Carefree summer days seem to be fading into the background as other concerns like the upcoming semester (ack!), tween back-to-school Abercrombie demands and commuter-related gas pump trauma come to the fore. But happily it's not all long faces around here. How could it be when a. I have this owlish pal to keep me company and b. I met the mighty Ashley for some serious, serious fun in what I am calling "The Mac Daddy of All Knitblogger Meet-ups"™?
Ashley made a celebrity cameo appearance in State College several days ago long enough for us to have a nice meal and some ice cream at the legendary Penn State Creamery. Now I know every Big Ten campus has a creamery and swears it's the best, but the Penn State Creamery is something special. Peachy Paterno cones galore! Utz Carolina-Style BBQ Potato Chips! We had such a great time together. You know those people with whom you are just certain you'd really hit it off with, if only you could meet? That's who Ashley was for me. And look what she made me, a très adorable lil owl named Clotilde. Quite a spunky little gal.
The Curmudgeon has a surprising soft spot for little friends of this nature and already asked if he could take her to work and put her on his desk. Now while I am totally down with a guy who is willing to display stuffed animals in his office and subject himself to the potential scorn and derision of his colleagues and students, the answer was a resounding "NO!". Clotilde stays with me, right where she belongs.
I have managed to whip out a quick project before the onslaught of the semester grinds me into a paste. I saw a prototype for this hat several days ago at the Skein Attraction in NJ while visiting the in-laws. The pattern is based on the Ann Budd pattern and is similar to the Purl Koigu Beret, except this one is knit with the yarn doubled
The Specs
Pattern: Koigu Beret from the Skein Attraction in Teaneck, NJ.
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM, color 204, two skeins held together
Needles: size 4 (ribbing), size 6 (hat)
As Kim remarked, the hat has a jaunty little attitude, especially when worn at the rakish angle pictured above. I have never been a beret person as I feel that they make the wearer look like either a euro-wannabe or a frump. But this hat has enough of a crazy-Meathead shape to it that I just might change my opinion.
I've been in such a Socks That Rock/Jitterbug frame of mind lately that I'd forgotten all about the sock yarn that kicked off my love for sock knitting: Koigu. Really, why had I forsaken it? I mean, is there any softer sock yarn out there? Luckily I have more than a few skeins laying around, so don't be surprised if you see it making more than just a celebrity cameo appearance around this joint.
34 comments:
Cute - and a great colorway to boot. It definitely does have a touch of the ol' Meathead with that little point at the top. Love it.
Aw. Ditto everything. And tell G that when I get back to Michigan I will be making another owl. Everyone needs a desk owl.
Also, that Koigu colorway is fantabulous. Très chic.
As someone who can't wear berets either, I have to say that is a cute one. Just pointy and hat-like enough that it doesn't look frumpy.
What a cute owl! I'm totally on an owl kick these days. And that hat... gorgeous, especially the lovely blues and pinks.
Penn State's ice cream sounds nice and all, but Babcock Dairy is hands down the best Big 10 creamery ever!
Hey, that's a nice beret! I am searching for one to do up for my sister.
I think your head is still in Paris!
Mmmm, fun hat, and what a sweet little owl!
Happy knitting-
ali
You know I thought you rocked before. And then you had a true celebrity on your blog, and I was agog. And now... well, I don't even know what to say. Love, love the owl! And I think you daughter is just the cutest model ever (well, almost....). Oh, and the beret, yeah, I must be one of those euro-wannabes because I have always loved them. And yet... wear one? Not so much.
That owl is sooooo cute!! Great beret too.
Cute hat! How fun to have a knitting meet-up!
Oh oh oh! I want to make a beret like that with my Koigu. Where can I find the pattern???
Clearly part of pulling off the beret look is your attitude -- which your model has.
Clotilde is adorable, and I can see why you don't want to give her up! (If the Curmudgeon needs a stuffed animal for his desk, my husband particularly liked Sheldon from Knitty.)
Oh, MAN! I wish I lived closer...
love Clotilde! love the hat!
I miss home.........you know I am from Altoona. I go to the creamery every time we are down there. I get the cream cheese, as well as ice cream. My son just went to PSU football camp in June, I should of met up with you. I was in Altoona for a week. I plan on coming home for a few days soon. Maybe we can meet up! Leslie & I will be going to KNItOne again when the kids get back to school if u want to meet up?
The hat is very cute. But you now you have me longing for PSU Creamery. It's been a year since I had some. I think it's time to plan the yearly pilgrimage to PSU. I did not go to PSU, but my husband did. I think he likes to go every year so the kids think there is no other college but PSU! :-)
That is the Mac Daddy of all Knitblogger Meetups!!! I think it's the owl that puts it over the top. :) And yes, now you have Pea longing for a trip to the Penn State Creamery.
ahhH! you two together! i wish i was there!
totally cute owl!!!
yes! meet keana and i for an afternoon! i could bring ice cream. or coffee. :)
I'll try and ignore that beret comment (I wear them all the time. thanks a lot.)
Yours is super cute (love how the doubled-kpppm looks) and fur sure the meathead point makes it. But is there anything cuter than that owl? I don't think so.
The hat looks awesome! And what cute pictures.
cute beret! i love the color way too :-) next time you visit the in-laws come to Hoboken!!
What a cute hooter!
Now there's a sentence I never thought I'd hear myself say...
Adorable!
But, dude, I've never seen such derision expressed with just one eye before.
I miss PA potato chips (Utz, King's, Good's) SO much! I don't remember the Carolina style--they sound delish.
The owl is a complete hoot.
adorable owl... hat is great. It'll fit in w/the latest wanted/requested all things Abercrombie
Clotilde is adorable. I wouldn't have given her up to the husband, either.
Sounds like a great meet-up! Is it nerdy to admit that I love meeting online friend in "real life"?
OMG what a cute owl!! You two must really be bff's.
sounds like you had a great time! the hat is so freaking cute and, yes, quite jaunty.
What fun (and Clotilde is a real cutie)!
The meathead-style beret is lovely :)
love the owl...and the hat!
Actually, no other ice cream has the low over-run that the Creamery ice cream has. The stuff is so fresh it is only four hours from "cow to cone". No other beats that.(OK, maybe that Amish farmer's at the farmers market, but I can taste the silage in his ice cream.) I know this little tid-bit from having graduated from the College of Ag about a million years ago. Then there's the Ice Cream Short Course.....
YUM Penn State Creamery.
YUM YUM YUM MUST GO NOW.
Too bad the insurance company won't pay for a birth more than an hour away. ;-)
Love the hat!!! Very cute!
Post a Comment