Friday Favorites 1/28: Shiny & New

So...it's sort of been awhile since I've highlighted any knitting on Friday Favorites.  And last week I wasn't able to post and by the time I thought about it, it was Sunday night.  But I'm back this week.  And next week I hope to show some of my newer favorite knit items.  :)  So to my knitterly friends, hang in there!

My Friday Favorites have sort of been all over the place - which I like.  I've shared knitting, yarn (an extension of knitting), movies, toys, Etsy, StoryPeople, favorite moments, favorite projects, and so on.  Today is no exception to that which is my wandering mind!

My favorite of the week (and probably last weekend and the next few weeks to come) is our new van!  I've been driving a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix SE since I was a junior in college.  The car was 4 years old when I got it, and was 11 when we traded it in.  It was time for a new car.  We were lucky that we got any money when we traded it in.

Our new van is a 2003 Ford Windstar SEL.  Now, you may be thinking - 2003?  That's not much newer than your old car.  And you're right.  It's not.  But it's in such good condition!  Apparently the couple who owned it before us was older and spent a lot of time in Florida.  This van has never seen an Iowa winter because it was always down South or it was parked in a garage.  It only has 72,000 miles on it and it's the top-of-the-line model from that time.  So, before they stopped making the Windstar, this was as good as it got.  

(This isn't our van, but it looks EXACTLY like this.)

We got really lucky in that a lot of things fell into place at the right time.  We had money for a down payment, we were able to trade in my car, it was in such great condition, it was first van we looked at, etc. etc. 


This van has a media center (currently a VCR - eventually we'll upgrade to a DVD player), which X loves!  And yes, we even have VHS tapes to play.  So I think we'll be listening to a lot of older Disney movies while we travel!  There are leather seats and double sliding doors.  Lots of little features that I never had in my car.  


I could go on and on but I think you all get the picture.  This is a major upgrade for us.  It's a vehicle both J & I enjoy driving, and is a much safer alternative than what I had before. 


So before I continue to gush, I'll leave you with a Happy Weekend!  


What are your favorites from the week?

Who Knew?

Business is moving right along in the Etsy shop.  Just when I think things have slowed down a little, I get another order.  Which is great!  A recent customer asked me if I'd be willing to do a different kind of custom order for her.  She had already purchased an interchangeable needle case.  What she wanted next was a notions case.

Do any of you have an overwhelming amount of knitting notions?  I know my collection is quickly growing.  A lot of times, one little pocket isn't near enough for all our "stuff."

What this woman asked for was a case similar to the needle case, except she wanted it to be a case of pockets and pouches.  I knew in some form or another, this was doable.  What I didn't know, was whether or not I could figure out a way to construct the case and make it mimic what I wanted it to be.

My needle cases come with one zippered pocket on the inside front cover.  It's a fairly sizeable pocket, and in my opinion, a good use of space.  For her, though, she needed more.

I just finished her case on Tuesday and I LOVE how it turned out.  The inside front and back covers each have a zippered pocket similar to the needle cases.

But the middle "pages" are more like zippered pouches and pockets!  This took time figuring it out.  I had a concept in my head, then I wrote it out on paper, then I went to execute the plan.

I'm not afraid to say that I encountered a few stumbling blocks, but by taking a break (as well as a few deep breaths), thinking it over, and coming back when I was ready to tackle the project again, I found success!

On this case, I made the strap/closure 6" long instead of 4."  This allows for the pockets to be fairly full, but the case to still be closed up neatly.  I also added 2 buttonholes to the strap.

This isn't an item I will regularly post in my shop, but I may have to make one for myself.  It seems pretty handy!  And if someone were to request one, I wouldn't turn them down. :)

WIP Wednesday 1/26

I think I'm going to have to come up with a button or something for WIP Wednesdays and Friday Favorites.  Then I'd at least have a picture to post at the top of the blog, even if I don't have any project pictures to share.

Which is sort of what's happened with today's WIP Wednesday.  I have no pictures.  At least not new ones.  I could take a few pictures and show you what's on the needles, but it's strikingly familiar to the last time I shared my knitting.

Mom's bag is blocking.  I haven't decided what to do about the gusset...do I block it as well as the sides?  I like the elasticity that the unblocked strip gives, I feel like blocking it will create that "floppy" looks some of the projects on Ravelry have.  I want the edges and lines to be crisp and clean, including the gusset.  Which means, I may have to undo the bound of edge, rip back and make sure it's knit long enough for the blocked sides.  I meant to take a picture of the sides all pinned, but I forgot.

