sophy's knits, notes, etc.

last year i bought 4 skeins of cash iroha at a yard sale. such an awesome find. cash iroha is such a lovely yarn -- for once a noro that is not variegated. it's soft and crunchy and shiney. really, i'm very in love with it.

la. i made this for dad but i think i'll keep it for myself.

project :: thermal ribbed cowl by me. [ravelry]
yarn :: Noro Cash Iroha, Color #16 (a grey-brown), 2 skeins.
needles :: US 4 (3.5 mm).
start-to-finish :: Nov 3-Dec ?, 2009.

that's right. selfishness reared its ugly head with this project, and you know what? i feel absolutely no remorse! i originally made this for my dad, but when it was done, i realized he would not wear it very often if at all because it just would not keep him warm during Philadelphia's winter season. whereas, i could wear it every single day in San Francisco. (how's that for rationalization?)

do you want to make your own? it's very easy: CO 128 sts. join for knitting in the round. k1, p1 rib for 7 rnds. thermal (garter) rib pattern: rnd 1: k all sts. rnd 2: k1, p1 rib to end. repeat thermal rib for 7 inches, end after rnd 1. next: k1, p1 rib for 7 rows (add a button hole (yo, k2tog) on the 4th row). BO all sts in thermal rib.

finished, my cowl is about 9 inches long. if i had more yarn, i would have made it at least 2 inches longer just so that it could be slouchier.

such a nice color!

project :: Cash Iroha spiral cowl [ravelry]
pattern :: Spiral Cowl by Keri McKiernan.
yarn :: Noro Cash Iroha, Color #22 (pomegranate red), 2 skeins.
needles :: US 4 (3.5 mm).
start-to-finish :: Oct 30-Nov 1, 2009.

modifications :: before i started, i weighed the yarn because i suspected that one of the skeins was not full; so, i knew that i didn't have enough to follow the instructions completely. i think i shortened the picot beginning by 1 rnd and at the ending by 2 rnds. it still looks great, but i wish i didn't have to do that. also, i crocheted a button loop (you can see other pictures on my ravelry page).

this was a quick project and i think hilary and i ended up knitting it around the same time (during a knitting night at samovar); you can see her lovely version here. honestly, i almost kept this cowl as well, but decided to give it to a friend who i knew would totally rock the shiney silky pomegranate red. good to know i'm not completely selfish -- whew!

happy knitting!!

is it september already? i have some fun works in progress i hope to share with you soon, but for now -- i give you my friendship fingerless mitts pattern, repackaged into a pretty pdf format. (perfect for back-to-school!)

you can find more information about the pattern in my ravelry design page or download the pdf now.

i knitted these three pairs for my two cousins, kimberly (pink) and kristina (blue), and their best friend, somali (cream). if you're interested, the old notes are here.

my friend, jenn knitted her own pair in a burgundy silky merino -- i love her fun photos! i recently came across this version, and i was very happy to know that the knitter was pleased with her mitts. also, one of my favorites is this beanie and mitts set.

thank you so much for downloading and knitting my pattern -- happy knitting!

how have you been? here, things have been the same. i am knitting away at various and sundry projects, but there hasn't been too many opportunities to take pictures worth sharing. instead, i thought i'd post another pattern that i recently (finally) took the time to update with corrections: my lace leaf hat pattern.

i especially love this pattern because i very much wanted to knit a hat with a lace leaf motif and one day decided to just cast on; i mean, what did it matter if it didn't work out? much to my amazement and despite my skepticism, it did work out -- and very well, too, if you don't mind my saying. i'm quite proud of the simplicity of this project! and really, it's also very pretty in pink manos!

the updated pattern (v2b) has been available on ravelry for about a week now; i'm happy to see many of you have downloaded it already. i want to thank Hillary (blinkey on ravelry) and Chelsea (Chels on ravelry), who independently brought the errors in my original lace-leaf chart to my attention and helped me to correct the pattern. ladies, i really appreciate it. i hope my new charts are error-free!

update september 29, 2009 :: thanks to vicky (ravID enabling-ewe), for pointing out some egregious errors in my chart; i've now corrected them in v3. hopefully, there are no further errors; but, please let me know if you find any.

you can find more information about the pattern in my ravelry design page or download the pdf now.

thank you so much for downloading and knitting my pattern -- happy knitting!

this is probably my most popular pattern on ravelry and i've enjoyed seeing the many creative variations in the last couple of years. it's such a simple and quick pattern, i didn't realize that i had an error in it. thank you, NanH! -- i've now updated the pattern to correct the row numbering in the crown decreases.

you can find more information about my cat-eared baby hat pattern in my ravelry design page or download the pdf now. please let me know if you have any questions or comments!

thank you so much for downloading and knitting my pattern -- happy knitting!

this is one of my favorite patterns and i've loved seeing the many variations in colors and fibers that everyone has used to knit this project. i actually revised this pattern earlier this year and promptly forgot to upload it to ravelry. here it is now, updated to include previously mentioned errata.

you can find more information about my tasseled hat pattern in my ravelry design page or download the pdf now. please let me know if you have any questions or comments!

thank you so much for downloading and knitting my pattern -- happy knitting!

this was such a quick little knit and one that i finished a while ago. i even meant to write up a Vest-uary post for it, but i kept putting that off and then i was pretty sick for the past couple weeks... anyways, for anyone interested, here are my notes for knitting this vest.

tweed! stripes! vest! for baby! OMG.

