Posts from — December 2008

So, what do you do with the leftovers from your hat projects? If they’re made of wool that will felt, here’s an idea!  This cute little mouse is made from scrap yarn from the Valley Yarns Northhampton I had leftover from the hat project.  The pattern is here – Felted Mouse by Jo Chandler.  After it went thru the wash a couple of times (I also put it in the dryer both times), I needle felted some eyes on him from some brown roving I had here – although brown yarn would also work.  I tied Nymo beading thread “whiskers” on him, and put a little cord around his neck with a bow – that ought to last all of about 10 seconds in the paws of any skilled feline.  Makes for a cute presentation though.  Here’s the process pics.  First is pre-felting, second is the first trip thru the laundry, and the last is of course the final trip.
(I stuffed him with wool roving – but polyfill would also work.)

First trip thru laundry.
All finished up and waiting for delivery.

I finished this hat in November, but hadn’t had occasion to wear it for photos until recently.  We finally got some winter weather this week, and it’s sure nice to have a warm hat to wear.  I’m calling it my Gray Slouch Hat (because I’m real original that way and come up with catchy names for my projects – it’s a gift I have).  It was one of those projects that you kind of make up as you go along. It all started with the Nomad Hat and Scarf pattern in the IK Fall 2007 issue.  It gave me the opportunity to finally try Emily Ocker’s cast on – since this hat is knit from the top center outward and down.   I knew I did not have enough yarn (or the correct yarn) to make the Nomad Hat and scarf, but I liked the look of the hat part so I went ahead and decided to use it as a basis for making a hat.  I used Valley Yarns Northhampton.  I had one skein of it leftover from a previous project, and there was more than enough to make a hat.  In fact, this hat turned out quite roomy!  The increases for this yarn were different than the ones written for the pattern.  I think I ended up using EZ’s “pi” type increases, but once I had the diameter to the point I thought looked right, I just knit straight from there until time to decrease down for the brim using garter stitch rows intersperced with stockinette for texture and also to add a little “structure” to the hat.

So, basically, you just knit a big circle, and then decrease about 10% just before you knit the brim, then switch to a couple size smaller needles, do a K1,P1 brim for a few rows and cast off.  I believe I also did a sewn bind-off for this hat, because It’s a nice stretchy bindoff.

I have a poppy (sort of!) that I also made from some scrap yarn, and using a coilless safety pin I can attach it to this hat, or my other slouch hat, just for a little fun embellishment.  The poppy was made from acrylic yarn on the outside, and some wool for the blue center.  I did a “sewn” bind-off so that the edges wouldn’t be too stiff to curl up because I like the ruffly look.  It’s also “based on” another pattern I had found that was a nice tidy little four petaled poppy.  I exaggerated the increases on each petal to get this ruffly one, and I believe I made five petals instead of four.

So, there’s the project as best I can remember it.

Yarn:  Valley Yarns Northampton (grey) one skein.

Needles:

• US Size 6/4.0 mm
• US size 4/3.5 mm

Patterns used for reference:  IK Fall2007 Nomad Hat and Scarf pattern – and EZ’s pi shawl (Knitter’s Almanac), and Emily Ocker’s caston (also in Knitter’s Almanac but demo’d online as well as in IK Fall2007).

Gauge:  Probably around 4-5 st/inch – but it really doesn’t matter too much.  Just make a circle big enough to fit your head, and then decrease about 10% and knit a brim.

The new Knitty is up!  The Winter 2008 edition.  Wow!  This one’s got some amazing projects.

I’ve been replenishing the dishcloth stash lately.  Well, I’ve been doing that and other things too, like slogging away diligently working on the little acrylic raspberry colored sweater I decided to knit from the Barbie Doll and Me book by Nicky Epstein.  I’m down to the second sleeve, and have not yet cast it on.  Soon. And maybe even pictures.  I’m not sure how I feel about making a “pieced” sweater yet.  It could just be the yarn I’m using, but unless this sews up into something kind of amazing, I’m going to be disappointed big time.

Meanwhile, by way of a diversion, or what I like to think of as my replenishing the hostess gift stash – I found a fun new waffle pattern to knit a dishcloth from…and have made a few of those. Here’s my “Ravelry” link.  If you aren’t part of that forum, I’m pretty sure clicking on this picture above will take you to the Flickr photo stream that also has them in it.

Currently, I’m making an old favorite “feather and fan” cloth.

Cast on 42 sts, K three rows for a border, then repeat this sequence (below) until it’s almost square:

1.  Knit

2. K3 purl to last 3 sts K3

3. K3 *K2tog (x3), y/o, k1 (x6), k2tog (x3) [repeat from * to last 3 sts] K3

4. Knit

Then knit the last border (3 rows) and bind off.

This knits up into one of my favorite dishcloths.  It dries fast, has a nice texture to it, and it’s pretty.  (Looks good as a scarf too made from a different fiber.)