Archive for the ‘knitting’ Category
August 11th, 2010 | 
Author: Owls seem to be a big trend currently. I get on etsy and I see owl EVERYTHING. The cutest fabrics are owls. The neatest jewelry is owls. and the most adorable knitted items are owls.
I’m adding my own owl touch.
Sleepy Owl Pillow
Right now I’m using just regular fiber stuffing. But I want to find something better to use for stuffing the owl pillow. To make it more pillow like. But Skyler loves the owls. I guess that’s really all that matters.
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I decided that I needed to update my ravelry stash and project photos. So while taking photos of the yarn, Skyler decided to jump in and get in on the action.
I love my sweet booger butt.
Saturday, we spent a few hours at the zoo with some wonderful friends.
And I got over my fear of fingering weight yarn and took the plunge to knit a shawl.
I’ve more than doubled my progress since taking this photo this morning.
And today we spent a few hours outside, in the blistering heat & scorching sun. Splashing and swimming in the pool.
what a wonderful weekend it was.
I was strictly a wool lover. I would buy the cheapy cotton peaches n’ cream yarn to satisfy a need to buy yarn. Not sure what I have planned for knitting with it. I had a plan at the time. I was still a cotton hater though. It was stiff, scratchy, felt like cardboard. Just a tad softer than acrylic.
Then I got the news that Knit Picks was introducing new colors into their Simply Cotton line. I’m a yarn addict. I HAD to have it. So I found a pattern and decided to the try the yarn. Maybe it would be like Blue Sky Alpacas 100% organic cotton. (only the most amazing cotton yarn in the world, just too pricy) I couldn’t decide on a color, so I bought from the Simply Cotton Organic Sport yarn. The Malted Milk color. (bottom right if you click the link) Picked out a pattern to knit with it.
And I cast on. Had some doubts. The yarn was too thin. I like my worsted and bulky weight. The yarn was soft yes, but doesn’t glide across my bamboo needles like wool. So I bought some nickel-plated needles I needed. Yarn glides a little easier, but still not like wool. I kept knitting. And then I got farther into the project and I was converted. The drape is extraordinary. The lightness, the airiness of the fineness of the sport weight. Perfect. Utterly, absolutely, incredibly perfect. And I’m completely converted. I want more projects to knit with sport weight. I want to break out my fingering weight yarn and knit with it.
I want to buy more of this cotton yarn and knit a shawl.
I am now an equal opportunity yarn addict. Except for acrylic. It still sucks. hardcore.
I was a cotton yarn hater. It always felt so tough, so scratchy, so stiff. Until I bit the bullet and bought some Knit Picks Simply Cotton yarn. And after knitting with it, it’s love.
I’m not much of a hat person, but I fell in love with the Star Crossed Slouchy Beret that I found on ravelry. I wanted to practice with dyeing yarn, so I bought some bare yarn from Knitpicks, some dyes and did some research. After coming to the conclusion that it can’t be as hard as it sounds, I dyed up my first skein of yarn. unfortunately I don’t have a photo of it And then I dyed up more yarn and more yarn and more yarn.
This has to be my favorite. While I’m still perfecting the coloring and how to get the pretty pooling, I’m having fun.
And this is the Star Crossed Slouchy Beret. Knit up with my first skein of hand dyed yarn. And I LOVE the finished hat. While I would prefer it in a solid color, I think the variegated coloring works. I love how it turned out.
Now I’m doing a scarf with the two skeins of yarn that I dyed up the other weekend. Same colors, it’s going to be just as pretty!
It’s astonishing to me how much I have grown to love knitting. For only doing it for a years time, it’s become my most loved hobby. I carry a knitting project everywhere with me and I often bring it out at work and knit a few rows on my lunch. I don’t get embarrassed or think of it as “the granny hobby”. The only time that I don’t like knitting is when I’m working on a project and I decide that I want to keep it. I decide that giving it to it’s rightful owner will kill me, so while the needles are flying, I’m putting together a plan so I don’t have to give up the knitted up. Like these….
Simply known as the purple longies. But if there was a way to be in love with a knitted item, I have found it. They are simply gorgeous. Just look at the colors and the pattern that the variegated yarn forms!
This next photo shows more true to life colors. And the cuff. The best part. A garter eyelet stitch cuff. And while I’m a fugly garter stitch hater, I’m a garter eyelet stitch lover.
