number 9

In case you were wondering, I haven't been following any written patterns with these hats. I let the yarn tell me what it wants to do. Seriously. I know I sound like a looney, but it works. Truly so.
Stop dialing the local funny farm. It's not like the yarn says things like, "Hey, you! Knit me!" or something rude. No "voices" coming out of the skeins like so many comic strip bubbles. I look at the type of yarn I'm using, the color, the feel, and think, "hm. this would make a nice lace pattern," or "I bet cables would really pop with this crispy wool!".
Then I dive into my vast (not vast enough for me yet..still don't have Elizabeth Zimmerman on the shelf) (that being said, I'm going to go to knitter's hell if I don't buy them soon) collection of knitting books and magazines, and see a pattern I like or a stitch I haven't tried yet, and get an idea of how that pattern would go with this yarn, (mentally mostly, then maybe a swatch just to make sure), and, oh yeah- make sure I have cast on the right amount of stitches for the repeats, and off I go!

So here's the latest addition to the hat project. Number 9/1000. A hat-tip to Old World Fishermen back in Filey, UK.

Brown Sheep Wool Company 100% wool. "Filey" fisherman's knit pattern (one of many).
$45 includes shipping. Will fit about any teen-adult male or female.

*update* This particular hat has sold, but I will take orders for more in your color choice.

seven and eight makes it great

I thought I better put a few boy hats in the pile as well. Sadie's handsome friend (yes, I say friend- it's a mom thing) Caleb was nice enough to let me use his noggin for a photo or two. I think you will see him more than once as I progress through the project.
The hats are coming along quickly, and they are all originals so far. I had to design the Jack Skellington hat from a photo I gleaned off the internet.
It is sold, but I can make more. I hope the customer likes it. Jack looks simple. although  he is a pain in the arse to create. It took almost three months of planning, knitting, not liking and starting over to get him this far. Totally worth it- don't get me wrong.
(When one knits more than one color, and the color is in one spot, that means weaving in lots of ends for the knitter. )

                                              Jack Skellington hat. #7. $50 includes shipping.

                                       Classic Tweedy Brown wool beanie. #8. $35 includes shipping.

I have two more on the sticks, (as ususal) so keep checking back for more hats. I noticed a few friends visiting from Flickr- Welcome! find me on Facebook too! (Marilyn Wilber)


Happy Sunday, all!

#5 and #6

Keeping up with two blogs, a Flickr page, school (tech writing this term), kids, work, house and knitting and sewing and crocheting custom orders as well as for the 'reasons' is turning out to be quite the challenge.

Three O'clock this morning- maybe four- I didn't take the time to look- I discovered the monsoon that was supposed to be a "rainstorm" turned into a white, wet, heavy snowstorm. I have a metal awning with a 'heavy duty' tarp covering my little deck to keep things 'dry' (meaning, around here, you get used to green fuzz on ALL your stuff). Little did I know when I went outside to visit Loo, I would encounter my head bumping into my tarp because it had snowed so much the tarp had sagged almost to the break/rip point. Luckily I have bungees attached to all the grommets all around, so there was enough give to not totally cave in on itself. (that would have been one hell of a mess).

So. picture this now, 4 am, me in pajamas and rubber boots, soaking wet from rounding up stuff to assist me with getting the HEAVY, WET snow off the tarp. Angry? Upset? Nope. I had spun myself up into a world of pissed-offedness the world has yet to encounter. I had a baseball bat, hammer, boards, heavy duty rake, and an adrenalin rush that would put steroids to shame. All of it wet, covered with that damn snow, and each.and.every.item. gave me some sort of grief. And head bumps.

Two hours or so later, I finally get ahead of the snow. Then. Then. THEN it starts to rain AND snow. By this time, I was a laughing, hysterical, teary-eyed babbling idiot. I was talking to the tarp. "OH is that what you really think? Fine then! Bring it! You want to fight? Let's go!" and shove the rake up and down. That took talent, I must boast. I had to do it hard enough to get the snow to move, but easy enough to not rip the tarp.

By the time I left for work, my shoulders and left eye had a nice steady twitch, I was smiling and singing like a little girl with a new fluffy unicorn. If words could stick, the underside of that tarp would have a thick black coating of obscenities the editors of books would come  in person to pluck original curse words from the wealth holding up that @#$^#$##& tarp.

Counseling? Psychiatry? shmaltz! who needs that? Fuggedaboudit! I have the answer to stress. Chop wood. Dig dirt. Push snow off a tarp. Knit a sweater. There's your therapy, "Dr. Phil". Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Speaking of therapy-

#6. Classic Pink. Wool hat with a nice lacy pattern.
$40 includes shipping.

*SOLD*

Two-tone green #5 hat. Acrylic. Slouchy styling.
$40 includes shipping.

The #4 hat sold, but I will make another one if you want one that color.
Happy Tuesday!

hats number two three and four

#2 is a soft, handspun wool in graduating shades of pink purple and blue. Adult large Slouchy Beanie. Someone with a lot of hair or 21' head or bigger can wear this hat.

$40 including shipping, world wide.

*SOLD*

#3 I made a while ago and couldn't decide if I wanted to keep it or sell it. "Smaug" is in natural brown Fisherman's wool and is another slouchy beanie style. More of a men's hat or a 'feeling casual' hat.

$40 includes shipping world wide.

#4 is my Mossy pattern again (you will see it in many colors on here!). A great winter white color and so pretty and feminine!

I was knitting furiously before this idea came along because I had planned on doing a few craft shows in the spring. I will try and let you know if one sells. I can always make another one. just let me know the hat # and color and give me a reasonable amount of knitting/crocheting time and you will have your custom hat!

Happy Sunday! More hats on the sticks coming!

hat number one

I thought it fitting, because This is the first hat I have a published pattern for. My first pattern sale. Lots of firsts with this hat. The original is green, and I sold it to a dear friend way back in December.

I present to you the first of 1000 hats!  100% wool. "Mossy" in Teal.

$40 includes shipping. $45 I will add a pretty handmade flower.



reasons

I was so happy when I found out I got accepted to Oregon State University. For those of you who know me, it's been a 20 year road to get where I am now. Five community colleges, three children, two marriages countless jobs, and one mindset to NEVER GIVE UP has gotten me this far.

I'm almost all ready to start. Classes beging March 28th, I have my advising appointment over the phone, a major and minor chosen (after much research and worry). Now it's all down to the money.

OH did I fail to mention I'm getting my Bachelor's online? Yes, well guess what? Do you think for one second that the Scholarship community has caught up with that notion? That there are some of us who have to work while going to school and online classes are just as time-and-effort demanding as traditional classes? That this might be someone's only option? NooooooOOOoooo.

I spent the better part of three hours reviewing and researching my state scholarship webpage. Scored a big fat zero.

Didn't sleep well last night stewing over how I am going to pay for my Bachelor degree. But then. THEN. I was having my morning coffee, reading Facebook comments on a few of my photos, and one stood out- well rather beat me over the head with a club- "They look high speed and low drag girl... now you should be able to knit at twice the speed!"

The pic that started it.

Sha-ZzzAAAm!! Lightning struck my brain. Why the hell not? I mean, I have the ability to make them. I need to make a statement about how people like me need money to go to school. People will get a cool hat for a few dollars, no "charity" involved, and I get to pay for college. Simple enough. Blog created, person thanked, I'm on my way. Ready? Let's get this party started!