FO: Rex

Thanksgiving weekend knitting, part one. I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. Ours was pretty low key, which in turn allowed me to be a surprisingly efficient knitter this weekend. I casted on... and binded off (!) not one, but two gift knits! First up, this fab beanie:

Rex
Pattern: Turn A Square by Jared Flood
Yarn: Cascade 220 Wool in 9475 (Sage) and Noro Kureyon in 178 - less than one skein of each
Needles: US6 and US7

This hat was much more fun to knit than your standard beanie, due to the fun striping from the Noro and the square-turning part at the crown. (We already know I'm easily amused.) I think this is an awesome guy hat. It's subdued enough so as to not freak out pattern-shy boys, but has a little something fun going on with the stripes. I knit this for my brother-in-law, and I would definitely knit it again. Especially now that I know how quickly I can crank one out! I might shorten the hat next time, depending on the intended head, but that's the only modification I can think of. I can see this knit in a ton of different yarns. Go knit one - it's fun!

Totally unrelated, but worthy of mentioning: today is the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Millions of people around the world have died from HIV/AIDS and millions more are living with it today. I would like to take a moment to remember Pat, a very close friend of mine who passed away ten years ago. Pat was a talented artist and graphic designer, a soft-spoken and gentle spirit, and a caring friend. He always made me feel special and loved, and the void he left in my life will never be filled. For Pat and so many other friends and family members who we've lost or who continue to fight, we must never stop working toward increasing awareness and finding a cure for this devastating disease.