But, I’m going to share some joyous news. I’m almost out of the yarn. This yarn. Cascade 220 Superwash Paints. In Grape. Such a scrumptious name! Cascade Superwash Paints is a wonderful yarn. Soft, machine washable, even though I would probably just handwash them. I mean, if the longies were mine. And I wish that they were. But then that means that I would need a little baby girl to wear them…..
Anyways… so I’m down to about 40 more yards of the yarn when I need at least 80-100 yards. So I ordered some more of the yarn (since I can use it for a super cute stocking cap to sell on my Etsy). So while I’m patiently waiting for the yarn, I’m enjoying my limited time with the longies. Gazing longingly at the colors and the sweet cuff. Admiring my stitch work. It really is nicely done.. Sigh… I really hope the owner loves these longies as much as I do…
I wanted to knit an earflap hat with some fantabulous bulky weight Knit Picks yarn I had. And I couldn’t find a pattern that I liked. So I made my own. :D
And I’m posting the pattern for anyone that is interested. It’s my first pattern, so please excuse if there are any errors and confusions. I’m trying to get the pattern listed on Ravelry, so soon I will have it available in PDF format :)
Chunky Ribbed Earflap Hat
Yarn Weight: Bulky
Gauge: 4 stitch/per 1inch
Needles: 10.5 (dpns & circular will be used, although can be done on just dpns)
Knit to a 18 inch head circumference
Earflaps (make two):
CO 3 stitches
knit I-cord for 6 inches
row1: k1, p1, k1 (3 sts)
row2: k1, m1f, k1, m1b, k1 (5 sts)
row3: (This will be done with all wrong side rows) k1, purl to 1 st before end, k1
row4: 1, m1f, knit to 1 st before end, m1b, k1 (7 sts)
row6: 1, m1f, knit to 1 st before end, m1b, k1 (8 sts)
row8: 1, m1f, knit to 1 st before end, m1b, k1 (10 sts)
Contine until you have 13 stitches. Make sure the last row is a wrong side row.
Repeat the following rows 1 & 2 until ear flap measures 3 inches.
row1: knit across
row2: k1, purl to 1 st before end, k1
Keep the live stitches on a dpn.
Brim:
Knit across one ear flap and then cable cast on 26 stitches (front of hat). Knit across the
next ear flap and cable cast on 20 stitches (back of hat). You should now have 72 stitches
total.
Place stitch marker and start knitting. Your first stitch in the round should start at the first
ear flap. Knit 12 stitches, p2, k2 (ribbed) until you get to the next earflap. The last two
stitches should be purl. Knit 12 stitches and then p2, k2 (ribbed) to finish off the round.
Continue for the next 5.5 – 6 inches.
It might be easier to put stitch markers between the 24 earflap stockinette stitches and the
46 ribbed stitches, just make sure that can distinguish between the stitch marker for the
start of the round and the others.
Time to decrease!
Decreasing can get a little confusing so it’s really important to make sure that you pay
attention to whether you are decreasing the earflap stockinette stitches or the rest of the
ribbed part.
Row1 – (for the 1st stockinette section) k2tog, k2 (for the 1st ribbed part) p2tog, k2 (will end
with a p2tog), (for the 2nd stockinette section) k2tog, k2 (for the 2nd ribbed part) p2tog, k2
(will end for a p2tog)
row2-5 – knit stockinette sections and p1, k2 ribbed sections
row6- (for the 1st stockinette section) k1, k2tog (for the 1st ribbed part) p1, k2tog (will end
with a p1), (for the 2nd stockinette section) k1, k2tog (for the 2nd ribbed part) p1, k2tog
(will end for a p1)
row7 & 8- knit stockinette sections and p1, k1 ribbed sections
row 9- k2tog the whole round
row10-12 – knit to end of round
row13- k2tog, k – repeat to end of round
row14- knit to end of round
cut a 10 inch tail and weave in through remaining stitches. Pull togetherly tightly and
weave in ends.
Make two tassles, sew on to icords, weave in all remaining ends and ta da!
Wear, and enjoy :)
I highly suggest the Knit Picks Wool of Andes Bulky yarn for the hat. It is a great priced yarn at 3.99 for a skein of 137 yards. It knits up beautifully and it feels great. Definitely my favorite yarn.
So I’ve been busy lately…
working, Skyler, life…
and of course, knitting.
My current project is pretty fabulous.
At least I think so.
Because anything with drawstrings and pom-poms are pretty fabulous.
And I know a lot of people will agree with me.
Introducing…..
Itty Bitty Leggies!!!
Soon to be in my shop. Here is style numero uno. Next I’m going to knit style numero dos.
I love baby items :)
