Just 15 days until Christmas, my dear knitting friends. I hope you're way ahead on all you're projects or at least close to being done. There's just one more thing on my very short knit list, a small ornament, and it should be finished by the weekend. I hope.
If you're looking for a quick, last-minute gift, I recommend simple hats, mitts, washcloths, and sport weight socks. They're great tv knitting and you can wrap them up in no time at all.
All of my current knitting is large, complicated, or a slog. It was a nice change to knit a cute and, importantly, little hat for a friend’s new baby. Did I mention it was little? For the pattern, I turned to a cute and simple hat I published last year, the Slouchy Babe.
I made a few modifications to the pattern because, apparently, I can’t knit any pattern as written. Not even my own. First change was the yarn. I went with Cool Wool which is a DK instead of worsted. I love using Cool Wool, a 50/50 blend of wool and cotton, for baby items because of the yarn’s soft feel and lovely drape. You can even through it through the washing machine, though I generally hand wash, if push comes to shove. To make up for the thinner yarn, I increased to 88 stitches since the gauge was closer to 4.5 sts/inch than the pattern’s 5.25 sts/inch. My last change was knit the body to 6.75” before the ribbing for a little extra slouch.
You can download the Slouchy Babe pattern here. It comes sized for newborns, toddlers, kids, and adults. The Slouchy I made for myself is one of my favorite hats.
Spring continues unabated outside the windows. Only the weather has gone from warm and sunny to cold and windy with occasional rain. I’m sure the pollen will return any day now. In the mean time, I want nothing more than to snuggle up with my knitting and a cup of something hot to drink. Not much luck on snuggling part but I still get to knit. The top project right now is a black ribbed hat, Slick by Alexandra Tinsley. Much of that ribbing is twisted which isn’t as annoying as it sounds. Plus, I get to work a few cables every now and then so the knitting is actually fun. Feels good to be a process and a product knitter at the same time.
Do you knit for the joy of knitting or do you knit for the final product?
To balance out the dark ribbing, here’s a bright spring flower. Maybe the color will help hold us over until the sun comes out again.
Three is the magic number. It’s the number of dedicated projects I can focus on at one time and still get things done. Anything more than that and things start to go off the rails. I lose focus, get bored, and generally accomplish nothing. Eventually, I’ll come to center and shove all the extra projects off to the side. It’s an “out of sight, out of mind” kind of thing. When I do finish something, it’s time pick a new project or come back to something on the to-do list. Then the cycle begins again.
Right now the three major projects are daily photography practice, the sixth Sapling Hat, and a bit of covert cross stitch. Putting a concerted effort into improving my photography throughout this month is still a very new project. I’m researching and experimenting. I’m also trying to find the timing of how to fit regular photography into my day. We’re still getting to know each other.
The other two projects aren’t so long term. The hat is bound off and drying after a good bath. The cross stitch just needs a bit of finishing and a frame. Can’t wait to be done with both of these projects because I’ve already got a few more lined up. There may or may not be a few more knitting patterns, tutorials, and random goodness coming up.
The babies are coming! The babies are coming! So, it’s time to knit some hats.
I’ve knit quite a few Sapling hats in the past three years - Ravelry tells me this will be the sixth hat - and will probably continue to do so. In fact, the whole reason I came up with this pattern was to make a pair of hats for a friend’s nieces. The hat is complicated enough that I’m not bored knitting it for the sixth time but still small enough that I don’t have to slog through it. Also, I just like being able to start at the crown of a hat instead of the bottom. Only have to cast on a fraction of the stitches that way.
I’m using Elsebeth Lavold Cool Wool which is a slightly thinner yarn than called for in the pattern. To compensate, I working the larger size and knitting the hat entirely on the smaller needles rather than switching needles partway through. No other mods are necessary.
Time to get back to knitting. Can’t let baby have a cold head after all.
My love for lists is no secret. To-do lists, grocery lists, and check lists have all served me well over the years. Now that there’s only a week until Christmas, the handy list is keeping me sane. This weekend, I was able to cross 3 things off the to-make list. Awesome. This great and powerful list also tells me there’s only 3 things left to make which is great since the list seems so much longer in my head.
Another thing that’s keeping me sane on the knitting front is ignoring all those last minute requests. I’m just filing them away as future gift ideas and not worrying about them in the slightest. Less stress and more sleep that way.
