Recently in Ribbed Category

BF liked his hat so much that he wore it to pills and it's stretched to fit a watermelon, not a head. He asked me to redo the hat, and fix the sizing so that if it's a snug fit that will stretch slightly.

Sunny day. Bright colors. A hat that fits. Happy BF. This was reknit on Denise circulars #9, from the brim up.

Washed, the pilling isn't too bad. I guess it needed a washing. I guess I've been designated ribbed-hat-washer-girlfriend. Hmmph. Let's see who's getting their handspun, handknit cashmere socks for their berfday.

It's Friday and what does that mean? Why, it's the return of random linkage:

Got a yearning for crochet? Come on, give it a try. I found a crochet blog with free patterns for making cute little animals. Time to use up those yarn ends!

Heather "Dooce" Armstrong is such a good storyteller.

Paper cuts like you've never seen. Wow.

Established & Sons is a beautiful site featuring design.

Someone at Inhabitat had the same Thanksgiving dinner as BF and me.

Cool lamp. Neato tiles. Oh boy, I need a house for these things *now*!

Someone is so enamored with Eye-Key-Ah that they started a blog. Yes. They did.

Yarn: Noro Iro #21 royal blue/lavender/grey (75% wool, 25% silk; 131 yds)
Pattern: 2x2 rib
Needles: US 8 and 9

When I took out this skein of Noro from Elizabeth's secret pal package, BF promptly claimed it. Since then he's asked me to knit him a hat and here it is. I knit it on smaller needles because he likes a thicker, snugglier fabric. There wasn't enough to make a cuff, but as long as it covers the ears he's fine with it. (He's so easy to knit for... but then again, all I've ever knit for him are hats!)

I'm starting to like variegated yarns. I didn't really think much of them when I first started knitting, especially some color combinations that I thought were absolutely garish. While sorting through photos for my Stitches West entry I noticed all the yarns I purchased were variegated. The Noro I used in this hat spins the different colors in, as opposed to dyeing them and letting the colors mingle, but the result is the same: color shifts that captivate the knitter and in turn make the knitting experience a more involved one. (Light bulb turns on in head; another *duh* experience...)

Listening to: Sleeps with Butterflies by Tori Amos, from her newly released album The Beekeeper. Beautiful lyrics, haunting melody, vintage Tori.

Reading: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. This is a *good* book. Zafón wrote this in Spanish and the translation I'm reading well done. It spent a year on the Spanish bestseller lists, mostly at #1, and for good reason. I'd recommend this to anyone. Also in the background, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susannah Clarke.