Pattern Improvised/generic. [ravelry]
Yarn Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4ply. 2 skeins #277, Gray (MC). 1.5 skeins #286 Green (CC).
Needles US 3 (3.25 mm) and US 1 (2.25 mm), 16 inch circular needles.
Finished Size newborn baby. 10 inches tall. 11 inches wide. you can see it blocking here.

pattern notes

i worked the front and back straight on US 3 circular needles, casting on 76 stitches and knitting a couple inches in 2×2 ribbing before switching to stockinette st. the stripe pattern began with 3 rows of MC, then repeated 3 rows of CC and 5 rows of MC.

circular needles i specifically used circular needles for this because my stripes are formed with odd-numbered rows. so the ending rows don't always fall on the same side. not a problem with circular needles, since you can push your stitches from one end to the other, depending on where the working end for your next color lies.

armhole decreases i repeated the stripe pattern to end with a CC stripe, then completed one row of MC. (i did this so that when i picked up stitches for the armbands, i didn't pick up in the CC row.) i bound off 5 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows, then decreased each end of the next 5 alternate rows. (because of the striping, the decreases were sometimes done on the WS...)

using some markers to help with short rows for the neckline.

neck shaping i didn't really take any notes when it came to the collar shaping, but i do remember leaving 14 stitches on each side for the shoulders. i used short rows to shape the neckline. the front neckline starts one repeat earlier than the back neckline.

button/hole tabs almost as an afterthought, i decided to add a buttonhole tab to the left shoulder. somehow i managed to decrease a stitch; luckily, it's not noticeable. afterwards, i unraveled the matching back shoulder and added an 8-stitch button tab.

collar and arm bands before doing the ribbing for the collar and arm bands, i grafted the shoulders together. of course, for the left shoulder, i grafted only so far as the button/hole tabs. (i decided to graft the seams together since this the shoulders were straight, no shaping.) the bands are simply 2×2 ribbing knit in the smaller needle size. For the collar band, i added a second buttonhole, aligned with the other buttonhole.

teeny tiny buttons i picked up at Stitches. the other buttons went onto tiny shoes...

oh yeah. because of the short rows shaping the neckline, when i picked up those stitches, i knitted them with the wraps. i slanted the stitches (k2tog versus ssk) depending on which side of the neck the stitches located. this created a very neatly curved collar.

finishing after the ribbing, i seamed the sides together. there were so many ends to weave in!

thoughts

i love that i was able to use old old stash yarn for this, though i will miss Rowan Yorkshire Tweed when i'm finished with the very last skein. of course, i have to apologize to my aunt for using yarn that's not machine washable, at least i don't think it is.

i felt like the finished vest was a little wider than i intended, but, newborn babies can get chubby pretty quick so maybe this is best. anyways, i've been really lame about actually mailing out the vest... must. do. this. tomorrow.

what do you think?

when i noticed Chels starting one lace leaf hat, i asked her to let me know if she found any problems with the decreases in the crown shaping. as it turned out, the stitches didn't line up in Row 17, which is exactly where blinkey ran into problems.

below are Chel's recommended corrections. if you take a look at her project page, you can see a great picture of the top of the hat. (thank you so much for your help!)

Row 17: (k2, k2tog, ptbl, ssk, k3)
Row 18: as in chart
Row 19: (k1, k2tog, ptbl, ssk, k2)
Row 20: as in chart
Row 21: (k2tog, ptbl, ssk, k1)
Row 22: as in chart
Row 23: (ptbl, sk2po) After slipping the first stitch (to be used in the last sk2po)

once i get LaTeX installed and working on my new laptop, i'll update the PDF for the lace leaf hat and the herringbone tweed hat...

please let me know if you run into more problems.

happy knitting!

hurrah it's a new year! today i shall be my most boring and spend the day reading, knitting, and hrm... writing this post!

no resolutions here; no discussions of goals and plans. nope. instead, i am posting some corrections and changes to patterns:

herringbone tweed hat

those of you who have seen the ravelry pattern page should already know that i updated the notes to include the following:

Chart A and B crown shaping charts are wrong; they have 2 more stitches than they should. The correction: for each row, the two edge stitches ( left and right) should not be there; and the decreases should be done on the next stitch in.

I will update the PDF file asap.

friendship fingerless mitts

this is not so much a correction... since there's nothing wrong with the pattern. after knitting 2.5 pairs of these, i think this change will just look nicer. so when picking up stitches for the thumb, instead of picking up the first stitch from the bottom of the purl seam, pick up the first stitch next to the purl seam; you should end with two stitches picked up purlwise:

thumb, option 2
divide the sts on waste yarn among 3 dpns. attach yarn.

rnd 1: from between the purl seam and the first dpn, pick up 1 st kwise, k5 (6, 7), p1, k5 (6, 7), pick up 1 st kwise, pick up 2 sts pwise (these 2 sts are picked from the loops under the caston st that became the purl seam). 15(17,19) sts total.

rnd 2: pm for beginning of rnd, k6 (7, 8), p1, k6 (7, 8), p2tog.

rnd 3-6: k6 (7, 8), p1, k6 (7, 8) p1.

rnd 7: BO all sts.

I bound off k sts kwise and p sts pwise.

now, i'm off to finish the last 0.5 pair!

while in Philadelphia, i visited my cousins, Kimberly and Kristina, and met their best friend, Somali. seeing the three together, bickering like only best friends and sisters can, made me think of the mischief my sister, our cousin Thea, and i used to get into when we were younger...

well, i happened to wear my endpaper mitts during my visit and the three girls really admired it, so i wanted to quickly make each of them a pair. and as you well know, in my case, quick means simple. and, because i didn't have a pattern with me, i naturally based these on the construction of Eunny Jang's endpaper mitts: there are "purl" seams on each side and the thumb gusset increases are done along one seam. as you'll see, these are very easy to modify for bigger sizes and longer length.

i actually didn't want to post this until i finished the other two, but, as it turns out, i don't have dk weight yarn for any of the colors the girls requested; so here are my mitts:

kimberly's fingerless mitts.

abbreviations

m   marker
m1l   increase 1 st, left slanted
m1r   increase 1 st, right slanted
pm   place marker
sm   slip marker

wrist

using any DK weight yarn and size 4 (3.5 mm) dpns, co 36 (40, 44) sts. divide the sts between 4 dpns, and join for knitting in the round. (pm to mark beginning of the rnd.)

Note: my cousins are 10 and 13 years old. with 36 sts, these mitts are fairly small; they actually fit me comfortably and snugly. the other sizes are just recommendations, really this pattern works with any number of stitches; it doesn't even have to be multiples of 4.

Rnd 1: k17 (19, 21), pm, p1, pm, k17 (19, 21), p1.

repeat Rnd 1 29 more times, for a total of 30 rnds. This makes the wrist of the mitts about 4 inches long. If you want longer mitts, you can add more rnds.

thumb gusset

Rnd 1 (inc): k to m, m1l, sm, p1, sm, m1r, k to last st, p1.
Rnd 2: k to m, sm, p1, sm, k to last st, p1.

