Ally's new hat to complement her fancy-schmancy new winter "city" coat or...

Super-simple Ridged Slouchy Hat

My daughter needed a new hat to compliment her new coat - not a "snowsuit" jacket anymore...oh, no, no! she's an urban pre-teen and needs something more city-worthy, apparently.

100 grams worsted weight yarn
4.5 mm 16" circular needles
4.5 mm dpn
stitch marker

Ridged Pattern:
Knit 3 rounds
(Purl 1 round, knit 1 round) 3 times.

Cast on 90 sts. Place marker to mark beginning of round when joining.

Knit in k1,p1 ribbing for 10 rounds.

Evenly, increase 10 stitches while only knitting next round. 100 stitches on needles.

Continue in pattern until you have 3 sets of pattern (for style shown in photo - if you want a slouchier look, have long hair that you want to tuck under the hat...or have a longer head (?), add another set or two - or three - to suit you.).

Decreases will be done over 2 sets of pattern.

Decrease rounds:
Following pattern (i.e. k2tog on knit rounds, p2tog on purl rounds):
Dr1: *k(p)8, k(p)2tog*, repeat to end of round.
Dr2: Knit (or Purl) even

Repeat these 2 rounds, decreasing number of stitches before decrease by one (i.e. next decrease round will be k(p) 7, the following will be k(p) 6...and so on, until there are 20 stitches left. Change to dpn when appropriate

Final Decrease:
*k2tog*, repeat * *to end of round. Cut yarn and draw tail through remaining stitches, sewing off inside the hat.

This hat is pattern is very easy to modify - make the ridges in different colours, increase/ decrease length by knitting extra sets of pattern, increase/decrease # of stitches to make a smaller or larger, use thicker or thinner yarn, make it airier by adding eyelets in between ridges by *yo, k2tog* repeating on 2nd knit rounds...the only limit is your imagination!

Leaving your stash...

Giving up my stash...never! I'm simply going to spend 10 days at the home of friends, looking after their kids, while they are away on a second honeymoon. What I didn't expect was the overwhelming stress of having to choose what yarn to bring with me! I had the car packed, the kids packed - well ahead of my timeline to leave...and, as I sifted through my stash I ended up running late!

What does it say about a woman who has less difficulty leaving her husband for 10 days than leaving her stash behind?

Chainmail – the good kind

Note:  I have designed this to be an easy, quick and flexible knit for the beginner knitter.  Don’t worry too much about gauge, exact size of needles or thickness of yarn – use what you have available that is closest to the suggested types.  This pattern allows for variation because of the stretchiness of the “chainmail”, so if you don’t have the suggest larger size needles, feel free to use a slightly larger or smaller size – whatever you have in your needle case!  You can use worsted with either size of needle, but with the smaller size, it won’t be as open and airy, nor will it be as quick a knit (I knitted mine in an evening!). 

You will need:

1 ball worsted weight yarn (1 ball DK or sportweight yarn)

size 10.5 mm (7.5 mm) 16" circular needles and double pointed needles

size 5 mm (4 mm)16" circular needles and double pointed needles

Directions:

With circular needles, cast on 50 (70) sts, very loosely.  Connect in round, making sure not to twist, place a stitch marker at the beginning of the round.

Knit 1 round.

Chainmail pattern:

Round 1A:  *yfwd, sl1pwise, k1, psso*, repeat * * to end of round

Round 2A:  knit to end of round

Repeat these 2 rounds until your project measures anywhere between 3" and 5", depending on length of your child's neck.

End with Round 1A.

Chainmail Decrease round:

Round 1B:  *knit 3 (5), k2tog*, repeat * * to end of round

Round 2B:  same as Round 1A

Now you have 40 (60) sts on needle.

Return to working Rounds 2A and 1A for another 2 sets for a helmet that has an open face, longer if you want the chain mail to cover higher in the face, ending with round 2A.

Creating Face Opening:

At the beginning of a Round 1A, BO 10 (16) sts.  Continue round as stated in pattern to end of row.  Note, you are no longer working in the round, rather you are now working in rows.

Row 1:  sl1pwise, purl to end of row.

Row 2:  sl1pwise, *yfwd, sl1pwise, k1, psso*, repeat * * to last stitch, k1

Repeat these two rows until your face opening is just above your child's eyebrows (approximately 4"-5"), ending with Row 2.

Creating the helmet:

At the end of Row 2, on large size needles, cast on 10 (16) sts in your favourite manner (backward loop CO works just fine), this will be the forehead.  Now pick up your 5 mm (4mm) needles and you are going to start knitting off the larger needles at the right-hand temple of the helmet with the smaller needles and the yarn that is attached to your forehead cast on.

Round 1C:  kf/b of every stitch (*k1, kf/b*, repeat * * ) to end of round, place stitch marker.  80 (90) sts

Round 2C: purl

Round 3C: knit

Round 4C: purl

Round 5C: knit

Round 6C: purl

Knit 10 (15) more rounds in stocking stitch (knit every round).

