Teeny....Weeny...Hats!

Merrrrry Christmas to all and to all a good.......hat? Yes! Santa is bringing "teeny weeny hats" (name that Muppet Movie from which I stole the quote for bonus points!) to some teeny weeny preemies this year, and I'm acting as elf. As in I'm makng them all but letting the fat man take credit. No wonder Hermie wanted to be a dentist! I kid, I kid. :)

But seriously - once my spontaneous Christmas quilt was finished my fingers were itching for something else to make. And just as spontaneously as the quilt came about - so did a plan to knit a preemie hat to include in each of my family members' gifts this year and then donate to the NICU in their name. Though it would be my preference, I know that switching to an only charity gifts system in my family would NOT go over  well. So I decided to play within the system and do a little of both. And I loved makeing these little guys - so quick and satisfying! I hope they add comfort to some sick little babies and their tired and worried families.

Who's The Leader of the Swap thats Made for You and Me?

Are you tired of the Secret Santa swap yet? Well, if you are - too bad! Because I'm writing about it again! You've seen what I got in the swap and now I'm going to show you what I gave. I learned that my swap partner is Elisabeth from Woozy Quilts. She is a crazy talented quilter AND a Disney fanatic AND someone who requested a knitted item in the swap. I'd say we're a match made in swap heaven. (I did knit two entire Kermit hats while waiting in lines at Disney World a couple years ago.) Elisabeth lives in California and frequently visits Disneyland. A little birdie told me that her favorite character is Minnie Mouse - and an idea for a hat was hatched.

Here is the final product - a mini mouse earflap hat with pom pom mouse ears on top. I've included two pics because the first one is inexplicably glowy - which I think is a cool effect, but which may be a little hard to see.

 

 

Elisabeth received the hat and loves it (I think!). Unfortunately, she has a nasty cat allergy and I have a bit of a cat infestation at my house (well, two cats may not be an infestation, but it sure feels like it sometimes). Sooooo she is working on figuring out how to clean the hat so that she can wear it without it making her sick. Bummer! But who knew we weren't allergen compatible? I have since researched to see if there is something I can do to eliminate this problem in the future for gifts and custom orders. Turns out that cat allergens are suuuuper sneaky and are transmitted through the hair, and saliva, and dander. So its not just a matter of lint rolling a hat to get rid of the hair. As I continue crafting and growing my business, this is an issue I'll have to explore and experiment with. I'm thinking we could encase the cats in their own plastic bubbles.  I think that plan would have the added benefit of making my house MUCH easier to clean!