The Hairy Knitter

Closeup of the first 1.5 inches of a ribbed cap knit in rich orange tones

The first 1.5 inches of a ribbed cap knit in rich orange tones

The first 1.5 inches of a ribbed cap knit in rich orange tones

The first 1.5 inches of a ribbed cap knit in rich orange tones

This Käänteinen cap - a public project I can post while knitting a gift I can’t - is coming along nicely. These are the first 1.5 of 9 inches in k3p2 ribbing. So far the variegated yarn has no color repeats or pooling.

#KaanteinenCap #MenWhoKnit #GayKnitter #RealMenKnit #DoublePointedNeedles #DPNs

San Juan County WA interisland ferry

San Juan County WA interisland ferry

San Juan County WA interisland ferry

San Juan County WA interisland ferry

San Juan County WA interisland ferry

San Juan County WA interisland ferry

Knitting on the San Juan County WA interisland ferry

Knitting on the San Juan County WA interisland ferry

A calm and peaceful place to knit that's not a fluorescent-lit interior room.

#FerryKnitting #PlacesYouCanKnit #IslandLife #IGetToLiveHere #MyIslandLife

Knitting on the San Juan County WA interisland ferry

San Juan County WA interisland ferry

San Juan County WA interisland ferry

Friday Harbor landing

Thursday was cool, overcast, and drizzling, a perfect day for knitting cozy aboard the interisland ferry. Shades of green and gray. Water, land, and sky. Photos through rain-streaked windows, reflections like invading spacecraft.

For Santa? 🎅🏻

The very beginning of knitting a ribbed cap - 180 stitches of Island Fibers fingering weight yarn on 2.25 mm DPNs.

The very beginning of knitting a ribbed cap - 180 stitches of Island Fibers fingering weight yarn on 2.25 mm DPNs.

Here I go again. 180 stitches of Island Fibers fingering weight yarn on 2.25 mm DPNs in k3p2 ribbing. Nine inches to go before crown decreases! 😜 All so I have knitting to post that’s not the gift I’m making.

#KaanteinenCap #MenWhoKnit #GuysWhoKnit #GayKnitter #RealMenKnit #DoublePointedNeedles

He couldn’t live on his own and returned to homophobic parents who would only tell family and friends that he had cancer.

They’d be dead now, too. Maybe I’m the only one who remembers my friend. Don’t tell me that World AIDS Day was yesterday. I miss him today.

New Year’s Eve. My friend’s health was worse. I was determined that he wouldn’t be alone. Two friends and I gathered hats and horns and went to his apartment. I brought sparkling apple juice. We shared a toast, wore the hats, and blew the horns. I gave my friend a careful hug. It was the last one.

World AIDS Day
1 December 2025

For those who died
For those who lived
For those who
survived and thrived
For the young, still terrified of that first virus test

We fight for life

Now, you may have heard the meme that begins, “If someone makes you something out of yarn, they like you” and it continues “If they make it out of black yarn, they love you.”

[pan to yarn]

That’s a whole lot of love.

#BlackYarn #Knitworthy #MenWhoKnit #GuysWhoKnit #GayKnitter #RealMenKnit

Hello… I decided at the last minute to knit a gift for someone who is very special to me. Of course I didn’t have the yarn I wanted, so I placed an order and crossed my fingers because it wasn’t scheduled to arrive until Wednesday. It got here yesterday (!) and I’m going to cast on this afternoon.

Standing with all four feet together. What composure 🙂

Photo of yours truly with a long-ish white-ish fluffy beard, oval rimless eyeglasses, and a Santa hat he knit for himself roughly 15 years ago, smiling a little smile that crinkles the skin around his eyes a bit

Today, this Santa is a happy man.

Admiring this pottery Orcas vase by Devon Morris (IG: @DevonMorris). He displayed it in his booth at the Island Artisans Holiday Market, and I succumbed to its charm. The hash marks sold it. Beautiful work, Devon!

#HolidayMarket #IslandArtisansHolidayMarket #MyIslandLife #IslandLife #IGetToLiveHere

Thank you ☺️ It certainly looks good on you!

In conclusion, here are 15 seconds panning across the very brightly lit market floor.

#HolidayMarket #IslandArtisansHolidayMarket #MyIslandLife #IslandLife #IGetToLiveHere

Hal's Mystical Makings. Is this not the most wickedly Dickensian thing? And gorgeous fused-glass earrings from Living Large Small that obviously go together without being the exact same size, shape, and colors.

Island Artisans Holiday Market

I look forward to this market all year. Somehow I spent a couple hours admiring artisans’ work, asking what they love about it, and chatting with more people than I realized I know here. Where did this friendly person come from? 😋

I bought another potions bottle from

I will post more about that, but I won’t be saying “never again” again.

#KäänteinenCap #KaanteinenCap #NeverAgain #MenWhoKnit #GuysWhoKnit #GayKnitter #RealMenKnit #BeardedKnitter

Clearly “never again” hasn’t happened yet, and I’m kind of leaning into the idea that I can knit as many hats as I like to wear for whatever mood I’m in, which is good because I’m going to start another in hand-dyed wool from Island Fibers. They’re on Lopez Island here in Washington State.

Well, it wasn’t that long until I knit one from Crazy Zauberball. Still love it, still fun to wear. Never again. And… not too long after that, I knit one in red. And after that, one in black. I stopped saying “never again,” and this year I knit a scrappy version.

Rocky movies.

So, it was fun to do. It kept me busy, which I think was part of the point, but when I finished I said “never again.” In fact, I said it out loud. To actual people. But not long after that, I knit two more as gifts for friends because * gifts * and said “never again.”

Hello… Four years ago, I knit a reversible ribbed cap. The pattern is free on Ravelry, and the designer named it with the Finnish word for “reverse” or “reversible.” I’m not going to butcher it here, but she said it reminded her of the ribbed cap that Sylvester Stallone wore as Rocky Balboa in the

How to choose from Christopher Moore’s work? I‘d be as glad for Lamb or Fool to come to life. 🤔

November sunset at Jackson Beach on San Juan Island WA.

November sunset above Griffin Bay at Jackson Beach on San Juan Island WA.

November sunset sky reflecting into Griffin Bay along Jackson Beach on San Juan Island WA.

Yesterday was a good day, so I took advantage of a break in the clouds to walk to Jackson Beach for sunset. I wouldn’t say sunset was spectacular, but the sky and beach were lovely.

#IslandLife #MyIslandLife #IGetToLiveHere

November sunset at Jackson Beach on San Juan Island WA.

November sunset above Griffin Bay at Jackson Beach on San Juan Island WA.

November sunset sky reflecting into Griffin Bay along Jackson Beach on San Juan Island WA.

Yesterday was a good day, so I took advantage of a break in the clouds to walk to Jackson Beach for sunset. I wouldn’t say sunset was spectacular, but the sky and beach were lovely.

#IslandLife #MyIslandLife #IGetToLiveHere

A bloom on my white Christmas cactus, seen from below, lit from above.

My white Christmas cactus have begun blooming. I hope to find a yellow one some day. How many more colors are there? In any case, flowers make me happy.

#Houseplants #Schlumbergera #Flowers

I’ve been reading posts about people’s “customer service voice” and other professional voices. Now I wonder whether I have knitter voice. I think I used to have tech writer voice.

“There are always going to be people who want to make less of you. Believe in yourself. Love who you love. Build the career you’re imagining. It will be hard. Travel. And tell David anyway.”