We call this the "garbanzo beanie".

Meet my little brother's wee head as it sports what we call the "garbanzo beanie". Knit using Lion Brand* Wool-Ease Chunky, size 6mm's and 2/2 rib. He wanted something that really hugged his head in true beanie fashion, so I made it for a 21 inch head instead of a 22 inch head. That's right - my brother's got a size 22 inch head. I myself have a 21 inch head. My sister, for whom I knit a bucket hat, has a head the size of a child's. We are a family of wee heads.



Modeling the "Rocky Coach Hat".

Here we have my dad's "Rocky Coach Hat". He wanted something "black with a cuff and maybe with a pompom". My dad is built like a football player and for some reason, the pompom (which I have never seen him wear, EVER) just doesn't seem to be a part of his style. So I nixed the pompom and the hat, which I think looks a bit like a French fisherman's straight out of a Marcel Pagnol novel, was a hit with the pater familias. My little brother kindly models the hat for us, as my father was unavailable due to his being occupied with packing my suitcases in the Rover because I decided to take photos of the hat two minutes before my return flight in true Skinny Rabbit Procrastination Fashion. This hat was knit with Lion Brand Wool Ease, size 5mm needles and Ann Budd's Handy Book of Patterns as a guide. My brother sports a "vacation goatee" and hair gel by L'Oreal.

But that's not the end of my vacation knitting! We close this show with a pair of mittens and a mini version of the garbanzo beanie for the kid:



Below zero weather?
Let's go back to Grandma and Grandpa's!

In the shot above, the kid pretends to warm his hands before a fire, which would be a good idea as it is SNOWING here and below zero. Send hot chocolate.



Brown, blue and green stripes.

The hat and mittens were knit using Phildar's Pure Laine and size 3.5mm needles. The hat was knit freestyle without using any pattern at all. The mittens were knit using Ann Budd's Handy Book of Patterns as a guide, and while watching Life as a House which has got to be the biggest tearjerker ever, right up there with The Color Purple when Nellie and Celie finally meet at the end and Dead Poet's Society when Ethan Hawke stands up on the desk and calls out to Robin Williams "Oh Captain, my Captain!" Gets me every time.

P.S. There are no dancing shots of my brother wearing his garbanzo beanie, but here is a photo of him KNITTING one morning after breakfast. He is going to nail my bee-hind to the wall for publishing this photo of his grubby morning self, but I couldn't resist. (I taught him how to knit while I was over there, by the way. He caught on quickly and worked 3 inches of garter stitch in 20 mins!)

*This is the first time I've ever used Lion Brand yarn. I am now a convert, and to prove it, I cleaned out the Hobby Lobby of its selection of Kool Wool.