Also keeping the stress down is knowing how much I’ve already accomplished. These 2 hats were added to the list late in the game but finished with time to spare. Never underestimate the strength of simple hats, nice yarn, and manly colors. Add in some entertaining movies to stave off boredom and you’re good to go.
Pattern: Squared Away Ribbed Watch Cap by Oftroy
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash - Grey (900) and Navy (854)
Needles: US 6 (4 mm)
Dates: Dec 5 - 16, 2012
This is the second and third time I’ve knit this pattern and seems to be my default guy hat. It’s simple but the squared decreases add a nice touch. It’s good travel knitting and good tv knitting which is great since 9” of ribbing gets tiresome pretty quickly. Totally worth it though.
Another Thanksgiving has passed and I hope you had a great day even if it was just another Thursday. Now, Black Friday is upon us. As someone who has worked retail on this frenetic day, there is no way that I am venturing anywhere near a mall or major shopping center today. I might not even leave the house which sounds like a great idea to me. While I’m here, have a hat...pattern.
The Keep It Simple (KIS) Hat is a slouchy hat with a garter brim and simple Fair Isle stripes. It’s meant to be a match for the Keep It Simple Mitts which I designed way back in November 2010. I can’t believe it’s taken me 2 years complete the set. This hat follows all the guidelines I set for those mitts: a simple pattern in worsted weight yarn, a little color work to keep things interesting, a nice use for all those leftover bits, and a quick, attractive knit. I knit the larger size in just 3 days.
The first pair of mitts, I knit as a gift but this first hat is all mine. I’ve already put it to good use on a few cold, windy days. Thanks to all the different colors, it’s a great match to all of my coats and a large percentage of my hoodies. I love the versatility.
The Keep It Simple Hat
Worsted Weight Yarn; Main Color(140, 160 yds), Contrast Color (9, 12 yds) per stripe
Shown in:
Valley Yarns Stockbridge (Main); (Contrast) Patons Classic Wool, Knit Picks Swish, and Knit Picks Merino Style
Sizes: Small (20”) and Medium (22”)
Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) 36" circular for Magic Loop or Double Points & 16” Circular
Gauge: 20 sts = 4” in stockinette
Things started out simply enough. My mom was going to her niece’s baby shower and requested a cute baby hat. But only if I had one in stock. I didn’t and decided to remedy the situation promptly. So, I started perusing Ravelry with a few ideas in mind: simple, slouchy, eyelets, and baby sized. There was nothing quite like I wanted so out came the sketchbook, the calculator, the needles, and the yarn. After more swatching, ripping, and pages of notes than I’d like to admit, I had a simple, slouchy, baby sized hat with eyelets. Knit from the top-down too.
Mom headed off to the baby shower, hat in hand, a few days later and I kept knitting. Soon there was another baby hat, a toddler hat, a kid hat, and an adult sized hat because I wanted one too. I wore it to the breast cancer 5k, hiking in the woods, all around town, and even took it to Denver with me. It’s warm, it’s comfy, and it looks good. What’s not to love?
On May 15th, I was one of those people who stayed up to 12:01 AM Pacific Time (3:01 Central) to play Diablo III. I ended up knitting for an hour instead. Error 37, anyone? After finishing a pair of socks and getting a few inches done on a hat, I went to bed. I spent the next couple of days alternating between trying to log on - AKA knitting a hat - and fighting my way through Sanctuary. My Demon Hunter did eventually level up enough to wear a pair of pants.
Pattern: Pup Tent by Catherine Gamroth
Yarn: Araucania Nature Wool
Needles: US 6 (4mm)
I should call this hat Tristram Cathedral since that’s where I spent my time when I wasn’t knitting. I didn’t modify the pattern since I just wanted to knit. The cable rows where fun and I learned a new way to do work two stitch cables just by working from a k2tog or ssk. Can’t wait to try it out on something else.
Pattern: Waffle Hat by Gail Bable
Yarn: Araucania Nature Wool
Needles: US 6 (4mm)
While Hat #1 served to keep me entertained because I couldn’t log in, Hat #2 exists because I could log on. I cast on while waiting to play with friends and got a few inches of ribbing. I knit on it to keep me from playing 30 mins after I just logged out to cross chores of my to-do list. I knit on it to give my hands a break. I also knit on it to use up the rest of the skein. Cast on 96 sts, knit 24 rows of ribbing, and worked the waffle stitch for 5.5” before decreasing. It’s a big, warm hat and I still had 5g of yarn leftover.