Repeat these two rnds 5 (6, 7) times.

Next rnd: k17 (19, 21), pm, place next 11 (13, 15) sts on waste yarn (removing markers as you come to them), co 1 st (using backward loop), pm, k17 (19, 21), p1.

hand

Rnd 1: k17 (19, 21), pm, p1, pm, k17 (19, 21), p1.

Repeat Rnd 1 10 (12, 14) times. bo all sts. I bo k sts kwise and p sts pwise.

thumb, option 1

divide the sts on waste yarn among 3 dpns. attach yarn.

Rnd 1: beginning at the bottom of the purl seam st (that was cast on with backward loop), pick up 1 st pwise, pick up 1 st kwise, k5 (6, 7), p1, k5 (6, 7), pick up 1 st kwise, pick up 1 st pwise (this is the other side of the purl seam st that was cast on with backward loop). 15 (17, 19) sts total.

Rnd 2: sl 1 pwise, pm for beginning of rnd, k6 (7, 8), p1, k6 (7, 8), p2tog. 14 (16, 18) sts.

Rnd 3-6: k6 (7, 8), p1, k6 (7, 8), p1.

Rnd 7: BO all sts; k sts kwise and p sts pwise.

note: when knitting a couple more of these, i decided i didn't really like how i picked up stitches for the thumb... read this post to see how i picked up stitches differently.

finishing

weave in ends. block as needed. wear everywhere.

trying on the first side after i finished it.

i think they're great for wearing underneath your winter gloves or mitts. if you're on the east coast, the extra layer will keep you warmer.

Updated 05 January 2009: now you can see Somali's and Kristina's finished mitts!

after knitting a couple of the better-than-baby-booties socks by Ann Budd (pink cable rib and blue braided cable), i felt i could comfortably design my own pair:

mismatched baby socks, after weaving in ends.

Pattern inspired by Better-Than-Booties baby socks, by Ann Budd.
Yarn Reynold's Soft Sea Wool, Blue (MC) and Cream (CC).
Needles Size 0 (2 mm) dpns.
Description meant for newborns, this is a very simple sock using two colors. begin with the main color (MC) and change to the contrast color (CC) only for heel and toe short-row shaping. bindoff with three needles to create a ridge where instep and toe shaping join. reverse the colors for the second sock.

if only these socks grew in gardens...

someone asked, so this is not so much a pattern as it is a guideline for making the sock. it's pretty basic. short-row shapings are done as described in Ann Budd's pattern.

something like a pattern

cuff with MC, caston 44 sts. join for knitting in the round. knit 11 rounds in 2×2 ribbing: (k2, p2) to end of each round. leg knit 5 rounds in stockinette stitch. do not cut MC. heel change to CC and use short row shaping to shape the heel across first 22 stitches. cut CC, leaving enough yarn to weave later. foot change back to MC. knit 16 rounds. cut MC, leaving at least 10 inches for bindoff and weaving. toe change to CC and shape toe the same way you shaped the heel. cut CC, leaving enough yarn to weave later. bindoff with RS facing, use MC and three needle method to bind off stitches, ending with 3 stitches: 1 on front needle, 1 on back needle, and 1 wrapped stitch between them. k3tog tbl. finishing weave in all ends. make second sock, reversing the colors.

a sort of modification

when knit without the heel shaping, these baby socks can be transformed into mitts, don't you think? of course, this picture is misleading--i haven't knitted a mitt-y pair yet...

et voila! ...baby mitts?

instead, i'm knitting another pair of socks... this time, the stripes i mentioned before. then, it's back to copious other projects.

On our way to Stitches West, we drove past NASA's blimp hangar (Hangar One?), and for some reason or other we (or rather, I) started talking about my threefold obsession with dragons, airships, and mecha. I like each individually, but put them together and you have one awesome... anime series?

Back to this cat sweater, yes?

I almost frogged this sweater a few times because I was very unhappy with it for a while. I don't know if you remember, but I actually started this way back in November... I was constantly worried that I didn't have enough yarn, that it was too small, that it was rather ugly... But, when I showed it to Deb, she laughed. She found it pretty funny that I thought her cat was so ferocious. And, really, I love LOVE how it turned out:

Kitty Couture™ Dragon scales cat sweater.

Pattern Kitty Couture™ Dragon scales cat sweater.
Yarn Louet Gems Topaz, #39 Fern Green, 1 skein.
Needles Size 5 (3.75 mm).

Pattern Description

I think everyone is pretty familiar with the "dragon scale" stitch pattern here--I am pretty sure I based it on Marnie's Wyvern socks pattern? I scaled it down to a 20-st and 8-row repeating pattern and used slanted make-1 increases (M1L and M1R). So, I casted-on 92 sts: 30 sts of 2×2 ribbing for the front, one purl st to give a seam between front and back, 60 sts of dragon scale pattern for the back, and one purl st for the second seam.

This looks like a snake husk—OMG! There's a giant snake loose in the apartment!

I knitted in pattern for at least 9 inches (really, with one skein of yarn, I was concerned it wouldn't be long enough). Then, I divided for front and back. This time, because the front was actually pretty wide at 30 sts, I just decreased every RS row. For the back, I knitted a couple repeats of the pattern (to match the row-count of the front), then joined for knitting in-the-round. I continued to decrease the front until two stitches remained, knitting in pattern for the back. Then, I finished the back with 2×2 ribbing and decreases for collar shaping.

The only thing I don't really like about the front shaping is that I used feathered decreases. Notice how at the top, the stitches pull from the center? Drat. However, I really do like how the edges of the armhole openings were very neat and didn't require any finishing. Cute.

Front and collar shaping.

The Yarn

I like Louet yarns very much. (I've used Euroflax Linen and Gems Opal before...) I bought this skein from Imagiknit's sale shelf and regret not buying more of it. The sweater is very soft and stretchy.

So, no more cat sweaters for a while. I have one more to make and this will be very different for the six you see here. But I want to finish one or two other projects first.

Happy Knitting!

For this sweater/dress, unlike the previous Angora cat sweater, I definitely had more than enough yarn. I really tried to take advantage of it. So, in my imagination, poor Piglet is tripping over the skirt of this sweater every time she tries to run around.

Kitty Couture™ Kimono Angora cat sweater.

