Odds and Ends or Odd Hats?

This is the beginning of the first of several hats I'm knitting for the theater department.  The play this season is Still Life for Iris.  I'm not familiar with this particular play and I like to keep it that way until I actually get to see the play, so I can't tell you much about it.  This hat is for a character named Mr. Matternot.

I used two patterns from Anna Zilboorg's 45 Fine and Fanciful Hats - a book that I bought used, long after it was out of print, and paid extra for with great joy.  Anna's patterns are amazing and wonderful.  I now have several of her books (Knitting for Anarchists, Magnificent Mittens and Socks, Socks for Sandals and Clogs) and would love to have more!  (If you have any you'd like to part with, please let me know.)

 For the top of this hat, I used the pattern from one of the Toques - #5, I think.  I used the Egyptian pattern though and the Toque hats have smaller tops.  I just redesigned it in my Intwined software and went with it.  Both yarns used in the top are my own hand dyed yarns - the orange is koolaid dyes that I did with the girls quite a while ago.  The idea is to show just a little color on this character before he reveals his true self at the end of the play.

The sides are straight off one of the Egyptian hats - I don't recall which.  They are gray and black because the character is colorless until he remembers who he really is at the end.

The hat is charming on and I should be able to get a picture of the actor in costume on Monday or Tuesday.

 This cute little mouse is called Moses and the pattern was sold on Etsy (and I think on Ravelry too).  The end result is cute, but there are some serious mistakes in the pattern and that spoiled the fun of knitting it.  I was going to buy a copy of the pattern for Girl Far From Home, but the mistakes raise the difficulty rating and apparently won't be corrected so this pattern just goes in the I'm Done With It file.

On to some Gifts!

First, this is a Heart Scarf that Girl Far From Home made for me quite a while ago.  It needs to be blocked, and I plan to do that this afternoon while I block the hat, but I just had to show it off first.  I absolutely love it.  She made it at least a year ago but didn't feel like it was finished then.  She gave it to me when she was home last weekend because she found it while cleaning out her yarn and projects.  I am not sure what the gift was originally for, but since both my Birthday and Valentines Day are coming up, it's fine for either of those.  I'm going to wear it to knitting class on Monday! 

These are two gifts.  The pig on the left is one that Girl Far From Home knit at a knitting class she went to and brought home as a gift to me.  She's been knitting these little pigs like crazy - just loves the pattern.  I found the pattern and made a handful of little piggies for her too!  

The fish is more than just something she knit for me.  Actually, I knit it while I was on Skype with her.  She designed the fish and created the pattern herself!  It's amazingly cute and a quick and easy knit.  I've suggested that she publish the pattern - she can sell it on Ravelry.  

And I leave you with one more picture of Totoro and the Minion hanging out together . . . cuz they are cute!