Tuesday 29 June 2010

The 12 hat . . . errrr . . . 10 hat challenge

Last year, around Sweet Pea's birthday, I took a shoebox full of hand-knit, newborn hats to the childbirth centre where my girl was born. This year, her birthday has sort of snuck up on me. I realized about a week ago that I needed to make some hats. I don't want to bring in 2 or 3 hats, I want to bring in a big bunch of hats.
I decided on 12. 12 hats in 14 days. Reasonable, right? No. Maybe in the old days. The days when I wasn't chasing an active toddler, or managing her tantrums and mood swings. Maybe before I found out how much fun playing together is, and how much my big almost 2 year old likes to pretend she's a 'tiny baby'. I swaddle her, and snuggle her and rock her, and she says "waa!" and "momma!" It's cuter than it sounds.
The first day, I got a hat done in under 24 hours. Good!

The second day, I got the second hat halfway done. Not as good, but it took more attention. PLUS, I had to finish the first hat that day.


The third day, I finished the above hat.
The fourth, fifth and sixth day, I made this one.

(This is where I realize that I'm lying to myself because there are 7 days in a week, not six, and I just finished the bunny hat this morning.)
Today, I started a mini Odessa. It's not even halfway finished. Fortunately, I found a hat that I made last year and forgot to put in the box! I'm up to four finished hats to bring to the hospital next Tuesday . . . or so. So I set my sights a little lower. I'm scaling back to 10 hats. 10 hats is still good, right?

Potential problem: I'm running out of useable yarn scraps. I have bits of DK, and bits of fingering . . . but not enough of any one colour to make a hat, and not enough of any co-ordinating colours to make a striped hat. I may have to start cutting into 'sweater's worths'.

3 comments:

Lisa said...

I'm sure I have some suitable yarn scraps. I'm going to Conestoga Mall tomorrow afternoon (I have a pedicure appointment at 2:00 p.m.) -- any opportunity to meet up? Or if that doesn't work, I can pop some surprises into your mailbox at home if you like. It would help alleviate my guilt at not yet having knit any hats for the hospital where Sam was born and the other one where he was admitted a week later.

Stickyfingers said...

Thanks for the bits Lisa, they're sure to be useful!

Anonymous said...

Oh No!! if only I had time to read al;l this BEFORE the birthday party!! I have lots I could have brought along for you. Call if you still wantit. MommaPea