Back in Prague and It's Spring

Left Austria yesterday morning and made it back to Prague where spring has arrived. Opened the back door and noticed that a lot of our flowers are up. This happened last year too--everything bloomed very early. Today was so warm that the neighbor was out washing his car in what looked like his boxer shorts (I won't include a picture--it wasn't pretty).

Made it back yesterday for our 2 o'clock Stitch 'n Bitch meeting. It was fun to see people, but I was so tired I mostly just listened and knitted squares for the charity blanket.

Joanna, the host of the Prague Stitch 'n Bitch, was talking about all her unfinished projects. I'm feeling a little bit the same way; although the unfinished blanket she's carried around with her for the past twelve years (to Africa and Prague no less) has me beat by a mile. There are a few new projects I need to get going on (one baby gift in particular). But I really want to finish the things that I've started. Maybe it's the idea of the move. I don't want unfinished pieces hanging over my head. I've also been trying to organize my yarn, and the charity blanket is great for getting rid of all the bits and pieces. Although I only finished three squares yesterday, it is easy knitting and a nice way to tidy up the stash.

Lyra Hat in Action

So the Lyra hat came in handy when having a quick beverage on the top of the mountain... that's the Alps for those of you who care. Although it is HOT for skiing weather, a hat is still nice when you're just sitting there.

Also including a picture of me knitting on the top of the mountain. I'd had it for the day, but a few others were still wanting to ski another run, so I took a little knitting break. Check out that bird at the right of the picture. Took me forever to realize that there's glass behind me and that is a bird sticker on the window :) I kept thinking how cool it was to catch a bird like that in the picture... There is a parasailer by my head, but I think the picture's too small to see it. So many parasailers out this year.

Forever Frogging

Finally finished a very simple hat I have been knitting for myself. I think I started a week ago and frogged it twice. Once because I didn't like the style and the second time because it just didn't feel long enough. I hate it when my earlobes aren't entirely covered and with about a half inch more on top of that. Something about that part of my neck just gets sooooo cold! Seems silly to be knitting hats since we're now all skiing in helmets, but when you stop for a gluhwein or a glass of Almdudler and take off your helmet, your head does get cold, so I carry everyone's hat in my backpack. Besides, I needed something that matches my new jacket.

The little one also begged to have a hat like her sister's (Lyra hat), so I whipped one up tonight. It's the leftover yarn from the hats I made for the ski trip. There's still enough for something, but I'm getting so sick of the yarn, I'm not sure I'll do much with it for awhile. Here they are reading in bed with their hats on. Kinda cute.

We're skiing in Schladming, Austria at the moment and I hope to get downtown sometime to see if they have any good wool shops. I know I'm not supposed to buy anything, but I would like to look.

Back from the Ski Trip & Off to Austria to Ski Some More

Made it back from the 6th grade ski trip in one piece, but rather the worse for wear. Got wiped out by some young guy on the slopes (not one of ours) and have two horrible bruises on my leg. Have one unaccounted for bruise on left elbow (black as black can be) and a nasty blood blister on the tip of my left thumb obtained by pinching it in the tripod setting up to film the little dance the kids had last night. There are other scrapes and scratches, but nothing worth mentioning.

The trip, although fun, was hard on the teachers. Almost all the advisers were sick, which meant there were few who were up for skiing at all. I was the only person who skied all four days. The ski hats, therefore, sat in the rooms and weren't really used much. I didn't even get a group picture to show for all the work as we were never all together and well enough to get one. One of the teachers even went home mid-way through the week. I did get Mr. Mohawk to ski the last day, and we had a blast. And Petr, my Czech friend with the long braid hat (to the left) skied with me several days and loved his hat. In total, I made one Mohawk, three braid hats and five regular ones. It was fun and I'm glad I did it. The teachers are promising to wear them next year even though I won't be there. That would be nice. They did serve their purpose--teachers were easy to spot. Although they weren't worn much, one consolation was that the kids kept asking me to make them hats. The Mohawk was the most popular, but will NEVER be done again (by me, anyway). It was a great trip despite there being NO SNOW. You can see the brown hills in the background. Here's me on the right as the sun slips behind the mountain.

Tomorrow we go to Austria, which is supposed to have a lot more snow and much colder weather. I'm trying to get my knitting projects together to take. While away, I knitted several hats. One was for myself, but I'm going to frog part of it and change the pattern. I'm not happy with it. Wish me luck on packing. I'm the world's biggest procrastinator when it comes to that. I'll have my computer this time so will keep everyone posted on what, if anything, I've completed.