Since last week I finished a hat, so there's nothing to tell there - it's already finished!

I do have a new project waiting to be finished (for the swap, not for me).  It's the Apple Washcloth.  I need do the crocheted edging, and make the leaf & stem.  Easy, right? :)

My goal by the end of the weekend this week is to have Mom's bag sewn together, finish up the swap knits, and get back to J's gloves.  They've sat for far too long without any attention!!

I must stay, I'm so glad the week is moving quickly.  It's Wednesday already, which means we're halfway to the weekend!  I don't usually try to rush things, but I don't feel particularly rested from last weekend and can use some quiet time on the couch! :) 

A Few Tricks of the Trade

I had some ideas for today's post, but then upon reading a friend's blog, I changed my mind.

You all know how I excited I was about the "comment replies" addition to my blog.  I know, I blew your minds with that awesomeness, right? :)  I think part of the magic of blogs is learning new tips and tricks from those around us who are good at being creative.

I've tried for the last few months to really be creative and fun with my photography.   It's fun to spice things up and take wacky photos or use weird angles, etc.  What I struggle with the most, though, is how to get good photos of moving objects, like X.  (Knitting is easy - it sits still and just lets me do my thing!)

I don't have a photo box I can sit X in, and I don't have a house big enough for a photo studio.  But thanks to Sarah, from In Light of the Truth, I have a few new tricks I'd like to try.

Sarah explains how she just uses different color bedsheets, positioned over her television and against the wall to achieve a "background" look, and one of her newest tricks - using fun wrapping paper!

Sarah's photography is awesome.  She's always sharing pictures of her kids and the world viewed through her eyes.  I'm envious of her skills! :)

Anyway - hop on over to Sarah's blog and check out her tips.  It's fun to learn new things and can bring such an element of creativity to our work! :)

I Joined Another One

I had told myself recently that I was going to take it easy on myself for a little while and try to get some WIPs/UFOs finished on my knitting.  Aside from having way too many of those to think about, the month of January and February are busy ones for me, for many reasons.  So with all that in mind, I had planned to sit out the next Itty Bitty Swap.

But that darn Mel, she makes it so hard to resist.  And before I knew it I had agreed to participate in the next swap.  Apparently I have no will power when it comes to these things!  This swap is called "Let's Start at the Beginning" and has a theme.  Any of you not in the swap know what that might imply?  It's an alphabet themed swap!  A is for Apple is also an appropriate way to think of this swap.  There are 3 mandatory knit projects, but all very small.  There is also a 4th project for you to come up with that has to do with apples.  The knits include the Apple Hat, the Apple Washcloth and the apple puppet from Finger Foods.  Out of these three, the finger puppet will take me the longest.  I've already made the apple once for my own puppet collection (or rather, X's collection).  All patterns by the lovely Susan. :)

I've already found a few goodies for the swap, and I have an idea for a couple more things I'd like to include.  I need to make a run to a Target or Kmart or something (and hopefully can find what I'm looking for - I don't know what "season" apple stuff is sold during - or if it's all the time...).

I've already finished most of the hat.  I just need to sew on the leaf.  That went really fast.  Next up will probably be the washcloth - I've got the yarn in mind for this project.  I haven't decided what I'll use for the apple puppet yet.  I'd like to do something a little different, but I need to consult my stash first.  I'd really like to do this all from stash if possible.  The trouble is that I don't usually keep a lot of red on hand.  I have more in the blues and purples.  I'll figure something out. :)

And don't worry - I haven't forgotten about Mom's Brea Bag in the process.  Actually, the pieces are ready to be blocked - which I think I will do tonight.  After that's done, I can piece it together and then it will technically be finished.  Officially, I won't consider it finished until Mom & I line it.  But I'll save any more news on that for Wednesday.

Comment Replies

So I just found the coolest thing - okay, maybe it's just me who thinks it's cool.  But I'm so excited about it I have to share!!

Have any of you with a blog (or have commented on a blog) wanted to reply to someone's comment, but haven't figured out a good way to do so? 

I was reading my friend Lucy's blog.  She has the option to "reply to comment" on her blog.  I asked her how she got it there - but was too impatient to wait for her to answer (our days aren't the same since she lives in China).

I googled how to add this function to my comments and came up with a website.  At Spice Up Your Blog, they will walk you through the process to adding this function to your blog. 