Pattern Kitty Couture™ Kimono Angora cat sweater.
Yarn Louisa Harding Kimono Angora, 2.5 skeins.
Needles Size 5 (3.75 mm).

Pattern Description

For this, I casted-on 150 sts, intending to decrease 1/3 of these to create a bell skirt below the armhole openings. I knitted in stockinette stitch for about 8 inches before decreasing with k1,k2tog to the end of the round. 100 stitches remained, but this was still too big for the cat sweater body. I knitted for about 1.5 inches and then knitted another decrease round, this time k3,k2tog to the end, leaving me with 80 stitches.

After another 1.5 inches of stockinette stitch, I divided for the front and back panels, which I knit separately and seamed together as before. I did not add 1×1 ribbing to the collar for this sweater; Instead, I finished the sweater with crocheted scallops at the collar and hem:

Crocheted edging on hem and collar.

The Yarn

Normally, I don't really care for multi-colored yarns when I am knitting something that requires shaping, which usually disrupts whatever patterns may come out of the colors. But, it seemed to work for this sweater. I forgot to mention before, but the colors of the Prism Angora completely lost the striping after the decrease row but brought them back for the armhole shaping.

To speed up my Kitty Couture™ series, I'll post two sweater reports today. I really don't want to spend too much time on this one, because I really wish I had unraveled this sweater and started anew--It's by far the most boring cat sweater I've ever produced. And, I begin to think it won't fit at all.

Kitty Couture™ Kashmir Aran cat sweater.

Pattern Kitty Couture™ Kashmir Aran cat sweater.
Yarn Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran, 2 skeins.
Needles Size 9 (5.5 mm).

Pattern Description

There was actually so much more that I wanted to do with this pattern--It was supposed to be almost a "cheongsam" in design. But, I just couldn't get it right. In the end, it was just a straight and dull tube. And, because it was the first one I had made in a while, I forgot some of the lessons I learned about shaping from Blush and Chic. Hence, the front armhole section is not tapered (which means, it will probably hang off the cat because there's too much fabric). I used plain k1,p1 ribbing—no fancy twisted ribbing here. I did, however, crochet an edging around the armhole openings.

The Yarn

I actually liked this yarn. It was soft and the color is very vibrant. I think the problem with this lay in my inability to measure how much yarn I would need for the design I wanted. I actually bought a skein of black (to make the edging for my "cheongsam" design), but used that for the prototype to my Lace-leaf hat, instead.

At long last, I begin the project notes series for the string of cat sweaters I've been working on since the beginning of the year. I want to keep them short, with some description of the actual construction. Mostly, I just want to get this done and out of the way because I have so many more projects notes to write! How exciting!

Kitty Couture™ Angora cat sweater.

Pattern Kitty Couture™ Angora cat sweater.
Yarn Prism Yarns 100% Angora.
Needles Size 9 (5.5 mm) and Size 7 (4.5).

Pattern Description

All of my cat sweaters have the same shape and general construction. For the most part, I didn't have an excessive amount of yarn to play with (well, I think I am still pretty bad at judging how much I can get out of a skein of yarn). I was very concerned that this sweater would not be long enough for the cat, especially since my previous sweaters were very short. Deb had asked that I add a flared skirt to fit Piglet's chubbier hind-quarters.

Angora cat sweater, picot edging and 3×1 ribbing.

This sweater/dress was knit from the bottom-up on Size 9 needles. I casted-on multiple of 4 stitches (I believe 88 sts) and began with a picot cast-on, separating the picots with three knit stitches. I knitted the 3×1 ribbing (the purl stitches fell on the picots) for about 8 inches. On the next row, I decreased every two stitches (k2, k2tog; repeat to end; leaving 66 sts); thus, removing the purl columns and creating a skirt. I knitted the body for about 1.5 inches before separating for the front (23 sts) and back (45 sts).

I knitted the front and back parts separately, tapering the front and knitting the back straight. To shape the front I decreased by two stitches every 4th row 3 times (the armholes) and then every other row until three stitches remained. I knitted the back straight to match the row count and then changed to Size 7 needles and knitted in 1×1 ribbing for 7 rows, decreasing at each end on alternate (RS) rows to shape the collar.

Angora cat sweater, body and collar shaping.

Really, I tried to knit everything in-the-round just so finishing would be easier. I only needed to seam the chest part of this sweater (above the armhole shaping and below the collar ribbing).

The yarn

This yarn is a cloud of luxury--extremely warm and soft. But also, very difficult to get good pictures! And, the fibers ended up everywhere!

When Deb picked out this yarn in Luxury Yarns (I think that's what the shop was called) while we were Christmas shopping in Newbury Street, Boston, the store owner actually did not want to sell it to us. She was saving it for a frequent customer who would use it in a shawl. Obviously, Deb prevailed, and we left with this yarn and many others.

I've actually had this design brewing for a really long time. I wanted it to be a heavier weight hat with a lace-leaf pattern, but was not sure how I would keep the distinctive leaf design with the crown decreases. In the end, I decided to just cast-on and knit away. I love how it turned out.

I'm very happy to present to you a very simple and cute lace-leaf patterned hat:

I finished it that morning, on the way to work.

Yarn Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk, 2 skeins.
Needles Size 9 (5.5 mm) 16" circular and dpns.
Notions Stitch markers and sewing needle.
Gauge Approximately 16 sts and 18 rows = 4" (10 cm).
Finished Size Approximately 18" around, though stretches to fit my monstrous 22" noggin.

Pattern available for download: Lace-leaf hat PDF

Pattern Description

This pattern contains instructions for knitting the lace-leaf hat in child and adult sizes. Both hats begin with twisted-stitch ribbing for 7 rows (about 1.5�). The child-sized hat follows 1.5 repeats of the lace pattern before decreasing begins for the crown. The adult-sized hat follows 2 repeats of the lace pattern before decreasing begins for the crown. For the adult-size, the instructions include two widths: smaller (larger).

Not the best picture, but I love the detail of the crown.

Important! At the beginning of Rnd 7: Remove the stitch marker, slip the first stitch without knitting it, and place the marker to indicate the new beginning of the round.

The smaller adult-sized hat, side view.

