Hermione and me

I am enjoying making the tiny baby hats, to donate at some unspecified future point to some hospital in the area, for preemies. It has, however, brought to mind Hermione's knitting of horrible, ugly hats for house elves in the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. What was that, book 2 and 3, when she was on her house-elf freedom kick? I'm wondering if that theme will show up in book 7. And worse yet, Hermione's hats were unwanted by the recipients. Shudder!

I shall have to find some good pink or purple yarn to improve my outlook. Color therapy.

I am inspired by TiaJudy's pattern and other discussions of short-row sectioned garter stitch hats. I'm trying one in straight garter stitch. I'm trying one with a stockinette stitch band, rather than a cable. That one may work well if worn "inside out" - as if one can tell with garter stitch - and the edge folded up, which is exactly how the stockinette stitch section prefers to lay.

I am liking this better than my earlier ribbed watch hats. Those are perfectly respectable and useful items, but I am liking this option, too.

Speaking of house elves and other hopeless causes, our foster kittens will be returned to the Oregon Humane Society today. The mama cat, Precious, and three smaller kittens, Linus, Lamb, and Love, will be spayed/neutered on Friday and should be available for adoption on Saturday. They are delightful and beautiful cats. I always feel a little fear for them, as I have no further control over their lives. I hope that our fraidy cat, Love, gets a calm and preferably adult home where she can hide out for the next two weeks without being chased down and having a relationship forced on her. I hope that their new families will love them as much as I do. (That's usually what happens.)

One reason why we needed to return the foster cats to OHS is because we're going to take Dad & MaryAnn's cat, Baby, for their long european vacation. Cats are, in general, not big fans of vacation tours. So, the guest cat room belongs to Baby, not to the endless string of OHS guests, at least for the next month.

I am very much like Hermione, I think. We share a love of academics, male student friends who were perhaps not quite as bright as we were, a strong sense of right and wrong, and a sincere affection for following the rules. That, and sometimes non-beautiful hair.