Pattern: Stuffed Ball Cord Pull by Lee Meredith
Those remaining 12 yards turned into palm sized ball that I’m going to use for plying yarn.
Isn’t it amazing how much is possible with 242 yards of wool? I got 2 hats, a plying ball, stress relief, patience, and hours of entertainment. Wool is awesome.
Anyway, back to killing demons for me. Iskatu is going down.
Despite what all those posts about spinning might have told you, I do still knit. Some of is secret, some of it for commission, and some of it I just haven’t gotten around to photographing yet. These two little Saplings fall into the commission pile. Now that they’re finished and delivered I can show these off.
I used my favorite yarn for baby hats, Elsebeth Lavold Cool Wool, which is a soft worsted weight wool cotton blend and great for spring time southern weather. It has wonderful stitch definition, holds it’s shape, and is machine washable. It does have a smaller gauge than recommended in the pattern though so I had to work the larger size to get a nicely sized and stretchy hat.
Since the hats were going to be a gift, a little tag with fiber content and care instructions was in order. Anything worth doing, is worth doing well. So, I wanted the tag to match the hat and share a theme. A cute little bow made from the same yarn as the hat fit the bill wonderfully.
Materials
The versatility of a knitted tube and the creativity of the people designing them never fails to amaze me. Add heels and a toe and it’s a sock. Add in a few crown decreases and it’s a hat. Join one tube to two other tubes and it’s a sweater. Or just a tube. It can be a mug cosy, a pair of fingerless gloves, leg warmers, a pencil grip, or a pillow. I could go on but then I’d have to break out the bullet points. In this case, the humble tube of knitting is a Howlcat which is both a hat and a cowl by Alex Tinsley.
Pattern: Howlcat by Alex Tinsley of Dull Roar
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish (Dark Navy) and Knit Picks Stroll (Pumpkin)
Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm)
Dates: February 6 - 20, 2012
This bit of knitting is for the Bearded One who, when I asked if he wanted a scarf or a cowl, said both. I fiddled around with designing a cowl pattern to match his favorite hat but no luck. I am having better luck with the scarf though. Anyway, at one fateful knit night, someone reminded me of this pattern and the cowl dilemma was solved. The knitting was simple, good for running about town, and great for when I wanted to knit without thinking.
It’s been a big hit too. Warm, cosy, and infinitely wearable. The following are Bearded One approved ways to wear the Howlcat.
As a hat with a twist and the bottom layer folded over.
As a cowl with one color folded over scrunched up.
A hungry, hungry stocking cap.
When he annoys me.
Today I was the strange neighbor. The one that you watch through a slit in the blinds and wonder just what the hell they’re doing on the back porch. The answer, my friends, if photographing knitting. Lots and lots of knitting. I’ve got stuff in the works after all.
This bit of the work in progress is a Howlcat (@Ravelry) for the Bearded One. Yes, that is orange and navy blue.* It’s been my travel knitting of late and I’m rather enjoying the process. First, it was a bunch of ribbing and now it’s a bunch of stockinette. Just stitch, after stitch, after stitch. Nothing mind blowing or extravagant but amazing and happy all the same. Isn’t it great how one stitch builds on another to make something larger than itself?
*War Eagle!
Not long ago, I would never have written this post. Never. It’s not offensive or a rant or even remotely political. It’s just not from the now. I’ve made so many things and never posted them because they just seemed old by the time I got around to writing about them. Like my Damson shawl which I wear all the time. Or my extra giant Daybreak that I worked on while sitting out on the swing with a fluffy, black cat for company. Is there any merit at all to this way of thinking? I don’t know anymore. So, before December 2011 recedes any further from our minds, here’s some hats I made.
