two out of three ain't bad

Alice has been wearing contact lenses for while now, and hates the fact that she doesn't have great eyesight. But I often tell her that as she has amazing, thick, wavy hair and beautiful teeth which have never needed any sorting out, she should be pretty pleased to have a score of two out of three when it comes to genetically determined assets.

This two out of three rule works for the Tom and Phoebe, too. But before I start thinking I've stumbled upon some great new genetic theory, I should point out that it doesn't apply to everyone. Some of us have to be content with one or one-and-a-half out of three these days.

So it's ironic that Alice suits hats, and she often wears one as a fashion statement, but never to keep warm (because that would be uncool). She asked me if I would knit her a hat, but of course it has to be just right - colour, shape, texture - and I found just what we were looking for on Kim Hargreaves' site. This is Robin and I made it in 'Redwood' using the KH kit, but without the pom-pom because on the day I finished it, Alice wanted to wear it immediately, and somehow the pom-pom was never made.

Anyway, I like it without the bobble, and am so delighted that she wears it that I am happy with one out of two. At last, I am learning to compromise.

Comments

[Sue]

I wish I was a hat person. I did buy one this winter as it's so windy up on this hill, but it was no fashion statement and I was certainly no model!!!

Alice's looks fantastic and I'm sure it looks just as good from any angle. Some of us have to be content with one out of three - but we can live with that!!

[dutte]

Oh you've changed your template!I love 'the bittersweet lime and the holy red'! [ok, I'm probably wrong with the tints] Like an authoress I greatly admire once said, 'each colour sets up, supports and enhances the other' so nicely. ;)

To others visiting this page: does the red pop out of the screen more than the green though? It does for me. Apparently this may be a sign of colour-blindness, or insensitivity or something to do with the eyes.

[Florence]

What a completely wonderful hat - it is the perfect shape - well chosen. I am an appalling knitter....but my mother-in-law is rather fantastic...so this may find it's way onto a birthday list! Thank you for the link! x

[carole davis]

hi jane..
yes two out of three is wonderful... love the gorgeous hat.... brighton weather in london theses last two days...while everyone is out on the slopes , half term in north london(my daughter included) london is a paradise to walk through..it is the time to enjoy what we all have ....

[Julie Rappe]

Dear Jane,

I have been reading your blog since October, turned on to it by a fellow blogger, knitter and friend. I came on board just as your book was hitting bookstores. I immediately went to amazon.uk and ordered a copy. I had no intention of waiting until it was published in the U.S.!

I took my time over it, really savoring it. Each page was a treat, and I learned so much. I really do feel artisticly deprived here in Colorado. Our one and only art museum is rather deplorable in comparison. A month and many laughs later, I closed the book. I was rather sad it was over. Thank you for your blog, your book, and making me feel proud of my love of the gentle arts. My next blog entry is about you, and your book. I haven't published it yet, (blogger is having technical difficulties), but I wanted to make sure it was ok to quote you. I have several quotes from the book in my blog, all credited to you and with links to your blog and amazon.com for the book. Is this ok? I don't want to do anything wrong, but I do want to share you with my family and friends.

From an admirer and kindred spirit, Julie Rappe

[Cindy]

The hat is beautiful without the pom-pom. Nice colour too.. And yes 2 out of 3 is great!

[Janice]

I dream of the day one of my kids asks me to knit them something. At 7 and 10, one girl, one boy, they are a little bemused when I present them with one of my creations - particularly as I have recently discovered sock knitting. I like the reassurance of two out of three and one out of two though. I just need to get one of them hooked.

[Jessica]

Just tell her not to worry about needing to wear contacts. She could always get the crazy lenses that look like the 8 ball, or purple or something. That will up the coolness :)

[Angie]

What a cute hat - I wish we could see how she looks in it from the front. And how fun for you to have someone to create for! Thank you for sharing.

Look - It's an Etsy: www.glitterme.etsy.com

[lucykate crafts]

sweet hat!, my daughter has poor eyesight too, but is too young to wear contacts yet, but she also has a squint and is having to do a couple of hours of patching a day. in fact, i've spent this evening making her a new patch out of felt, the other one i made seems to have mysteriously gone missing (i suspect she's hidden it!!)

[Layla]

A real railway children hat. Wonderful.

[catherine]

Alice's hat is gorgeous! I am unfortunately not a hat person, no matter how much I keep wanting to be. I knitted a beret for myself last year and it looks so much better on my girls than it does on me. Lucy used to wear a tam-o-shanter as part of her school uniform, now sadly superseded by a more-traditional broad-brimmed felt hat. She would love this.
ps 2 out of 3 is pretty good, and with contacts, she looks like a 3!

[Laurie]

This is so lovely....I love everything over here on your gorgeous blog! Laurie~

[Nadia Lewis]

Love the beret!

[Sherry]

I wish you were my mother!

[Georgia]

I love that hat and wanted something like that for myself, but couldn't find a pattern. I ended up combining a few patterns and making it just how I wanted- a cross between a beret and a Tam o shanter (love that word, it's so Beatrix Potter). I do worry at times that it looks a little like Bill Oddie's hat in the Ancient Art of Ecky Thump episode of the goodies, but I love it. I think sometimes we do have to settle for 2 out of 3.

[herhimnbryn]

A lovely hat!
Your daughter looks like 'Bobby' from 'The Railway Children'.

[kirsty mitchell]

that hat is beautiful. i'm a hat person too, i might make one. i keep getting inspired by that french cartoon madeleine, to knit a yellow beret. i'm noow a two out of three person too. keen eyesight and thick hair, but at the weekend i broke my front teeth which were formerly pretty good. nobody's perfect is a pretty good way of looking at the secnario, in all honesty, and this entry made me feel a little better. and a little more like i need a not-to-keep-warm hat.

[irene]

I've got 2 out of three - two PERFECT children, but husband sadly passed away 9 years ago - so perhaps I was sent the two perfect children as a consolation.
As to Kirsty's front teeth - I broke one of mine on a baguette from the most expensive boulangerie here in Oxford, the day before I had to give 3 talks at a conference. The dentist did a running repair and I had to live on yoghurt for the week. Still, the crown is wonderful - haven't tried another of those baguettes though.

[danielle]

the joke in our family is that my mother (5 feet tall [152 cm], grandmother 4 feet 10 inches tall [148? cm]) married my father because he was tall (6 feet [183 cm]), had good eyes, and naturally curly hair. She wanted to give her future off-spring a chance.

Did it work? I'm 5 feet (4 feet 10 inches by some measures), have horrible eyesight, and my hair is as straight as a door.

So much for the genetic lottery! :-)

[Ella]

It reminds me of "The Railway Children" one of my favourite childhood books and movies( the original of course)
Looking forward to the new book!

[contactlenzen bestellen]

did you had succes with your contact lenses. Maybe you have to look at www.onlinecontactlenses.nl

[Sherry]

I loved this hat so much that I just bought it. Hopefully it will turn out as nice as yours, but I will add the pom-pon because I love the whimsy of it.