Knitting – Wednesday Roundup – Slippers for the Boys

 

My knitting this past week was centered on little slippers. My young chiropractor and his wife just welcomed their third child in 5 years, all boys. I wanted to make something for the new baby but also include something useful for the two pre-schoolers.  I adapted my favorite pattern to make slippers in what I hope will be the appropriate sizes and took them in a knitted gift bag to the doctor yesterday.

This is the original pattern that I have adapted in many ways and may some day publish my own version. It’s an easy pattern and more forgiving in sizing than most. It’s a nice way to use up smaller portions of yarn.

Free pattern here:  http://www.needlebeetle.com/free/aadb.html (paste url or type to search)

I also finished the Cloud of her Shoulders shawl in a child’s size and will definitely be making this in a larger size. It’s a very good, easy-to-read pattern and has a nice shape.  I like the slightly ruffled edge. and the shape is supposed to help keep the shawl from slipping off the shoulders. 

Here is the link to the free pattern:  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cloud-on-her-shoulders

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 – Cloud on Her Shoulders Shawl

My WIP this week is a child’s shawl based on a pattern called Cloud on Her Shoulders. This is a free pattern by someone who makes a lot of shawls for cancer patients and nursing home residents. She mentioned something I hadn’t thought of – wheelchair patients and anyone who has to sit most of the day will do better with a shawl that does not have a point that can get caught in wheels and short enough not to be bulky when sitting. I’m auditioning this in a child’s size with the thought of making it for senior ladies to help them be warm and comfortable.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cloud-on-her-shoulders

I finished my Little Lacy Shawl made from gift yarn and I think it turned out well, although using dark fingering weight yarn is not my strong point. I had my younger daughter model it – I know I’ll be using it a lot.

 

I also finished the little 0-3 months sweater WIP from last week and added a hat to match.

Sweater pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mariannas-lazy-daisy-top-down-with-sleeves

Knitting – WIP – Marianne Mel Baby Sweater

I have two WIPs this week – the new one is a repeat of the first baby sweater I ever made. When I first started knitting, I stuck pretty much to scarves and hats, thinking I couldn’t make anything as complicated as a sweater. Then I happened upon Marianne Mel, an English designer who offers hundreds of free patterns and every one I have tried has turned out well, even with my limited experience. This is a pattern for a top-down sweater on which the body is completed and then the sleeves are added. I’m doing mine in Knit Picks DK yarn in a pale green shade with a #6 circular needle.

Here is a link to the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mariannas-lazy-daisy-top-down-with-sleeves

The second WIP is a continuation of my Little Lacy Shawl from last week. It is about 75% finished and is at a stage where I can work on it in the evening while I watch TV (British shows on Acorn and Britbox are my favorites).

Knitting – Wednesday WIP – Little Lacy Shawl

My WIP this week is a Little Lacy Shawl, from a kit gifted by a friend which includes Cascade Heritage Paints fingering weight yarn and Feza Baby Kid Mohair extremely thin yarn plus a pattern for a 50 inch x 12 inch neck shawl.  It all came in a pretty chiffon bag which I’ll be re-using. Although I don’t do well with dark, thin yarn, this seems to be working out OK with a #6 needle. The dark blue yarn is gorgeous with tiny flecks of deep red and the mohair is filament-thin, used double-stranded with the fingering yarn. The mohair seems to give a very slight sparkle to the piece. Can’t wait to get it finished.

I finished the shawl from my previous WIP and it became quite a large project – 30 inches long x 72 inches wide. I wanted it to be extra big and warm and will be sending it to the Sacred Shawl Society in South Dakota with a note that I’d like for it to go to a senior lady.

The colors are soft warm shades of beige and tan. closer to the colors shown in the third photo.  I used several different patterns to give extra texture and interest, and crocheted a simple edging along the sides.

Knitting – Wednesday WIP – Long and Wide Shawl

My WIP this week is a combination of several patterns to form a bottom-up shawl with a variety of stitch patterns. I’m working this shawl as far as I can get on #8-32 inch circular needles and will be on hold until I get my new 60-inch needles on Sunday. I want this shawl to be wide and long and very warm. I’m designing this with hopes it will go to some nice senior lady at the Pine Ridge location. My daughters keep me supplied with beautiful warm shawls and I know exactly how I like them to fit for maximum warmth.

Finished the hat from last week’s WIP and like it very much. The top has an interesting “X” design.

I made another hat from the same pattern in a variegated yarn.

Also finished a child’s shawl, mittens and scarf.

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 – “When in Scotland” Shawl

My WIP this week is a shawl called “When in Scotland” from a free Ravelry pattern – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/when-in-scotland.

In the 2-1/2 years I’ve been knitting, I’ve made only one capelet-type shawl, finished as one of my first projects. I wasn’t anxious to try anything that large (or larger) soon, especially since most of the patterns have a lot of lace and open work which I don’t do well.   I decided to try again when I saw a notation from the Pine Ridge Sacred Shawl group that their girls and women would enjoy receiving shawls. This group prefers items without a lot of open work because of the extremely cold weather in South Dakota, and I found the “When in Scotland” shawl is made very solidly.

I’m adapting the pattern a bit because it’s made in garter stitch which I know would bore me on a large piece. I’m using two colors and a favorite slip-stitch pattern with #8 circular needles and Caron One-Pound #4 worsted.

I finished the older child’s scarf from last week and like how it turned out. I used a lot of yarn I had on hand and it made a nice warm scarf. 

I also finished another scarf, a blue earflap hat and a grey Hurricane hat from a free Ravelry pattern – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hurricane-hat. This is a very nice pattern for a top-down hat, this one in a small child’s size.

 

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 – 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.