Zigzag Slouch Hat

Zigzag Slouch Hat
Pictured in size small

This is another one of those designs that first appeared in my mind half-formed and hazy, and then solidified as soon as I bought the yarn. And while I know I'm reusing some concepts here (I used the same stitch pattern and combination of a solid yarn and a variegated yarn in the Zigazig Ah Scarf), I think that the finished result is pretty and novel, from the faux icords running up the seam to the notched back design.

Oh, and some notes on sizing and design here - first off, I know that there's a fairly significant size difference between the small size (which fits up to about a 23" head) and the large size (which fits bigger ones - up to 26.5" at least). This is for two reasons - one, the design suits either a close-fitting or a loose-fitting wear, so it's not too finicky, and if you're borderline on sizes you can choose based on whether or not you want your hat to fit tightly or slouch (you can also choose a size based on your volume of hair!). And two, the stitch pattern is 24 stitches long, and, though one could create a medium size by only working 12 of the final 24-stitch repeat, it would no longer be symmetrical in the back, which compromises some of the hat's appeal. All of that being said, if you'd like a truly medium sized hat, you could always work the design on needles that give you a slightly different gauge - for instance, work the large size with needles that give you 26 inches per 4" instead of the given 24.

Speaking of symmetry and sizing, I would also like to mention that I successfully worked my entire hat on size 4 needles. However, the icord cast on is a little tight, and required blocking to relax it. If you'd prefer, you could work your icord cast on in a needle one size larger than the needle with which you work the rest of your hat. Then you will avoid any too-tight brim issues entirely!

Sizes: Teen/Adult Small (Adult Large)

Yarn: Lana Grossa Cool Wool Melange (100% Virgin Wool; 175 yards [160 meters]/50 grams); #115 - one skein (two skeins) (color A) and Lana Grossa Cool Wool Degrade (100% Virgin Wool; 175 yards [160 meters]/50 grams); #6002 - one skein (one skein) (color B)

A better look at the back,
faux icords and all!

Needles: One 16" circular needle in size US 4, one set of double pointed needles (dpns) in size US 4 (optional: dpns in size US 5 for icord cast on or a 24" circular in size US 4 if you're making the larger size of the hat)

Notions: Tapestry needle, 36" of scrap yarn, stitch marker

Gauge: 24 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette on size US 4 needles

So let's make a hat! Using your color A yarn, and your size US 4 or 5 dpns, cast on 4 stitches loosely. Then we'll work an icord cast on, as follows:

Icord Row (always worked as a right-side row): kfb, k3; then, when you go to begin your next row, use your tapestry needle to thread the first of kfb stitches onto your piece of scrap yarn purlwise to hold for later

Knit this icord row until you're holding 127 (151) stitches on your scrap yarn. Kfb in your first stitch one final time, transfer the first stitch (of your kfb) to your scrap yarn, and then bind off your four icord stitches (which include the second stitch from your kfb). Then, transfer the 128 (152) held stitches from your scrap yarn and onto your circular needle (you can use a 24" if you're making the large size). Once you have all your stitches transferred, continue to use your color A yarn and work as follows. Note that you can pull the yarn tight behind your slipped stitches; this creates the icord look.

Rainbow Rib Mitts

Rainbow Rib Mitts
as seen near an *extremely* green pond thing

I keep looking at the hands in these photos and thinking, "dang how did my nails get so long?!?!" (since I'm always the hands in my photos). Then I keep remembering that today, for the first time ever (that's not exactly true - my husband has posed a few times), I AM NOT THE HANDS IN MY PHOTOS. Not that my lovely hand model will probably ever agree to lend her digits to my knitting again, since I spent the whole shoot giving her instructions like, "Now happy fingers! No, happier!" and, "Angle your hands like you're standing up, but instead squat so your head doesn't cast a shadow on the mitts." Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I got this yarn ON SALE BABY, and it's a beautiful choice for this basic-but-not-boring pattern. Oh, and word to the wise - if you use the same fiber, be forewarned that the pattern doesn't repeat in a linear fashion, but like a palindrome (so the colors don't go A B C D A B C D but more like A B C D D D C B A). So, although I made my mitts match fairly well, I had to be fussy to get there, and it's possible that if you're equally fussy about matching you may need more than one skein to complete the pattern.

