It is the grandchildren.  Is there any knitting more joyful and insidious than knitting for grandchildren?  If so, don't tell me about it!  I have about as much knitting in my life as I can handle, at present, thank you very much.

It is the knitted letters.  Of course, knitting Gwen a G (she is 5 yrs. old and loves G!) was obvious.  And Max's M was just as imperative.  Owen is just starting school — so he definitely needs an O (in construction vehicle colors).  And I could not leave Evelyn out — although, at not yet a year old, she is indifferent to letters. Now, with little Colette due to be born in just 3 weeks — and her name officially decided upon (celebrated with painted wooden letters on the wall of the room she will be sharing with Owen) — well, the letter C is next on the list.

It is the baby clothes.  Shopping with Sonja, I picked out two little newborn outfits fot Colette (altho she is blessed with lots of hand-me-downs from Gwen and Ev….) and there was a cute little black crocheted hat — but, naturally, the knitter in me recoiled at the tought of buying a schmackish acrylic crocheted hat.  I will knit a hat from yarn I have at home! I declared!  One that will go with both outfits!

And so I trolled the Stash for black and gray yarn (having decided against including navy as the hat would have looked just like the St. Charles uniforms the girls wore for years!).  And I started the little hat (Garter Stitch Cloche from Knitting For Baby by Melanie Falick and Krisitin Nicholas).  I showed the hat — in process — to Sonja and told her I was thinking of knitting a little gray mohair flower as an accent.  And she — having strong opinions about such matters — asked to look at some pictures online.  And the next thing you know, we are scrolling through Ravelry….and before the morning is up, I am assigned 2 additional hats (in bright colors — as all the newborn baby hats that have trickled down to her are either pastel or dark) and 2 pair of Mary Jane style booties!  Rosettes and buttons are the approved hat accents.