Fish Hats, Fish Hats!

Over a year ago I came across the Dead Fish Hat pattern on Knitty. My husband, the fisherman, saw the pictures and immediately wanted one. At the time, I was still brushing up on my skills so I was a little intimidated. I was also not clear on short rows so I put that project off for a little bit.
By the time we moved to Ohio, my frilly scarves were getting quite a bit of attention. I started getting requests for them so I opened my Etsy shop. This led to other items being requested and I got pretty busy knitting custom orders. On top of this, I was also working on my wedding shrug.
Needless to say, there was quite a lot going on and the fish hat was not at the top of the priority list. Finally, as Christmas was approaching, I decided to face my insecurities and figure out short rows. My plan was to make the fish hat by Christmas and possibly make one for Hubby's friend, too...Well, that didn't happen. I started working a part time seasonal job at a retailer. Being pregnant, the job really took a toll on me. I was sleeping often. Still in my first trimester, the morning sickness was relentless. Sadly, not much knitting took place. I only knitted the things that people were ordering from me. I barely had energy.
Once I regained my energy after the holidays, I decided to get busy with the fish hat. My goal was to get it done by Valentine's Day. Again, I got some additional Etsy orders so I had to prioritize. By the end of February, I was determined to get this hat made! So, I started it March 8. The fish hat was finally completed on March 22.
My husband loves it! Too bad we had an unseasonably warm winter. He wore it anyway. He wore it with pride to his captain's classes. He plans to wear it fishing in cold weather.

The experience was a good one. Short rows aren't as bad as I'd feared. This was a very fun project! I then made another hat for my stepdaughter. She hasn't seen it yet. It will be a birthday present for her this summer.
It's a good thing I enjoy this project so much. My husband has since informed me that he wants a fish hat collection. He wants to have a fish hat to match each species that we fish. He wants Lake Erie perch, walleye, smallmouth bass, and largemouth bass. I've got my work cut out for me!

My Favorite Project

While I was living in Virginia in 2011, I had access to a wonderful yarn shop in Yorktown. This yarn shop literally has everything! It was here that I was introduced to ruffly yarn by Rozetti called Marina.

I learned how to knit with this yarn and made my first Frilly Scarf. The colors are wonderful. Some have been discontinued. I bought a few skeins in different colors. I made a few as gifts. When my husband and I moved back to Ohio I was wearing my "Pink Camo" scarf a lot. We went to the local Gander Mountain and the manager admired the scarf and asked if I sell them. I had been toying with the idea of selling my handmade knits and this just really confirmed to me that I should go ahead and give it shot. And so my Etsy shop was born!

These scarves are so fun to make and so eye catching it is no wonder they are my favorite project to make! I tend to make a new scarf if I'm between projects or don't know what to knit, but need to knit. I have three that I have made for myself and I have sold a few and given some as gifts to family. I still get compliments on them whenever I wear them out and about.

Perfect Wedding Shrug

When my husband and I decided we were going to have an outdoor beach wedding on Kelleys Island I knew I would likely need a shrug or wrap of some sort in case the weather was cold. Our wedding date was September 1, 2011. It is a significant date because it is the day we met back in 1995. Up here on Lake Erie the weather is nuts. It could be 80º or 40º. My gown was strapless so I wanted to have something to cover up just in case. Of course, I realized if I successfully made myself a shrug I would no doubt guarantee 85º and sunny weather. Better safe than sorry.

Finding the pattern wasn't too difficult. My challenge was finding the perfect weight of yarn. The original pattern called for worsted weight and I felt that standard worsted weight wool or acrylic yarn would be too heavy for September and too heavy for my gown which was very crepe-y. I wanted to get started on this project early because it was my first garment that needed to fit properly (i.e. it was the first thing I made that wasn't a scarf).

One day towards the end of May, on our way to the island, a yarn shop caught our eye! I asked my hubby (fiancè at the time) if we could stop and check it out on the way back. Of course he agreed. I talked to the shop owner and she helped me find some ivory yarns to look at and I spotted the perfect yarn for my shrug! It's Aura by Trendsetters. It's nylon and it is lightweight and not scratchy at all. It has an iridescent look to it. I bought three balls of it to be sure I would have enough.

I got started on the project on June 2; shortly after completing my legwarmers. Let me add here that I love lace patterns. This pattern turned out not to be as intimidating as I had feared it would be and I finished the shrug by June 27!

Now I mentioned that the weather could be 80º or 40º on September 1. That weekend turned out to be one of the hottest on record (if not the hottest on record) for the island. It was 93º and sunny! Since I made the shrug for our wedding I wore it for the ceremony and the first round of photos, but before heading to our lunch reception I had to take the shrug off. It was just too hot!

In any case, I am very happy with the result of this shrug. I love the pattern and I may make another shrug with a heavier yarn just to have one for cooler weather (however, the one I made is quite warm for its light weight).

Awesome Leg Warmers are Done!

Over a year ago I bought this beautiful yarn that came with a free legwarmer pattern. I worked at them during the spring and finished them up in June once we moved back to Ohio. I love this pattern.

I used 3 skeins of Plymouth Yarns Trabajos del Peru. I like my legwarmers long. I prefer them to come over the knees; mainly because my knees are injured and I just have always felt that short legwarmers defeat the purpose.

In any case, I finished my reversible ruffled legwarmers on June 2, 2011. Sadly, I have not yet used them in ballet class. Last summer was busy with wedding planning and now I am seven and a half months pregnant! I'm so excited about this, but no ballet right now. Perhaps after the baby is born I will return to the dance studio once or twice a week. :) Until then, I am just happy with the result of my work. Oh, and I have to give props to my awesome husband for taking the picture of me sporting the legwarmers and my pointe shoes!