Summer time!

Wow! I have been incredibly busy! Ever since the field trip I chaperoned for Batman's class to the Butterfly Gardens in Luxembourg, I have been hopping!

On Memorial Day, we had the Songes up and had a cookout and I got to spend time with Kristin, hanging out in my craft room and dyeing yarn, along with just playing with yarn in general. :)

The following Monday, I got to join a bunch of the other Kindergarten parents and help with cutting out cardboard wings for the "Fly Away" ceremony we had for Batman's Kindergarten class. (The school doesn't do an actual Kindergarten graduation.) It was nice to chat with them and talk about travel and my love of Paris with them. :)

That Wednesday I went in and helped out Batman's teacher with the kids decorating their wings for said ceremony. They were so creative and fun!
That Friday was Field Day for the boys. Batman had a blast and participated in all the events with extra enthusiasm. Superman, however, was a different story. He was in a rotten mood and only would play in about half the events.

Superman bouncing on a ball

Batman under the parachute!

The Monday after that, I was supposed to be chaperoning Superman's class's nature walk, but due to rain, it was postponed a day.

He did well overall...especially considering how long the walk was! (He should not have worn a long-sleeved shirt! LOL) That afternoon, I took cupcakes in to Batman's class, since he has a summer birthday. That Wednesday was Batman's "Fly Away" from Kindergarten, and it was awesome to get to see all the kids and their parents getting together to celebrate all the kids had accomplished. I also had Batman give his teacher and teacher's aide their gifts, which I handmade for them.

The next day was the boys' last day of school. Between Wednesday and Thursday, Superman was able to give the gifts I hand knit for his teacher, in class aide, the counselor that has been working with him, and the Occupational Therapist he was seeing on a weekly basis.

That Saturday, Elphie came up with her boys and they stayed overnight. The following Tuesday, the boys and I came down to her house so that we could sign Batman and her two sons up for swim lessons! The boys and I ended up staying through Sunday and I had a few girls nights with Elphie and Kristin. :)

We went home for a couple days, but then came back down on Tuesday, as that was when the swim lessons began. And that brings us to today! Swim lessons got cancelled tonight due to lightening, but it should be back to swimming as normal tomorrow. :)

Gettin' My Craft On!

So I have been home from the States for over a month, and I still haven't blogged about my BFF's wedding, nor have I finished blogging about my trip to Paris with Elphie, not to say mentioning my amazing birthday weekend! But I will get there, I promise. And those are not just empty words. I just have...issues...with finding a balance. There tends to be a lot of extreme behaviors one way, and then the complete opposite (and many times back and forth a time or two more!) before I get back into my "groove." And the past few months have been anything but regular!

And in the "extreme behavior" toward the negative, for a week or two, I was completely ensconced in the silly Facebook games. Frontierville/Pioneer Trail, Mafia Wars 2, Cafe World...all that crap. It was like a trance I couldn't be pulled out of. But Monday, I finally reached a decision that I had been mulling over. I decided to stop playing them. All of them. (Well, okay, I still have Words with Friends and Scrabble, but those only take, like, 2 minutes to make your move and then you wait on your opponent to go. No big.) And in the time that I have not been playing those time-sucking games, I have done the following:

Completed the WestKnits Mystery KAL:

Started and completed a stitchmarker Lariat:

Started and completed a pair of Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Wristers:

 

Started and completed a hat for The Instigator's aunt:

Made my own mitten blockers:

Blocked the Bella mittens for Tara:

 Baked a batch of zucchini muffins and 2 loaves of zucchini bread (this is all that was left of the muffins after 24 hours...they were completely gone in less than 48! LOL):

Started and completed a cowl (for trading for an apron from a fellow crafter!):

Finally finished a blanket to donate to a patient of Nephrotic Syndrome 

that has been a long time in coming!:

And have done some super-top-secret HSKS swappy items. Plus,that's to say nothing of finally getting my crafting supplies slowly migrating upstairs to my new craft room (used to be the boys' toy room, but we moved those upstairs to the large closet and their bedroom), catching up on housework, participating in running a knitting swap, and actually cooking meals! I have really been on fire! LOL I'm really hoping that this is less of a swing of the pendulum in the productive segment of my balance and more of a trend leading to habit. :) I guess only time will tell, but all in all, not bad for a week's worth of effort. :)

One down, one to go!