I don't know that using this function actually notifies the original commenter of a follow-up comment (unless they've asked to be notified of follow-up comments), but at least when they come back to read, or when someone else is reading the comments, you can see the replies. 

I love reading comments that my readers leave.  And I love leaving comments for others on their blogs.  What can I say?  Now I'm super-duper excited!  :) 

And hooray that tomorrow is Friday!  I'm home today because I'm not feeling well, but I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a good day and that I can get a lot done!

WIP Wednesday 1/19

Instead of showing you any knitting today, I'm going to share with you some of my sewing for WIP Wednesday.  These are, after all, WIPs.

I really like to sew.  In fact, if I had had a working sewing machine at the time, I may have been less motivated to teach myself to knit.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, whichever way you want to look at it), I don't get the chance to do it nearly enough because I always feel rather consumed by knitting.  I think that came out sounding negative - but I mean it in a very positive way.  I'm so...addicted to knitting, it's hard to pull myself away.  Which means there is a long list of things I'd like to make, but haven't gotten around to yet. 

First of all, last year I joined in on the 30 Day Sewing Challenge that Janelle over at Pretty Little Knit Stitches started.  This really got the ball rolling on me sewing again.  This lead me to creating a needle case for myself, and eventually opening my Etsy shop where I sell needle cases.  Although I'm sewing the same case each time, it's nice to stay connected with that hobby.  And occasionally, I do take the time to work on other things.  I do have to mention that I have sold 14 cases to date!  I find that pretty awesome. :) 

A couple days ago I sat down to work on My First Quilt.  All that's left is to finish quilting it, and then finish the binding.  And the binding on this quilt will just be the backing folded over to the front.  Easy peasy!  

I didn't know exactly how much quilting was left, but I soon figured it out!  I don't know WHY I chose this pattern on my first quilt.  I guess I had more time back then to just sit and work on it all day.  This will take me a while to finish up.  

Do you see the quilted pattern in the fabric?  It's sort of reminiscent of a fleur-de-lis (or an ear of corn...lol) in the corners.  I don't know if that's the look I was going for, or if I just thought it looked neat.  Now I can tell you that they're sort of a pain in the behind!

The other project that's been running around my head lately is the crochet hook case I've been working on.  I was going to share a picture, but I changed my mind.  The theory & concept are right, the execution was poor. Some modifications should make it much better.  We'll see.  

What do you have in the works or on the needles?

Live Healthy Iowa

I think most of you who frequent my blog aren't from Iowa, so this may not be familiar to you.  Live Healthy Iowa is a 100 day wellness challenge that is geared towards, well, living healthy.  The idea is that you sign up as a team (2-10 people) and work towards weight or activity goals.  Teams can enter the weight loss division, or the minutes of activity division, or both.  Then, as a group, you encourage one another to be active and make healthier choices in your life.

This challenge starts on Thursday, January 20 and will run for 100 days.  I wasn't going to participate, but a friend at school asked me to join their team, and I decided to accept.  I've been wanting to get in shape for awhile, which includes not only exercising, but eating healthier and being more conscious of my choices.  This is a great way to hold me accountable to that.  There are others counting on me to participate, so I'm less likely to pass up exercising or making better choices.

I'm excited to see where this will lead me and where I'll stand at the end of the 100 days.  My goal is to participate in the Minutes of Activity Division.  I think this will be less stressful and more attainable as a goal.

And I thought telling you all about it, and then updating you occasionally on how it's going would be a great way for me track my progress.  I think this will be especially nice during the winter months, as it is so hard to want to be active when it's cold and dreary outside and all you want to do is curl up on the couch and watch a movie and eat chocolate!!    I've got the EA Active for Wii and Zumba for the Xbox 360 Kinect - at least to get me started.

Wish me luck everyone!!

Lamb from Scratch

At the beginning of last week, I was feeling a bit scattered and run-down.  I had all these projects I wanted and needed to complete (both sewing and knitting), but I had no desire or energy to work on any of them.  As I mentioned last week, a friend suggested I try a small project to get my knitting mojo back.  I had just the pattern in mind.

A little while ago, one of my favorite designers, Susan B. Anderson (I know, you've heard a lot about her from me), designed a lamb pattern made from her very own handspun wool.  The lamb was so cute and it was so neat that Susan got to use her own yarn.  I've been wanting to learn to spin.  But that's another story for another time.