Mairead by Tara-Marie Phillips of Shipwrecks & Bravery
Full details @ravelry
Don’t let my picture fool you, this is a pretty awesome hat. Pretty fun to knit too since the lace panel adds just enough spice to keep the stockinette interesting. I might even make it again too which is high praise since I rarely knit anything twice. Besides from socks that is. This hat was also the first bit of Christmas knitting which started way back in July.*
Torunn by Tron Anfinnsen from Hat Heads
Full mods @ravelry
Speaking of knitting things twice, this is the second time I’ve made this hat. Kind of. Technically, this is the second time I’ve used this chart but the first time I used it on a slouchy hat. The “pattern” is over in my ravelry notes if you want to make a slouchy, fair isle hat too. Anyway, the chart is great and, eventually, I’ll make myself something that uses it. Hat Heads, the source for said chart, in general is also a pretty cool and inspiring book. Makes me want to knit all sorts of fair isle hats. Check it out.
Have I beaten my proclivity towards hiding away the “old” stuff? Probably not but I’m trying. After all, I’ve still got a few more things to show you.
*See what I mean about old? I made it and have been keeping it to myself for 5 months. My brain keeps telling me that if I didn’t do it within the last week, it isn’t interesting anymore. I keep telling it to shut up.
I was going to start this off with a nice, little anecdote about feeling comfortable and on schedule with all the Christmas knitting before coming to realize that this was impossible. Instead, I’ll give you the knitty gritty. I think about this space a lot and about writing for this space a lot. I think up cool stuff, knit awesome things, and go on interesting adventures. I write out outlines in my head about this cool stuff/awesome knitting/interesting adventures with the intent of fleshing it out on the computer screen. Then, for whatever reason, I say I’ll do it tomorrow. Then the day after that. And so on. Eventually, a whole month goes by between posts. It’s embarrassing.
When even my dear Bearded One says I should write a post, I know it’s been a long time. Just for the record he said that last week. It wasn’t until last night when I felt suddenly and completely motivated to do something right NOW that I finally got off my butt and got moving. The house is clean, the dishes are done, the podcasts are all caught up, and the gift knitting is a little closer to completion(but not really). With all these things ticked off my to-do list, writing a post tonight and not tomorrow sounded like a great idea.
Way, way back in January at the year’s first fiber guild meeting, I volunteered to knit a few hats for the guild’s Chemo Cap Project. I bought some yarn, looked at potential patterns, and put it all aside to knit later when the yarn wasn’t sticking to my hands. Later, turned out to be November when I remembered I only had one month to finish 6 chemo hats, 11 preemie hats, and all that gift knitting I had planned. Why do I do this to myself every year?
Enter Minty, a free pattern by Erica Jackofsky in the First Fall 2010 issue of Knitty. This hat caught my eye way back then and I added it to my queue to let it simmer for later. One year later on a night before I headed off for a weekend in Atlanta, it was ready. The pattern was simple enough to knit during the last episodes of Star Trek: TNG but interesting enough to keep me occupied through Atlanta traffic. With a striped and solid version, two different crown options, and the ability to squish everything up, there was room for variation and play. Plus, stripes are just fun and so was the little bit of color work at the top.
I ended up knitting all the hats as written...mostly. For the peppermint version, I just cast on with color B and kept going. Also, six combined feet of i-cord just wasn’t going to happen but a round kumihimo braid would. Hat #3 was an exercise in trying to use up as much yarn as possible so I followed the Minty Blue version and just switched colors when I ran out of yarn. I wasn’t entirely sure how it would work out but I’m rather fond of it now.
I’d probably still be knitting these hats if I hadn’t run out of yarn. Might even have six of them but I’m done stressing over it. I’ve done all I can do. Just need to start earlier next time. Oh, and buy more yarn.
You can blame this one on a freezing, early morning. A few weeks ago, I was working an early shift that had me out of bed at 4:45 AM and out the door an hour later. I had a hat, a heavy coat, and a pair of fingerless gloves. These things were not enough protection from the 19º temperatures. After a 5 minute drive to work, an altercation with a security guard that I’m not going to go into, and walking into the building, I was freezing. My hands were so cold that it felt like my fingers were burning off. It was at that moment that I decided to make that pair of convertible mitts. This particular pair had only been in my queue since before Ravelry.
Pattern: Squares Squared Hat by Cosette Cornelius-Bates | ravelry |
Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Wool - Curry, Heath, and Amethyst
Needles: US 7 (4.5mm)
Dates: Jan 14 - 17, 2011
@Ravelry (public link)
Obviously, this is a hat and not a pair of mitts. This is also a hat that matches those mitts. The hat came first since I knew how much yarn it would use and it would make a good swatch. Plus, two layers of wool is warmer than one. It’s oversized, slouchy, soft, and I love wearing it even on days when it’s not 19º outside. The Bearded One thinks it’s one of the coolest hats I’ve ever made and he’s not the only one complementing. I’m kicking myself for not starting this (and the mitts) sooner.
