I recently finished this cowl/hood thing - I don’t even know what to call it. Basically its a garter stitch rectangle made with my handspun (Maple Skies.. the same stuff I used for the mitts in a previous post) with button holes on one end and buttons on the other. I added tassles and some crocheted embroidery with some white acrylic I found inside my button box… and I really love it. I love the fact that its open in the back since I wear my hair up in a bun most of the time.. its so hard to wear a hat with my hair up. I can also button both sides together and wear it as a cowl if my neck gets cold.
I can’t take credit for the idea.. I’ve seen it somewhere before on Ravelry though I can’t seem to find who made the original. (though if anyone has any idea where this comes from, let me know so I can add a link!)
EDITED TO ADD: (11-26-08) I’m adding in an ‘edit’ here because I found the pattern on Ravelry that “inspired” this hood : its the Twirly Girl Bonnet 
from CosyMakes. I knew that I had seen a handspun garter knit hood somewhere with embroidery but I couldn’t find it when I did a search. Turns out that aside from adding an extra button & button hole to wear the hood as a cowl that I had completely “ripped off” her pattern (even the embroidery is almost identical — doh) from her book (called “Knit One Embellish Too”) which has been on the top of my Amazon wishlist since I read about it in her blog (which seems like) ages ago — I’m still totally hoping to get it for Christmas. I love Cosy’s blog and her hand-dyed handspun which she makes her gorgeous hats out of and embroiders so creatively.. so I feel like sort of a dope for not realizing who’s design I was hijacking. Do go over and give her blog a visit — especially if you are a spinner!
I actually started another project last night while watching House (my newest tv show obsession– yeah, I’m usually WAY behind the trend on tv watching) since its getting cold already here in GA. I’m working on another slouchy hat (this time its the Slouchy Copy Cat Hat) in purple Mmmmmalabrigo yarn from my stash. I’m hoping to be able to buy another skein or two of Malabrigo for my birthday — which is coming up in 9 days. SAFF is next weekend but I won’t be attending.. its too far of a drive and I’ve already got plans with Munchkin to do fun Halloween stuff (costume contest, corn maze, and pumpkin carving) - I also really don’t have any money to spend at an event. I’m hoping to at least be able to go out for Indian food for my birthday… that would be a nice treat.