I'm not sure what it was, but yesterday I got hit with a dose of crafting adrenaline! I sat and finished the first in a pair of mittens (which I had previously halfway completed, but realized it was too small, so I ripped it out, then re-knit it with a size larger needle that made it monstrous and frogged that, and re-did it with the original size but with much looser tension), and I really wanted to start the second one, but I made myself finish the Super Secret crochet project first, instead. So Super Secret Project one is COMPLETE!!!

Now I can start on Super Secret Project two, as one is finished! I feel very good about the fact that I got the first one done well before my deadline and can do the second one without rushing myself. :D I can also finish the second mitten, now, and then move along to the hooded scarf. I think that when I finish the mittens and second secret project, though, I might allow myself to cast on for the WestKnits Mystery KAL (Knit-A-Long). :) I like Mystery KALs!

I'd best get back to my housecleaning (it's laundry day...yippee...lol) so I can get back to my knitting! Have a great weekend!!!

Quite Possibly Mad

I'm talking crazy-mad, not angry-mad (although that applies today, as well).

I've got 2 super-secret projects that I'm working on, that has a fast-approaching deadline. (To be honest, though, the second one is really not top priority right now...it's one of those "if I get to it, it'd be awesome, but I'm not going to stress over it" situations.) I've got a pair of gloves and a hooded scarf that a friend is paying me to make....and I still went and joined a mystery KAL! Silly, silly me! (And this isn't even counting the baby stuff for two different babies that I haven't yet finished and a blanket for charity that I've not yet completed...) Even worse than that...I really want to work on all of them! I'm excited about them all, and can't knit fast enough. I would say that this is one of those instances where I need multiple pairs of hands so I could knit on all of them at once! LOL

As to the angry-mad aspect of things....the older child (who shall from henceforth be known as Superman or Bizarro, as situation dictates...and the younger one will be Batman/Owlman.) is being the villain lately. Last week, he deliberately got into air freshener and water and made a mess of my bathroom not once, not twice, but THREE times! (Twice with air freshener, once with water.) And he just did it again this morning. With the air freshener. And this is not something that is in his reach. He is deliberately climbing like a monkey (thanks oh, so much, Instigator, for teaching him that..../end sarcasm) to get to it with the evident goal of emptying the entire can. I have had to air out my house multiple times. I'm getting headaches from this. And yet, he continues to do it. I have tried every approach I can think of with him over punishment and forgiveness of this. But he continues to push that button, and I am about to lose it with him. In fact, I did lose it a little. He is confined to his Fortress of Solitude (bedroom) for the entire day this time. I can't even be in the same room as him without getting angry again. What is so hard about not getting into things he knows are off-limits?! WHY does he keep doing this?! He is six years old. There is no reason for this!!! It's not that he's not getting positive attention when he behaves, because he does. A lot of it. I do not understand this.

School cannot start back up soon enough.

But I really should get back to cleaning Headquarters for this collection of superheroes/super-villains. It's one of this Super Mommy's least favorite things to do, as the little ones tend to make messes of epic proportions, but someone's got to do it....and then that someone needs to get back to crafting!

Wondering....

So I've been meaning to call the doctor's office since Monday to find out the results of my blood work, and have forgotten every day. LOL Hopefully I'll remember tomorrow, but as it's Thursday (which means it's my day to have the car and go to the library), we'll see if I get too busy to remember again...However, as I have not received a call from them, I'm not expecting anything abnormal. It's a good thing, I guess, but in a way I was kind of hoping that they would find something so that they could give me a "little magic pill" to solve my issues. If only, right?