Always Find Something Better to Do When I Should Be Packing

I was starting to pack my knitting after the last post and my daughter wondered if I could just start the Lyra hat to see how it would look. An hour later it was done... my packing was not. I used the wool that my friends brought from Germany. I had been working on a hat for myself out of it, but then had to frog it because it seemed like it was going to be too big. It matches Ti's coat better than anything else I had in stock and I've made a vow not to buy more wool until after we move.

I used the pattern from Froggie Meanie's site. The hat she made for her daughter is adorable. Not so taken with the adult version, but maybe it looks better in person.

Now the younger daughter is begging for a hat, but she'll have to wait. I'm off to pack.

Mohawk FINALLY Finished!

I'm not going to say I'm super happy with this hat, but it is finished. Went to my knitting group yesterday and powered through the pattern. Watched a movie last night and put all the "hair" on. You can see the big problem is that the cheap acrylic yarn that I used is too floppy to stay up. I could trim it more and maybe that would help, but thought I should ask Marcus how he feels about the length because once it's cut, there's no going back. I even interspersed real wool between the acrylic to try to give the mohawk some body, but it didn't really work. I might be able to put a little more hair in, but most of the stitches are full. The picture here is of my husband who has a smaller head than the guy who will be wearing it, so the hat looks a little funny, but at least you can see it. The piece was pretty lumpy, but I steamed it and I actually like what it did to the yarn. It sort of flattened it out and looks a bit like felted fabric. It hides all the sins. I'll post another picture when it's with its rightful owner.

As you can see, I have the hats ready for tomorrow and the big trip. Too bad the snow conditions are so poor. Hoping the trip goes. I've spent too much time, energy and money on these hats for the trip to be canceled :(

I'm trying to get packed and one of the things I need to make sure to pack is knitting for the week. Last year I thought I took way too much, but ran out. I hate that feeling. We watched The Golden Compass the other night and my daughter wants a Lyra hat, so I will get the pattern from the Internet and take yarn for that. I also want to knit a chunky white ski hat to go with my new ski jacket. Neither will take long so I need to think of something else. Maybe one of those projects already on the needles.

Still Knitting for Home-bound Friend

Even though I vowed not to knit anything until the Mohawk is done, I had to knit for my friend home sick. I decided to knit this hat, and almost finished yesterday, only to frog it because it was not the right size and I have so little yarn that with the style I chose, I knew I would never have enough to finish. Finished the hat tonight. It took a tiny bit of another yarn of another color to finish, but I think it looks nice. I just hope it fits. Again, the color doesn't show well with the flash, but it's a greenish, blackish, reddish yarn that is quite nice.

So now I promise... no more knitting other projects until the Mohawk is done. My fingers aren't crossed--I swear!

Finishing Weekend

I vowed not to start anything new until I finished a few projects. There are some deadlines coming up, so I need to get things off the needles.

A friend from work has been out sick for a week or so and will be out another week as her doctor doesn't want her in school while she's on her medication. She's bored and sick of being sick, so Linda came up with the great idea of sending home a little gift for her to open each day to let her know we're thinking about her. I decided that my contribution would be something knitted. I may still knit a hat, but with all these other projects needing to get done, I decided to start by finishing up a scarf that I've had sitting in my knitting basket for almost two years. Only needed to put on the pompoms. I told you I'm hopeless at finishing things. It's a cute little pattern from Simple Chic by Jil Eaton, but I didn't look at it again before I started to put the pompoms on. It wasn't until I opened the book to take the picture that I realized I was supposed to alternate colors. Serves me right. Anyway, hope she likes it.

The other thing I've been working on are the ski hats for the trip a week from Monday. Here are five of the suckers. Still a few more to go. I knitted one yesterday as I was getting my hair done. One of the parents at work flies her hairdresser in from New York City to do her hair, so she sets up appointments for people who want them. The price charged by the hairdresser I use here has gone up substantially and the dollar has gone down so much that it was actually cheaper to go to Steven from NYC and he did a better job. Anyway, one of the hats was done while I waited.

The long braids came in the post late last week. I'll take them off the hats they came on and will put them in those I made. They're actually pretty funny looking and should be great in the hats.

The last thing I need to work on is that darn Mohawk hat. I've vowed that I can't touch another piece of knitting until that thing is done. I had to pick up another big ball of yarn for the ski hats on Friday and found some pretty cotton that would make great baby bibs and I'm really itching to knit one up, but I have enough baby gifts... they can wait.