The Lasagna is in the Oven

So I thought I'd share the finished hat I made with the yarn I dyed a few weeks ago. At first I knit it way too long so it kind of flared and the cast off was all wrong too. Confused? It's a top down hat. I used Jeny's Amazingly Stretchy bind off but it was just too stretchy. So I frogged back a few rows and tried the knit two together through the back loop cast off and that also looked wrong. So finally I did a loose basic cast off.

Fail:

Also a bad photo. It was raining that day and lighting kind of sucked.

Ah much better....


And oddly last a work in progress photo to show the stitch.

A recipe for handspun hat and mittens sort of...

A little bit of this fiber:

Windspun Fiber Shetland and mohair blend

and this one:

Shetland

Spin it up on the wheel you get this:




Then get it on the needles:


Then knit and knit and knit, round and round you go. I used the House Mittens Pattern from Charmed Knits. Then finally I get this:


Find more on my project page on Ravelry.

It's a Whoo

But she's not from Whooville. She sure looks sweet in the Whoo Hat I crocheted up for her. This is the same babe I made the Frog Blanket.

You can find this pattern in Not Your Mamma's Crochet. I used the Red Heart Soft that I used for the Frog Blanket: Lt blue, Teal, Dk Purple, Lavender and Lt Green.

For the joining round I only joined in the 3dc of the shell (or the middle one) that made the most sense to me.

Emerald City Hat

How cool is this. My first knit hat from my very own two ply hand spun with some colorwork no less.



I like and it will keep me warm this winter for sure.

I cast on 80 sts with the size 7 needles then did 1 inch or so of k2p2 rib. Then switched to size 9 needles. I still have some yarn left but likely not enough for another hat unless I spin more yarn about the same weight.

V Stitch for Me Stitch Hat

Made from left overs from the froggy blanket for my nieces little one.

I used an US I hook (5.5 mm) and Red Heart Soft lavender, dk purple and teal.

Purple Craze Hat and Scarf Story

First I had roving that I spun into singles:



Then I added dye which created Purple Craze:



Then with my hook I made the Purple Craze Hat and Scarf:



Both are made using a 9mm hook and half double crochet. On the Scarf I crocheted into the the back loop on the front of the work and into the front loop on the back of the loop. I also made a "key hole" so the flower motif acts like a button. The flower was made with my handspun and Elann Luna. I might add some beads to the hat and scarf to bling it up a bit but that will have to happen later as I have lots more holiday yarning to do.

Finished Objects Friday

I've been busy.

I finished this baby blanket for my neice who likes frogs:






Specs:
The frog motif is by crochetroo who sells patterns on etsy.
Several Colors of Red Heart Soft and and I/5.0mm hook.
I wip stitched squares together and like how that looks.


Another pair of mittens, this ime they are for me.


Specs:
US 5 /3.75 mm circ needle to do magic loop
House Mitten Pattern from Charmed knits
Lambs Pride worsted in Chianti

Felted mittens for me too.


Specs
Double Cuff pattern from Knit One, Felt Too.

Patons wool in purple for the felting part
US 11 needles

Lambs Pride in turquoise for the cuffs and needle felted curlies. I which I had knitted the cuff a bit longer so it would go under the coat, without that there is a bit of a draft. The sure keep my hands warm. I did about 3 inches so I might do 6inches next time.

Frog tree alpaca in lavender and rowan silk spray in pinks used to crochet flowers that are needle felted on to the mittens.



Specs
My very first finsihed knit cables project and the first time I knit bobbles too. It turned out pretty good but I will need to work on my tension when doing cables.
Hat pattern from Charmed Knits
Knit Picks Andean Silk - 2 skeins - I love this yarn it is so soft!
US 8/ 5.0mm

In the beginning I had some yarn

I cast it on and did a little k2p2 rib.

Then I knit and knit and knit. Around, around I went.



Then I decided to change the colors a bit.



Then I decreased, doing some K2tog magic, in a spiral to finish it off.


So now I have a hat. You like?


