Mostly Knit-Round Hat | Sally Melville pattern

Oh my poor knitting blog. Oh my poor yarn. Has it really been this long since I have finished a knitting project? Well there were those braided mice and Dim Sum cat toys that I never blogged about, two Christmas’s ago. (The cat-nip-stuffed Dim Sum is still being wrestled around the house by our cats, by the way.) For that Christmas, I also made some Double-Knit Sock Ornaments that are still hanging on various family trees. None of my completed projects look as good as the ones in the links, which must be why I didn’t take any pictures of them.

Other than that, I’ve got nothing other than a half-done poncho that I may never finish.

This winter, a very cold one in Minnesota, I got a new brown coat from Goodwill but had a hard time finding a matching hat. I remembered that I had some fancy brown yarn that my mom had given me (Jo Sharp, Australian wool, brown with blue threads).

I found a pattern in Sally Melville’s The Knitting Experience: The Knit Stitch. Her pattern is similar to the roll brim hat in my last post, but has clearer instructions for decreasing around the crown. Nonetheless, I ripped out and restarted the crown three times before I finished. With all the battering the wool took, it still looks pretty good.

Nervously Nesting

I started knitting when I was waiting for JL to come home, as a kind of nervous nesting behavior. I only just regained my knitting energy while once again, nervously nesting. Roll brim hats were an early accomplishment and now my favorite thing to make.

I made this hat for JL at her request when she saw me making hats for myself and a friend. However, she no longer desired a hat once it was done. Can’t hardly blame her since it is spring. She also finds it inferior because it does not cover her ears. She is impervious to reminders that it is not that cold out anymore.

I plan to make a matching hat for KN, our second child whose arrival we await, in hopes she will be home by summer. If I can get one on each head for five minutes, they will make one good picture anyway.

Felted Purse

This is the only project I have both started and finished since JL came home seven months ago so it should not be surprising that it was really easy! When JL is excited about a surprise or a gift, she gasps as if she has swallowed a bug. She did that with this purse because, as you can see, she adores purses. Thank you Didima for the materials and pattern! And many thanks to Alan and Howie for the adorable personalized hanger.

Cotton Cardigan

I started this while waiting for JL to come home and was almost done when she arrived. I pulled it out of the drawer to finish this week. I got the pattern from The Purl Stitch by Sally Melville. It’s made from Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, which is a 50/50 cotton/acrylic blend and very pleasant to knit.

It wasn’t too difficult until finishing time, and then the pieces inexplicably were off kilter, but it is a forgiving pattern, so still quite presentable. It is about two sizes too big for Jyoti and the arms will probably be too long. I swear I knitted a swatch. That’s OK, that way it will last a long long time.

Boatneck Tunic

I made this in April of 2004, while waiting for JL to come home. And it fits! The pattern came from Leisure Arts 99 Knit Stitches, done in 50/50 Cotton/Acrylic. It is my first sleeved sweater and it was almost the death of my knitting career. I actually got mad enough a few times to stuff it in a drawer and not speak to it for awhile. The basic pattern is easy enough. You can either make two identical sides or you can (as did I) knit in the round up to the arms then increase for front and back panels. But the zig zag seed stitch is a pain in the arse. I love it’s look – but hate the fact that there is no point of reference as you go, you just have to count properly. Drop a stitch and the whole pattern goes to hell. At least it is a somewhat forgiving pattern, in that the inevitable counting mistakes do not scream at you (after about five restarts on the sleeves, that is what I decided, anyway). This is definitely not a TV knitter’s project but just try explaining that to me.

Sleeveless Pullover

March 2004: Using several of the techniques I learned in 10-20-30 Minutes to Learn to Knit, I used this free pattern for a child’s v-necked vest as a guide. The yarn is el cheapo polyester that I picked up at a thrift store. As it turns out, it looks better on the Care Bear than it does on JL, but she likes to wear it anyway.

Dog Sweater

February 2004: This double seed stitch pattern for a dog sweater came from 10-20-30 Minutes to Learn to Knit.

Baby Hat & Booties

January 2004: The Baby Hat & Booties came from Leisure Arts awesome beginning knitter’s guide called 10-20-30 Minutes to Learn to Knit. My only regret is using cheap 100% cotton yarn. I don’t believe in knitting hand wash only clothing for children, lest they be worn once then relegated to the to be hand washed-never pile. Since then I have been using cotton/poly blends for kids’ clothes, which wash and wear much better.

Wash Cloths

The best beginning projects are wash clothes knitted from 100% cotton Peaches & Cream or Sugar & Cream yarn (available everywhere they sell yarn). Here are some free pattern links, the first being the easiest and therefore my favorite for mindless knitting. However, the other two links to free dish cloth patterns offer a beginning knitter a nonstressful chance practice new stitches; CraftinGranny, Maggie’s Rags and Lion Brand (click to knitting, then dishcloths).

Doll Shawl

December 2003: I used this free pattern from Maggie’s Rags to make this shawl from some fuzzy wool worsted weight yarn. Addy is an American Girl doll but the pattern is suitable for any 18 inch doll. It is garter stitched with yarn-overed eyelets.