Unfortunately, whatever the solution, I'm not getting it tonight. Once again, I'm finding myself with my mind racing and not being able to fall asleep or even relax enough to try to fall asleep. Which will lead to staying up late and making it hard for me to get up in the morning, not to mention my predisposition to crankiness when tired. Maybe we won't be making it to the library after all...

I am loving the library summer reading program that they've got going on at the base library. It's themed as "A Midsummer Knight's Read," and thus far, the boys have made knight's shields, goblets, and "quills." They've really enjoyed getting out and about and picking out books and movies to bring home to enjoy. And I'm not complaining about not being house-bound, myself!

In other news...I am getting very frustrated in trying to lose weight. I know there's the time of "plateau," but this is getting to be ridiculous. I've not seen any change in inches or a decrease in pounds in over a month. I know I've lost some since I first started, but it's like I'm running into a brick wall now. And it's not like I'm pigging out on junk food, either. At this point, though, I am not thinking it's realistic to lose what I want before Torie's wedding. And that is very disappointing to me.

The surprise project I've been working on, however, has been coming along nicely! At this rate, I will most definitely finish that one in time for the deadline. :) In fact, I would be surprised if I don't have it blocking within a week. And then I can move on to the other super surprise project! :D

Well, as it's almost 1 a.m. here, so I suppose I should log off and try going to sleep again. Maybe I should grab a book and read myself to sleep. Good night, everyone!

Plodding Along

I don't know why, but lately I've been tired and just plain worn out. (And before anyone can ask, no, I am NOT pregnant!) I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but as I was able to get an appointment for my yearly check-up (which was this morning), my doctor went ahead and put in an order for me at the lab, so hopefully in about 5 days, I'll know if my issues are medical or not.

It actually really sucks that I've been bogged down by this exhaustion, considering all the things I have going on and have to look forward to!

I was able to give Misha her Elphaba sweater, and I was right when I knew it would be perfect for her! Doesn't she wear it well?!

I went school supply shopping with the boys, and got everything (except fat pencils, since none of the BX's over here carry them...you would think that if it's a required item for school, they would make it available!) and I already have it all labeled, packed up and ready for the first day of school! I love school shopping and I am sooooooooooo excited for the school year to start up! C starts Kindergarten this fall, and I'll have the house to myself all day during the weekdays! I can't wait!

On top of that to look forward to, I will be making a trip back to the States in the fall!!! My BFF, Torie, is getting married, and I'm her matron of honor. :D I can't wait!!! I get to see my friends and family (I'll be taking a detour after the Big Day down to see the in-laws while I'm in the country)!!! I'm excited to visit them and to travel without the boys and have some kid-free time! I'm so excited about it that I have been having dreams nearly every night about being there.

In other crafting news, now that I'm done with the Elphaba sweater (which feels kind of weird, to be honest...I keep going to reach for it to knit on it! LOL), I'm moved on to a super secret project that I can't wait to reveal (also this fall)! I guess I'd better get to it, as my deadline is ticking closer, and I need to get it done on time!

Just keep knitting, just keep knitting....

Wow! Last week was busy!!! We went down to Ramstein (about an hour's drive away) on Tuesday for The Instigator's martial arts class, and again on Thursday so he could pay the fees to attend a seminar (and we then had some good family time together...it was nice!), and then again on Saturday so he could attend a private lesson in preparation for said seminar and the Misha's older son's birthday party! We ended up staying overnight, too! That's a lot for someone that doesn't get to leave the house much...

Friday I finished the hooded scarf (which is going to be sent out this week):

Then while at Luc's bday party, I had to have something to keep me from fidgeting, so I started in on the trio of hats for the trip to London!

I'm making one for Misha, one for Kristin, and one for myself. :D I love this pattern, because it can be worn with the brim folded up, beanie style, or it can be worn tall, like in the picture, and look like a wizard's/witch's hat! (And the Ravenclaw colors are no coincidence...we're going to wear them when we go to Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross!)

