baby shower gift

my cousin is expecting her second child. her daughter is about 18 months, and for her i knit the tulip sweater. this time i wanted to do something different. i was undecided what route to take until i talked to her mom. it seems she was reluctant to have another shower so soon after having baby #1. i'm pretty firm on the notion that every baby needs their own celebration. a chance to be talked about, wished well, cooed and ahhhhed over.... all in the comfort of the womb. i was looking for something unique, and came apon the notion of themed baby hats.
his birthday is october, so what better to start with than the pumpkin...

this should get him through thanksgiving. so for the christmas holiday i needed something unique. i found a pattern for a reindeer antler hat. it looked charming! the perfect compliment to the season. the basic hat was a snap. then i started the antlers. i can't even begin to describe how much this $%^@*(# challenged me. the pattern was fine. the knitter? she stunk had issues. i decided to attach the antlers directly to the hat. first one? no problem. second one i completed two times.... and in a fit a temper snipped it off!

my family stood there dumbfounded! they've seen me execute some pretty creative fiber tricks.... but loping off an innocent antler was a first. i took several deep breaths..... walked away from the hat..... then started. again.

this time i fared better. they matched in size and placement. i was at peace. then i did the ears. four times.
these i did not hack off  need to remove so aggressively. there were only a few stitches, so it became a game of 'how many times am i going to do this wrong'

there was a huge sigh of relief when i  was done. as i basked in a job well done, my perseverance paying off..... i realized that those antler will be the first thing he chews on. and that's okay. they do look devine :)