Cabled Hat Pattern in Progress

So, I have this hat that I made and I have written up the pattern, but I am not completely happy with the plaited cable.  I think I need to tighten it up by reducing the number of rows between the twists.  On the plus side, I am very pleased with the way the decreases on the crown appear.  What do you all think?

Happy creativity to you all!

Puff Stitch Hat

My most recent finished project is a Purely Puffs Hat designed by Sarah Arnold.  This is a super easy, super fast project to do if you need a gift fast as it is worked with 2 strands of yarn held together.  This gives you more color options than just what a single strand of yarn offers.  If you have a yarn that is a bit too loud in color, you can tone it down with a solid mute color or you can make a dull solid color more vibrant by combining it with something more exciting.  I really am pleased with how this turned out and how wonderful it was to crochet, so I know I will be making more!  Happy Creativity to you all.

On The Needles and Wheel

Wow, I have been busy!  This week I received two custom orders through  my etsy site, so I am knitting like there is no tomorrow.  The hat below is part of the first order.  The colors are for Iowa State University.  The hat is a basic k2, p2 ribbed hat in Plymouth Yarn Encore Chunky.  I am working on a reversible cabled & ribbed scarf to go with it before I start on the coordinating mittens.

I have been taking 15-30 minutes per day to get back into the habit of spinning everyday.  My beautiful sister and her handy hubby switched my wheel over to double treadle for me and it has made spinning even more of a pleasure.  

The fiber is from Highland Handmades in her Neptune colorway.  The content is 50% SW merino and 50% tencel.  It is spinning like a dream!

This is a picture of the single, spun on my Ashford Traditional.  I think I will be 2 plying it and putting it up on my Etsy shop.

Lastly, I would love some ideas of what to feature in my Tuesday's Temptation.  Do you have a shop or know of a deserving shop that could use a little love and attention focused on it.  If you have any ideas, please leave a comment.  I look forward to hearing from all of you!

Snow + Knitting = Tranquility

This was the scene at 9:00 am this morning and the snow has been accumulating ever since.  I love to watch the snow fall while I knit.  It is so peaceful and reminds me of how much comfort and warmth my handmade items bring to others.

Currently I am working on a new design. It is a cabled hat, that I will eventually post for sale in my Etsy shop and on Ravelry.

I would really like to be spinning on my Ashford Traditional spinning wheel while I watch the snowfall, but I "tweaked" my back yesterday, when I reached a little too far for a pair of scissors at my knitting group.  So, my heating pad is keeping me company while I knit.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S.A.   I am grateful for so many things:  my incredibly supportive family;  my significant other, Ray ♥;  and my greatly improved health.   I hope that all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day in your homes with people and fur-friends that you love.  Please leave me a message about what you are grateful for and about your holiday preparations.  Above all, stay safe!!!

Pigtail Hat

In the cold of winter, a hat is a necessity, but it can be a disaster for your pigtails, ponytails, etc.  Well, Rebecca Dovi has a solution, the Piggle.  This stretchy, lacy hat with openings for pigtails is genius.

The pattern calls for a dk weight yarn, but I used Caron's Simply Soft.  So I made the following modifications.  I substituted size 5 dpns and reduced the cast on to only 80 stitches.  I worked 6 rows of ribbing, then worked 5 repeats of lace pattern. Inserted pigtail holes per instructions and worked 2 more lace repeats then began decreases every 10 sts. It is perfect.  Because the lace rib pattern is so stretchy, it will easily fit a wide range of heads.  I need to make at least one more of these, in purple.


If you are new to lace knitting, don't be intimidated.  This pattern is only a 5 stitch - 4 row repeat. It is simple to memorize and execute.

TUESDAY'S TEMPTATION

I like to tip-toe through Etsy more than I probably should and while there I come across some interesting items. An added bonus is that I keep PayPal in business. Hey, in this economy we all have to do our part.