This hat is very stretchy, especially in the Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk yarn. The smaller size can comfortably fit head sizes from 16� to 22� around. Though, if you want a more relaxed fit, I would recommend making the larger size for head sizes larger than 20� around.

I hope you enjoy this quick knit. Please let me know if there are errors!

Lacey has kindly e-mailed me with questions that have brought to my attention many many (two is too many!) typos in my Tasseled Hat pattern:

• The definitions in the stitch guide for sl1wyif and sl1wyib were switched. It should now read:
  sl1 wyib Slip 1 stitch purl-wise, holding yarn behind the stitch.
  sl1 wyif Slip 1 stitch purl-wise, holding yarn in front of the stitch.


• The first two rows after cast-on should read:
  Row 1 *K1, sl1wyif; repeat from * to end.
  Row 2 *K1, sl1wyif; repeat from * to end.

There have already been a few completed tasseled hats--if you're on ravelry check out the project page. Sknitty has shared a lovely green version on her blog. There's also a deep blue version on ravelry. I can't wait to see it in other colors and yarn variations!

I updated this pattern on August 16, 2009 -- read this post for more information.

My herringbone tweed hat for download as PDF.

This is my last pattern for 2007 and I wish I was happier with it at the moment. Please do leave comments and/or corrections. It's a very very simple pattern, but gosh... I felt brain-dead while writing it. And each time I was about to post it, I noticed another error...

You'll notice that I've changed the pattern description much from the original.

Project Requirements

Yarn Rowan Scottish Tweed 4ply, 1 skein each. Female: (MC) 023, Midnight. (CC1) 013, Claret. (CC2) 026, Rose. Male: (MC) 023, Midnight. (CC1) 007, Lewis Grey. (CC2) 015, Apple.
Needles For smaller size: US 1 and US 2 16 in circular needles. For larger size: US 2 and US 3 16 in circular needles.
Notions Stitch markers and tapestry needle.
Gauge Approximately 28 sts and 36 rows to 4 in on US 2. Approximately 24 sts and 33 rows to 4 in on US 3.
Finished Size Using Size 2 (2.25 mm) needles will give approximately 18 in (45 cm) around and Size 3 (2.75 mm) needles will give approximately 21 in (53 cm) around.

Errata

11 Dec 2007 Chart B, Row 9 or decrease pattern, was missing a k2tog. The pattern has now been updated to fix the error.

22 Dec 2008 Chart A and B crown shaping charts are wrong; they have 2 more stitches than they should. The correction: for each row, the two edge stitches (left and right) should not be there; and the decreases should be done on the next stitch in. I will update the pdf file asap. Please let me know if you have questions.

Pattern Description

Skills needed for this project include turning a hem (joining the hem or tacking the hem), knitting in-the-round, and stranded knitting with 2 or 3 colors.

Beginning with the smaller needles and either a provisional cast-on or a long-tail cast-on, knit the lining in stockinette stitch for 11 rows. Change to the larger needles and knit one row; Then, knit the turning row. After the turning row, knit 3 more rows before beginning the herringbone pattern.

The herringbone pattern is a 16-stitch-multiple color-work pattern of 2 or 3 colors. After one repeat of the pattern, knit the stitches from the cast-on edge together with the next row to join the hem. Repeat the herringbone pattern 6-7 more times, or until the hat measures closest to 6.5 in (7.5 in) from the turned hem. Next, begin 15 decrease rows to shape the crown.

If you forget to join the hem, like I did, you can use a herringbone stitch (or other suitable stitch) to tack up the hem when the hat is finished.

06 Jan 2009: Hopefully, I can get LaTeX installed on my new laptop and rewrite/redraw this pattern asap.

aka Cho's scarf. Remember? The scarf I knitted over a year ago? Someone has kindly asked for the pattern so that she may knit it for her boyfriend. That is so sweet.

Well, I know I know, I should be writing up the pattern for my Herringbone Tweed hat, but once I started thinking about this, I couldn't stop. And in the end, the pattern itself is so iterative, it was quite an easy matter to complete. Thank you, copy/paste!

The pattern is available for download in PDF format here or, as always, under My Patterns on the sidebar.

Yarn Noro Kureyon, color #149 (shown here), or Noro Silk Garden, color #84, 5 Skeins.
Needles Size 7 (4.5 mm) and cable needle.
Notions Sewing needle.
Finished Size Approximately, 7" wide and 7' long, with 5 skeins.

Here's a start, as I tweaked out the beginning:

Better detail of the diamond-lattice-work:

The more colorful yarn is Noro Silk Garden #84, left over from my leaf cravat. I've recommended it for a substitute (not that it's a more frugal alternative) because I think the color will rock the lattice-work.

When I heard a friend was expecting twin girls (who may already be born), I knew I wanted to make something for them. Perhaps it's just because I have a twin sister myself, but I adore twins—especially, twin girls.

Almost directly after I set my denim fetching to dry on a towel, I casted on for the first of a pair of baby hats. I knew exactly how I wanted them to look: seed stitch border with a button tab, plain body, and seed stitch ears. What could be cuter? (The buttons may look familiar from a pair of Simple shoes I made earlier this year...)

Finished Size 13.5" (34 cm) around, best fit for 0-3 months.
Yarn Rowan 4ply Cotton, #120 Orchid, 1 skein.
Needles US 1 (2.25 mm) and 2 US 2 (2.75 mm) 16" circular needles.
Notions Stitch marker, 1 button, and sewing needle.
Gauge 29 sts and 39 rows on US 2 needles.

Pattern Description

This is a very basic hat pattern, but I think even basic patterns need to be written down sometimes. The seed stitch border is knitted back and forth on the smaller needles. The button tab is created with stitches bound off at the beginning of the row. The remaining stitches are joined for knitting in-the-round in stockinette stitch for about 4 inches before decreasing for the crown of the hat. Stitches are picked up along the decrease seams to add cat ears, after the hat itself is finished.

The pattern for this project will be made available in PDF format soon. (Much sooner than the Herringbone Tweed hat pattern, I'm afraid.)

Update

The pattern for this project is now available for download in PDF format here and under My Patterns on the side bar. Comments and correction are always welcome. Thanks!

Although I'm still working on the pattern for this project, I wanted to post my notes. I will have better pictures with the pattern.

