Ponchos and Hooded Cowls

Hello, hello, hello!  I feel like I need to apologize to all of my blogging friends out there.  I have not been around regularly to read or comment on your blogs.  I miss all of the news, but I have just been feeling so punk lately, that I haven't even felt like blogging. Today, I am much, much better!   I felt better today, than I have in weeks!   So, I promise I will be back to visit all of you soon.
I have done a lot of laying around, and during that time, I did make a couple of ponchos for my two little granddaughters.  I took these photos tonight.  They were thrilled with them.

I got a Pom Pom maker and boy are those fun!  I bought two different packages, so I  now have 4 sizes to choose from.
Last week one day I was talking to my friend Pammy Sue.  You know Pammy Sue.  She blogs at Scotty's Place  Anyway, Pammy Sue has been wanting to learn to knit more, as she and I are both primarily crocheters.  I learned to knit a little bit a few years ago, but all I can make are dishcloths, and slippers.  Lots of dishcloths, and one pair of slippers.  I made those slippers for my dear Nana, who I miss every single day.
So, Pammy Sue and I set out on a knitting adventure!  We worked the same pattern, together.  We knit, we we purled.  We texted photos back and forth.  We dropped stitches.  We caught them with a crochet hook. We held our breath!  We frogged several rows.  We both frogged an entire piece that we had worked on for many hours.  I threw mine across the room.  There may have been a curse word or two.  But no, we would not be defeated!!!!   Project two was begun with some brand new pretty balls of yarn.  And we were off again.  Saturday and Sunday were spent sitting outside on the patio in some beautiful 85 degree weather, knitting and purling away.  Oh my gosh.....I learned so much!!!!  We both did!  I watched numerous youtube videos.  I used circular needles for the first time.  I learned how to knit in the round.  And how to knit flat on the same circular needles.  I used my row counter that one of my Knitty Biddy friends gifted me.  I learned how to pick up a second color, and leave the main color ON the project, and switched off every few rows, having both balls of yarn still attached.  Phew...I learned so much!!!!  And how much fun we had.  It almost felt like we were sitting across form one another knitting together.  There are so many of you, my blogging friends, that I would love to sit and knit, or crochet with.  You know who you are!!!
So, here it is.  My first REAL knitting project.  There are plenty of mistakes, here and there.  Bumpy rows.  Dropped stitches that had been fished back up to the needles with a crochet hook.  But I was pretty pleased with it.  It is for my granddaughters too.  They can share it now, and I will make another one soon.  I was thinking I would make a red one for Hannah, to match her poncho, and she can be like little red riding hood. No ears on that one.

Oh my gosh, look at how cute she is!!!  She would NOT hold still for photos.  The cowl is barely visible here.  It has a large button closure on the bottom of the hood.  For the next time, I would make the cowl slightly wider, and slightly longer.  I followed the pattern for a child, age 5-8 for this one. It is meant to be loose and drapey.  Pammy Sue is making hers adult size.  Okay...I did cheat a little.  I could NOT for the life of me, figure out how to do the finish work on the hood.  I bound the hood off, and then I crocheted a trim around the face of the hood, as well as made a tab with a button loop and sewed a big chunky wooden button on. I also crocheted the little ears on top.  The pattern is called Rocky Raccoon.  For the ears, I crocheted both the grey and the black together.  I shaped it, and folded in half, and stitched to the top of the hood.   I had an absolute ball making it.  Especially making it together with Pammy Sue.  We spent a lot of time, texting, talking on the phone, and sending photos back and forth.  THANK YOU Pammy Sue!!!!
And this next photo, I couldn't resist posting.  It is a bit blurry, but my Hannah has the most natural smile in this picture.  She usually does this fake smile lately for photos.  And in this, it is her true smile.  She and Claire love each other so much!  You can see their devotion to one another in this candid shot!

Now, I know I am partial, because I am their Grandma, and I am supposed to be.  But I think they are the most beautiful little girls in the world!!

That's it for today.  I will try to be back soon.  Oh, one more thing.....I wish you could smell what I can.  The orange grove is full of orange blossoms.  One full month early!!!!   The scent is intoxicating.  I am sitting here with my windows wide open on this balmy winter night, with the beautiful scent floating in the air.  Dreamy!!!

Night night.

XO  Kris