So I've got one down and two to go! But then, Ann started a new KAL! (She's the one that designed those amazing scarves I previously made.) This is a baby pattern, and so I'm making a romper/onesie and giving it to a friend from high school that is due in July! I also went a little overboard and planned quite the gift box...LOL But for now, I have finished the first leg (pictured below) and am part way into the second leg. The next pattern release will be this weekend! :D

I am super excited that HSKS is about to start back up! (It's a Harry-Potter themed crafting swap.) I love that group. In fact, it's because of that group I was introduced to Ann's designs and it was on a meet-up in Scotland for that swap that led me to personally make her acquaintance (and later on visit her and stay at her house to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on opening weekend)! And as if that wasn't enough, that group helped me through both times my husband deployed while we were living in Italy. it gave me something to focus on and keep up with, and it helped the time fly right by! I've actually made a quite a few friends through that swap. :) I am grateful for each one of them! (A pair of them even turned me onto  the awesomeness that is Nathan Fillion...and Joss Whedon!)

Also, I made my first Etsy sale back on the 3rd! :D That was very exciting! So these earrings are no longer available:

(Why, yes, I am a bit Potter-obsessed...LOL) I'm thinking, though, of switching to Artfire...I had a friend suggest Artfire instead, but I insisted on testing the Etsy waters first...lol We'll see...


I still haven't finished that blue and green blanket, as I've been drawn to the needles as opposed to the hook lately, though I have gotten 2 rows further into the last 10-ish rows. And I still have not yet stitched the ribbon in place on the baby blanket for another high school friend...her daughter was born in November! (D'oh!) But I'd better get back to the crafting "grindstone" if I hope to get any of this done!

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Listening to: Katharine McPhee - Had It All
http://foxytunes.com/artist/katharine+mcphee/track/had+it+all

Stitching Away

This past week has been more full than I had originally anticipated!

C went off to Misha's house to potty train (and it was a very successful venture, I might add....THANK YOU, MISHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), and I had a laid back list of things I wanted to accomplish. I probably could have, too, if it weren't for the fact that I felt like being so lazy the first couple of days. I did a whole lot of nothin'! And then, sadly, something completely unexpected came up; Misha's dad was admitted to the hospital for cardiac reasons. There was a lot of emotion and uncertainty there for a while, so I went down to her house on Wednesday to pick up C early, and ended up staying at her house overnight with A in tow (which means that yes, he missed a day of school, lol) for moral and emotional support. After a lot of prayers and a lot of waiting, we found out that it was a heart attack, and after spending the day with Misha on Thursday, A, C and I all headed back home. (To those of you wondering, he is doing much better now and is at home, though he has a lifestyle overhaul to put into action, and it won't be easy. Any and all thoughts and prayers for her family are appreciated!)

So last night I actually got around to working on the crafting I'd put off at the beginning of the week. I finished the hat for the friend of a friend that just started chemo (I'm hoping to get some better pictures before I get it sent off):

It's not actually quite that dark of a purple, though it is dark, and I hate that you can barely see the stitch definition in the photo. (There are swirls that go all the way up the hat.)

Since I completed that one, I began on another hooded scarf that I was commissioned to do. :) The yarn is super soft, and it's working up quicker than I expected! (I don't generally do well with monotonous knitting, but this time, it's not so bad! LOL I'm already over 5" into it!):

As to the blanket that I started a few posts back (which will be sent to Tammy for her Prayer Blanket Challenge), it's growing at an enormous rate!

It's already 36" across (which is the smallest it should be, as it could end up going to anyone from the age of toddler to teen), but I think I'm going to add on about another 4" or so and then do a little "border" or sorts, color scheme-wise. I am loving how it's turning out!

