Fall Crafts

As we near Thanksgiving weekend, it's time to close out this Fall Crafts post and start working on the Winter version of this post.  I made quite a bit of progress across a handful of projects this season!

 

(Sept 23)

I was somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 way through this sampler blanket when I took these photos and I'm really happy with how it's coming together.  It's fun to knit a sampler...as soon as you get used to a stitch patter you change it up and get to try something new.  Keeps it interesting.  I'm a little worried I'm going to run out of yarn before I run out of pattern, but that is a problem for another day!

I needed to cast on and finish up these two national park hats before we hit the road for Hawaii in November.  It was hard to pause on the purple blanket and pick these up (I was in a groove with the blanket) but these hats come together so quickly.  I can do one in less than a week and I wanted to have them finished up before we left and, like every time I start something new, it's a little hard to begin...and then it's fun once you get started.  

I'm really happy how these turned out.  After doing a few of them now I decided I wanted to try and size up the needles to see if I can get them to be a little bigger in the hat band portion - the ones I made previously were a little too tight, especially for men's heads.  I sized up a needle size (for both sizes) and its so much better.  I am making a mental note (and I suppose also a digital/printed note) that I need to do that for these hat's going forward.  I had more than enough yarn to accommodate the larger needle size (and hat).  

Two fully finished hats, ready for gifting!  I gave on to Erin and one to Abby and I can't wait to see them out in the wild this winter season!

(Nov 2)

I reluctantly had to put this blanket down for two reasons: 

1. We were headed to Hawaii and at this point its way too big to try and cram into my carry on and knit in the airplane
2. I needed to get going on a hat for Homemade/Handmade Murphy Cuzzies gift exchange!

(Nov 5)

I cast on just before we left and had zero concerns about my ability to finish this hat until I realized how the patter was constructed.  I think I'll get it done in time, given where I am today, but its going to be tight and I don't have the luxury of being able to knit anything else until this one is finished and wrapped and under the tree!

(Nov 12)

After nearly zero time to knit while we were on the Kona side, the Hilo side was a great opportunity to get some rounds into this hat.  I hope whoever gets this hat can smell the ocean in it's stitches.  It traveled with me a lot of miles in order to get this done in time for Christmas.

While I really needed to be donating all of my crafting time to knitting, I ALSO needed to get this quilt finished up so I could clear the space for the Christmas train/Lego village on my quilting table (ie: the pool table - lololo!).  Nothing gets projects finished more quickly than having a deadline!  

(Nov 23)

Isn't this quilt beautiful?!  I love it so much!  I don't know who this one will go to, but Abby had a great point, it would be an amazing winter quilt, for Jan-March.  Maybe this one will live on my couch!?  We'll see!  It still needs to have the backing made, be quilted and bound and then it'll be ready to find a home.

Based on where I'm at with my knitting and quilting, I'm thinking I'll have a good number of finishes in my Winter Crafts post (yep, I sure did jinx myself by saying that!).