Finished Size 18" (46 cm).
Yarn Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4ply #277 (Smoke) and Rowan Scottish Tweed 4ply #013, 1 skein each.
Needles US 1, 1 16" needle. US 2, 2 16" circular needles.
Notions Stitch markers.
Gauge 28 sts and 36 rows to 4"×4" on US 2.

Pattern Description

Skills needed for this project include turning a hem, knitting in-the-round, and stranded knitting with 2 or 3 colors.

Beginning with the smaller needles and either a provisional cast-on or a long-tail cast-on, knit the hem in stockinette stitch for 1.25". Change to the larger needles and knit one row; Then, knit the turning row. There are two options for the turning row: Eyelets (*k2tog,yo; repeat from * to end) or purl stitches, for the female and male versions, respectively. (The completed hat picture here has eyelets.) After the turning row, knit 3 more rows before beginning the herringbone pattern.

After one repeat of the pattern, if you started with a provisional cast-on, knit the stitches from the cast-on edge together with the next row. Repeat the herringbone pattern 6-7 more times, or until the hat measures closest to 6" from the turned hem (or picot row). Begin the decreases for the crown on the next row. When you finish decreasing, there are 8 stitches remaining.

Cut the yarn, leaving approximately 6" for finishing. To finish, use a seaming needle to insert into each stitch knit-wise. Pull the yarn to gather the stitches together. Insert the end of the yarn into the hat and weave the loose ends into the stitches. If you started with the long-tail cast-on, you can now turn the hem and seam it to the body with a herringbone stitch.

Yarn Notes

For this hat, I used Yorkshire Tweed 4ply from my stash for the main color (MC). This yarn is no longer available. For the contrasting color (CC), I used Scottish Tweed 4ply, which is widely available. For the pattern, I plan to list different color combinations of the Scottish Tweed 4ply, for male and female versions. I hope you won't mind if I don't include swatches, the pattern will never get posted if I have to knit the swatches with the colorwork! I am included them more because they are combinations I want to knit, some day...

Scottish tweed is a bit thicker than the Yorkshire tweed. I knitted my first swatch with the Scottish tweed and US 2 needles. I hope that's the reason my gauge for the finished hat was not what I expected.

Needle Notes

I used one pair of 16" circular needles in the smaller size for the hem then switched to a 16" circular needle in the larger size for the body. For the decreases, I divided the stitches evenly between 2 16" circular needles. Of course, instead of using a second circular needle, you can divide the stitches evenly among 4 or 5 DPNs.

What do you think, so far? This is the back view. The front has 2×2 ribbing. Knitting it all in-the-round is much more fun.

I took the picture this morning and have since added on another repeat. More and more I realize what a slow knitter I am. Very frustrating.

It's a slow Sunday, and it's time to shower and hit and the gym. This afternoon we're going to look at a house. EXCITING! ;D

Have fun!

This began as a project to recreate a hat for a friend, Kim—A much loved hat that has seen better days. The only request she had for the new hat was that I not make it with a wool yarn. Well. When I began working on my version, I didn't actually have the hat before me. So much for re-creation. I knew all I needed to know: (1) It had tassels. (2) It had a cable pattern. (3) It fit me. With that, I casted on and began.

I wasn't sure if this would fit an adult at first, but after blocking, I'm concerned that it won't stop stretching!

Pattern Original.
A new version of the pattern is available for download -- read this post for more information.
Finished Size About 9" wide and 7.5" tall.
Yarn Blue Sky Alpacas, Dyed Cotton color #619 (Tomato), 1 skein.
Needles US 7 (4.5 mm) and US 9 (5.5 mm).
Notions Cable needle, sewing needle, waste yarn, and stitch markers.
Gauge This was a measure-as-you-go project...

Yarn Notes

Blue Sky Alpacas's Dyed Cotton is amazingly soft and stretchy. And WARM.

I didn't realize that the color (#619) was alternately named 'Tomato'. Kim is allergic to tomatoes, but I hope she likes this hat!

Pattern Description

I used a tubular cast-on to begin the k1p1 ribbing on the smaller needles. After the ribbing I switched to the larger needles and incorporated a 6-stitch cabling pattern; for variety, I used both front and back cable methods.

I used the stitch markers, primarily, to separate the 6-stitch cables at each side of the hat because I would need to add tassels to those ends. I knit the body of the hat in the alternating cable pattern until it measured 7.5". The 6 end stitches on each side were then placed on waste yarn and the rest of the stitches divided between two needles for grafting.

To finish the hat, I used a a sewing needle and length of the yarn long enough for grafting, to: (1) Insert through the 6 stitches on one side of the hat (removing waste yarn) and pull it to gather the stitches together, as you would do to finish a hat at the crown. (2) Graft the center stitches from the two needles. (3) Repeat Step (1).

You may be able to see how the base of the tassel looks, here:

A shot of the grafting seam (I think it turned out nicely):

And of course, to finish the hat, I made two tassels and inserted their ends through the center of the gathered stitches (at the sides of the hat).

It was a quick project—Over the course of a couple days, I finished it in 2-3 hours. It wasn't until I finished my hat that I pulled out the other. Well, you can see the difference:

So, once again, I hope it fits.

Kitty Couture™ is the name that I, cheekily, gave to a set of sweaters I am designing and knitting for my friend, Deb's cat, a sphinx named Piglet. This first sweater, which I have named Blush, is pale pink with twisted ribbing details for the collar and front and a 2-layer ruffled bustle for an extremely cute and feminine look. I found myself pleasantly surprised by how adorable the sweater turned out—Instead of a girlish tutu, it looks almost like Victorian-period costume.

Although I've had a general idea of how I wanted this sweater to look for at least a few months, I really did not know where to begin. It was a good thing that when I finally committed myself to casting-on for it, I could refer to Hilary's Felis Felix mandarin cat sweater and this generic chihuahua sweater for guidance with shaping and construction. I don't have any pets, and before Hilary had finished her cat sweater, I realized that I didn't really know how a cat or dog sweater should look or fit. Thanks so much for your help!

After much delay.... Once I have pictures of Deb's cat wearing it, I'll add them to this pattern. Please let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy!