Originally, Susan named the pattern Lambspun, but had to go back and change it because apparently Lambspun is actually the name of a fiber arts company.  So it is now called Lamb from Scratch.  This name fits as well!

Back before Christmas my mom & I went to a local farm who had posted fliers about an open house they were holding.  We hadn't been to this place before and thought it would be interesting to check out. At the time, we didn't realize it was someone's farm.  The woman holding the open house had a building full of looms and fiber crafts.  It was obvious that weaving was her thing - seriously - she had several HUGE looms.  But she also had some nice handspun yarn.  That's what I was most interested in.  So I picked up and put down several hanks of yarn, in varying colors.  After putting them all back, we walked around a bit and when we made our way back to the beginning, I picked out 2 hanks - one lovely brown & cream, the other dyed purples and blues and pinks - with just the right amount of sparkles.  We decided this one would be neat for my sister.  I haven't yet decided what I'll make from that skein.  Out of the entire lot, the brown & cream skein I purchased was the softest - which surprised me because most of the other fiber she had available was a bit coarse.  

There were other items available for purchase, but....let's just say they weren't quite our style, and some of them things we could easily do ourselves. What I did take from the open house (aside from the yarn) was that if I ever was interested in learning to spin, here was someone who could teach me.  It's good to have those resources available.

Okay - so back to my quick project.  The brown & cream yarn I purchased would be perfect for this pattern.  The minute I saw the pattern on Susan's blog, I knew what I'd make it with. I purchased the pattern fairly quickly and then set it aside as holiday knitting took over.

Now, here I am, recuperating from the holidays and I've been able to pick it back up again.

I finished this little lamb in only a couple days.  It could be done in a day if you have the time.  I had most of the body finished in just a couple hours.  It was actually the little pieces that took me the longest.

I stuffed his body with fiberfill and poly-pellets.  I used the toe of a sock for the pellets, as mentioned way back when by another friend.  This worked well.

When I finished him up and embroidered the face, I was anxious to get photos.  So after munchkin was in bed, I threw on my scarf and coat, pulled on my winter boots and some fingerless mitts, and trudged out in the backyard through the snow for a late-night photo shoot.  I kinda like how they turned out.

I did get some photos in the daylight, and they're good too - but it was neat to play around with the camera at night.

Now, I'm feeling as though I've actually accomplished something.  I've almost completed all the knitting for Mom's bag, and once that's done, I'll move on to J's gloves. :)

Hooray for instant gratification!

Friday Favorites 1/14: Etsy Kick

I've been on an Etsy kick lately.  I swear, that site is so addicting!!  I start out just checking my own shop, looking to see if I have any new orders, feedback or convos.  But I quickly get sucked in.  I can't help it.  Most days I have to stop and check my favorite shops for anything new.  Even if I know it's unlikely there will be something new, I can't stop myself. 

It used to be worse - checking out all the new handmade items...but I fixed that a little.  Instead of letting my bookmark for Etsy lead to the front page where all the fresh, awesome goodies are posted and there are treasuries to look through, my bookmark takes me straight to my own shop.  I've seen everything in there, a gazillion times - I don't need to look through them again.  Yes, I tweek things now and then, but that's not necessary every day.

So what is today's Friday Favorites about then?  Obviously Etsy.  Obviously.  There are so many different sides to the website though - but okay - I won't get into all that now. Today I'm going to tell you about a few of my favorite shops.  Awhile back I shared a few favorite items. 

Remember this?

Yep, my mom was so tricky and sly and awesome - she went and bought it for me (for Christmas) the day I posted about it.  You can imagine my surprise when I opened the box.  I LOVE this necklace and wear it as often as possible.  The stone is very neutral and matches everything. 

(Yes, yes, okay.  I'll move on - I could literally talk all day about how much I love this necklace.  It's probably one of -if not the best gift of the season.)

So this provides a great segway into the shops - starting with:

nova of sweden

 Laguna Agate Climbing Roses

Ocean Jasper Raindrops

Photos by novaofsweden

Tess has some awesome jewelry listed in her shop.  She's the artist who designed and created my necklace.  I can't wait to see her next shop update.  I've really got a thing for her style right now. I love bold jewelry - she does it well!

Shellamie Jewelry

 Lapis Lazuli & Sapphire Angel Pendant

 Rose Quartz Tree of Life Bracelet

Turquoise Pendant

Photos by Shellamie

Hmm...it looks like I may only be sharing jewelry today - that's most of what I've recently selected as favorites...

