Pumpkin Hats

Last year I sold a lot of pumpkin hats so this year I have decided to get started early and get a few in stock ready for when people start thinking about Halloween.  I have had real trouble finding a good orange yarn so have had to settle with Double Knit and knit with two strands, a bit fiddly at first but I'm really pleased with the outcome.

No soggy bottoms here

As usual I have been pretty much glued to The Great British Bake Off again this year, and Mr Man has watched it as well.  After a busy few weeks I had zero energy on Sunday so instead of me making lunch and attempting a pumpkin pie Mr Man stepped up to the plate and cooked up a storm in the kitchen.  It was his first attempt at pastry and it was nicer than mine, and no soggy bottom in sight.

I'd never had pumpkin pie before so don't know whether it tastes authentic or anything but it was strangely nice with a drizzle of cream.

After the pumpkin pie we had a bit of apple bobbing which both children loved, although I'm not sure catching apples by biting the stalk is really allowed!!

Knitted pumpkins great and small

I happened to walk past Miss E when she was playing in her toy kitchen and spotted a tiny little pumpkin I had knitted a few years back when I was having a phase of knitting play food.  I managed to "borrow" it from here when she had whirled off into another game.  Don't you think it makes the perfect companion to my baby hat?

The pattern is from here I think, although there are loads of free pumpkin toy patterns about online.  I haven't a clue what yarn I used, I have a feeling the orange is pure wool and the green cashmerino but it was knitted when Mr T was a baby so who knows!!

Batty Bats

An old photo today I'm afraid but thought I'd post about bats as we have a nightly batty visitor flying around our house when the children are in bed.  I love bats, as does Mr T so Halloween last year I knitted up a  bat for playing and general Halloweeny decoration.  The children decided there was no way it was just going to hang around looking good so it became a permanent toy .  Of course with two children one bat isn't enough so one became two, and then I knitted one for a lovely friend as well.  I can't say it was my fave project to knit as it was a bit fiddly and required a fair bit of sewing up but the end results are definitely worth it.

As you can perhaps tell from this picture they have tubey feet that you can use to hang them from and their wings close up with a little button for when they have had enough of flying about and want to roost.  The pattern is here .  I had planned on knitting a whole rainbow of bats but after I had done the grey ones I had moved on to Christmas knitting.

The batty yarn came from Great British Yarns, Knitpicks Wool of the Andes.