Christmas Knits

We draw names in our family…which is the very best thing ever! Nobody really NEEDS anything, but by drawing names everyone gets a little special something on Christmas morning. Part of our family lives very far from us, so really, the best present, would just be togetherness on Christmas. Since that cannot always happen like we’d wish…we pick names and share gifts. My favorites are handmade.

My little August picked his Grandpa’s name for Christmas. Since he is three he painted a beautiful watercolor for him and Mama ‘helped’ him knit a Green Bay Packers hat. He played his role – he made the hanks of yarn into yarn cakes. He loves using that swift and ball winder. Usually, if we avoid a nasty tangle, it is helpful. Grandpa Jeff really loves the Green Bay Packers as a Wisconsin Native I suppose that is more of a responsibility.

The yarns were such vibrant colors I wasn’t sure how I would like them together, and I guess when you love the packers – you’ll love a bright green and bright yellow hat.

I made it the good old fashioned ribbed way – just the way I like hats and I used the same yarn that I love. It is Shepard’s Wool and so soft! I recently heard that it pills up when you wash it, so far I haven’t washed any of it, so I am not speaking from experience, just from the word around the yarn shop. Simon and Gus’s hats are holding up really well and I suppose they are nearly a year old now, still soft as ever and in really great shape.

I cast on 96 stitches for this hat, just to be sure it would be big enough, and it fit on Shane’s head, so it ought to be big enough, no offense love. I just k2, p2 the whole way around until it was big enough. I even used Grandpa Dave aka Santa as a model/tester.

If it makes Santa happy it ought to make anyone happy. Maybe Grandpa Jeff will send us  a photo of himself in the hat? Merry Christmas Dad!