Shellamie has a unique spin on her jewelry - delicately wrapped stones...I think I've faved at least half of the items in her shop.  Her Tree of Life design is beautiful.  Feminine and lovely.

Jewelry by Susanna Segerholm

 Lapis Spoon Bangle

Spoon Pearl Ring

Photos by SusannaSegerholm

Have any of you ever admired the design and intricacy of silver spoon handles?  Maybe you've never given them much thought before. Susanna has.  The above ring and bracelet are two of my favorite items in her shop.  They are made from spoon handles and I love them. :)

Maybe next time I share a few things from Etsy I'll branch out a bit and show you something other than jewelry.  I make no promises!

Happy Friday, Readers!

Disclaimer: I have not received any kind of compensation for mentioning these Etsy items, I just really like them. :) 

WIP Wednesday 1/12: Holding Myself Accountable

Would you mind terribly if today's post was extra long?  I'm feeling the need this week to hold myself accountable.  During and after the holidays I did a really good job of staying on task and working on things.  Then, last week I didn't do much of anything.  I couldn't get motivated and every time I went to start something, I'd just sit instead.  Not very productive!

After some great advice from friends, I decided to give myself a break from the growing list of WIPs and other crafting and work on something small, which would provide instant gratification and help get my knitting mojo back up and running!

I didn't finish my new project last night (surprise, surprise!), but I got quite far and it did just what I needed it to do.  Stay tuned in the next week or so to learn what that project is. :)

Today's WIP Wednesday is going to be a whole host of pictures of the current WIPs on my needles.  I took out all my project bags last night and had a mini photo shoot.  Some projects just needed a fresh face on my project page.  Not all of these things are what I'm currently focusing on, but will all be finished before I start another major project.

First is the update on my mom's Brea Bag.  It's coming along swimmingly.  See?  I've got 1 side all finished and about halfway through the other side.  It kind of looks like a lumpy mess here, but trust me, there is great progress there.

I can hardly contain my excitement when I think how wonderful the earthy, textured look of the Shelter will contrast to soft, refined, silky lining. :)  That will be a great juxtaposition.

Next, I thought you all deserved to see photos of A's Morgan.  It doesn't look like much right now - in fact - this WIP is probably the most deflating because in it's current state it sort of looks like I went wrong somewhere. (I'm blindly hoping it's all as it's supposed to be, it just needs the time put in to finish it!).  But you can sort of see the shape of the hat and the potential that it has to be great.

Some updated photos of J's new gloves.  I mentioned before I was thinking of ripping back and now I know I am. Just looking at it I know that those wrists are far too skinny and that I can do decreases in a better way. Won't this color be great, though?

Then there are my "fruits of labor."  This was a summer/fall project that got put on the back burner for other things.  Do you see?  I have 3 of the 4 fruits complete.  It's actually quite a fast project, I'm just slow at the moment.  All I have left are the bunch of grapes.

The next project is Bathrobe by Debbie Bliss.  This is for Little Man.  I've been wanting a nice bathrobe for him for quite some time.  Then I decided I'd make him one.  I should have purchased a nice cozy towel and sewn him one - it would have been quicker!  But I couldn't resist this pattern when I saw it. The baby in the book looked so adorable!  A friend and I agree that when it's finished, it will sort of look like a boxer's robe! :)  I'm at the point in this pattern where I'm a bit confused and need to sit down and really work it.  I'd better get on with it, though!  This is sized for 24 months and X is almost 2!

See my lonely Sinful Ribbed Scarf?  This poor knit has been on my needles since January 31, 2010.  That's far, far too long!  Although, I love pulling this out when I need easy, mindless knitting.  I'm on the last ball of yarn, though.  So when that's gone, it's finished!  And this yarn is so, so cozy!!

And last, but certainly not least, is my Traveling Woman shawl.  I love this yarn and I love this pattern.  This was started in March 2010 on my way home from visiting my sister.  Everything you see in front of you was done on the car ride home.  Then I got home and life got busy and I haven't been able to pick it back up again.  I'm actually done w/ all the stockinette and have started the lace portion.  That's really the fun part!

I hope you all have enjoyed this picture-filled peak into my very large knitting bag.  I have to get these under control or they will take over my house!

What's on your needles?

Christmas Knitting: C's Scarf

As I've mentioned before, most of my knitting is gift knitting.  Sometimes for swaps, sometimes for birthdays or baby showers, sometimes informal "just because" gifting.   And then there's the formal gifting of Christmas.  Last year I made C a hat, the Modern Rib Hat, to be precise.  It was made out of gold and black for the Hawkeyes as they are his favorite.

