Emily & Kiersten's Gnome Hat

 

My youngest first cousin graduated high school in May.  For her graduation present I gave her a knitting IOU.  Emily's choice was a hat, a slouchy hat to be precise.  After Em received her hat, I made another for her friend Kiersten.

Emily's Hat:

Materials:

2 skeins Crystal Palace Cuddles in Juniper

2 medium sized wooden buttons

Size US 10 circular needles

Size US 10 double points (I don't have US 10 double points, I finished the hat with US 11 double points.)

Gauge: 3 stitches to an inch

Finished Measurements:

From ribbing hat band to point of hat: 13.5 inches

Circumference: 17 inches around at ribbed hat band

Abbreviations:

SSK: Slip two stitches knit wise, knit the two slipped stitches together.

K2T: Knit 2 stitches together

CO 54 stitches

Place marker and join in the round.

*K 3, P 3* Rib across the row

Continue ribbing for 3 inches.

Switch to straight stitch.

Next Row: M1, K to end of row.

Continue knitting all stitches every row until the hat measures 9 inches from CO edge.

Begin Decreases:

Row 1: *K 9, SSK* across row

Row 2 (and all even rows): K

Row 3: *K 8, SSK* across row

Row 5: *K 7, SSK* across row

Row 7: *K 6, SSK* across row

Row 9: *K 5, SSK* across row

Row 11:*K 4, SSK* across row

Row 13: *K 3, SSK* across row

Row 15:*K 2, SSK* across row

Row 17:*K 1, SSK* across row

Row 19:*K2T* across all stitches

Change to double pointed needles when the work is too small to fit on circular needles.

Break yarn, leaving a long tail.  Thread tail through remaining stitches, pull tight and weave in ends.  Sew buttons onto ribbed hat band.

The hat comes to a point on the top, which doesn't show when worn.  Because of the point, my sisters nicknamed it a "gnome hat".

A special thanks to Ellie, who even though I showed up right as she got out of bed still managed to look adorable.

Honeycomb and Ruffles, Hopes for Peace and Strength

A year ago last week, a Black Hawk was shot down.  All lives were lost, for each of those men there was a family whose world stopped.  This is the shawl I made for one of their mothers.

A honeycomb shawl with ruffles on both ends.  Originally, I knit this with Berroco Remix, the photographed shawl is knit with Rowan Savannah.  I would love to knit this with Crystal Palace Cuddles, although I think any acrylic would work well.

You can buy the pattern here.

100% of the sales will go to the David Warsen Legacy fund.

Davey, you are missed and loved, so very very much.

My Favorite Color

I have this thing about a certain color blue.  My husband likes to tease me about my adoration of the color turquoise. Walk into my house, glance at my closet and you will see a LOT of shades of blue moving from turquoise to Tiffany.  My yarn color choice when making a garment for myself is no different.  Recently I ordered some Ruca, color 6, off of ebay thinking about using it as a gift for a friend.  Once the yarn arrived, I promptly ordered a different yarn for the gift and kept my first purchase for myself.

I think I love that color because it reminds me of being at the water.  I love being at the water (it's the New Englander in me). There's nothing like standing with your feet in the surf and watching the colors of blue as they change with the waves.

 

Then there is the fabulousness of knitting at the beach.

Here is my start of my yoga shawl, in Spray #04. (Pattern here!)

The start of Emily's hat, in Cuddles Juniper. (Pattern here!)

*Please excuse any grammatical errors, I'm operating with a migraine.

Lovely Gifts

My birthday gifts from my daughter, three anthropologie knobs to hang knitting needles.

One of my gifts from my family, a lovely basket that just happens to be the perfect size to house my swift, yarn winder and blocking boards.

A birthday bonus, my baby girl wanting to wear her twirly scarf to my birthday tea.  

A Season of Lace

As the seasons change so do my knitting preferences.  In the spring and summer (March through August) knitting lace is a must.  For the colder months I prefer to cable knit.  If I am feeling daring I might even mix the two techniques in September and March.  

Until I learned how to block, I took my completed work to my local yarn shop for finishing.  Once my friend Gigi taught me how to block, my life changed.  I have so much fun blocking a garment that there are many a night we eat on the island in our kitchen because our dining room table is being used as a blocking board. 

Here are a few of my summer projects:

 Lady Russel Shawl by Joy Gerhardt

from the Jane Austen Knits Fall 2012 issue.

Knit with Kollage Riveting Sport in Beach Denim. 

 

 

The Holden Shawlette by Mindy Wilkes.  

Knit with Prism Delicato in Blue Lagoon.

 

Gail (aka Night Song) by MaweLucky/Jane Araujo Designs.  

Knit with Araucania Ruca Multi.

 

 

Darjeeling Shawl by Joan Forgione from Interweave Knits Spring 2013.  Knit with Hand Maiden Swiss Mountain Silk Bamboo (this yarn has been discontinued)  and Hand Maiden Swiss Mountain Silk Cotton in Glacier.