model. I should pick up a doll at the dollar store some time to use as a baby mannequin. Anywho - I used Susan B. Anderson's pattern for the hat from Itty-Bitty Hats. (Simple Baby Cap 1) I have used this pattern several times and it's well written and very easy to follow. I really like that book. Here is a link to the page on Ravelry for that hat - although again - the pattern is not available except in the book.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/simple-baby-cap-1

The baby ended up being a girl. I made the blanket and the hat in larger sizes in the hopes that this fall/winter they will get used. I was pretty pleased with myself for thinking far enough ahead to realize a baby born in May would not be wearing hats much and that I should not make cute newborn sizes. (Go me!)