Bella Bomber

This year I have less Christmas knitting than last year. This is good in more than one way. Other than being crazy this time of year, it gave me more time to (try and) be creative. So my attempt at being more creative...

My niece requested an ear flap hat for Christmas. I debated about buying a super cute Target version that was $12 or struggle with finding a pattern that I was happy with. So! For her birthday (which is the week after Christmas) I wanted to knit Bella's Mittens for her. Finally, it occurred to me that I should knit a matching hat but the only Bella hat pattern I'd seen on Ravelry did not have ear flaps. This is where I got creative! I decided to try my hand at designing one. A fellow Raveler, AmberGale, named it...Bella's Bomber. I've attached a link for notes. I wasn't able to attach a .pdf file (I'm not so html inclined). :-) This is in no way a pattern! I just don't want anyone to be disappointed. You'll still need to refer to Bella's Hat pattern by Holly Easely while knitting Bella's Bomber.

I blocked the heck out of this because I thought it was going to be too small (that's why the cables flattened out so much). It's a hair big now but Malabrigo tends to bounce back a bit so I think it will end up being a perfect fit. Now, I gotta figure out how to make a cord and attach it. I'm so bad at i-cords, mine always are so bumpy. (Not a great pic because it was cloudy and snowing.)

flickr pics
Ravelry project page

'Tis the season

...for parties and lots of holiday fun! So, Tuesday was my annual neighborhood Bunco ornament exchange. Wednesday I attended the Boulder Knitting Collective Christmas Gift Exchange Party, and tonight will be my annual book club gift exchange. Phew!

Last night's party was a hoot! It was so fun to be surrounded by knitters in the holiday spirit. The gift exchange got a bit heated at times but a good time was had by all. Alas, I did not get pics of the buffet spread that everyone contributed to. Here's a pic of all the great women in attendance. Thanks everyone for such a great time!

In this photo: (top) - Javalulu, Andrea, Jerusha, Bich-thu, Stephanie, JoAnn
(middle) - Aja (pink & white striped top), Marty, Becky, Pip (hostess), Cathy
(front) - Kristen, Emmy Lou, Katy, Amy (me)