Christmas Knitting (or C's Woe Is Me and the Koolhaas Solution)

Just before Christmas, C was feeling left out of the big knit fest — convinced that nobody would ever make anything for her. I had recently made two pairs of socks: one for myself and another pair for my MIL. I had also started the Urban Aran Cardigan for J, which was intended as a Christmas present but then got sidelined while I completed some smaller projects... including 3 Koolhaas hats for gifts. Little did C know, I was working on a pair of legwarmers for her after she went to bed each night.


Pattern: My own.
Started: December 12, 2007
Completed: December 24, 2007
Materials: Moda Dea Sassy Stripes (2 skeins)
Needles: US 1 / 2.25 mm

She loves them, and they keep her legs very warm when she rides the scooter with me.

Of course, because of all C's loud moaning and gnashing of teeth, her dad promised to make her a hat. I had recently taught him how to knit, and he had just finished his very first knitting project. Here is his Vivace Scarf:


Great job, no? It's a basic seed-stitch pattern in Ty Dy cotton.

I had recently finished one of Brooklyntweed's Koolhaas hats for him for Christmas, and I had been urging him to consider tackling one himself. I believe knitters need to be fearless. There are only a limited number of stitches and stitch techniques, so what better pattern to teach him cables on than a hat that's loaded with them? He took the challenge and decided that, for his second knitting project ever, he would make C a Koolhaas. It is with great pride that I present C's Great Poppin' Koolhaas, made by her dad:


What's with the name, you ask? I had modified the pattern for smaller-circumference heads. Before we blocked it, the hat kept popping off C's head! She looked like this a lot:



Blocking took care of the problem, so no more poppin'! I don't know about you, but I'm thoroughly impressed with this hat — doubly so because it's only his second project!

So C landed two hand-knit Christmas presents. And J enjoyed knitting the Koolhaas so much, he made one for me, too!


My husband rocks!