The First Spindled Yarns

I've been enjoying making yarn on a spindle. This is the result of my first attempts of single and 2-ply yarns of a silky heathered merino, spun last year in November. Each batch looks different from the last, because I was getting better and more consistent.

I knit a hat from some of this first batch.

Winter 2010 Yarn Crafting Recap

Please excuse my long blog break. I was busying studying chemistry. I got through the semester with a 3.0, and that took every ounce of gray matter I have left.

I did get to enjoy tiny spurts of knitting, during the weekends (if I wasn't studying). Then, after my last final exam on Dec. 10, I went into maniac knitting mode. In this past month, I started and finished the following...


I knit this cute earflap hat for my daughter, from a beautiful rainbow-striping yarn, Mini Mochi.






She said all she wanted for Christmas was something I made, so I knit a shawl for my Mom out of Louisa Harding's Mariposa yarn. Mom is allergic to wool, and she enjoys a little bling, so I found this wonderful cotton & viscose two-ply yarn. It reminds me of tiger eye gemstone.






I knit a hat for my Dad, in Patons Classic Wool, representing his alma mater.






I knit my fiance another Quickie Knit Hat, out of Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick. This is his favorite hat. The first time the thermometer dips below 60°F he is never without one. And that's me, wearing Citron, in Malabrigo Lace yarn, that I finished just before Thanksgiving.






I designed a little crochet dog sweater for my nephew's new puppy, in some leftover Red Heart Supersaver. I have GOT to get a photo of little Coco wearing it.






I crocheted some pretty flower brooches for a craft show. There are various yarns shown here, mostly Patons Classic Wool and Berroco Lustra.






I knit a wonderful little design for a Star Ornament.






This is the third knit earflap hat in my daughter's high school colors, in Caron One Pound. I've been experimenting with different designs and this is the final. Pattern will soon follow!






I knit another of my designs for a coworker who wanted to purchase the hat instead of the pattern. It's Patons Classic Wool. The photo shows how I block the hat - on a large glass Pyrex bowl.






I knit another GIR hat for a coworker who saw a photo of the original on my blog and has been asking me to make her one ever since. This one is all Red Heart Supersaver. Next one will be knit in Debbie Stoller's Stitch Nation yarn, because she has all the perfect colors for this hat, and the wool will make it more luxurious.






Finally, this is my UFO I'm carrying over into 2011. It will be a very colorful rectangular shawl in Lion Brand Amazing yarn. It is their answer to Noro, but much more affordable. I can't wait to wear this one!



Classes start again Jan. 18, so if it gets quiet around here after then, please understand.

Cascading Leaves Beret Pattern

Celebrate with with me! After offering several free patterns here on my blog, I just posted my first purchase pattern here on Ravelry today, and already got 2 sales by this evening. Woo hoo!

Ok, here's my shameless self-promotion: If anybody here enjoys knitting lacy berets, and wants to contribute to the education of a future school teacher, then please buy my beret pattern for only $2.




Thank you!
Mei

Thick and Quick Slouchy Beret Pattern

Here's a free beret pattern. The pattern took longer to write than the time it took to knit the beret, in just a few short hours back in February. I just HAD to have a purple hat for brisk mornings! I love quick projects, especially when they're fashionable, functional, use only one ball of yarn, and can be a great gift.

 

As for the rest of my life, all is well with school, work, and family. My daughter is sprouting like a beanstalk - she's just two inches shy of my height! I'm trying to enjoy a little summer break with some swimming and knitting (not at the same time) but I have to refresh myself in Chemistry I & II before I get into both Organic and Analytial this Fall. I made straight A's again, so now I have two Chancellor's List certificates to frame upon my wall, and want to continue the trend.

Knitting Here and There

School, work, and family take priorty over yarn crafting. Still, I do try to carve out few moments here and there for knitting or crochet time. Sometimes I even forsake higher priority tasks to play with yarn. I once worked on a hat instead of studying for a physics test. I made a "C" on the test, but IMHO, the knitting deserved an "A."