Specs:
Elizebeth Zimmerman Inspired Hat from Knitting Workshop info and others.
Paton's SWS - raisin, berry, and geranium
#9 needles knit picks options needles doing a modified magic loop
k2tog decrease to make a right slanting spiral

Stashbusting Hat, Scarf and Mittens

I've been busy crocheting, hunting for bento boxes, and playing pokemon with the kids so I haven't had much time for blogging.

My stash busting has been my biggest crafting distraction over the last few days. Yesterday, I finished weaving in the last of the ends. Oh my, there were a lot of ends to weave in! I love the looks of it not to mention I used up over 8 skeins of Knit Picks Merino style wool at the same time. Colorwise this was a big stretch for me, but I think it turned out well.



I posted pics of the project on crochetville and someone asked for some tips to make their own.

Mittens:

I adapted a pattern from Hip to Crochet



These turned out a bit bigger than I'd like so I need to reduce the number of stitches or use a smaller hook if I make these again. I think they will serve me well for the most part.

Scarf:



I started with a foundation chain of 26 and ended with 24 stitches across. Really you could start with any number of stitches. Then I varied the patterns looking through Encyclopedia of Crochet, 63 Crocheted Blocks for ideas, and just my own memory. I chose not to use fpdc stitches because I wanted it to lay flat and not have an obvious wrong side or right side. I didn't worry if the patterns didn't work out balanced. If needed 2 dcs on one end and one dc on the other that was fine with me. I did do some frogging to make the patterns work out nicely or if I missed stitches. So a skinnier scarf would make that more painless.



After weaving in ALL the ends I added fringe. If I had more yarn left I wold have added curlies instead.


Hat:


I crocheted the hat vertically. The base row of hat had 16 sts across. I started with dc stitches on the right moving to hdcs then sc at the end. On the return row I would do all sc or scs moving to hdcs, this gave the hat some shaping so when I sewed the hat together and finished the top it was less gathered the top. On the hat I really played with cable stitches. I would wrap it around my head when I thought is was large enough, if not I added a few more rows. When it was long enough I fastened off leaving a long tail to sew the sides together with the right sides together.

To close up the top of the hat I first sc around on the right side, then did sc decreases around in a spiral until the top of the hats was finished then fastened off and wove in the end. I'm not completely satisfied with the look of the top of the hat. If I make this kind of hat again I might sc across before sewing then sides together and gather the top together. Alternatively I could crochet a circle and sew that to the top.



I made a rolled brim for the hat. I started with sc around on the wrong side of the hat, then did at least 2 row of hdcs, you might want to do more so the wrong side of the had doesn't show. Then I did a few rows of fpdc changing colors and finished it off with a shell stitch. I haven't done it yet but the hat could do with gentle steam blocking to make a sharper crease where the rolled brim begins. You could also end with finishing row of sc or hdcs on the right side of the hat.

Good luck making you own own colorful stash busting set.

Freeformin' it

I've been itching to complete a freefrom project so I started this project yesterday and decided to make a hat because I was kind of cold.

I really like how the colors came together but I'm not sure I like the "bumpyness" (like my technical term :) After taking the pictures is does seem that the hat is loosening up a bit and seems to look a little smoother. I used left-over ww Plymouth Encore yarn from my Bohemian Jacket and some Moda Dea Dream(fuzzy purple) and some other Bernat fancy yarns. I started the project using a fairly large hook like a J but them moved down to a H.

Here are a few pictures that give some views of the top of the hat and the sides and back:







I want to make another one soon when I can build up a good stash. A friend of mine is going to give me some yarn she doesn't want anymore which will be perfect for some freeform work. I mostly played with varying stitch height with this hat in my next project I want to get even more creative with the stitches

I also been messing around with some skinny scarf ideas becasue I 'm participating in the summer scarf swap on crochetville

I free formed this swatch to see how thread might hook up. I used a size 4 steel crochet hook and cotton thread # 10.



Here's a close up of the sample:


It's big enough to fit around my neck as a choker. I can't decide if I really like it or not.