Friday, February 26, 2010

Batty for Hats and Hooks vs. Needles












I am just so crazy about the knitted hats and sweaters directly above by Megan a.k.a. Megipupu from Finland. She is just so talented, has a huge international following, and sells out of stock in her Etsy shop faster than you can click "commit to buy." Literally. Bunny models the green set I was able to get second-hand on Plastic Paradise. Yes, it has come to this. Blythe clothing is a hot commodity in tiny, virtual re-sale shops.

I like to crochet hats, like the fuzzy lavender one Alice is wearing. I added the store-bought felted wool flower for a jaunty look. But my hats are always sort of big and floppy as opposed to detailed and tight like Megan's. I knew I'd have to take up knitting if I wanted to achieve that look.

The mint green hat on Barbie is still crochet, but I started working with finer yarn and smaller hooks after seeing Theo's Momoko hats, boots and mittens at our recent Blythe meet. This pattern is from Crochet Today! magazine, January-February 2010, and was adapted from a 1964 pattern for Barbie.

But beyond the reduction in size, I have also started a knitting class and have my second session this weekend. I learned to knit once, the same time I learned to crochet, early in college, and haven't knitted since. At the first class it was clear I remembered nothing. And, learning to use two hands and two needles and moving the yarn with one's dominant hand is a lot different than one hook, one hand, and using one's other hand primarily. I felt like a duck out of water, but I'm enjoying our homework so far. We'll see what creations develop.



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