14 November

I've had a long day -- Mondays are a very busy day around here -- and writing feels a bit hard. But I want to say, thank you all for your many kindnesses these last weeks!

In the midst of lots of craziness, not knowing which end is up kind of busyness in the last month, I managed to knit this little hat for a friend's son as part of a trade. Excuse the photos ... you can't completely see the hat in them, but these are the best I have from a last-moment photo shoot with a very uninterested toddler. :)

My friend gave me the yarn (it's some Malabrigo worsted that she had leftover from something else she'd had knitted last year -- she doesn't knit but she is a lovely and good friend with many who will knit for her!), and the pattern, which is the Small Things Bonnet by Carina Spencer. 

I had some trouble with sizing and gauge (I do have this problem any time I have to make a gauge other than 18 stitches to 4 inches with Malabrigo. Sarah tells me this is because single-ply yarns are less flexible), but once I figured out which size was most likely to fit my friend's son (with a 19 inch head circumference) given the gauge I was able to make, I think it turned out pretty cute.

I probably wouldn't make this pattern again, despite some very cool design elements, because I don't like the way it goes up in the back. But otherwise, it's very cute. And what a soft, snuggly bonnet for a little one!