I wanted a lacy beret that looked difficult, but was relatively easy to knit. This cascading leaves pattern was just the ticket. Stay tuned for the pattern!


I've been working on a few designs: two berets and one top-down raglan. The berets are cute, but I've only photographed one. The top was cute in theory, but my formula was all wrong, and it looked like a ruffled clown top. It has since been frogged, and I've re-worked the formula with less frequent raglan increases, and a better neckline. When I have more free time, I will design a truly reversible top!

Invader Zim GIR Hat

 


$2 via Ravelry.com

I designed and knit this one for my DD, who is totally crazy about the GIR line of clothing at Hot Topic. As I was nearing completion, I couldn't stop laughing at my own creation. She won't wear it to school, in fear that her peers either might make fun of her or try to steal it, but she will wear it all day long at home, thank goodness!

College and Knitting

I made straight A's! Granted, they were all freshman & sophomore courses (History of Civ I, AR History, Intro to Psychology, World Lit, and Intro to Music), but considering I hadn't seen a campus in 15 years, AND I am a working mom, this feels like I just climbed Mt. Everest. Anyone who knows me well, or at least my knitting & crochet, can tell that I'm an overachiever, so my 4.0 should be no surprise, but it still feels good, I tell ya!

Now I'm back for another semester, taking Physical Geology, Historical Geology, and Elementary Physics, and basically it's like taking six courses, because they all have their corresponding lab class. These are required courses for a handful of science teacher degrees, and I'm still teetering between a BS in Middle school Ed, a BA in chemistry or in biology. I will definitely have to decide after this semester, so I can start taking my education courses, too.

As for knitting and crocheting, I didn't get much done until the Winter break. I completed several projects over the holidays, some of which I've posted on Ravelry. I also made a dent on some older projects, even completing a few. If I weren't on such a tight schedule, I would photograph them and make this blog more interesting, instead of droning on and on, all talk and no show, lol.

As of today, I've completed a lace scarf, lace cardigan, several hats, mittens, gloves, bath mitts, a blanket, and made some good progress on a pair of socks and am ready to felt the clogs. It sounds like all I do is knit, knit, knit, as I can only wish! In reality, I spent maybe a hour or two per day at most, and in stockingnette, I can almost work a stitch per second now. So a couple of good knitting hours equals several thousand stitches!

Here, I leave you with a few projects I did manage to photograph - a couple of hats to keep me cozy - and I promise I will eventually post more, but I can't promise when. However, if you're a Ravelry user, I keep my progress updated there more regularly, so check there if you really can't stand to wait....

   

Chunky Cabled Tam

I've always liked the look of berets over beanies for females. They're stylish and chic, and yet still warm and functional. I like how the tam's top leaves room for lots of design elements, from colorwork to stitch patterns.



This pattern is from Knit.1 magazine's Fall/Winter 2008 cover, the Chunky Cabled Tam. What a fun and super quick project! I doubled the yarn and used a tubular CO of 48 sts on 5.0mm needles instead, to increase evenly more easily. 1st rnd (kf&b) 2nd rnd (k1, kf&b).

Post-knitting, I wasn’t too keen with my white color choice. My daughter suggested I dye it a rich color, to make it more stylish, so we used Berry Blue Kool-aid, with a touch of Wilton’s orange & no-taste red, to tone down the brightness.

Off the head, it’s absolutely gorgeous. On the head, it reminds me of a shower cap. I have to adjust it just so, to like a chic beret instead. As funky as it is, I still wear it proudly, and it really keeps my noggin warm!

Needles:
US 8 / 5.0 mm
US 11 / 8.0 mm

Yarn:
Patons Classic Wool Merino
2 skeins in Winter White, dyed with Kool-Aid

Knitting for Noggins

I cast on some various acrylic worsted yarns on my knitting machine to work the majority of the brim, and then finished the crowns and sewed them up by hand. What a great way to stash-bust some leftover and single skeins! These are going to charity - Knitting for Noggins. If you're interested, mail a hat to Arkansas Children's Hospital, and help keep someone warm!

