Peaks & Cables Hat

Peaks & Cables Hat

Okay, so I lost track sometime during last week's vacation, but I ripped this hat out either three or four times before I finally left it sitting around as nothing more than a band of ribbing (luckily, I didn't have to finish it three or four times before I realized each of those times was ugly).  Then I made the cowl for my mom and forgot about the hat entirely.  But since I'm trying to finish the projects I start (except for that quilt from 7 years ago, of course), I finally got some inspiration and hammered through.  And I have to say, my husband thinks it's my best one yet (on a completely unrelated note, I just remembered that my post-apocalyptic New Orleans dream last night featured a whole segment where the tops of my hats, where I pull the stitches together y'know, were starting to tug undone and it was IMPERATIVE that I fix them all right then despite the chaos.  not that I have knitting anxiety dreams or anything...).

Update (4/24/14): For anyone out there who prefers to knit with charts, Raveler bebamima was kind enough to whip some up and then pass them along. You can find charts for both the main pattern and the decreases at the bottom of this post, or shoot me an email if you'd prefer jpgs (ballstothewallsknits@gmail.com). Thanks bebamima!

Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Paints (100% Superwash Wool; 220 yards [200 meters]/100 grams); #9863 Spring Meadow - one skein

Needles: One 16" circular needle in size 8 and a set of double-pointed needles in size 8

The pattern.  A cable, and then a peak.

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker

Gauge: 18 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette

Using size 8 needles, cast on 112 stitches, place marker, and join in round.  Knit 1" in k1, p1 ribbing.  Now it's time to begin your main pattern, for which you'll need the following notation:

bc (back cross): slip two stitches to cn and hold in back; knit two stitches, knit two stitches from cn

So let's get to it!

Row 1: * k4, yo, ssk, k6, k2tog, yo; rep from *

Row 2 and all even rows, including final row 8: knit

Row 3: * bc, k1, yo, ssk, k4, k2tog, yo, k1 *

Tie-Closure Lace Cowl II

Tie-Closure Lace Cowl II (yeah, the picture is lopsided.  there was baby intervention)

First, let me apologize for how long it's been since my last pattern post - there was a disastrous family vacation and all kinds of illness that got in the way.  Of course, on the plus side, said disastrous vacation resulted in one good thing: I raided my mom's yarn stash and found a single decent skein, which was as petite as it was pretty (146 yards isn't a lot, you know) (also, mom, what's up with all the novelty yarns???).  So in exchange for stealing it, I promised to make it into something nice for her, even though I was limited by the very limited amount.  So I came up with this.  Also, both of the ties are made from my embroidery floss collection, although of course you could make them with the same yarn, or even ribbon if you didn't want to bother with the I-cords.

Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca & Silk (50% Alpaca; 50% Silk; 146 yards [133 meters]/50 grams); #136 - this color is discontinued and older than either of my children, so I have no idea what the name of it is, but I used just one skein!

A poorly-lit close-up of the pattern.
Once again, I blame the baby.

Embroidery Floss: Sullivan's (100% Cotton; 8.7 yards [8 meters]); #45325 - one skein, but you will need pretty much the whole thing

Embroidery Floss: Sullivan's (100% Cotton; 8.7 yards [8 meters]); #45000 (Ecru) - also one skein, and you will also need all of this one

Needles: One set of straight needles in size 5 (well, I knit this on a circular needle, but you get the point - it goes back and forth), and two dpns in size 1, for knitting the embroidery floss

Notions: Tapestry needle

Gauge: 20 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette

So let's get to it!  First, using your size 5 needles and your regular yarn, cast on 5 stitches and knit one row.  Now we're going to work some increases and get started on the pattern, which goes as follows:

Italian Wheat Hat

Italian Wheat Hat

Um, so it's a hat?  Yes, definitely a hat.  I got the idea for this after knitting the Wheat Ear Cuff, since I thought the cabling could be retooled into a cool hat.  And that's pretty much all I've got for this one...

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Quatro (100% Peruvian highland wool; 220 yards [200 meters]/100 grams); #5019 Green Tea - I used what was left after I made the Zig Zag Legwarmers, which was almost exactly 3/4 of a skein

Needles: One 16" circular needle in size 8, one 16" circular needle in size 10, one set of double-pointed needles (dpns) in size 10, cable needle (cn) or extra dpn

The finishing.

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker or scrap of yarn

Gauge: 18 stitches = 4 inches on size 8 needles

Cast on 108 stitches, place marker, and join in round.  Knit one inch in a k1, p1 ribbing.  Now it's time to switch to your size 10 circular needle, and your main pattern, which is a mash-up of Italian Chain Ribbing (from page 47 of Barbara G. Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns) and the Wheat Ear Cable (from page 244 of the same).  You'll need the following notation to get 'er done:

fc (front cross): slip 3 stitches to cn and hold in front; knit 3, knit 3 from cn

fc-2: slip 2 stitches to cn and hold in front; knit 2, knit 2 from cn