Hats again! For June and beyond

I've let the blanket hibernate briefly, primarily because I can't decide if I want to include my green hemp yarn (Elann.com's Canapone, Green Tea). Since I only have 3 balls of this yarn, which is a bit thicker than my natural-colored hemp weaving yarn, I'm sure it won't be enough for the entire blanket... it was just supposed to be for a scarf. So.. the design challenge is how to incorporate the green hemp yarn, considering that I've started Strip 2 which, as I blogged earlier, is actually two strips (now called panels) knitted in one piece. If I decide to include the hemp yarn, for some color, I'll have to frog Strip 2 (I've got about 2-3 inches down).

So... I went back to hats, just hats, until I make up my mind about Strip 2 and the green hemp. The hats focus is kinda against my aim to knit from my stash and to just buy earth-friendly yarns, because for hats, the best yarn so far to use is acrylic, even if I have some wool yarn, and I have to buy more yarn for this project, since I don't have that enough acrylic for hats.

I would knit hats for Pinoys here in the Philippines who can use a beanie. For me, I'd probably use one when I go out in the rain, so my head remains protected when I have to open and close my umbrella... i guess those who work in air-conditioned offices, a beanie could be handy. And I promised to knit hats for some folks abroad too... that has to be a priority since next thing you know, time to send to abroad in a few months!

I'd probably use the wool yarn for hats I'd knit for charity, such as those for Mongolia or Afghanistan, since they specify wool for their projects, as it warms the best. But charity projects are now lain aside.

I was supposed to have a tarot client yesterday at 5:30 pm, in Megamall, when she asked me to move it to an hour or so later. I agreed, and decided to kill time not by going to the grocery as I had planned, but went to my favorite source of cheap acrylic yarn, Carolina's Lace Shoppe... and I was happy to find myself the only one there perusing the yarns. This is important since Carolina's is rather tightly-packed with all sorts of sewing stuff, and the yarns are tucked in a corner near the lace section...not conducive for choosing yarns leisurely, since people come and go around you, you have to keep moving about.

But last night, aha, I was all alone, and the other yarn shopper beside me was able to quickly come and go... I used up about half an hour just choosing various yarn combinations.

So... I've added to my stash, and not earth-friendly stuff at all. Guilt aside... I'm excited! In fact, I goofed off this afternoon and browsed for more hat patterns, happy to discover that over a few months, when I had last searched for hat patterns that are knit from the top-down, there weren't many choices. Today I think I added about four to five new patterns that were uploaded within the past few months! What a great response by the Universe, since I had forsworn knitting from the bottom up (well, maybe if I get bored with the top-down style).

Someday I'll post the links to all the top-down patterns. They're now all safely stored in my PC, ready for printout when I finish my "real" work (yeah...anyway, I just have about 10 to 12 items to do tonight).