Quickie Knit Hat

Though it's not often, sometimes I can complete a project in one evening! It was so quick, in fact, that I realized after it was gifted, that I forgot to photograph or blog about it!

Luckily, I gave this hat to my fiancé, for his birthday back in August, so it's still readily available. It's been washed and blocked, but not yet worn. After all, love is not expressed by wearing wool in an Arkansas summer.

I made this for him to replace his favorite beloved first hat via the Knifty Knitter. The poor thing was growing more ragged and pilled each day, so I designed a new and improved version, using the same exact yarn left over from nearly 4 years ago! This time, I used size 11 (8mm) knitting needles, and worked mirrored decreases, so it looks more tailored. Now it sits atop his shelf in the walk-in-closet, awaiting the first chill of autumn.


QUICKIE KNIT HAT

SIZE: 22" (55cm) in diameter, approx 8" (23) long

MATERIALS:

• 1 ball each of Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick-n-Quick (6oz/170g, 106yds/97m) in Navy (MC) and Denim (CC)


• Tools: Size 11 (8mm) set of 5 double-point needles
  
  (optionally a 16" circular needle can be used for the main portion, switching to dpn's when necessary)

GAUGE: 10 sts = 4" (10cm) in stockingnette

NOTE: This shape makes a slight poof on top of the head when worn normally, then nicely rounds out when pulled low on the brow. If you prefer a smooth skullcap, work about 5" long before beginning crown shaping.

PATTERN:

With CC, loosely cast on 56 sts, divide evenly over 4 needles (or on the circular), place marker (pm) and join to work in the round. Knit all sts for 16 rounds, then break CC and prepare for knitted-in hem.

Fold knitting in half, with the CO edge directly behind your working needle. Place the first CO loop on your left needle, and knit it together with the first st on your needle with MC. *Locate the next CO st, place on left needle, and knit it together with the next st on your needle with MC. Rep from * until hem is complete.

Work in St st in the round until hat is 7" (19cm) or desired length from bottom edge of hem, placing marker after 14th st, 28th st, and 42nd st, so there are 14 sts between each marker, to prepare for crown decreases.

Rnd 1: K1, *SSK, K to 3 sts before next marker, K2tog, K2, rep from * until 3 sts before last marker, then K2tog, K1.

Rnd 2: Knit even.

Rep these 2 rnds until 16 sts rem, ending with rnd 1.

Last Rnd: *SSK, K2tog, rep from * until end of rnd.

Cut yarn, leaving 12" tail, place first 4 sts on 1 dpn, and last 4 sts on another dpn, and use kitchener stitch to close top of hat (or just sew through all 8 sts and cinch shut). Hide ends.

Customizations for different sizes & gauges:

Modify the number of sts by adding or subtracting in increments of 4 sts. Depending on your multiples, you may end up with "Rep these 2 rnds until 20 sts rem, ending with rnd 1." In that case, your last 2 rnds will be:

Last Rnd 1: *SSK, K1, K2tog, rep from * until end of rnd.
Last Rnd 2: *K1, K2tog, rep from * until end of rnd.

Red Calorimetry

Calorimetry was quick, easy, and fun to knit. The shaping is via short rows, very much like bust darts or sock heels. I could've finished it in one day, but I had other things on my plate, so I worked on it for about 3 days, but altogether it took about 2 hours to knit.

It's a little narrower than the actual pattern, so it's more like a wide headband than a headscarf-earwarmer. I modified the pattern by using Red Heart Super Saver, CO'ed 100 sts, and worked it on 4mm needles. I knit down to 34-32-34 sts before increasing. Instead of a button, a twisted cord holds it together. Next time, I'd like to try it with wool, and CO all 120 sts to make the thing wider.