Sunday, January 15, 2006

The "Suits-Anyone Fits-Everyone" Hat Pattern

Now in .pdf! I'm doing a beginner hat class next month and re-wrote my basic hat pattern. Now you can easily save it to your computer to use later!
I developed this pattern so I could make fast, easy, hats for everyone in the family I was living with in Japan. The brim is very stretchy, and you can adjust the fit by increasing or decreasing the length of the hat body.
The "Suits-Anyone Fits-Everyone" Hat:



Also known as "The Monk Hat"




Suits-Anyone Fits-Everyone Hat Pattern

Monday, January 02, 2006

Holiday Knitting

I did not commit to knitting so many things this year, and really only made two hats and a scarf. I made one of my Monk Hats (with the same yarn even) for my Dad, who hates xmas, but loved the hat, and I made a really pretty tam out of Filatura di Crosa Muschio that I got on super sale in Japan, with the same brands Dali on the brim. Unfortunately though, I wore it to work on a cold day, and when I warmed up and put it away in my bag it must have fallen out along my walk! I was heartbroken :( I was late for work because I walked halfway home looking for it, then my boss who was out doing errands drove up and down the road looking for it, and I even went back with Joe in the car to look for it, but it was nowhere to be found. I think (hope) that someone who needed it picked it up, and that it went to a good home. That left me minus-one present for my mother though, and I didn't feel like scarmbling to make her something else, so I bought a little snowwoman ornament and left it at that.
The one big thing I made for xmas was the rhino scarf I put in my last post. That thing took soo loong. I love double knitting as a technique, but it takes forever! The recipient loved it though, so it was well worth it :)

I'm declaring January to be Selfish Knitting Month! I am not going to knit anything for anyone else in January, and have already knit myself a hat/handwarmer set with yarn I got from the boy for xmas :) Can you believe I've made close to 20 hats and didn't have a single one for myself? I have an abnormally small head, and so buying hats is always hit or miss with me, so it's nice to have one that I love that fits! And I loved the yarn, I used DiVe "teseo" held with a strand of Plymouth "baby alpaca brush"and it was just lovely!

With the yarn left from the hat I was able to make a pair of fingerless handwarmers I can use as knitting or typing gloves. I went home to NY for xmas and it was FREEZING so I didn't take them off the whole time :P

I also bought myself some GORGEOUS sock yarn from Fleece Artist. I've been eyeing their yarn since I started doing socks, but it's soo expensive that I haven't been able to get any till now. Also, I've decided that I don't really like knitting socks, but a pair for myself I think I could handle, and this yarn was too beautiful to put down.


I went to Virginia for new years and got a fair bit of work done on my Rogue sweater in the car and while sitting around with Joe's friend's family. It's been neglected since I cast-on and finished the hem! I've had to teach myself how to cable without a needle, since the first time I brought it out to knit I didnt have one with me, then I accidentally left my favorite one at our friend's house :( I've had so many other things to do. I plan to finish that this month, and do my socks, and start on one of my polar sweaters!

Checkered-flag Rhino Scarf!

A good friend of mine who does snowboard racing wanted a red and black checkered flag scarf, so I figured the best way to do that would be to use double knitting so it would be pretty and patterned on both sides. Unfortunately it took forever though! It's a little shorter than I would have liked but i didnt have extra time or yarn. I added the little reversible rhino at the bottom because Ryan's nickname is "Ryan-oserous".

it was done with just one skein of each color of cascade 220 on size US9 needles. It blocked out to a little over 5 ft long I think.




rhino back