Sophie's Hats

My current knit project for my niece (yes, its a girl!) is getting to be a bit of a drag. It is taking a long time, and now I have managed to loose one of my interchangeable needles. I am not really sure what do from here, since I can't move forward without the needle.

To feel better about myself and my knitting abilities, I decided to get back on track by knitting something I know I can finish. I have a lot of extra yarn in my stash - mostly stuff leftover from larger projects such as scarves and hats. What's left of each skein is not enough to make something for a big person, but it is plenty for a little one.

So here they are: Sophie's Hats.
I finished the white one, but haven't taken a picture yet. I am still debating making a fourth one out of the brown yarn. I also have some red and purple that would be really cute for a berry-shaped hat pattern I found. I could make her a strawberry or a blueberry!

I originally thought these would be too small for a newborn. When I took them over to a friend's house who has a 1 year old, she showed me the hats he had as a little baby and they are the perfect size. There is some room to grow into these. Since Sophie will be here in November, she's going to need something for December, January, February, March, and possibly April, especially on the east coast.

Perhaps now that I know I can finish something, I can get back to the other knit project. I have some more yarn coming in the mail on Tuesday (fingers crossed), so that might help my motivation as well.

The Color Orange and Page 104

Well, here it is. The first official blog of West Meets West. Yeehaw!

Unfortunately, this first official blog is also my first official complaint about the absence of my partner-in-crafting-crime and her current adventure in the middle-of-nowhere-New-Mexico.

Here's the deal. My first niece (ok, it could technically be nephew, but here's hoping!) is due to arrive in November. I could not be more thrilled by the prospect of finally having a baby in the family to make crafts for and I have been busily planning my project timelines so that I will be able to finish everything before she gets here. AND have time to finish my thesis.

The mama-to-be is an amazing artist (visit her webpage here), and understandably, wants her baby to be surrounded by warm, yet vibrant colors - think earth tones, but not neutrals. Or pastels. They are adamantly opposed to the baby pastels that, if you've spent any time in a fabric store, are the bulk of the available material. If baby-themed fabrics are not pastel, then they have some sort of cutsey design on them - which I am positive will not please the sophisticated tastes of these parents...and let's be honest, mine either.

Enter the color orange. And the unfortunate absence of my dear friend. If Lizzie Ingles Wilder was ANYWHERE near a phone or internet service, she might be able to tell me if the fabric above is nice enough for the project found on page 104 of Joelle Hoverson's new sewing book. (Because there is a slight chance that the mama-to-be will read this blog, I have to refrain from spilling the proverbial beans on my plans and sort of talk in general terms about my projects.)

Is orange an appropriate color for a newborn? Is orange appropriate for a girl or a boy? What about different shades of orange - like goldish orange, and reddish orange? What about paisleys? Can a boy wear orange paisleys? Will this fabric hurt the baby's eyes? Will giving the project on page 104 made from these fabrics make me the world's worst aunt?

Dearly devoted husband R1 (as opposed to Calamity Lizzie's DDH R2) was only slightly helpful at the fabric store. I gave him three different palettes to choose from and he said he liked them all equally. Though Calamity might have said something similar, she would have at least helped me narrow it down and I would not be fretting so much about the stupid (yet beautiful) color orange. And quite possibly, I might have actually already started the project of on page 104.

Yep.

Dear Ashley,
I definitely think it is time to start this blog. Would you like to warm things up by telling us about the color orange?
Love,
Lizzie

Day 1: In Which Lizzie and Ashley Begin their Blog

Dear Lizzie -
We need to start our blog.

Shall we start it on Saturday?
Ashley