Evolution

The Buttonbox vest is evolving nicely.  The waist shaping is almost complete.  I am still using the first ball of yarn, but as you can see in the picture below, it is nearing the end.  The second ball is about the same amount of yarn.  It should get me close to the end.  I'm estimating that it won't be enough to finish though.  I spun a bobbin.  It is resting for a few days to let the twist set.  I'll wind it off into a center-pull ball and then ply it into more two-ply yarn.  It should be enough to finish this project.  I have enough top left to spin more if necessary.  I may try spinning it thinner and making a pair of gloves out of it.  That will be a project for another time.

Here is a picture of the evolution of this project.  This was inspired by the ape to man Evolution drawing.

My Buttonbox knitting was interrupted by a project request from Blake.  Last weekend he showed me a picture of a crocheted Gladiator helmet and asked if I could make him one.  A hunt around Ravelry gave me some ideas and I was able to improvise a pattern.  The project was completed last night.  If  I say so myself, it turned out quite nicely.  I need to write down the pattern before I forget.  I have a feeling a couple of Blake's cousins are going to request their own hats.

Here are pictures showing the movable face mask.

Ed has asked for a hat like this minus the crest.  He also wants it in browns and greens so that he can wear it hunting.  He also asked that the neck shield extend a bit longer in the back.  For his I think I will also keep the face mask wider on the sides instead of tapering it so much.  He'll need it to cover his cheeks and chin more.

Milestones

This year has flown by!  It is hard for me to believe that Thanksgiving is next week and then Christmas in less than a month after that.  November is always a count-down month for me.  My son's birthday is exactly 7 weeks before Christmas and my younger daughter's birthday is 6 weeks before.  After those two events, I feel like it is the home stretch for the year.

Blake turned 16 earlier this month and passed his driving exam last Saturday.  He can now legally drive by himself.  Last Saturday evening, he took his first venture alone, down to the pizza shop to get a snack for his dad.  Today he drove himself to school.  He was a bit nervous because it was raining this morning.  He sent me a text after he got to school to let me know he made it OK.

Trisha's was also a milestone birthday.  She turned 18.  She exercised her right of being a legal adult and went out and got a couple more piercings in her ear.  As long as she doesn't get any (many) more, I'll be alright with this.  

The Buttonbox vest is coming along.  I'm at the waist shaping section.  I decided not to do the pockets.  The color below is accurate.

I'm spinning more wool for the vest.  From my estimation, I'm not going to have enough with what I spun over the summer.  My goal is to get enough spun by December 1.  If I don't make that goal, it will be a struggle to get the vest completed by Christmas.

In the middle of this, I got a bit of a distraction.  Last Saturday night, Blake found a crocheted hat on the internet that he asked me to reproduce.  The hat looks like a Roman Gladiator helmet.  I'm making it up as I go.  He's hoping I can have this done by tomorrow night's football game.  That goal is going to be tough to meet unless I do nothing else.  The hat part is moving along quickly, but I need to figure out how to do the face mask and the horse hair ridge thingy.

On top of all this I have Christmas gifts to make.  I'm actually quite proud of myself for thinking of something this early and getting a jump on it.  I have all of the supplies purchased and some of the prep work finished.  Now I just need to sit down and do some assembly line style work.  Since I have a month for these gifts, I'm not pressured yet to get them completed.

Next week is Thanksgiving here in the US.  Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday.  Growing up is was all about family.  Most years it was at my family's house. My dad's side of the family would come over.  It was one of the few times each year that we would have a meal with cousins, aunts and uncles.  The kids were relegated to the kitchen table while the adults ate in the dining room. It always felt special to me.  Some of the most fun times with my cousins happened around the Thanksgiving table.  At Christmas and Easter, we wouldn't have a meal with our cousins but we would gather together afterwards.  Those holidays were special also, but it was more about the gathering together in the evening rather than the meal.  The concept with Thanksgiving is simple.  The minimal build-up adds to the holiday's charm.  It is a simple philosophy:  gather with those you love, celebrate life's bounty and show gratitude for the blessings in your life.  As I get older, this philosophy is most comfortable for me.  The challenge is to celebrate Thanksgiving all year round.

She's Hooked

Trisha is one of those kids that can entertain herself.  Once she gets focused on something, she's content to be off on her own.  When one of her ideas involves help from me, she is very insistent on having my attention immediately.

Last Sunday afternoon, Trisha showed me a sweater she pinned on Pinterest.  She said she wanted me to make her one like it.  The pinned sweater was a commercially produced one, so no pattern was available.  We surfed Ravelry and found a modified  version of this pattern that she liked.  Then she asked when can I start working on it.  She wasn't happy when I told her that it will have to wait until after Christmas.  I want to get my vest made by Christmas and I haven't even cast on yet.  She wasn't happy with the answer but accepted it.  She then asked if she could knit a scarf.  She had another pin from Pinterest that had intrigued her.  We went downstairs to the stash and pulled out some grey wool.  Back in the living room, I cast on for her and showed her how to knit and purl.  She took it from there.  Note the smile below.  The disappointment about not getting her sweater was forgotten.  I then left her alone to make dinner.

After dinner, she and I went back into the living room.  (I wasn't going to sit in the family with Ed and Blake while they watched a few horror movies.)  When I saw how much knitting Trisha had done, I was amazed.  She had knit almost the entire thing while I was making dinner.  She showed me how she had decided not to do the plain stockinette like the pinned scarf.  She created a sequence of purl and knit rows that would make the scarf reversible.  She finished off the scarf and told me that she wanted a little placket and button to go on it.  I don't have a substantial button stash, but she did find a big one she liked.  I helped sew the ends together and put on the button.  Before bedtime, she had a new scarf to add to her collection.

She wore the scarf to school on Monday.  She said five people asked for scarves just like it.  There might be a future fashion designer in my house.