What I Did Over Summer Vacation

Over the past week or so, I've worked on several new knitting projects and finished a few others that I forgot to tell you about.



Here are booties that I finished for Baby Rowan, who was hatched a few weeks ago. These are a modified version of Bev's Stay-On Booties, using sock weight yarn (Plymouth Yarn's Happy Feet in color 7) on Size 3 needles. (Start with 40 stitches and cast off 8 at the appropriate spots.) I stitched down the cuffs as well so that they won't be fussy. New parents have enough fussiness to deal with without having to fix booties. (Can you tell I thought a LOT about this? 8^)

And something I forgot to tell you about: I received the Blue Man?Woman hat modeler that I ordered from eBay. Ain't she/he purty? Dang it, I have to give this thing a gender--SHE. We'll call her . . . Clementine. She can be filled with something, such as candies, marbles or ?? But somehow I think I won't do that.
Clementine is already earning her keep. She models at present a little thing I made from light blue O-Wool, and which I actually finished a few months ago (except for the tassel which I intend to make . . . um . . . soon) .

I'm also partway through a hat I started when Yarn Rescue sent me a skein of divine purples and blues last week (color values are off in this picture--imagine much more purple). Can you tell I'm very much a starter? Fortunately I start small projects or I'd never have anything to show for all my yarn purchases . . . er . . . knitting projects.

And here is a pixie hat for a little newbie named Brennan. It took only half a skein of Rowan Calmer. [Ravelry link]
For anyone keeping track, I have NOT forgotten Leonie's sweater, but it is incubating for a few days, and I'll get it done, I will. It's too cute and she will grow too fast!

From one of my favorite philosophers:

Some days, “doing the best we can” may still fall short of what we would like to be able to do, but life isn’t perfect—on any front—and doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of ourselves or anyone else.

—Mr. Rogers

PS: Why are we now noting when our links go back to ravelry? I know I'm doing it because I'm just a big copycat and have seen it a lot lately, but is there a real reason for doing that?