I Adopted a Thing and I Finished a Thing

If you know me from Instagram, you’ve probably seen the oversized puppy we’ve adopted.  I can’t help but take photos of her because she’s often in my face.  I’ll post about her later, because I think taking a stray into your home is wonderful and metaphoric and rewarding.  It deserves it’s own post.  It also deserves more than 30% of my brain power, which is about all you’re getting here.  Sorry, guys.

I will say this much-  transitioning a 2 year old lab mix, who acts suspiciously like a year old lab, that has never been in a home and takes the direct path everywhere, even if it means flying over the leather armchair and the person it’s holding, is tough.  And yes, it’s infinitely worth it.

First it was just the basics of house training, then it was babysitting and introducing cats that kept me from my usual creative pursuits.  No photo taking, no knitting, no hair brushing.  I was at my absolute best the morning she got out of our fence and I was searching for her in my pajamas.

My knitting for the Summer Sweater Knit-along was at a stand-still.  My knitting for the Box o Sox KAL and Indie Designers KAL was barely happening.  And my work on a couple of languishing works-in-progress for the Graveyard Knit-along will probably not go much faster.  But, but, but…..

I finished a thing, guys!  It’s Annie Rowden‘s Earlyrising hat that I’ve been wanting to make since she released it.  And now, it’s finally mine!

This is a great cabled hat, but it’s somewhat chunkier than the classic cables I’d think of for a hat.  That’s what I like about it.  It’s really squishy.  It can be worn unfolded, for a slouchier fit, or with the brim rolled up for a skull cap kind of fit.  I like it both ways, but Ill probably block it a bit longer so I can really get a good fold there.  I’m actually surprised it fits so perfectly, since there was no way I was going to knit up a swatch with all of the crazy happening around me.  This was pure knitting therapy.

Details:  I used Gynx Yarn’s Merino Worsted in a OOAK colorway that’s pink with hints of blueish gray in there.  It’s a departure from my usual color choice and so I love it all the more.  I knit this using my size US 6 Karbonz for magic loop.  Believe me, you don’t want to be using double points with a big galoot trying to jump in your lap every few minutes.

This was the perfect project for hectic knitting and tv knitting and taking-a-break-from-sweater-woes knitting.  I feel refreshed and ready to get back to those cardigan sleeves, now that my extra skein has arrived in the mail.

Annie has lots of other beautiful patterns, but Pasture is the one I really, really want to knit next.

Guess what?  We’ve actually had several really chill days in a row.  I think she’s fully integrated.

(ravelry, kollabora, instagram, and flickr)

Terrible photo, but you try wearing a wool hat in the heat of summer with a big dog trying to lick your face.  If you want to know about this crazy dog, I’ll post her story, so far, tomorrow.