When I finished the hat, there was more than enough yarn left for a pair of mitts. I’ve almost finished the first one too. It might be not be cold enough again to wear them this winter but I’ll be ready for next time.
My boss. He's a demanding taskmaster.
A few weeks ago I decided to reacquaint myself with the awesome-ness that is my local library. It wasn't long before I found myself in the craft section and perusing a nice selection of knitting books. One of the books I pulled out was Hat Heads by Trond Anfinnsen. I've seen it before in my local bookstore but the urge to buy just never popped up. So, Hat Heads ended up back on the shelf until I gave it a second look at the library. I was still a bit ambivalent about the book but now I had time to spend a few more minutes to read through it. The story behind the whole hat project was inspiring and so were the charts. Once I had my library card, Hat Heads finally came home with me.
Torunn | ravelry |
It didn't take me long to pick a hat and cast on. What happened next was a perfect storm of knitting. The patterns were fun and a perfect use of the yarn I'd picked up a few days before. Once I started, I couldn't stop knitting. I knit so much that my hands started to hurt; however, they hurt more when I didn't knit so I just kept going. Soon, I had 2 hats to send off but I'm not done yet. There are only 5 or so more patterns I want to make before the library gets its book back. Time to renew it for another couple of weeks and get back to the needles.
Mostafa | ravelry |
Sapling | ravelry |
Nichol was one of the first friends I made when I started at a new high school in a new state. We've continued to be good friends through college and beyond. All told, it's been seven years since we met and, during that time, I learned to knit and she learned to crochet. So, several months ago when she proposed crocheted goodness in exchange for knitted baby goodness for her soon to be born nieces, I jumped at the chance. One of the requests was a hat. I didn't want to make just any hat. It had to be special. Soon, there were several ideas floating around in my head - stripes, short rows, lace - before I decided on a cute leaf motif. After all, it was almost Spring. After a bit of trial and error, both hats were finished and just in time for two little Spring babies.
The hat is knit from the stem down and uses a variety of techniques: knitting, purling, working in the round, yarn overs, a variety of lifted increases, decreases, and EZ's sewn cast off. The pattern isn't written for any specific way of knitting (DPN's, Magic Loop, 2 Circulars, etc) so you can easily use your favorite method without translation. 4 stitch markers are necessary whichever method you choose. Plus, yardage is minimal. The hat uses far less than one skein which makes for great stash busting of that errant, leftover yarn.
$6.00
Also, many thanks to the test knitters for their help: Jeme, Angela, Lena, LPetiteTricoteuse, Kimberly, and Evelyn.
_______
Errata: In printed versions of the pattern (through 6/5/2011), Row 21 of the 0-6 month size is incorrect. It should read - Row 21: *p2, k2, p2, LLinc, LRinc, p2, k2, p2, ssk, k3, k2tog*
The digital version of the pattern has been updated and is correct.
Usually, I don’t put much stock in New Year’s Resolutions but the start of a new decade seems too powerful not to take advantage of. I have my small list of resolutions but, before I can get started, there’s some unfinished business from 2009 to put to bed.
Pattern: Snow Cat Hat from Cosymakes.com
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool - Burgundy
Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm)
Date: Oct 29-31, 2009
I thought the Snow Cat Hat was really cute when I first saw it and I was thrilled when I won the pattern. After some obligatory yarn shopping and during a break from Christmas knitting, I quickly cast on. The hat was a fun, quick knit that I finished just in time to wear for Halloween. The only change was an additional .5” to get one more full repeat of the lace pattern.
Since there was half a skein leftover, I decided to make a pair of matching fingerless mitts. The base pattern is my own with the lace and a similar rib pattern added in. I had just enough yarn to make them too but I was a bit worried over the last few rows.
These hat and mitts have become my go-to set ever since, not only do they match my coat, they also keep me warm near drafty windows. You can’t beat that.
Hi! My name is April Klich. I write about knitting, spinning, and straight up making with a focus on playing and finding joy in the process.
