FOs 2006

As far as I can remember, anyway.

• Daisy sweater. I couldn't find Butterfly 10 at the time, so I substituted Tahki Cotton Classic in an aqua color.This was my Knitting Olympics project, which got me to pick up the needles again. No snakes or embellishment. I also did some baby booties (just made it up) and a hat, but the booties have tight ankles and the hat might be too small for a baby who wears this sweater. It didn't have a target baby, so it's sitting in the FO pile.
  
• Raspberry hat. This had been marinating, unfinished, in the stash for a long time. Now it's sitting in the FO pile. I can't remember what child this was (tentatively) intended for anymore, but seeing as it was started at least a year or more ago, that child has outgrown it.
• Around Easter, I made these crocheted chicks and the felted basket from Berroco. The chicks were kind of cute, but I don't think I'd make them again, as they don't really hold a shape. I used the recommended yarn, Berroco plush, which sheds all over, in the yellow color, and a sale yarn called Bunny for the basket. It kind of turned out to be a bowl with gathers at the bottom where the decreases are - a better hat than basket. I did love the Bunny yarn, though.
• Amana Star bonnet from Piecework, Nov/Dec 2000, in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Almost Solid Pine. This was a gift to my friend from college's new baby. I loved working with this yarn!
  
• Jaywalker socks, for the Sweetie, in Schaefer Anne, purple and blue colorway from Monarch Knitting. This was my first experience with handpainted yarn, and with Schaefer Anne, and I immediately proclaimed it to be my favorite. I finished them sometime this summer, and Sweetie didn't want to wear them because he was afraid to wear them out. He put them on during Christmas break (I still need to get a photo) and loves them, even though they are too big and slide down. Note for next time: socks need negative ease. And maybe toe-up would make it easier to fit.
• Baby Bolero from One Skein in Blue Sky Alpacas cotton. I didn't use the organic cotton (although it says the dyed cotton is organically grown, so I guess it is organic) because I thought a color would be better; I chose Thistle, which is a purple color. This was received very joyfully by a friend who is now a new mom!
  
• Natty scarf (pdf) and my own non-design hat (written below, for posterity), for SIL's father, in Lion Brand Wool-Ease chunky, dark green. Finished in time for Christmas. This scarf was awesome and so fun to knit!
  
• Cloche hat and School Picture scarf (pdf) for SIL's mother, in Lion Brand Wool-Ease worsted, autumn colorway. Finished in time for Christmas. The hat almost looks better inside out, and for the hat I had to go way down in needle size to get gauge- I think I used size 3! The scarf was a fun, fast knit - I obviously used only one kind of yarn instead of alternating. Both this scarf and the Natty scarf were free in the Garter Belt newsletter.
  
• Catnip mouse for (other) SIL's new kitten, in old worsted-weight wool left from knitting a friend a scarf (probably 3rd knitting project ever). Oddly enough, kittens aren't attracted to catnip until they reach 6 months or so, but it was still a fun toy. We attached it to a dowel which the Sweetie made into a cat "fishing pole" by adding ropework handle embellished with Turks heads. Cabled aran work for a mouse? This was a labor of love.
  

My non-design hat:
With size 11 24" (Knitpicks options) circular needle, CO 48. Knit 1x1 ribbing for about 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Switch to size 10.5 and do stockinette. Once past the turned up ribbing, do a row of purl, then 2 rows of stockinette, then another row of purl. Continue with stockinette until it's time to begin decreases. Decrease as follows, switching to DPNs: K6, k2tog. K. K5, K2tog. K. K4, K2tog. K3, K2tog. K2, K2tog. K1, K2tog. K2tog. Thread yarn through remaining loops and weave in ends. Look at the Sweetie and say, "See, I told you hats in chunky are fast!"

Anything I've forgotten? For my next trick, I'll try an enumerate upcoming projects.

ETA: I had forgotten the Baby Bolero from One Skein.