Some old, some new.

First a couple of older projects...remember the Baby Tart hat? It fits Z now, albeit a little loosely. Here she is modelling it at the zoo:


Someone left a comment asking me if I could give them tips on knitting a Baby Tart. I'd be happy to, but you didn't leave me any contact info. Write again and I'll see what I can do. Mine isn't perfect - I miscounted on some of the bobble decreases toward the top - but I think the end result is still cute.

Here are two of the six beaded votive sleeves I made as Hanukkah and Xmas gifts for my kids' teachers:

I really enjoyed making these, even if my hands hurt. I may make a few more to use as Shabbat candle holders.

And though I've been extremely lame about updating my knitalongs in the sidebar, I am taking part in the Knitting Olympics on the MIT Relay team. We're each knitting a square for a blanket to be donated to Afghans for Afghans. Here's a picture of my square, the Noro Kureyon one closest to the camera:



This week I also finished some baby booties for coworker's new baby Liam (welcome, Liam!) and am working on a tiger/Cinci Bengals baby hat for another baby and the second sleeve for my Tubey. It took several frustrating attempts, but I finally was able to pick up the crochet cast on edge and get a fairly invisible join. The stitches are twisted, but you wouldn't notice if you were a normal distance away. If you see me wearing it, please don't tell me that you can see the twisted stitches. Just...don't.

Oh, and here's a nice anecdote: my kids' favorite TV show right now is Brainiac, a British science program. Last night we watched an episode in which they tried to influence the testosterone levels in two subjects, a "weedy man" and a "bruiser." The bruiser was forced to spend two hours dressed in fake lingerie, watching soap operas, singing children's songs, and...knitting. My son R pointed out that he knows it isn't just girls who knit because he knows boys who do too at my Sunday knitting group. Granted, Brainiac is somewhat "laddish" in nature, especially given that each show ends with the buxom and if I'm not mistaken surgically-enhanced "Brainiac Babes" who choose a different explosive to blow something up.
OK, maybe this show is not so appropriate for kids, but it actually has made my son think about how to design science experiments and that's pretty cool. And the upshot of the testosterone experiment? The bruiser guy's levels dropped from about 900-750, while the "weedy man" - who had been treated to "female companionship", shall we say, and fighting lessons - went from 150 to 350. It's a fun show, but don't take it too seriously. And don't try the microwave experiments at home.