FOs of the old year

Late December saw the finishing of the two sweaters I started while in Houston, i.e. Beth (which I call Beta, according to Icelandic naming conventions):



and the Bubble Pullover:



I'm very happy with how both of these turned out. The very deep V-neck (or neck opening, I should just say) on Beth was a concern, though, it makes the sweater look like it's too big and creates these pretty ugly bulges where the sleeves meet the body. I fixed it using a... erm... næla... a brooch (I guess) to hold the nech opening together.

This brooch started life as a decoration on a pin used by some Bolivian chola (indigenous lady living in the city) to keep her shawls from slipping off her shoulders. I bought it during one of my trips to Bolivia and had it converted to a brooch when I came back to Ithaca. I love it and am happy to have found such good use for it.

Also, I made my boyfriend Shan a Koolhaas hat:



(modeled on your's truly, who is at home sick with her nose stuffed and bones aching. ARG!!)