Bamboo Needle Question

[evilawyer]

A friend has asked me to knit her a scarf for "Christmas", by which she means next weekend.  I got started yesterday on a simple pattern I'm doing out of my head and am happy to say I'm more than half way done.  However, I've run into a problem ---

I'm working on bamboo needles (size 8 US) that I've had around for some time but haven't used in a while.  When I first started last night, they felt okay, but now the tips feel a bit like they are grinding and scraping together.  I won't be out and about and able to pick up new needles until day after tomorrow and I'd like to finish this up tonight or tomorrow morning if I can.  Besides, I don't really want to switch needles --- not to my size 8 metals or even new size 8 bamboo --- because I can always see a slight difference in the stitch tension, even when the gauge stays the same, when I switch needles in the middle of a project.  I'm looking at ripping this all out and starting again if the scraping gets much worse, and I'd rather not because I'm actually quite happy with the way this scarf is looking.

I thought about sanding the tips, then thought that would likely make the problem even worse.  Does anyone have any suggestions or tips about what I might be able to do to make these needles work smooth enough to finish the last three and one-half feet of scarf?
 

Baby hat suggestions?

[girlpearl]

My nephew, who is, in my wholly objective and professional opinion, the cutest baby ever born on planet Earth, will be turning one very soon. My sister informs me that he would like a hat for his birthday, and my brother-in-law clarifies, "Preferably something with ears."

I've already knit him a variation on the Little Devil hat, designed (at my sister's request) to match the ear shape & color of her dog.

Does anybody know of any other baby hat patterns that have ears? No suggestion too goofy. They live in Chicago, so something nice & warm would be ideal.