That massive spider is still in my craft room, and I'm still too chicken to take it on...but I can't be mad at The Instigator for not killing it yet, either...because he got me a brand new computer last weekend! :D He had one built for me that is better than the little HP slimline one I previously had (which wasn't powerful enough to play WoW on effectively), and I am very happy with it! And on top of that, I'd made a comment a week or so ago that I needed a chair that sat lower because I ended up hunched over at my desk all day due to the correlation between where my eye level is and my monitor...so yesterday, he brought me home a little stand for my monitor that raised it up, and while my posture still leaves much to be desired, lol, I'm not constantly rubbing my neck and shoulders from the knots that formed from my previous situation. Hooray! :D Okay, now I'm going back to my crafting...

Different kind of To-Do list

Things I am going to do (or at least attempt to do!) while I am kid-less during the day this week:

1. Add the ribbon to the Tiramisu Blanket I started back in June of last year for a baby that is now about 3 months old...

2. Finish the chemo cap for the friend of a friend (I'm approaching halfway done!)

3. Actually catch up on laundry! (Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is possible!....for a few hours, at least! LOL)

4. Begin on the next hooded scarf that I have been commissioned to make

5. Blog (I'm going to aim to post daily...I still have a bunch of those 30 Days of Letters to write!)

6. Read (I have a book I just started last night that I want to finish!)

7. Play my music as loudly as I can while doing housework (I won't be interrupting any little ones from their movies or playtime!!!) and sing along obnoxiously!

8. Enjoy the silence while blogging and reading

9. Explore the town I live in a little bit!

10. Make (and document) at least one item of a crafting nature (and I'm talking thinking outside the yarn box!)

11. And if I have time....level one of my World of Warcraft characters to level 40! LOL

So ambitious of me...I guess I'd better get to it!!!

Crafting update!

Whew!!! The end of the Lanthir Lamath KAL has come to a close! I finished both scarves!!! Hooray! :D I finished off the blue, non-hooded one on Tuesday, and stayed up last night until the gray, hooded one was complete as well. :) Today (as in, right this moment!), they are upstairs, blocking!!! I can't wait for them to finish drying so I can "ooo" and "ahh" over the end result! :D (Though I really do hate the smell of wet wool...LOL) I'll be taking a bunch of pictures, for sure, this weekend! The recipient of the gray scarf is coming to visit for the weekend, and she's really good with a camera and uber-model pretty. :) So look for pictures of those this next week!

In other crafting news...a friend of a friend has just started chemotherapy, so I'm making her this hat in a purple chenille yarn. Once I got past the ribbing (endless K1, P1...except to make the lines cleaner and more stretchy, I did a seemingly endless ribbing of K1tbl, P1tbl), it picked up big time, and I wouldn't be in the least surprised if I finished it before next week!

Other than that....I've been commissioned to make a hooded scarf in white, which I'll be staring as soon as I'm finished with this cancer/chemo cap, and it is going to be sooooooooo soft! And I've not yet made a single sale on Etsy. :( I know, those kinds of things take time, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed a little...I plan to add some yarn-ish goods to the beaded ones soon, so maybe that will help. Though I do have someone clamoring for a Time Turner! ;D


