More finished objects... sigh!

I have some FOs to report. Some items that were lingering in the bottom of my move to the very satisfying FO column.

At last, prompted by pending Patty's day merriment, I came up with a use for the Material Whirled Handspun skein Lucky Charms that I bought a year ago. It was so fun and lovely I couldn’t choose the right pattern for it, but this winter I became enamored of the Cathy Carron’s book Hip Knit Hats. So I used one of those patterns to make a fun St. Patricks Day hat — note the horseshoe and shamrock pins, cufflinks and even a pot of gold woven in!

NOT A BRUIN HAT: I had started a hat with some navy Plymouth Baby Alpaca, and was using a Hip Knit Hats pattern for striping and using some gold kettle dyed yarn from Uruguay (handpaintedyarn.com) and I stopped because, Trojan that I am, I was really bugged that I was making a hat a Bruin would love. But my husband really needed a hat during our last cold snap and said – that looks cool, finish it. Once I finished it it really does not look like UCLA as much as I thought.


I finished a pair of socks in a scalloped lace pattern with Fleece Artist sock merino, in the Ivory colorway – my best socks yet though still mistakes. With these socks I tried a couple of new techniques: eye of partridge heel and star toe.

Still to be photographed:

I finished the Celtic Vest kit from Fleece Artist – now I need to block it – I’ve never blocked before but somehow I think this will be worth it – it is silk and wool so I believe it should block fine.
My felted clogs finally felted enough and I wear them often – there are still funky spots with my sewing so I need to give it another shot to see if I can make something that looks better (see a pattern here?)
I am one small ball away from finishing the Klee scarf kit from AL Sauveterre – my first cashmere knitting experience. It became a bit tedious – size 5 needles, 30 rib stitches for countless rows – but I really wanted something to show off when I go to Camp Cockamamie – the Blue Moon Fiber Arts camp in April in Orcas Island, with camp leaders Stephanie Pearl McPhee and Cat Bordhi.

I also called on the talents of some professional knitters to help me with a kit I purchased last fall. It's the Ilga Leja lace vest made with Handmaiden Lady Godiva. Christina did a fantastic job, I am so pleased - here is my attempt at a photo.

Two knitting questions: this Klee scarf had tons of yarn changes and I have a tremendous amount of end weaving to do. I had woven in some ends already and I can feel where I did it. Any advice on more invisible end weaving?

Re my Not-a-Bruin hat: striping in a spiral was not attractive – I definitely have a rear of the hat where you can see my row changes. Any advice on making that more professional looking?