Finished Size The neck measures 9.5" (24 cm) around, at the top of the collar. The chest measures 7" (17.75 cm) at the widest point. The back measures about 8.5;" (21.5 cm) long, without ruffles.
Yarn Cascade 220 #4192, 1 skein.
Needles US6 (4 mm) and US4 (3.5 mm).
Notions Removable stitch markers, tapestry needle, stitch holders or waste yarn.
Gauge 20 sts and 28 rows = 4" (10 cm) with US4 needles.

Pattern Description

This cat sweater has three main parts: back, front, and bustle (as shown in the schematic). The back panel begins at the collar with twisted ribbing. Then, it is knit in stockinette stitch with increases and decreases to shape the armholes for the cat's forelegs. The back panel ends with a few more rows of twisted ribbing.

The front panel is knit entirely in twisted ribbing, beginning at the neck, and shaped with increases at each side to the width of the cat's chest. Then, it is knit even in the ribbing pattern to match the length of the back panel.

The bustle consists of two panels that are knit grafted separately to the bottom of the back panel. They are grafted a few rows apart, giving a 2-layer ruffled look the back of the sweater.

Notes

Sizing To make this sweater, you really only need 3 measurements: Neck (around), chest (or width between cat's forelegs), and length.
Twisted Ribbing Using the twisted ribbing for the collar, front, and bottom edges created a very elastic and concealing stitch that was exactly what I needed because I wasn't quite sure how much ease to put into this sweater.

Stitch Guide

Twisted Ribbing

(RS) For an odd number of sts: *k tbl, p1, repeat from * to last st, k tbl.
(WS) For all sts: k all p sts worked in previous row, p tbl all sts worked tbl in previous row.

M1 increases in ribbing

For this pattern, all M1 increases in the twisted ribbing are done as M1L. This creates a stitch identical to knitting through the back loop (k tbl). On the wrong-side of the work, all M1L increased stitches should be worked with purl through-back-loop (p tbl).

Schematic

Instructions

Back

Collar
With smaller ndls, CO 47 sts or an odd number of stitches equivalent to cat's neck size.
Setup Row (WS): p1, *p1tbl, k1; repeat from * to last two stitches, p1 tbl, p1.
Row 1 (RS): k1, M1L, follow Twisted Ribbing pattern to last st, M1L, k1. (49 sts)
Row 2 (WS): p1, follow Twisted Ribbing pattern to last st, p1.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 twice more. (53 sts)

Shoulder and Armholes
Change to larger needles. Work in stockinette until piece measures 1.5 inches from the bottom of the collar, ending with a WS row.
Next Row (RS): k1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1. (51 sts)
Next Row (WS): p to end.
Repeat last two rows once more. (49 sts)
Knit 4 rows in st st, ending with a WS row.
Next Row (RS): k1, M1L, k to last st, M1R. (51 sts)
Next Row (WS): p to end.
Repeat last two rows once more. (53 sts)

Body
Place a removable marker at each end to indicate the bottom of the armholes, where you will seam the front panel. Knit even in st st until piece measures 7" (17.5 cm) from cast-on edge. Change to smaller needles and knit in Twisted Ribbing for .5". Bind off all sts.

Front

Bustle

Make 2 ruffled panels as follows:

Ruffle
Using larger ndls, CO 100 sts. (Or, the number of sts equal to twice the st count of the bottom of your back panel.)
Row 1 (WS) sl 1, p to end.
Row 2 (RS) sl 1, k to end.
Repeat Rows 1-2 until piece measures 1" from cast-on edge, ending with a WS row.
Dec Row (RS) sl 1, *k2tog, repeat from * to last st, k1. (51 sts)
Next Row (WS) sl 1, p to end.
Place all sts on a holder or on waste yarn. Leave a tail long enough for grafting all the stitches to the back.

Finishing

Seam front and back panels
Seam the front and back panels together, using the schematic and stitch markers as a guide for placement.

Add bustle
Graft the ruffles to the bottom of the back panel. The first one should be on the row just above the bottom ribbing. The second panel should be at least 5 rows above that.

Weave in all loose ends. Block lightly and try it on kitty.

Yikes! I'm knitting a cable-edged bib in the light blue cotton yarn, and I've just found a couple more mistakes. This time it's with the instructions for the short-row shaping on the bib's bottom. The corrections are in bold-faced type below:

Here, you can see how the bib should look after the short-row shaping. Also, you might notice that I am using a C4B cable, instead of C4F.

Bottom
Short row shaping
Next Row (WS) K in pattern (you should be at Row 2 of Chart B) across first 7 sts, sm, p across stockinette panel to last 11 sts, yo, turn
Next Row (RS) K to last 11 sts, yo, turn
Next Row (WS) P to yo, p2tog tbl*, p1, yo, turn
Next Row (RS) K to yo, k2tog, k1, yo, turn
Next Row (WS) P to yo, p2tog tbl, p1, sm, follow Row 2 of Chart A
Next Row (RS) Follow Row 3 of Chart A to m, sm, k to yo, k2tog, k1, sm, follow Row 3 of Chart B

* For WS of short-rows, before I p2tog tbl, I usually setup the stitches: pass the yo to the right needle, turn the next st on the left needle (without twisting), pass the yo st back to the left needle.

The pattern has been updated to reflect these changes. I apologize for all the mistakes!!! Please let me know if I've missed anything. Thank you!

After comparing my finished bib to the pattern I wrote last night, I noticed a mistake in the instructions for the neck bands.

Update Since I started knitting another bib, and so have the chance to check this pattern, I realized that my first numbers for this section was in fact correct. But, you might like the bands to be longer, so I'm including the both numbers. (The extra repeat adds about an inch to the bands.) The pattern has been updated to read as follows:

Button band
Next Row (WS) Follow Chart B to end.
Dec 1 st at neck edge on next and following alternate rows until 8 sts are left. Remove m. Now, you will return to following the full Cable Chart.
Repeat Rows 1-6 of Cable Chart 4 (5) times, then Repeat Rows 1-2 once more.
Next Row (RS) P all.
Next Row (WS) K all.
BO all sts.

Buttonhole band
Join in yarn on WS, p3, sm, follow Chart A to end.
Dec 1 st at neck edge on next and following alternate row until 8 sts are left. Remove m. Follow the full Cable Chart.
Repeat Rows 1-6 of the Cable Chart 3 (4) times, then follow the Cable Chart to Row 5.
Next Row (WS) K2, p2, yo, p2, k2. (9 sts)
Next Row (RS) P2, k1, k2tog, k2, p2. (8 sts)
Next Row (WS) K2, p4, k2.
Next Row (RS) P all.
Next Row (WS) K all.
BO all sts.