Helmet Decrease:

Now, at this point you can create a "beanie" style hat, as shown in the photo, or you can lengthen it.  The taller option will be shown in brackets ().  When it starts to get difficult to knit on the circulars, switch to your dpn.  I suggest that you follow the bracketed pattern if you are working with 4 mm needles, at this point.

Round 1D:  *k8, k2tog *, repeat * * to end of round

Round 2D:  knit

(Round 3D:  knit)

Repeat these 2 (3) rounds, decreasing 1 st between k2tog's - i.e.. next decrease round of k7, k2tog, followed by a round of k6, k2tog...) until you reach *k4, k2tog*, at this point start knitting 2 rounds between decrease rounds until you have *k2tog* to end of round.  Break yarn and weave through stitches and pull closed.  Tie off on underside.  Weave any ends.  Decorate as desired.

Glossary:

BO - bind off

CO - cast on

k – knit

kf/b – this is an increase:  knit into the front of the first stitch on the left hand needle, then immediately knit into back loop of same stitch before letting it drop off left hand needle - you now have 2 stitches on right hand needle

k2tog - knit two stitches together, as one

p- purl

psso - pass the stitch you slipped onto the right hand needle over the last knitted stitch on the right hand needle

sl1pwise - slip 1 stitch as if you were going to purl, but the yarn is still at the back of your work

yfwd – yarn forward – bring yarn to the front of your work, even if you are knitting, it is going to create the “hole”

Two steps forward...one step back

When I started knitting way, way back in the 70's, my grandmother started me off on her leftovers. As I got older, I inherited the odd balls and the leftovers of both my grandmother and my mother. In my youthful ignorance, I referred to all this yarn as "wool", though I am sure that I would have been hard pressed to find even one natural fibre in the lot!

It has only been over the past few years that I have been introduced to natural fibres and all the wonder that comes with them. Wool was my first (and favourite), but everything else from corn to alpaca holds a special place in my heart. I love that when I knit with natural fibres my needles don't get sticky the way they do when I knit with acrylic. I love the variety that you can get - you need warmth? cool? you can get it in a natural fibre - sometimes even in the same one! I love how many of them have the wonderful combination of durability and delicateness.

Of course, some of the natural fibres require a bit of extra care and tenderness (and you can get a whole new project out of it if you don't respect that!), but I think that a little hand washing and drying flat never hurt anyone.

Then, one day, my grandmother made the funniest comment, "Why on earth would you be making that out of wool? It's too much work."

Excuse me? Why? Because wool and knitting are synonymous. How is it more work than anything else?

But, I am not going to argue - or try to change the mind - of a 90 year old woman. I let it go and kept my love of natural fibres to myself.

Then, I took up spinning on a drop spindle. Again, "Why would you want to go to that trouble?" Now, I really had to think about her comments. Why is she trying to discourage me from traditional aspects and pursuits associated with knitting? I pondered this question for a bit and then I had an epiphany.

For much of her life, daily existence required a lot of labour - work that most of us never have to think about. Everything was hand washed - not just the woolens. Most of the wool from her early years was homespun, therefore, requiring a generous input of labour before it even became a finished product. Progress, in her mind, was washing machines (and anything that you could throw in there), man-made fibres and massed produced yarns that saved time and energy. Besides, she has seen the vast improvement in man-made fibres.

My urge to get back to basics is seen as a huge leap backwards to her. I have the luxury of looking at the prospect of hand washing as quaint. She remembers when that was all that got your clothing clean - and how much work it was.

Then I have to think about my own thought process. Do I give a heirloom quality, natural fibre, hand knitted gift to everybody I know? No. I give it only to the ones I know will appreciate and respect the work required for it's care. Many, many people received a lovingly hand knitted, machine washable acrylic gift.

Real men don't need Tetanus shots...

nor do they wear "colourful" socks with shorts, apparently.

Now, imagine my shock and dismay when Steph, being the lucky recipient of 3 new pairs of handknit socks by yours truly (in a space of less than 6 months, no less!), deigned to complain (he swears he only "commented") that his socks are "too colourful" and could I not knit him plainer socks for summer months - read: when they are going to be visible and able to be admired.

I threw the ball of yarn I was working with (which was, incidentally, in the progress of being knitted into another pair of socks for him!) at his head.

"Try that on!"

"It's only yarn...", he looks at me as if I have grown a second head.

"Exactly!"

He put on the self-striping green, blue and purple socks without another comment.

His buddy, bearing witness to this, had the good grace (and superior judgement) to make sure that I knew that he would wear any colour of socks - PROUDLY - if I made them for him.

Steph left the house, for a boys night out, with something to think about and a fresh lecture about "friends will not make fun of the colour of your socks, and if they do, they aren't your real friends".



This is Steph's foot the day after the "needle incident". I don't know why he didn't have the forethought to just stay still and let me take a quick photo of his foot while the needle was still in it...hindsight is 20/20.

The 2mm dp went through the tip of his baby toe, then through the pad of the outer ball of his foot and out.

