Drumroll please….
The Hot Water Bottle Cozy’s new name is:
Bottleneck Avenger Who’sKnit (BAWK).
Thanks go out to all who helped, especially the Grammar Avenger Who Knits (GAWK), Cari.
The problem, as I told Mopsie, is the damn name of the item that goes inside the cozy (or cosy a La Brainy): Hot water bottle. Could it be a little more utilitarian, please? And if you go to Longs and ask the employees where they carry the hot water bottles, nine times out of ten you get blank stares. “You mean like a thermos?” Where did they grow up? What did their mother give them at night when they were cold? Oh. Central heating. Besides that, I mean.
I won’t attempt to rename the item (although this should happen). But hey, make a BAWK, make someone happy. (Me! The person who gets it will be happy, too, though.) I’ll be happy to email you the pattern.
Knitting Question:
This is Beth’s Boxy sweater (no relation to sister Bethany). Headless, as I had a cold that day, too.
I don’t wear it, as it turned out a little TOO boxy, too wide around. Can I just machine sew the sides closer in and cut out the excess? It’s wool, so the ends will felt a little upon washing…. Why does this sound so simple in my head? Because it sounds so easy, it must be wrong. Will I eff it up terribly if I do this? Help!
And look! I spy a finished Wave-Along! This is from Joan in Reno, and isn’t the model beautiful?
Now I’m off to have a day. I will write today, I pinky swear. I’m getting a cold, so the Tomorrow Goblin is telling me I should just knit and eat the dark-chocolate-covered cherries I bought yesterday, but no. I’ll walk to the coffee-shop and write. And then I have a surprise birthday party tonight for a co-worker’s wife, which should be fun, so I have to chase this cold away. Lots of tea and vitamin C for me. It’s only threatening right now, and my goal is to vaporize it before it grabs me (that makes it sound like a bad horror movie) (but is there a good horror movie?) (enough parentheses).
I know you were generously sending the pattern for the FAB BAWK awhile back, is it too late to plead for one??
You didn’t mention the chocolate-covered cherries in your comments on my blog. Such a perfect complement to pajamas and P&P, don’t you think?
BAWK. I love it. I just realized how weird it is that I grew up in a very cold place and yet I’ve never used a hot water bottle. Not even for, you know, (whisper) cramps. Weird.
don’t forget the echinacea!
I never used one either, and I grew up in a pretty cold area. We used an electric heating pad for cramps, and piled on the down comforters for sleeping.
But now that I’ve seen that cute BAWK, I kinda want one!
Take Cold Snap, dearie (you can get it at your local health food emporium). It will restore your righteous chi. (That’s what it says on the package, true story and the sh*t works. Feel better.
So that’s why I’ve been happy these past few weeks: I’ve been BAWKing! (How long can we keep the AWK going, ladies?) The hot water bottle was big in my house, though it never helped cramps for me. But I loved it at the foot of the bed in winter. O, Canada! 🙂
See I’ve never actually seen a hot water bottle in the flesh (or would you say rubber?). I have, however, heard of them so how could those employees be so dense?
I came up with another one to substitute for the unromantic “hot water bottle” — “Vessel of Aquatic Therapy.” Which of course could be shortened to the ridiculously unsexy word “vat”.
So let’s see … then you would be making a BAWK to cover your VAT.
Lots of green tea, and lots of wasabi peas usually does it for me. When I’m really feeling sick, an entire carton of grapefruit juice too. (Not with the peas, of course!) Feel better!
*Is* there a good horror movie??? Have you seen Ginger Snaps, girl? It’s Canadian, but it was pretty successful, I think. If you can’t find it, let me know and I’ll send you a copy. You can’t miss this movie. 🙂
Mmm… chocolate covered cherries… helluva way to arm your tomorrow demon! 😉
the shawls is just wonderful!!
Greetings
Eve
Hope you are feeling better. Absolutely you can cut n’paste your too-wide sweater. If the sweater is drop-shoulder, take off the sleeves first. Figure out very carefully how much needs to come off each seam, then machine stitch (there will be four stitch lines, 2 on each side). Cut. Trim off excess, then mattress stitch back together just outside the machine stitch lines. I did this exact thing on a Dale sweater that I didn’t get gauge on, and it worked fabulous. Good luck!
Bonne Marie over at ChicKnits http://www.chicknits.com/rambles.shtml has done that with a sweater. She wrote about it in the last couple of weeks.
Knit hot water bottle cover = great gift for my mom. Still shelling out the pattern? I’d love it too if you’re still in the generous mood. Thanks!
Kira to the rescue. Remember when you did the sewn steeks? This is the same, except instead of cutting between 2 pieces, you’ll be cutting out what you don’t want. I’ve done this on straps that have lengthened after wearing and made my top a little too peek-a-boo. Let me know if you want help fitting your sweater.