Sizes: small (medium; large) (the small will fit a hand roughly 7 1/2" - 8" in circumference at the base of the thumb, the medium up to 8 3/4", and the large goes up to about 9.5")

Yarn: Lang Yarns Novena Color (50% Wool, 30% Alpaca, 20% Nylon; 240 yards [220 meters]/50 grams); #0009 Rosa/Violet/Blue - one skein (all sizes)

A closer view of the gusset
Or the "thumb crotch," as I yelled several
times at my hardworking hand model.

Needles: One set of double pointed needles (dpns) in size US 6; one set of dpns in size US 7

Notions: Tapestry needle, scrap yarn

Gauge: 22 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette on size US 7 needles

And that brings us to the pattern! Using your size US 6 needles, then, cast on 40 (44; 48) stitches loosely and distribute evenly between three dpns. Join in round, being careful not to twist your cast on when you complete the join. Then we'll work ribbing as follows:

Ribbing Row: * k1, p1; rep from *

Reflecting Pool Cowl

Reflecting Pool Cowl

There's no denying it: this is one of those yarns that I bought because my raccoon brain demanded it (okay fine, maybe raccoon isn't accurate - it's not shiny although it's colorful. You get what I mean). And, as always with these yarns, as soon as I got it home I wondered what to do with it - with a variegated I prefer a pattern that's not too plain but that also doesn't get eaten by the colors of the fiber, after all. Luckily it didn't take long before I came up with this cable and openwork design, which shows off both the texture of the fabric and the beauty of the yarn. And, as a side note, I think it would also work well on larger needles (US 8 or even larger!) if you want a more drapey look. :)

Yarn: Lang Yarns Riva (52% Cotton, 48% Acrylic; 115 yards [105 meters]/50 grams); #0079 - 2 skeins

A look at the cable and the
openwork design.

Needles: one 16" circular needle in size US 6 (4.0 mm), cable needle (cn) or dpn for cabling

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker

Gauge: 19 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette, 22 stitches = 4 inches in pattern

Okay, let's make a cowl! First, then, cast on 110 stitches loosely (or 121, 132, or any multiple of 11 if you'd like a looser-fitting cowl - this one clocks in at only 20" around unstretched), place marker, and join in round. Then we'll work a combination of Vandyke Faggoting from page 187 of Barbara G. Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns and a basic chain cable, as follows. You'll need the following notation to continue. Remember you can always cable without a cable needle, if you'd like.

back cross (bc): transfer next 2 stitches to your cn and hold in back; k2, k2 from cn

front cross (fc): transfer next 2 stitches to your cn and hold in front; k2, k2 from cn

Little Birds Hat

Little Birds Hat

Yet again the story behind this hat is simple: while at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival in March, I went on a quest to find the perfect silvery yarn for a hat design. After combing through all of the booths, I finally settled on the subtle luster of this 4 ply from Ripples Crafts. Then, of course, once I had the fiber picked out I had to figure out the pattern, and ultimately decided to let a play on a basic stockinette let the yarn shine through. So if you, too, have a gorgeous 4 ply at home this may just be the design for you! (or - even better - order one of the gorgeous colorways from Ripples!!!!)

Yarn: Ripples Crafts Hand Dyed Yarn 4 Ply - Burras (100% Wool; 400 yards [366 meters]/100 grams); Moonshine - 1 skein (I used 58 grams, or roughly 232 yards)

A look at the finish.

Needles: one 16" circular needle in size US 2, one 16" circular needle in size US 3, one set of double pointed needles (dpns), also in size US 3

Notions: Tapestry needle, two stitch markers

Gauge: 28 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette on size US 3 needles

Using your size US 2 needle, cast on 154 stitches loosely, place marker, and join in round. Then we'll work a ribbing, as follows:

Ribbing Row: * k1, p1; rep from *

Knit this ribbing row until ribbing measures roughly 1.5". Transfer your work to your size US 3 circular needle. Then we'll begin our main pattern, which is Little Birds from page 105 of Barbara G. Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, and goes as follows:

Rows 1 - 3: knit

A Is For Ascot

A is for Ascot - toddler size

Oh man, this is a project that I finished quite some time ago, but then I couldn't photograph and post it because my wild third child didn't want to get in front of the camera to model. And, of course, as soon as I FINALLY snapped these pics he also let me cut his hair, which makes him look like less of a goober than he does in these photos. However, his gooberness aside - this is a fun cowl/scarf project that's perfect for a kid who keeps losing his or her scarfs (since there's a slit in one end and the other end tucks in!). It will also, adorably, make your child look ever-so-slightly like a sailor. :)

Sizes: Toddler (Child)

Yarn: Lang Yarns Mille Colori Baby (100% Virgin Wool; 208 yards [190 meters]/50 grams); #0050 - one skein (one to two skeins)

Could I have put him in a less
colorful shirt? Probably, but then
he would have been screaming.