I will actually make a couple more of these bibs over the weekend, last minute gifts for family and a coworker. If I find more mistakes, I will update the pattern with corrections. Hrm, perhaps I can add variations for the edges, since really, you can use any edge with this project. Here are some random skeins of yarn that, I think, will be perfect for baby bibs. Don't you agree?

• Rowan handknit cotton (red, tan, navy blue).
• Cotton ribbon from a recycled sweater (light blue).
• Cotton(?) yarn from Sophie's Yarns (pink).

In my opinion, knitted garments for babies should be very simple projects, with simple shaping and construction. I can't imagine spending more than a few days, or at most a week, on one baby garment (unless it's a blanket). Baby bibs are especially quick projects; they are rather tiny, after all. I've wanted to knit a baby bib for some time now, but just did not know where to begin. It really wasn't until Hilary knitted a couple of braided-cable baby bootees, that I was inspired to just take the plunge and start this (so often, I talk about all the projects I want to design, but never get to).

Wow. Though the bib took me a little more than two hours to finish, it's taking me near to two weeks to write these instructions. So, now, rather than putting it off any longer, as I find more things to modify or correct, I think I will just post what I have. Also, I don't actually have the finished bib in front of me at the moment, just my scribbled notes (I'm writing this as my husband and friends play poker)... I hope there aren't too many mistakes, but, please let me know otherwise. Chloe—Thank you so much for requesting this pattern!

Finished Size About 7" (18 cm) wide at the widest point and 5.5" (14 cm) tall for the body. The button band extends another 5.5" (14 cm) and the buttonhole band 4.5" (11.5 cm).
Yarn Rowan handknit cotton (100% cotton), 1 skein.
Needles Size 6 (4 mm). 3.5mm crochet hook.
Notions Markers, tapestry needle, 2 buttons.
Gauge 20 sts and 28 rows = 4" (10 cm).

Pattern Description
This pattern is knit from the bottom-up. You begin with a provisional cast-on and knit the cable pattern for the width of the bib. Then, on the next right-side row, you knit across the cable pattern, pick up and knit stitches along one edge, remove the provisional cast-on and knit those caston stitches in the cable pattern. Now, you're set up for knitting the body of the bib, which has three parts: right cabled edge (shown below as Chart A), stockinette panel, left cabled edge (shown below as Chart B). The first few rows of the body uses short rows to shape a small curve at the bottom corners of the bib. After the short rows, you continue to knit the three parts of the body in the established pattern, adding some decreases to shape the top of the stockinette panel. Then, you bind-off center stitches of the stockinette panel for the neck and continue knitting the edge stitches in the cable pattern to create buttonhole and button bands to clasp around the baby's neck.

Notes
For the provisional cast-on, I used a crochet hook and waste yarn to chain 12. Then, using the project yarn, I picked up 8 stitches from the backs of the chain. You can also use a long-tailed provisional cast-on as described by Wendy Bernard in her tutorial.

Cable Chart

Instructions

Bottom
Use a provisional caston method to CO 8 sts.
Begin with the Setup Row (WS) of the cable chart, then repeat Rows 1-6 of the cable chart 7 times.

Next Row (RS) Beginning with Row 1 of of the cable chart, knit in pattern across 6 sts, p2tog (this sets up the first 7 sts for Chart A), pm. Pick up and knit 29 sts evenly across the edge, pm. Remove the waste yarn on your provisional caston and slip these sts onto the left needle. P2tog, (this sets up the last 7 sts for Chart B), and following the last 6 sts of Row 1 of the cable chart, knit in pattern across the last 6 sts.(43 sts)

Short row shaping
Next Row (WS) K in pattern (you should be at Row 2 of Chart B) across first 7 sts, sm, p across stockinette panel to last 11 sts, yo, turn
Next Row (RS) K to last 11 sts, yo, turn
Next Row (WS) P to yo, p2tog tbl*, p1, yo, turn
Next Row (RS) K to yo, k2tog, k1, yo, turn
Next Row (WS) P to yo, p2tog tbl, p1, sm, follow Row 2 of Chart A
Next Row (RS) Follow Row 3 of Chart A to m, sm, k to yo, k2tog, k1, sm, follow Row 3 of Chart B

* For WS of short-rows, before I p2tog tbl, I usually setup the stitches: pass the yo to the right needle, turn the next st on the left needle (without twisting), pass the yo st back to the left needle.

Body
Continue in the established pattern for 11 rows, ending with WS. Dec row Follow Chart A, sm, ssk, k to 2 sts before next m, k2tog, sm, follow Chart B to end. K 3 rows even in pattern. Repeat last 4 rows 2 more times. (37 sts)

Bind-off for neck
Row 24 (RS): Chart A, sm, ssk, k2, bind off 15 sts (there should be 3 sts unworked before next m), k1, k2tog, sm, Chart B.

Button band
Next Row (WS) Follow Chart B to end.
Dec 1 st at neck edge on next and following alternate rows until 8 sts are left. Remove m. Now, you will return to following the full Cable Chart.
Repeat Rows 1-6 of Cable Chart 4 (5) times, then Repeat Rows 1-2 once more.
Next Row (RS) P all.
Next Row (WS) K all.
BO all sts.

Buttonhole band
Join in yarn on WS, p3, sm, follow Chart A to end.
Dec 1 st at neck edge on next and following alternate row until 8 sts are left. Remove m. Follow the full Cable Chart.
Repeat Rows 1-6 of the Cable Chart 3 (4) times, then follow the Cable Chart to Row 5.
Next Row (WS) K2, p2, yo, p2, k2. (9 sts)
Next Row (RS) P2, k1, k2tog, k2, p2. (8 sts)
Next Row (WS) K2, p4, k2.
Next Row (RS) P all.
Next Row (WS) K all.
BO all sts.

Finishing
Weave in loose ends. Sew on the two buttons—I placed them in the center of the last two cables. Block lightly and try it on a baby!

FIN

These instructions seem pretty complicated for such a simple design. Please let me know if you have any questions!!! Thank you.