...I've been spending some time in my secret workshop...AKA...the laundry room...er...um...
ironing...if you know what I mean...
Scout has a cousin serving in Afghanistan...and he wanted an ARMY Sweatshirt...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0NocjilVXKbiCbCW3gtn7AjBbsb1x-zgT6wKNPU2LyqkUroYGq9eRx3bQxPMYTWN6E7hbWts0RS2-x1wQS4D3IGT2jj7ryMUH38VrojmitbxWnx1vlzLtbeHKEFzBrT_PJgMtw/s400/100_7826.jpg)
...so I went online and downloaded a military font and printed out some big letters...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAD-Z8KRpE3AOlBKnxnyxsStmuzsHx5-rd2XW5dtOVM6vI4ATgVFmPAEh-mO6-FtJuMehhl38d5KJ-Z_LPq14_q3RIOpBnK8BQfh1BVJJXu_oUIAGE3Z8tqMgylXCg38juWQ8HkQ/s400/100_7828.jpg)
...acquired a generic grey hooded sweatshirt...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2ygiQQuKfzqscvhrk8ybcwEOePNrh_KYBoFrfRf_q3OR1XEDOai3gAWH5U7UuoFQq5ABdMsndfJ8kiPzXGjsQJNinLhx_TwcvI_UW68T61U1gaif2SbdXZZP9V7kl01JRSwwNA/s400/100_7829.jpg)
..carefully cut out the letters with an exacto knife - through the printed paper and the freezer paper - not difficult but the most time consuming part...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVgBHRv4T98qZru3DNNj3nMDAY3twMsc-e6WSByhyphenhyphenscYjtbKAqwpdzaUNNWuCKxC_cHW5eZNoDykscmfx8p8CzxDCyEXoIWaGJxPvlyVDbElJm8t-Kcd9DL00XUluGHLa295gcQ/s400/100_7830.jpg)
...Oooops - I should have put some space between the two sets of letters to allow for the zipper...so I just covered the zipper with a strip of freezer paper and then cut the template in half...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhGsupuWhxUEjQD8IWHoOuRpGKyi4FOfnwouQcImaWTiFv7OJtbmg2-KtpsPq4EBi6O9ITXqMi4xW7yB4VjEAqFMj5EMCzpouZ04goamUfcrYv5ZjCuOwcN7Bn094-33-l5h1qA/s400/100_7831.jpg)
...spounced on some bright yellow paint...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrn1EHaDAxkz_1WprXwoAIxQVhK4H6Dwi58f3r2bwG1xQXgqh803wVO-YUV0hyxl37BGhtmklS8SAY7cd39cLzk4gOJQRTnLaiI12dUJ8DWmSsbvir-xy5Dv5f8vQCa_HogU-jWA/s400/100_7832.jpg)
...let it dry - just to the touch - if you let it dry too much it makes it kinda hard to remove the paper...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWXPGlikFDuhDp_VkgLJoJTCHZK_11YAs2sVWgoHtLBNzOogKhHp0DyM_jWUuqs6LVKPVPEwbiDyjsirjfrSKdqiDJRuqhsmGTI85o2vTrpZJnbC5sv_dkfR4fqz0f1TP9VFolg/s400/100_7834.jpg)
...then peeled off the freezer paper - to reveal the perfect crisp letters...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZohHld06LExe9c0WwrhXV8Rc1sWu18_8L3RDMhey1IVc8_OIfVatag29Mf0R2AiJQtkmmLEpDz1ZwlodFJ51vJTKAiklrhz8rwejcvh0hJ-adTq8rvwmPOiwz4iFiSI1ND10pAQ/s400/100_7836.jpg)
..so, one little Mama-made present under the tree...
...somehow - between last winter and this one...Scout lost his gaiter...so he needed a new one...
...I just knit a tube over 80 stitches on size 10 needles...about 65 rows I think...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78sVsF7yeSLppJlakm0nwlOJ8C7C07_t8US9YKXfVoilDdCpUZyMMfrCMRkyUeugMD7ygh2vG8ZNoiQPMI_Xf42PiU9jagVELDDxMhyphenhyphenNJnUMm7H6MG1HrAgvFzH4TIiHknfLMuQ/s400/100_7837.jpg)
...I don't often mix sewing machine sewing and hand knits - but this gaiter would be too thin and breezy without a liner...so I stitched a tube of stretchy cotton (actually left over in the stash from the
Alien Costume - wow that was a long time ago - such a little guy) - to the end of the knitted tube - with right sides together...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3HcXb7XpbekutvuSu8unD_UyQ965-ElN936i05CHjP_fRmj6a-1-gPt1njGbEwpeUCRqn7MroTM2e4_oqCfQfoPtuPmDYApVY3YlcDn0IKGDY-fN4K3tFxBjbGK8S2rOdMNP-Q/s400/100_7838.jpg)
...then turned it back to the right side and stuffed it into the tube with the wrong sides together...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIV9An4We-Qq72jEj92i9LyZB8B9Or2kZRYquF59woYGOgq_TQs7_od5iM8Tkod4nooe79dFGkfpYZwuqtLRMWkdrQDDSoH_F36S2X-JnqtC0W-_W4gymUE8QFyFxfVrD6JIcWtw/s400/100_7839.jpg)
...and stitched around the bottom on the machine...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxmYKV2Uyy9Ptw-mz0UG9Te1wa5pR_5XGU6KSwt0wCKkYwrdiA5SaBJba4ZszR1sOY6RcpswXYLmc4t4CAoxRrVEt5BbSerZCiuFWHo5xFJSA8PYnrJOAAVk3fpeZWKES9Eo_-Q/s400/100_7840.jpg)
...it made a kind of neat rolled edge effect that I wasn't really expecting...but I like it...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr412d_8546oIqPpkpbSvP9HPbu7FJ12eLDg4DpHigXge8GSxqnGJjOLARdDRTPKWVK17yeRaX3Fe-u2ajvUxq7SjzIjxwhDX_vt3ziS1vIMBCtqFaWxmmvb1o3Dm-En79kARGQw/s400/100_7841.jpg)
...I'm really not very good with the bathroom mirror shots - but this gives you an idea of how it works - he can wear a toboggan and goggles and basically have no exposed skin - that's the goal when it's 40 below (which interestingly is 40 below Celsius too)...
...I'm hoping you get all your last minute elving done and have a very Merry Christmas!