100 Hats...one week more!

Thank you to everyone who left their condolences in the comments or sent me an email. I really appreciate all your well wishes.

There is just over a week left for the 100 Hats project. I am almost there! I think I have about 80 hats, a few scarves and one pair of fingerless gloves. If you have a hat please drop it off at Annie & Company Knitting or email me at smittenwknittin@gmail.com to make other arrangements. I know we can do it together!

To a Good Friend

On June 26, 2004 I meet a friend who (once I coxed him out from under the kitchen table) would become my best friend. His name was Murray.

Murray was a sweet boy who liked to hunt…from the safety of the window.



He was a curious boy



Was tolerant of my knitting



Liked to show off a little



Was a GREAT cuddler



But mostly…just liked to hang out with his mom



Murray stopped eating last week. I took him to the vet and found out he had kidney failure. The vet said it just happens sometimes. Murray wasn’t in pain, but was very uncomfortable and cranky (not like my sweet boy). Although it was difficult, it wasn’t a choice. I knew I had to do the right thing by Murray.

Murray, I will miss you more than you will ever know. When I brought you into my home, I thought we be friends. I had no idea how much I would come to love you. Rest in Peace, my bubby.

Murray
January 2004 – November 10, 2009

From Inside the Park

A few months ago, I found out that the exclusive Gramercy Park is open to the public on a few days a year – Gramercy Park Day, Christmas and Yom Kippur. So a few weeks ago, when I had the day off for Yom Kippur, I decided to take up the opportunity to see the park…from the inside.





There was this cool sculpture. One side was the sun:



The other side was the moon:



And it was surrounded by these mini giraffes, hiding in the plants:



There was a beautiful sundial:



And this really cute shed:



After strolling along the path:



I decided to sit down,enjoy the beautiful day...and do a little knitting:



The moral of the day – always take time to smell the:

100 Hats Update

Hello everyone! Sorry for such a long absence. Life has been a little busy, to say the least.

But I am very excited to give an update on my charity hat project. I have been pluggin’ away and have knit quite a few hats. But the more exciting news is that I have had some donations. A customer from the store gave me these 6 hats:



They are beautiful. Especially the Fair Isle Beret. I can’t imagine the work that went in. Thank you so much!

Mary also donated a bunch of hats to the cause. She loves to knit for charity and loves to makes hats. So this was a perfect fit for her. She gave me a huge bag at the swap last weekend. When I got home I counted them. There are 25 - yes 25!



She also gave me a bunch of strips that she was planning on sewing together as a blanket. But they are long enough to be scarves.



My total at the moment is:

Hats – 54
Scarves – 10
Gloves – 1

I am really excited. I didn’t think I would make half way to my goal and now I am a little over half! Thanksgiving is my target date, and I know I can make it with your help! Remember, they don’t need to be anything fancy, can use your scraps and yarns you don’t want to use for yourself. You can drop any donations off to Annie and Company Knitting at 1325 Madison Avenue or contact me at smittenwknitting@gmail.com to make other arrangements.

100 Hats – A Challenge

About one year after I learned how to knit there was a homeless man in the same subway car as me. It was about a week before Christmas. I felt really bad for the gentleman - everyone was starting at him. He wasn’t trying to offend anyone. But he was dirty and smelly -- and really cold. As I clutched my first hand knit scarf closer, I had the thought that he probably needed the scarf more than I did. But I was just getting over a bad cold and didn’t want to risk the cold December winds on my neck. I even contemplated giving him my hat and keeping the scarf for myself. But as the train pulled into 42nd Street, my selfish human nature gave in and I just got off the train. I will always remember this.

In remembering this homeless gentleman, I have issued a challenge to myself and my friends. Knit 100 hats by Thanksgiving. I called New York Cares to see if they would accept a bunch of hats with their coat drive and they agreed. The hats can be knit out of any material, any style and any size. I encourage you to use any left over yarn you may have and be creative. No need to spend a lot of money. I would also encourage you to remember that these hats will most likely be going to someone who won’t have the necessary equipment to take care of a cashmere or silk hat. Most likely these hats will be worn until they are worn out (or even longer.) Pattern Central has an extensive list of free hat patterns here.

Don’t want to knit a hat? Don’t want to fuss with that pesky shaping? How about a scarf instead? Want to learn how to do a thumb gusset? Try a pair of mittens? Just want to knit in the round? How about a neck cowl? It doesn’t need to be fancy, just warm. This could be a great opportunity to learn a new technique you’ve been meaning to take a stab at.

Annie & Co. Knitting agreed to act as drop off location for finished objects. Just tell a staff member when you drop it off that it is for the Hats for Homeless program. The staff will know to hold it for me.

My goal is to have 100 hats by this Thanksgiving. And for Thanksgiving 2010 – 200 hats! I know with your help I can do it. It’s always a great feeling to give back. And this is something we can do to lend a hand -- not half way around the world, but around the block.

If you have any questions or need an address to send the hats to contact me at smittenwknittin@gmail.com.

Feather and Fan Baby Blanket

As soon as I saw Jared’s newest blanket, I knew I HAD to make it. It’s beautiful and classic. Shortly there after, someone asked me to make a baby blanket for them. So I knew right away what pattern I was going to make.



I am really pleased with the result. The garter stitch went pretty quickly (although the middle part was starting to get a little tedious.) The worse part? Since I was too impatient to wait for Jared’s version, I had to chart the feather and fan border myself. Incorporating the pattern into the corners was a little…ummm challenging. There is no way I could have done it without Excel!

The Rowan Wool Cotton was a pleasure to work with. It has a beautiful hand without being too warm or too hard on the hands.



She also asked for a beret for the baby. So I took Wendy’s beret pattern and massively sized it down and put a few flowers on it.



(Please excuse the hand, I wasn’t sure how else to photograph such a small hat.)



I am currently working a simple Noro Silk Garden sock. I love the look of it, but it is a little tough on the hands. I can only knit on it for a little bit before I have to put it down. Although I am trying to cruise though it, I am on a little bit of a deadline on this one. Pictures coming soon…

Yankee Stadium

I went to my first game at the new Yankee Stadium on Monday. I had heard that stadium was nice. But was thinking, “What's all the hoopla about? It’s just a baseball stadium.” Let you tell you my friends...the hoopla was right.

First, it’s really nice looking. It is layout beautifully. And the food! It’s not just hotdogs and nachos anymore, although they have that too. They have everything from philly cheese steaks to sushi. Yes sushi! At a baseball stadium! I myself had a Brother Jimmy’s BBQ. Very yummy.

The seats are very comfortable too. They are molded plastic and so much better than the ones in the old stadium.

Our seats we in the nose bleed section, but we still had a good view of the field. There was only a little bit you couldn’t see.



The best part of the night? The Yankees won! 5-3. And my future husband hit a homerun!

I did bring a sock with me, fully intending to knit. But I got wrapped up in the game and good conversation.

Hanging with the girls…priceless.