And now...for the "dark side" to my post...you may recall that I earlier said I have the scarves blocking upstairs. But my craft room is downstairs. So why is all this not taking place in there? One simple reason: my craft room has a new resident. And it creeps me out beyond description. I have a serious case of arachnophobia. It's horrible. I can't look at spiders or even pictures of spiders without shuddering and instantly brushing myself off with my hands, just to make sure that it's just my skin crawling, and not a spider on me! Sometimes I even have to shower to get rid of that feeling. I'm not sure why it's such a big deal to me, seeing as I have a significant size advantage, but I can't seem to help it. I'm terrified of the disgusting things. I'll kill them when I have no other option (like when The Instigator is deployed and can't make it the thousands of miles home to kill it for me). I've even had friends over that I've begged to save me from those nasty things. I'm a complete, screaming, mess. So when this HUGE spider showed up in my craft room....well, I spend as little time as possible in there! I keep one eye semi-on it, just to make sure it doesn't move, and get what I need as quick as humanly possible and get out! (Eesh, even as I'm typing this, I'm having to brush myself off! Ew!) I've even had nightmares about this spider, evidently, as The Instigator says I was freaking out in my sleep about it, swatting it and whatnot. And even worse, half the time I'm in there, it's hanging out on the ceiling!!!!!!! I'm just glad I have no cause to get close enough to where it could fall on me! EW!!!!!! (Okay, I need to wrap this up...I need a shower...lol) I have no idea how I managed this without hyperventilating or anything, but I managed to take a picture of this thing just so you all can see how disgusting this one is! (And why it's claimed the territory of my craft room and why it's so far been left that way!...The Instigator is being lazy about it, and it's a bit irritating...) I have GOT to get some eucalyptus plants for my house! (I hear they repel spiders.) I'm talking at least one for each room, here! Okay, if you want to see the picture of this craft-room-stealing monster, scroll down....if not...I DON'T BLAME YOU!!! Now, I'm off to shower this skin-crawling sensation away...

Bootie Button Flaps

So in getting to the bootie portion of the set my friend asked me about, I knew right where to turn for the main part of the bootie...the pattern for the crocheted sneaker booties! (I love that pattern! It is so cute!!!) I stopped after doing the 5th row of the body of the slipper, and then added on one row of sc all the way around to make it a smidgen taller and more narrow.

(I'm thinking maybe I should have used a smaller hook for a newborn size...these things'll last a while, unless the kid's got monster feet! LOL) From there I improvised my own little flap that will button on to hold the bootie on those itty-bitty feet. And now all I have to do is go find more buttons! (Here I come, craft store!) Here are the button flap instructions:

ch8, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 5 chs; 2sc in last ch, 2 sc in other side, working around the end of the chain to work in the round. sc in next 5 ch, 3sc in last ch, sl st to join.

round 2: ch1, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts, 2sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, sl st to join

round 3: ch 1, single crochet in same stitch and in each of the next 6 stitches after, 2sc in next st, ch 4, sk next 2 stitches and 2sc in following st, sc in next 7 sts, 2 sc in next st, ch4, sk 2sts, 2 sc in next st, sl st to join, finish off, weave in ends.

The selling of projects resulting in use of this pattern is permitted, but please don't sell the pattern itself, and always provide the link/URL to the pattern where you sell it so others can enjoy crafting as well! 

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Now playing: Thierry Amiel - Je Regarde La-Haut
via FoxyTunes

Newsie Baby

So I have a lot of friends lately that are getting married and having babies. Yay! I'm so happy for them all! Sadly, though, I cannot keep up with making them all handmade gifts. :( That makes me sad. :( However, one of the expecting said friends showed me a picture of a super cute hat and bootie set, and asked if there was any way I could make something similar. What I found on Ravelry wasn't quite what I was looking for, so I improvised and decontructed it as best I could from a photo, and ended up with this adorable hat!:

Cute, huh?! Want in on my secret? ;) It's really quite simple. Here you go!

Baby Newsie Hat

Size I/5.50mm hook
Worsted/Aran weight yarn (around 28 grams/1 ounce
3/4" button

Round 1: In magic loop, ch2, 12hdc; sl st to join (12 sts)
R 2: ch 2, 2hdc in each hdc around, sl st to join (24 sts)
R 3: ch 2, *hdc in hdc, 2 hdc in next hdc,* repeat from * to * around, sl st to join (36 sts)
R 4-11: ch 2, hdc in each hdc around, sl st to join (36 sts)

Brim:
Row 12: ch2, hdc in same stitch, hdc in next 6 sts, 2hdc in next hdc, hdc in next 7 sts (16 sts), turn
Row 13: ch2, hdc2tog twice (taking the first 4 sts), hdc in next 4 sts, 2hdc in next hdc, hdc in next 3 sts, hdc2tog twice (taking the last 4 sts) (13 sts), turn
Row 14: ch2, hdc2tog, hdc in next 9 hdc, hdc2tog, (11 sts) finish off

