In all honesty, I tend to add to my fiber stash because I have a low threshold when it comes to resisting beauty, and yarn senses this weakness in me and preys upon it. As a result, I have drawers full of lovely moth bait currently serving no purpose except as fodder for dreams and receiving no attention besides the occasional petting. But because they exist in my house, I can, upon a whim, decide to make a Star Wars hat for my little cousin Sam’s seventh birthday. Look here! Black alpaca from a Spiders swap two summers ago. And here? A ball of pewter grey RYC silk/wool I bought to swatch for a corset top (I ended up using Cathay instead.). How about some white for the six little R2D2s? Yep; the hat I’ve planned out of Cascade 220 will never miss a few yards. I thought I was stymied when I got to R2D2’s blue bits, but sure enough, in the very back of the worsted/DK wool drawer, was a lone ball of Mission Falls in the perfect shade. Now, light saber colors: here’s a bright heathered red skein of Cascade 220 from the swag bag I got on the yarn cruise around Manhattan. And lo! A whole sack of ancient Thorobred scheepjeswol Brushed Wool in powder blue, inherited from Mr. Garter’s mamma. Someday it will be a nifty ’40s-inspired cardigan, but right now a few yards will give the blue light sabers that potent fuzzy glow. And in a galaxy not so very far, far away, a hat is born:

[Note to self: Dude, next time take a picture of the front of the hat that doesn’t show the join, eh genius?] And it just happens that my little cousin’s name lends itself to Star Wars font, so of course I had to take advantage of that:

It’ll blow his mind, if it fits his wee blond head. Cross your fingers for me that his noggin isn’t bigger than 19″ in circumference, okay? I have to say, this was fun. There may be another of these in my future, because Mr. Garter has been drooling over it. Time for more stash diving!

Note: The charts are free here; there’s really no other pattern for the hat. I worked it on US#3 needles, figured six repetitions of the chart would make a boy-sized hat, and threw in some double decreases at the top between motifs. I worked the letters under the brim upside-down, used a row of purl sts as a turning round, and sewed down the cast-on edge to the inside of the hat at the very end. 

Almost exactly one year ago, Jess and I started batting around the idea of an Elizabeth Zimmermann knitalong. We launched it and cast on for our projects. Today, Zimmermania is more than 500 members strong; new recruits rally to the banner every day. (Email me if you’d like to be among them. The banner is purely figurative, but if we actually had one it would read I AM THE BOSS OF MY KNITTING.) My own little EZ odyssey has brought versions of the Fishtrap Aran, the Rorschach Jacket, and two Baby Surprise Jackets into the world, and now I’ve added a February sweater to the ranks.

Specs:

Sweater from “Some Babies’ Things,” February chapter of Knitter’s Almanac

Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy Sock, colorway “In Vino Veritas”, well under 1 skein

Needles: US #4

Modifications: Because I was using a sock yarn, I cast on 57 sts to begin. Out of sheer laziness, not wanting to strain myself with too much math calculating how to adjust the garter yoke increases to suit, I opted to knit the yoke in stockinet and work raglan increases. I allowed too many stitches for the shoulder portions and ended up with enormous kimono sleeves, but they still look cute. And maybe it will be easier to stuff the wee recipient’s absurdly fragile little arms through. (I don’t know if mums and dads actually worry about this after the first few days of putting their new sprogs through more costume changes than a troupe of variety show actors, but I know that when my turn comes I’m going to be petrified that I’ll damage the tender little morsels trying to get them dressed. My babies may have to wear handknit togas until I’m convinced they’re sturdy enough to be manhandled into sweaters.)

But enough about that. Let’s see some cute buttons:

Aren’t they girly? Of course, flowers aren’t just for girls, no matter what faces Mr. Garter might make to the contrary:

(And yes, when you work on your own start-up you can toil in the hammock in the shade of the lilac tree. Of course, you’re in the hammock working on a national holiday when the rest of us are enjoying time to potter about the house assembling Ikea bookshelves, sewing buttons, blocking hats, and blogging about it all. But it’s no cause to make impolite gestures.)

There, that’s better:

I think the Japanese anemone nicely sets off his manly scruff, don’t you? (The self-employed don’t have to shave if they don’t feel like it, either.)

We’ll close with one last pretty flower picture:

Summer’s almost over. Let’s squeeze out every last drop.