It seems I have been away from my blog. I wish to say I have been knitting like crazy but I have been a little lazy. I am just getting back into the groove.
I made two baable hats for people through my Etsy store and then knitted just for me. I have decided to load my project bag with a few patterns I have been wanting to try and made myself work them out.
Here are a few pictures of what I have finished. Have a great week!
I joined a knit along on Facebook in July. This was our project. I finished a little later than everyone else, but I'm done and have the other one cast on.
This was a very fun hat to knit. I used dk weight, so it took a little longer to finish. Overall it will be a great light weight beanie. 
I came across this pattern on Ravelry and just had to make it. It is called the Snowfall Hat.
My mom is drawn to anything with cables and I am drawn to colorowork. I just love it.
When I started this one my mom instantly said it was hers. Of course I agreed. It looks great!
My mom and dad modeling hats. Mom made my nephew a simple beanie and dad was trying it on for size. They look great.
Of course I couldn’t leave out my little sister. She loves having her picture taken. The Pom Pom on the hat really finishes it off.
Last fall I found the Shetland Wool Week Newsletter that contained the Baable Hat pattern. It is the loveliest little hat ever. I just love knitting it. I mean really who doesn’t love a hat with sheep on it.
I even made one with border collies on it. Then shipped it to Sweden.
This pattern became the most requested item that I make. I have made more than I care to think about and still have several to get done for friends who have requested them.
If you have not made this pattern it is a must to do soon. It knits up super fast and is cute no matter what color way you choose. The imagination is the limit. Just search it on google and you can see hundreds of examples.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baa-ble-hat
The hardest thing I was asked to make was a pair of mittens with the pattern. Considering I had never done mittens before it was outside my comfort zone. However it did push me to make my husband a pair of mittens in the basic pattern. Then I forged ahead.
I think they turned out pretty darn cute.
I made my first pair of mittens. He has been asking for about a year for me to make them. I finally attempted and got them done.
I traveled along to take some cows to the sale barn. I figured the 4 hour drive was a perfect excuse to sit and knit. I was right. I finished the second one before we got home.
They turned out better than I thought. They are extra big because he wanted to wear them over his gloves.
I wanted to create a hat for a friend that had color work involved. Therefore I used an app to pull it all together.
Some parts I really like and others like the decreasing, well not so much. I learned a lot and hopefully more attempts in the future.
Yesterday I let my frustration go. I decided to put the brioche project on the shelf for now. I had ripped out and ripped out and ripped out until I no longer really wanted to even make the Brioche scarf.
I decided that I needed to do something fun and something quick to get back in the knitting mood. Is that even a real mood? Well for me I think it is!
I have had this Plymouth yarn baby alpaca brush floating around in my yarn bag for a good four months. I have been wanting to make something with it preferably a hat for quite some time and I decided that now would be a perfect time to get it out and get going. It is so soft that I decided I hat with a a little fair Isle pattern would be perfect.
I started this yesterday on the way to the other Ranch to drop off a calf. The kids had picked out three steers for 4H, and they only needed two. This one was a little wild and never wanted to really calm down so he was headed back to all of his buddies at the Lance Creek Ranch.
After starting the reading and getting going on the pattern, I have decided this is so much better than the brioche. Sometimes it’s just not meant to happen.
Hopefully this weather will not keep my new Addie needles delayed too long I am anxious to skip started on JJ’s mittens. This is another new project that has me a little frustrated. I wouldn’t say frustrated but size 2 needles takes a long time to finish. And not only that but, unlike a hat or scarf when you don’t enjoy or look forward to working on something, you know that if you just get through it you will be done. With mittens you have to make another one. That is a true nightmare.
While visiting my mom the first of February she talked me into, well she just signed me up, for a class on the Brioche stitch. We went over to Rogersville to Sunnyside Yarns. It is a cute little store and easy to find whatever you need.
Well we were introduced to the American Brioche stitch and the Dutch brioche stitch. I conquered each quickly and then visited the remainder of the time. She gave us a simple pattern for a scarf and away we went with one new stitch under our belts.
Then I started working on it. The American way with the slip and yarn over and then knit 2 together is fun and easy. Until, yes until you mess up. Then there is no fixing. It just becomes a mix of loose yarn and holes. Ripping it out is my only option. So I start, mess up and rip out. Start get about 15 rows rip it out. Frustration is not something I enjoy. I like to conquer and move on. I can’t move on past this stitch. I have started to just cut it off instead of ripping it out. Enough was enough.
I decided to decrease my needle size and try the Dutch method. It is just a knit and three knit below stitch. This can kind of be undone. So far so good. We will see how far I get.
The Modern Ranch Wife 