Re-attach yarn on any stitch of the hat's body, Sc in each hdc around. When you get to brim, do a sc decrease over last stitch before brim, corner where brim meets hat body, and the first hdc of the brim to form a corner, sc up the side of the brim, 3 sc in first st of on the last row of the brim to form a corner, sc across to the other side of the brim, forming a 3sc corner at the other side, sc down the other side side, dec over the same 3 stitches to form the final corner, and sc in each hdc around to where you attached the yarn. sl st to join and fasten off. Weave in ends.

Button flap:
ch 22, dc in 5th from hook and dc across (18 dcs & ch 4), attach and finish off. The "hole" made by the chain stitches at the end is the buttonhole. Attach the flap at one side of the brim, sew the button on the opposing side, and button down.

Ta-da! Baby Newsie Hat is complete! :D

The selling of projects resulting in use of this pattern is permitted, but please don't sell the pattern itself, and always provide the link/URL to the pattern where you sell it so others can enjoy crafting as well!

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Now playing: Kerli - Walking On Air
via FoxyTunes

Unraveling Divinity

I absolutely love Rheatheylia's designs. I adore her crocheted Cable Hat, am a fan of her Mesh Hat, and I have made the Divine Hat sooooooo many times! I have noticed, though, that on Ravelry not everyone finds them as easy as I do, and often have similar issues in getting the transition of reading the pattern to come out properly through their fingers. Because of this (and because I think everyone should love making the Divine Hat as much as I do! LOL), I am going to try and make some clarifications through photographs in this post. :) (Note: This is all written in US crochet terminology. For a UK translation, there is a nifty little "translator" here.) In the following photographs, I am using sport weight yarn cotton yarn and a size G/4.00mm hook to make a baby version of the hat.

Ok, so here we go...first off, I'll address the "how-to" of front post double crochet (fpdc). After you chain 2 to begin the next round, you insert the hook to the right of the post you want to work around:

Bring the hook behind the post, and back out on the other side of said post:

You will then yarn over, pulling the loop up behind the post, and proceed to finish out the double crochet as normal.

For the rounds of the pattern that read: "dc in the space between fpdcs", the placement of the double crochets is here:

When the single double crochet is sandwiched between two fpdc, it looks like this:

The placement for the instructions "dc in the first space between fpdc and dc" (italics mine) looks like this:

Notice that the fpdc is immediately to the right of the stitch, and that there is another space in between the previous row's dc and next fpdc. You skip over that second space and go immediately into the following fpdc, leaving a small "hole" (which looks less "hole-y" and more "lacy" when the hat is completed), like this:

Here's a better shot of described "hole":

The "hole" makes it look a little uneven and unbalanced, but it's okay, because that's how it's supposed to look, and what will, in the end, create the spiral effect of the finished object. : )

In the line of directions that reads: "2 dc in the first space between fpdc and dc" (again, italics mine), you are using the exact same technique as the previous row, you're just giving your lonesome, solitary double crochet a friend. : )

The same goes for the "3 dc in the first space between fpdc and dc" and the "4 dc in the first space between fpdc and dc":

As you can see, you simply skip over all the double crochets in the previous row. The only place you put the stitches (aside from the fpdc's) is immediately after said fpdc and before the previous row's grouping of normal dc's. The "hole" that this leaves is what pulls the next fpdc to the side, creating the spiral effect.

I had noticed that one or two people actually made their hats spiral in the opposite direction, and tried something out to see if it produced the same effect, and sure enough, it did! If you group your double crochets on the other side of the section, so that it goes "fpdc, hole, dcs, fpdc," then the spiral will go in the other direction.

I hope that these pictures were helpful! If you have any other questions about it, let me know and I'll try my best to explain it! : )



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