mittens – LILLIAN'S CUPBOARD

Knitting – Wednesday WIP – Isabella Hat

My WIP this week is a cute hat, knitted top-down, from a free Ravelry pattern – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/isabella-hat

UPDATE: THE ISABELLA HAT IS A GREAT PATTERN, BUT THE ONE I’M MAKING ABOVE IS ACTUALLY FROM THIS PATTERN:

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fast–easy-top-down-knit-hat

This pattern is a bit different because it is made from the top down. Beginning a hat like this can be a bit fiddly but this one goes together very well.

I finished the project from last week, a shawl called “When in Scotland” – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/when-in-scotland

I had my younger daughter model and think it turned out pretty well. The true colors are brighter as shown in the first picture. I added a simple crocheted edging to lengthen it a bit. I wanted to make the shawl about 5 inches longer but ran out of needle space. I’m getting a new 60” long circular needle for my birthday at the end of the month and the next shawl will be the length I want.

This is a nice, easy pattern and makes a very sturdy and warm shawl.

Also finished a scarf and two pair of mittens.

Knitting – Wednesday WIP – Scrappy Scarf

My WIP (work in progress) this week is an older child’s scarf, made for the fall drive at Pine Ridge for hats, scarves and mittens. I’ve made quite a few hats for the drive and I know that is the one item that is likely to meet the goal number. Usually, older kids’ scarves and mittens are more needed, so I’ve been concentrating on these two items. This scarf is made with size #10 needles and scrap yarn. In some cases, I have yarn that is too thin and/or too dark for me to use comfortably. I’ve done double stranding on yarn throughout this scarf and like the “tweedy” effect I get from two colors. I’m also able to pair up yarn that is too thin with medium weight yarn to make the size I need.

This is my own pattern of random-width strips and occasional garter-stitch rows for texture.

I finished the little gift basket from last week: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/striped-basket

I used scrap yarn for this basket and made it a good size for holding a half-pint, wide-mouth canning jar in which I can put candy or small treats. I used the bottom liner for the basket as a lid-topper. The next time, I would make this piece a bit wider to come down further over the lid. I’m thinking of using this pattern to make some St. Nick gift containers this year. This is a nice, easy pattern.

Also finished last week: A scarf, a pair of mittens and two small caps.

Knitting – Wednesday WIP – Mittens with a Fair Isle Design

My WIP (work in progress) this week was actually just completed – a pair of mittens for the Pine Ridge children. There is a special drive in the fall to supply each child in the K-12 school with a scarf, hat and pair of mittens. At all times, I have a scarf on one set of needles to work on while watching TV and a mitten on another set of needles to work on during the day when there are no distractions. So far, I have two boxes packed to the brim with warm winter wear. These mittens are from a basic pattern that I developed over the past couple of years and this time I added a Fair Isle design.

I finished my WIP from last week, a child’s scarf in Bubble Gum and sparkly white yarn, using the Ridge stitch.
http://newstitchaday.com/how-to-knit-the-ridge-check-stitch/

Knitting – Turban Twist Hat – Free Pattern

My younger daughter looks so much better in hats than I do

I follow a Facebook page called Addicted to Knitting which features knitted items that people have made, a lot of question/answer sessions and a very nice group for reading about what others are doing all over the world. I saw one picture of a turban hat that a lady had made of deep purple yarn with a large purple gemstone in the center and was inspired to look up the free pattern by Bernat on Yarnspirations.com. http://www.yarnspirations.com/patterns/turban-twist-hat.html

I didn’t have any purple yarn on hand but did have some Lion Brand Heartland yarn in the Yellowstone color which was nice and soft and worked well in this project, using #8 needles

It’s basically a long narrow scarf in an easy Seeded Rib pattern …

…which is folded and sewn in place to form the turban. The scarf was easy to make.

Although the pattern comes with a diagram on how to fold and sew the turban, it was confusing to me and I’m showing how I got it together. First mark the center of the scarf and then fold into this shape.

Fold the two ends back to meet in the center and pin in place.

Starting in the center and using a yarn needle with some scrap yarn of a different color, loosely baste each end in place, leaving 4 inch tails to make it easier to remove the waste yarn.

Using another piece of waste yarn, stitch the center section where the two ends meet. Baste as far as where the two pieces cross.

At this point, put the hat on yourself or some volunteer and pin to close any gaps on top of the hat, basting them in place with waste yarn.

Baste and try on the hat as many times as necessary to be sure it is the way you want it. Then, using matching yarn, stitch the turban together, pulling out the waste yarn as you go.

I sewed a big vintage button on the front of my turban.

1/9/17

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