Today my Etsy search was for knitting patterns. I didn't have anything more specific than that in mind when I came across For A Song. It was the sweet baby pictures that drew me in, and then I realized that the patterns were just what one of my nieces had discussed with me for photography props for her business. How am I supposed to resist this?

I ordered a cocoon pattern and a pixie hat pattern. A big plus is that she gives permission to sell what you knit!!! If you don't knit, she sells some of the items all knit up for you. Rush on over to For A Song and get what you need for the most adorable baby pics ever!

Off The Needles

This hat I made for a hospital charity sale. The pattern is Lace Baby Beanie designed by Lora Jenkins. It was a fast, easy knit and used very little yarn. I made it with some left over acrylic sport weight yarn, but I don't remember the brand. It is displayed over the end of a Super Saver skein of yarn, because the small size is too small for my styrofoam display head.

Woohoo! I have been productive!

I have been in a very long slump. I have little or no desire to knit, crochet, or even spin. I think part of it has been due to my preoccupation with my up coming surgery, but...and I have a big butt...I have wanted to work on projects for myself. I just wouldn't let myself do knit for myself because I have so many Christmas projects which need to be completed first but I didn't want to do those.

My previous post was about a little Halloween mask that I crocheted very quickly and for some reason, that quick little project seems to have nurtured my crafting mojo. I have 4 completed projects in the past 10 days, and the 5th project is coming right along. All of the projects are super simple, so if you need to make some gifts for the holiday season, I highly recommend these!

First 2 projects I made were the Rubberneck Cowl by Holly Peacock. If you know the knit and purl stitches then you know everything you need to know to make this cowl. The cowl can scrunch down around your neck or the folds will expand to cover whatever is cold on you.The second 2 projects I made were the Crochet Child's Earflap Cap by Candi Jensen. This too, is a very simple project and it will work up very quickly for a last minute gift. After making the first cap, I did make one small change to the pattern for the second one. I changed how I made the ties. Instead of single crocheting back up the chain as the pattern indicates, I slip stitched back up which resulted in a tie that was more firm and symmetrical.Now I am working on a pair of mittens. I just finished the second mitten this morning and saw that it looked must better than the first, so I frogged the first. I am sure it won't take too long to re-knit it now that my mojo is back. Woohoo!

Holiday Gift Knitting

My, how time flies! I can't believe there are only 7 weeks, yes, just 7 weeks left until Christmas, which is my gift giving holiday. Many of you may have even less time if you are knitting for other holidays or celebrations. About one-third of my gifts have been made so far and I have so many more gifts to get knit and/or crocheted.

Since I last posted a picture, I have completed a few things. First are 2 pair of thumbless mittens with crocheted I-cords for my twin nieces.

This is a Fun Fur Bottom Hat that I made for another one of my nieces. I should have blocked it before photographing it. What's next? I have cast on for a child size 2 cardigan and I cast on a rather girly hat. I will keep you updated with pictures of those as soon as I complete them.

How are you doing on your holiday gift knitting?

My First FO for the Ravelympics

That's right! I have finished one project for the Ravelympics on Ravelry. Only 3 more to go before August 17th, 2008. How are you doing on your projects?

The first project that I cast on for the Ravelympics was a child's hat, the Saturday Afternoon Hat designed by Julie at J. Knits, so it didn't take much time to knit up. I made it in the hand spun yarn that I featured in my last post, so I was very excited to see how it would turn out since that was the first time I had spun yarn. Here is a picture of the finished hat, modeled on the end of a one pound skein of worsted weight yarn.

I did make a few changes in the pattern. First, I used my hand spun, which is a very uneven sport weight instead of the worsted weight the pattern called for. Because of the yarn difference, I knit on US size 5 needles. These changes resulted in a child's hat instead of the M/L size adult hat that the pattern suggested it would be.

Now I am trying to decide what I cast on next. Should it be:

1. The Basic Sock Pattern by Stephanie McPhee
2. The Rainy Day Scarf published by Unique One Sweaters & Yarn
3. Mittens From the Top Down by Meilynne

What do you think I will do?