We interrupt our program ...

... to bring you this special announcement:

Somebody told me that you had a boyfriend, that looked like a girlfriend that I had in February of last year.

Huh? Makes you think. Sorry, that song was on the radio when I got out of the car this morning and I can't get it out of my head.

Thanks to everyone for your kind, ego-boosting comments about my mittens. And L-B, I'll bring them tonight - thanks for the offer to help with the I-cord.

Now - on to our regularly scheduled program:

MY KINGDOM FOR A HAT

All I wanted to do was knit a nice, plain, keep-his-head-and-ears-warm hat for my brother, to say thanks for fixing my brakes in the freezing cold when he should have been doing his own brakes. I just wanted to knit him a hat. That's all. Nothing fancy. I wanted to knit this plain, not fancy, keep-him-warm hat using Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Oxford Grey (or is it Gray?).

I.can't.find.a.stinking.pattern.I.like. Or should I say I can't find a stinking pattern that I can DO.

Now bear in mind, I know how to knit hats. I probably knit a dozen or so hats in the last year. Hats are one of the main things I knit for chemo patients. None of these particular hat patterns are what I wanted for my brother's hat.

I've tried the ChicKnits Shaker Rib Hat more times than I can count. I will admit, each time I've cast on, I've gotten further into the pattern. Then - I screw up. Ugh! I love the look of this hat and it will work for my plain, not fancy brother. But for some reason, I just can't get it right. After yet another futile attempt last night, I heard the voices loud and clear: Put.the.pattern.down. Walk away from the pattern. So I did.

Now, I am in search of a pattern. Any ideas?