Flapper Hat

I've started the flapper hat. What a fun knit! I hope to have a progress shot this weekend. Actually, I hope to have it completed this weekend. It's a belated holiday gift that I really need to finish, block, and get in the mail. Monday night was the monthly meeting for my son's preschool co-op and I meant to bring my knitting, but I was in a hurry when I left and completely forgot. Oh well -- it might have seemed rude to knit during the meeting. I never quite know what the etiquette is with knitting at gatherings. It seems like a benign activity, but I can see how it would also be perceived as being rude.

January is usually a slow month for me, but not this year. It's passing by so quickly. We've had unusually warm weather that is tricking me into thinking it's March (this is supposed to change on Thursday when the temps will dip down into the mid-twenties for a high). I'm doing a bit of a purge around the house, including cleaning out the pantry, wiping down the inside of the refrigerator (still to-do), cleaning out old stuff in the bathroom, and so on. I'm also doing a bit of a clothing purge, giving away all those pieces I've picked up over the past year that aren't quite right and thus always get passed up for something a bit more me. I was reading the archives at The Glass Doorknob and I love Shari's series about clothing (scroll down). I remember always having a love affair clothes. As a child I loved watching the period movies to take in all the amazing costuming. I had one girlfriend, Mandy, who shared my love of clothes and I remember spending many hours with her drawing up fashions, usually '80s-inspired, jewel-toned gowns with lots of poofs and ruffles. I remember discovering Esprit clothes in sixth grade--an age when clothes started to really get noticed in my peer group. In high school I dabbled in the gothic look and then abandoned this in college for a sloppy, somewhat androgynous appearance. (This was also when I discovered thrift store shopping, which is, to this day, one of my favorite past-times.)

These days my look is pretty basic. Jeans, fitted t-shirts, fleece, sweaters, and comfort shoes (Keens, Campers, or Dansko clogs, usually). I'd love to dress with more flare, but I live on two acres in a rural, agricultural community (where everyone is extremely casual) and my work-at-home job means I rarely leave the house. I console myself with the reminder that dream wardrobe probably wouldn't withstand my kid's messiness all that well. That said, I wouldn't mind trading in my favorite jeans and clunky clogs for some beautiful vintage pieces, a few just-below-the-knee skirts, and some feminine slip-ons more often than not.

Last night I had my hair cut--my first cut since mid-October. It was long overdue. I'm growing my hair out from a very short cut and I'm learning these maintenance cuts are so, so important. I hate to sound cliche, but I feel like a new woman.

I hope to post again this weekend with progress photos on the hat. Hope you're having a good week!