I thought about another hat, but wanted to do something different.  So this year, he was gifted a scarf.

C got a new coat this year.  A terrific navy pea coat.  I decided that the best thing for his new coat would be a lightweight scarf that could be dressy when needed, but casual enough it could be worn anytime.  Enter Cerus Scarf.  As I perused the patterns on Ravelry, I just wasn't finding anything I was happy with, there didn't seem to be a pattern that fit the needs of C.  I didn't want anything bulky or too heavy.  This quickly eliminated any ribbing action in the scarf, in my opinion.  I also didn't want it too long because he doesn't normally wear scarves and I didn't want it to be a hassle when worn.

I saw this pattern in the list, and after looking at several finished objects, I decided this was it.

If done properly, the stitch pattern gave the scarf a wonderful woven look that was simple and classic.  In addition, this scarf was a little different because the scarf was knit from one long end to the other.  I hoped this would make the knitting go faster.

(Please excuse the lighting, I took the pictures at night - there's really no substitute for great natural lighting!! - Pictures outside are more true in color.)

I also liked that I could use a variegated yarn without getting wonky pooling or funny patches of color.  I like variegated yarn, when used in the right places.  Again, the linen stitch did wonders for the colors.

After admiring a few Raveler's scarves, I chose Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend Multis in Adobe for this project.  The navy paired with the creams and grays seemed perfect when matching C's coat.

At this point, I would like to mention that I worked on this scarf for about a month.  The first 2 1/2 weeks were only on this scarf and nothing else.  I knew scarves could take a long time to knit.  Shoot, I still have my very first scarf on the needles, and although it's getting closer to the finish line, it's time consuming and a bit redundant.  So I was having a hard time knitting and knitting and knitting on this scarf.  Would I knit it again?  Absolutely!

I meant to wait and share this post after I'd taken pictures of the recipient wearing it, but I keep forgetting to get over to their house in good light.  Maybe tonight...  And once I do get pictures, I'll just have to write a 2nd time about this scarf! :)

One tip if any of you out there are interested in this gem....when binding off the edge, be sure to do so loosely.  I did mine a little too tight so the scarf doesn't lay completely straight, one edge has a natural curve to it.  The doesn't hinder the use any, but you know how we knitter's get...it's hard to look past things we'd like to change. :)

What did you knit for Christmas?

Christmas Knitting: J's New Winter Hat

I feel like I've actually shared more of my Christmas knitting than I actually have.  I have a lot of the posts already written, but I'm waiting for pictures or finishing touches.  Do many of you do that?  Store up posts ahead of time?  I'm finding it a nice way to be on top of things, and helps me to post more regularly.

Anyway, my next project doesn't need a terrible lot of information because I just shared the same pattern with you a few days ago.  I made a decision this year that every year I'll knit J a new hat.  At some point, I may actually be ahead of the game and surprise him with a hat before he asks for one, or before we even talk about it.  Sometimes he may get a say in what it's like and other times not.  This year it was a mix of both.  His hat from last year is great, but I wanted to make something for him since so much of my knitting is for others.  And hats work well for him because he shaves his head - making winter that much colder!

I originally picked Windschief as a pattern for J, not A.  He wanted a dense knit fabric, and we'd discussed lining it.  A ribbed hat presented a couple problems because you want the stretch of the hat, but don't usually see that when the hat's not on someone's head.  Mostly stockinette stitch with a twisted rib brim and a twisted rib section - shouldn't be too difficult to line. 

Again, I like how this hat lends itself to both sexes, but is masculine for J.  I knit this hat in Cascade Superwash 220 in Charcoal.  This hat isn't quite as dense as the Berroco hat.  

It fits J well, although I wish I would have knit it just a few rows longer before decreasing because the very bottom of his ears poke out just a bit.  I guess my head's not the same size as his! :) (Yes, I already knew that.)

X had to take the hat for a test drive after I finished the knitting.  He's started to enjoy wearing hats again.  For awhile, he's complain and throw the hat on the ground.  Most of the time he'll keep one on outside. 

I lined the hat with sweater fleece.  J picked it out.  It's pretty soft and the color matches the yarn beautifully.  I'm not 100% satisfied with how I lined it, but J is happy and says it's warm. That's what counts.  

And after seeing X in Daddy's hat, I'm considering sizing it down a bit and making one for him! :)