Needles: One set of double pointed needles (dpns) in size US 4; one needle in size US 5 for provisional cast on

Notions: Tapestry needle

Gauge: 27 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette on size US 4 needles

And now that we've gotten that taken care of, let's make an ascot! First, then, using your size 5 needle, cast on 40 (48) stitches provisionally. Transfer to 3 of your size 4 dpns, distributing the stitches as follows: 20 stitches on your first needle, 10 stitches on your second needle, and 10 on your third (24 on your first; 12 on your second, 12 on your third). Join in round. Knit in stockinette until piece measures roughly 6" (7"), at which point we'll knit one decrease row, as follows. Notice that the rows are different for the two different sizes.

Decrease Row - toddler size: [(ssk, k1) three times, k2, (k1, k2tog) three times] twice (28 stitches)

Decrease Row - child size: [(ssk, k1) three times, k6, (k1, k2tog) three times] twice (36 stitches)

Skye Shawl

Skye Shawl

Those of you who follow my Instagram may realize that I attended the Edinburgh Yarn Festival last month (not that I posted much - one photo, maybe?). What you may NOT realize is that I also bought a crapload of yarn. Of course, because my mother raised me to value a sweet deal, I bought both brand-new-perfect-condition stuff and quite a few "odds and ends," like the beautiful naturally-dyed fibers from the Skye Shilasdair Shop that I used for this design. Naturally, then, the Skye Shawl is designed for just such a collection of funny bits and leftovers, in case you have a few odds and ends of your own laying around the house. :) I ALSO bought a kitchen scale so that I could accurately measure my yardage; as you can see, I've bolded all of the colors and yardages below so that you can get a good idea of how many yards of each color you need to make this shawl for yourself (I've also already added a 10% cushion on the amounts I used, in case you're wondering).

Oh, and I almost forgot! I also made technique videos for this piece, which demonstrate all of the important stuff you need to make this shawl. And yes, I know I start EVERY SINGLE ONE by saying "okay." Okay? Okay! Apparently I can't help myself. 

Oh, and double oh: the instructions for this shawl make it look much more complicated/difficult than it actually is! Take heart, it's not that bad, I promise. :)

Yarn: The Skye Shilasdair Shop oddments (unknown blend of Alpaca, Merino, Cashmere, Angora, and Silk); Yellow/Green (Color A; 45 grams, or roughly 135 yards), Dark Pink (Color B; 30 grams, or roughly 90 yards), Lime Green (Color C; 10 grams or roughly 30 yards), Light Pink (Color D; 20 grams or roughly 60 yards), Dark Green (Color E; 20 grams or roughly 60 yards)

A closer looks at the stripes and the edgings.

Needles: One pair of needles in size US 5, two double pointed needles in size US 5, and one US 6 or 7 needle for provisional cast-on (this is optional; you're only casting on 4 stitches provisionally, so your tightness is not of great importance)

Notions: 2 tapestry needles, 1 18" length of scrap yarn, and 2 roughly 3' lengths of scrap yarn, preferably in cotton

Gauge: 24 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette

So let's make a shawl then! And remember - as I mentioned above, I filmed a series of technique videos for this pattern, so (hopefully!) you will be able to find a technique video just below any of the instructions with which you may need help. And with that in mind, in order to get this particular blend of stripes, we're going to begin by making the i-cord on the top middle part of the shawl, and then work the striped middle panel down from there. So, first, using one of your size US 5 dpns or your size US 6 or 7 needle and your color A yarn, cast on 4 stitches provisionally, making sure the scrap yarn you use to hold your provisional stitches is roughly 3' long. If you used a larger needle for your provisional cast on, transfer stitches to one of your size 5 dpns now. And if you need some help with these instructions, then the video below is for you (side note: when I watched it back I realized that I could have explained myself better. What I mean by "making space" is that if you're not going to size up your needle for your cast on, you should NOT pull the stitches around the scrap yarn tight, but instead leave them a little loose, as demonstrated).