I left my knitting on the floor by the couch, as he walked up to the couch to sit down he kicked my knitting under it, but one of the dp's caught on the leg - ouch!

Ironcially enough, this occurred shortly after I had reminded him not to wear shoes in the house (7 years and counting!). To top it all off, when he sat down on the couch so I could take this photo, he sat on a safety pin that had opened up and slipped between the cushions (he wouldn't let me take a photo of that injury!).

Although, I highly recommended him going to get a Tetanus shot, he chose to treat it with tea tree oil. Today he is none the worse for wear, except for a healthy wariness of my dp's.

As a couple, we have grown from this experience:

1. I will not leave my knitting unattended on the floor or on the couch. This is why I have a knitting bag right beside the couch.

2. I will be more careful to account for the sewing notions that I use - ie. darning needles, safety pins, scissors. This is why I have a sewing box right beside the couch.

3. These "incidents" are in no way a valid excuse to keep shoes on in the house!

Busy beaver...

I have been a busy little beaver. On Canada Day we skipped town - family and friends can't understand it. We live in the Market and are right in the middle of all the Canada Day festivities happening in the Nation's Capital - that is why we get out of Dodge!

When we came home, Steph and Ally headed up to the Hill to see what was going on. Naevyne and I met up with them for the fireworks.

I have to admit that it is nice to be able to walk 8 minutes down the street to catch the fireworks at the National Gallery!

We headed out to Meech Lake for the day. The weather was perfect, the water was warm and the girls spent 5-1/2 hours, out of the 6 we were there, in the water. That meant minimal interruptions for my knitting.

The day at the beach allowed me great progress on Ally's Austrian sock (from Interweave Knits Favourite Socks). I have to admit that I cursed her birth when I started the chart, but half way through the first sock I got the hang of it. The socks flew off the needles. These socks have been modified to be anklets, as Ally doesn't like "regular" socks. This is all fine with me because I needed only one ball of yarn, and it is less work for me.

At the beginning of June, I knitted the bmp socks for my brother (http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring07/PATTbmp.html). His birthday isn't until the end of July, but I wasn't sure how complicated or annoying this pattern would be. I started early - which is so out of character for me - to give myself the time to put them down for a bit, if needed. I needn't have worried. These were so much fun to knit up! I hope that he likes them as much as my household does.

Immediately upon finishing the bmp's, I got started on Naevyne's long awaited socks. She chose the yarn and the pattern (I did narrowed down the choice of patterns to a few that I was willing and interested in knitting - many years of childrearing has taught me to never give a 5 year old, particularly a very bright 5 year old, too much license!). The pattern is called Overlapping Leaves, but in the blue yarn it looks like waves.

The pattern is a free PDF download on Ravelry.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/overlapping-leaves-toe-up-sock-pattern

Towards the end of June, Ally had a birthday party to attend. I try to encourage my children to give handmade/handcrafted gifts as birthday presents - and I encourage the same from other children attending our birthday parties. Ally handpainted some white silk in her friend's favourite colours for me to knit up into the Spirogyra fingerless gloves and matching hat.
http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring08/KSPATTspirogyra.html

Long time...

Well, I have been busy. We survived Ally's birthday party (and 14 preteen girls!) along with the the remainder of Ottawa's winter!

I have been knitting - it seems like a mad fool, but really, I have only accomplished a few things. The layette set above being one of them.

It was a gift for Naevyne's Sparks leader. She is expecting a little girl in early June - and that suited me just fine! I had bought a couple of balls of Porto Cervo cotton, on sale, over the winter and I had the left over raw silk from the Valentine's Day hats. I was hoping someone I knew would be having a baby girl! I love knitting infant clothes - you can use so little, but the gift means so much!

I was very happy with the way the outfit turned out, though the hat was my achilles heel! I had it in my mind to make a bonnet with the same pleated edging as I had done the bottom of the dress, but for some reason it was refusing to turn out the way I wanted it to! I swear I ripped it out at least a half dozen times before I finally accepted that should just make a little hat with a pleated fringe - Presto! Done in an evening! Somedays you should just stick with what you know best!

I have also knitted a pink wool crown with silver thread and stars for our little friends' princess birthday. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of her in it - maybe when I see her next week.

I am currently busy knitting another boring pair of socks for my beloved. It is our anniversary next week and he loves handknit socks - boring, plain old st st, no fuss socks. His goal is to only own socks knitted by me for him. It is definitely a testament to my affection for him that I keep knitting away! Though, I have to admit that the yarn is lovely to knit (even if it is a plain denim blue). It is a Regia wool/silk blend and knits up beautifully.

I have also been distracted by needlefelting, lately. The girls and I have been working on that, along with the odd dye job. We recently took a natural dyes class and had fun with that - we don't have the natural dyes at home, but we have been dying with food colouring. I am having a lot of trouble finding a good selection of Kool Aid powders - perhaps it is a bit too early in the season for it?

I will get around to posting some of our dye work soon.