Madeleine

I'm still churning out hats like nobody's business, but this time I did it with a goal in mind. The Madeleine Tam was knit for my sister, Madeleine. (Creative naming, huh?) I figure I'll give it to her for her birthday, or some other holiday which occasions gifts. And to make sure I keep knitting for those around me, and not just for my closet (which is where most of my hand knits end up), I joined the Year Long Gift-A-Thon.

You're looking at my first present of 2008, completed with 9 months and 1 week to spare. I am clearly kicking ass.You just have to imagine it on someone blonder, skinnier, younger, and much more fashionable than myself. I am the fashionable black sheep in my family. Both of my younger sisters (age 15 and 18) are tres chic, whereas I have been known to wear Birkenstocks, sweatpants, and a hippie t-shirt out in public. At times like those, they were sure to walk two blocks ahead of me, which is quite a feat if you consider the three inch heels they always wear.

But I'll never say goodbye to my Birks, no matter how much they laugh and prod. I am, after all, the token Hippie Daughter, and I have a reputation to live up to!

the Madeleine Tam was quite a fun little project. The brim is stockinette, with a picot edge, and a dashing flower. The body of the hat is knit in three stitches, a zigzag stitch, brioche or prime rib , and stockinette. I wasn't sure how it was all going to fit together, but as soon as I put it on, it was love.

Stats for this lovely hat:

• I used an acrylic/wool blend I had picked up in Bath. I ended up using a little more than half of the 100 gram ball.
• I used size 5 circulars for the whole thing (my Denise Interchangeables as always)
  
• Took about two days of knitting, but only because I got off to several rocky starts. I think I ended up ripping back three or four times until I was satisfied. It easily could have been more. Thank goodness for whiskey.
  

I like to imagine that Madeline, from Ludwig Bemelman's children's books would have worn a hat like this when she grew up. She wears that adorable yellow one in the books, but as soon as the uniform was off, and she was free to roam Paris and Europe, I bet she would have donned something jaunty and fun, not unlike the Madeleine Beret. Who knows!




I still can't stop knitting on the Japanese Fan and Feather shawl. In fact, I am nearly ashamed to say I'm nearly done. I'm on the 4th chart, about row 92 of 133. That's a lot of knitting in two days! The rows are now epically long, so each one is clocking in at around 10 minutes, but yet I just cannot put it down. I think I was starved for lace!

The shawl will also be going on the Gift-A-Long as a present for my Grandmother. I feel so damn productive, starting my knitting now!