Knit This Hat and You Will Feel Like A Fairy Princess

I kid you not.

I was a bit skeptical about the whole beret thing. I didn't want to look like a baker. I think it was a bit baker-ish (puffy and tall) before blocking, but blocking it over a dinner plate gave it the right amount of droop and opened up the lace beautifully.

As many people note on Ravelry, this hat is hard to put down! The pattern is written beautifully.

Pattern: Rose Red by Ysolda

Yarn: RYC Cashsoft from stash

Mods: none

Putting it on for the first time and still a little unsure about the beret look, I showed my daughters.

7 year old: "That hat is wicked cool. I want one."

4 year old: "Mommy pretty."

I'd give that pattern 10 stars!

Calico Cat Magic Ball

Hello. Thank you for all the advent love! I promise an installation photo and am thrilled that some of you are doing them too. Always happy to be an enabler.

Today is just a quickie to let you know that I am having a little holiday party tonight in the etsy shop. I'm updating with a ton of yarn, and Magic Balls, and Bootie Trios, and new yarn note cards.

I'm giving away a free note card with every order now until December 19th, when I am closing the shop for the rest of the year. I'm also giving away a free skein tonight! (If you hit the magic number!)

Here is my favorite magic ball of all the ones I have knit. The Calico Cat. I wore this scarf all fall and never blogged about it. Since I have stocked a bunch in the shop tonight I thought it was high time to get a photo.

Back soon with more accessories (I seem to be on a neckwarmer and hat kick.)

Advent

I can't believe I finished 25 stockings! I was originally going to do 24, but I had the idea that I would get a baby Jesus ornament for the tree for the 25th for them to open on Christmas morning. I powered through 10 during Thanksgiving, 5 on Thursday and 5 on Friday. I just had 2 to finish up last weekend which was a piece of cake.

Then, I found one more this week under the front seat of the car--don't ask! There is actually one I didn't like (I accidently knit it on different sized needles--doh!--and it sort of sticks out) so I replaced it with the straggler.

This is one of the most fun and special knitting projects I have done. I can't believe I didn't get sick of them. I might even make more and use them for ornaments on the tree. They would be especially cute as an envelope for a gift certificate, or a fancy gift topper.

I have to admit that I haven't gotten them hung up yet. I'm still working on the embroidery of the numbers on each stocking and I haven't decided exactly how and where I want to hang them. You'd think I was doing an art installation at MOMA, the amount of thought I've put into this. But even though it isn't completely finished, we've been opening one every night and loving them.

Installation shots coming soon.