I've put a Hex on you

I'm drooling over the newest issue of Knitty, which marks a vibrant redesign. On the cover is a sunlit Malabrigo red-orange shawl knit, "Hex," in lace weight. It's as if the color of a orange-gold oak leaf in fall was captured in the skein.

http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall09/index/php


I am especially obsessed with a crimson sweater called Ruby Red knit in merino superwash sock yarn.

http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall09/PATTrubyred.php

It's a long cardigan with leafy wood hook-and-eye buttons designed by Anna Mikuskova of Maine. See it for yourself.

I fought the hat

And I finally won.

Back in December I wrote about the hat that was supposed to be my grandfather's Christmas present and how I couldn't finish it in time. I put the project in "time out" for a bit. Really, I wanted the yarn to think about why it should work with me instead of against me in making this project.

After the baby knitting was done, I took it back out and tried again. I went up on needle size and added some stitches and then last week I looked down and realized it was finished. It was a little bit big on me -- which I took to be a good sign, as it should fit my grandfather.

The word I received at work tonight - my grandfather was happily wearing his new hat while watching UConn basketball.

For those who care the pattern is Kent's moss-stitch-beret, with some adjustments for my failure to make gauge - brim was done in size 7 needles and the body of the hat in size 8s. I also cast on 100 stitches instead of 90. For my version I used Malabrigo worsted in Azul Profundo.