Gifts

For the first time in quite a while, I completed two knitting projects just a few days apart. Both projects are gifts, so I was under a bit of a deadline.

The first item is a baby hat:

Our neighbors across the street, Dave and Lauren, had their first baby last week. Although we don't know them well, when we found out they were having a baby, we wanted to give them a little gift. They knew they were having a girl but I absolutely refused to make a pink hat, both because I am tired of knitting pink items (see below) and because pink should not be the only color a girl wears.

Riley's hat is knit from Knit Picks Swish Worsted, which is a 100% Merino superwash wool, meaning that it is machine washable. I did not want anything that had to be handled delicately; new parents have enough on their hands! The color turned out to be a bit more autumnal than I anticipated, but since the hat has great stretch and turned out a bit bigger than I thought a newborn size would be, she should be able to wear it in the fall. We will pair the hat with our favorite children's music CD, Catch the Moon.

The second item is an end of year present for Aidan's teacher, Ms. Sheridan, who is an amazing teacher. Although she hardly looks old enough to drive, she is a pro - she firmly but gently commands the attention of her students and leads them to do their best work. She is, by far, the best teacher I have seen in Aidan’s school career. When I gave Aidan the choice of knitting her a present or buying one, he asked me to please knit something for her. How could I refuse?

I chose an infinity scarf, which can be worn in one long loop:

Or doubled around the neck:

OF COURSE her favorite color is pink; it seems that every other project I knit as a gift is pink and just about every teacher Aidan has ever had has preferred pink. Since it had to be pink, I went with a vibrant pink, and the yarn is decadently luscious: Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk, a blend of 50% alpaca and 50% silk. Ooh-la-la, it feels soft and luxurious, and hopefully will help Ms. Sheridan keep warm during our rather brisk winters.