Monday, December 17, 2007

An Impromptu FO: Newsboy Cap

"Dear Parents,
Second graders are studying immigration to America through Ellis Island. The second grade team will help to bring alive the Ellis Island experience for your child. On Tuesday, there will be a mock Ellis Island set up in the multi-purpose room. Each child will be assigned the role of an immigrant from the early 1900s. Please dress your child in clothing resembling that of the early 1900s immigrants..."
I love notes like this. They rank right up there with, "Please send in 40 cupcakes for our class party tomorrow" and "Your child has head lice." But, hey, I'm an accommodating sort (ha!), so I dug through the closets looking for something--anything--that might sort of work. Shirt? Check. Vest? Check. Cap? Uh...nope.

Not to worry.

Pattern: Berroco KAP (free pattern here)

Size: One size, for adult women. (My children have huge heads. The hat is a little big for me, but fits my seven-year-old just fine.)

Material: less than one 100 gram skein of Malabrigo Chunky. I don't know the name of the colorway, but it is chocolate brown with flecks of orange, green, blue, and yellow.

Needles: Size 10 bamboo circular (the cap is knitted flat and seamed together, though, so straights would be fine).

The pattern is kind of weird. I'm not at all sure I like the whole stack-of-pancakes look. But as a little boy's old-fashioned cap, it looks pretty cute. And it only took about three hours from start to finish! Oddly enough, my incredibly picky son actually likes it, despite how he looks in the picture. In his defense, he has a cold and wasn't all that excited about posing for me.

13 comments:

...Sarah said...

That is impressive!

Anonymous said...

Moms are incredible. They can make a costume from the bits of lint in the corners of the guest room. Good work!

dale-harriet said...

Oh, I haven't looked at the pattern yet, but I think the only thing I've ever knitted in three hours might be...oh, I dunno - a bookmark? I love imaginative school exercises like that! We have an Immigration exhibit at our Museum and I do a little role-playing there with our 4th grade tours ("Imagine that you're all my children...whose turn is it to do the dishes? {laughter}" But I then describe our packing, travelling on the boat, &c. They "get it" when I talk about leaving behind friends, relatives, and pets. Kudos to your teaching team (and to YOU! wonderful cap..now I'm going to look at that pattern.

The A.D.D. Knitter said...

I can't believe you just whipped that out like that, your immigrant is so adorable!!!

MelissaKnits said...

Yet another reason I home schooled...

Kim said...

Wow, you are amazing! Your son looks so cute and immigranty.

Tammy said...

You've really got it going on! Knitting is so much better than baking cupcakes too!

Anonymous said...

Imagine what you could have produced if they gave you a weeks warning.
The cap is great.

Senja said...

Oh I love that hat! I think I might have to check it out for my 7 year old and see if he likes it too. Wow talk about quick thinking and knitting! You could have taken your sons picture in black and white and we wouldn't be able to tell what era he was from.

knottykitty said...

Your son's costume and the hat look great! He's so cute---looks like you snatched him right out of a time machine! :) You are certainly the Mom that does it all!

BTW, when sending such a note from school, are they just assuming that all parents will automatically know what the dress of the early 1900's looks like? Geez. Do they at least give out references for the research project that may have to ensue? :p

Sharon said...

What a fabulous mom you are. The look is so authentic, the child could pass for an extra from the movie "Gangs of New York". He will be the envy of the classroom in that cap!

I can barely use a sewing machine, but when my daughter was in 4th grade I made her a "Laura Ingalls" type costume for Pioneer Day. Right down to the bonnet and muslin apron. The dress's seams held together almost the entire day...lol

Angelika said...

Yeah, those notes are great. Gotta love them and suck it up for the childs sake, I know. Nice job on the hat and if he likes it, even better. So it's not just a thing he wears once.

Faith said...

OMG this gave me serious giggle spasms. Good job!