Knitting – Hats to Humiliate the Family — and the Dog

The St. Louis Connection

Last Christmas, I made hats and mittens for my son and his family in St. Louis.  My son said he doesn’t wear hats often but did like having this warm one for walking the dog or shoveling snow.  He said he would like to have ear flaps on his hat – not dorky ones with long string ties but something that would cover the ears well without pulling the hat down over the eyes.  My younger daughter found the perfect free pattern for me:

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/1898-hat

I asked for head measurements and favorite colors and had a hat made for each one when they visited in October.  I’ll have to say the hats are not flattering, but they’re very warm with a double thickness of garter stitch around the brim and 2-inch ear flaps.

When they sent me the measurements, they also included one for their dog, Sugar (as a joke, I’m sure).  I found another free pattern which is basically a tube with ears.  The pattern is called Humiliating the Dog and they do all look a little humiliated.  But they will all have warm ears this winter.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/to-humiliate-the-dog

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 – Small Gift Basket

My WIP (work in progress) for this week was just started this morning and is a free pattern on Ravelry through August 31, 2018.  I’m having more luck with a top-down type beginning than I usually do and although the pattern calls for cotton yarn, I’m making this little basket with an assortment of small amounts of #4 thin yarn (mostly Lion Brand Pound of Love).  The pattern calls for double-pointed needles, but I knit everything with circular Magic Loop needles and I’m using a #7 for this project.  The finished basket is supposed to be 5-3/4 inches with a handle to make it 8 inches in height.  Check out this link and see if this is something you might like to make – free through August 31, 2018.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/striped-basket with a coupon code of BASKETCASE.

 

These were my finishes last week:  A larger child’s scarf with a bit of open work on each end.  We’re asked to keep lace or open work to a minimum because the winters are so cold there.  I also made a pair of mittens in Bubble Gum Pink and a sparkly white yarn to match a scarf that was finished last week.  Two hats were finished this week, one with a double layer of stitches in the brim for extra warmth, and another with ear flaps.

Knitting – A Really Nice Heart Pattern – Free

My daughter recommended this pattern to me and I love it. I enjoy doing Fair Isle patterns and this one seems to go together especially well. It has become my favorite heart pattern, found on Ravelry.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/love-the-winter-hat

I tried the pattern first on a hat in grey and peach worsted (pictured at the top). This is destined for the Pine Ridge Lakota drive that is held every fall to provide winter wear for the school children.

The second hat is in the required yarn/colors of the Iowa Special Olympics. I hope this will help a little girl keep her ears warm while competing.

I’ve made up my own chart for making this heart pattern in different colors because I know I’ll be using it often in all kinds of hand-knit items.

 

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