The Jolt

I have one male knitting friend. He's the husband 0f a very dear friend and ex-navy (sailor knitter). I was moaning to him one day about how loose a knitter I am (probably after my great big fat disappointment sweater) and "Uncle Frank" says: "What's stopping you? Just pull your finger a little."
This is good advice. A girlfriend may have joined me in the negative feelings or complained about her own tight knitting. But the advice is good. If you know how to fix something, what's stopping you?
This pertains to my wish to have a coffee pot cover. Scott and I enjoy a coffee press in the afternoon. I just drape a teatowel around it and each time think how nice it would be to have a proper cozy. I love the ones I saw in London of cream chunky cotton, but I am too practical to drip on those (or pay $100 plus). I'd like a felted one, but how big do I knit it and where do I felt it when my new machine is front-loading?
For pete's sake, it's a rectangle. I took a page of paper, made a pattern and started knitting. What's the worse that could happen? The lopi stash will do. If I edge it in "coffee brown" I will hide drips and have even more control of the size.

So I knit a rectangle, which did indeed turn out a little small. I had enough brown to crochet around the edge and build up the button band. Tra-la.

I couldn't find my button jar because a certain daughter is getting crafty and has no grasp on organization (that's being kind, she lost her dress in her room yesterday). But these buttons were in a special box and left over from February lady.
I'm still thinking of making the button holes smaller on Feb lady and putting on smaller buttons. What's stopping you?

This distraction came at the precise moment that the lace knitting was comfortable and satisfying. Why did I have to break into that? Maybe next time I need a jolt, I should just make a cup of coffee.