We Interrupt This Sock...

To bring you this hat. Yes, you heard me. A hat. Let me explain.

Every Thursday night for the past year or so, we Southloop SnB'ers have gathered at a nearby coffee bar. And for just about every one of those Thursday nights, we have been wonderfully tended to by our favorite barista, Brendan. On the night of our group's first anniversary, Brendan casually remarked, "You guys come here every week to knit, but I've yet to see a hat or gloves or anything for me! And we've been together for a year. Where's the love?"

"OK. So what colors do you like?"

"Oh, anything. As long as it's black."

"Will a charcoal grey skater boy hat do?"

Affirmative. So mote it be. And I knit up a hat in alpaca: double-stranded stockinette stitch with garter stitch ridges every 10 rows and a hemmed edge. One week later (after a quick bath and a 15-minute stint with a blow dryer), I gave him his anniversary gift. A bit large for his smallish head, but he really seemed to like it. Even if he didn't and he was only being kind, at least he can't say we never gave him anything!

Meanwhile, back at the Olympic Knitting Village, preparations are underway for the upcoming lace-and-bead knitting competition. Heartstrings' Beaded Lace Scarf II pattern? Check. Three skeins of KnitPicks' Alpaca Cloud in the Iris colorway? Check. Two-thousand matte purple beads? Check. Size 13 steel crochet hook? Check, check!

Originally, I was going to pre-string the beads, but when Debi sent me this tutorial, I became convinced that the hook was the way to go.

I also need to give a special shout-out to my other beading coach, Grumperina. Without her invaluable input, I wouldn't have even known what sizes to buy or where to begin with this whole process.

Now begins the mental training mantra: *I think I can. I think I can.* Repeat from * to * until beaded scarf is complete. And for God's sake, DON'T get clever and change the pattern along the way!