Tag: worsted

Knitting

Tiger Hat Free!

Iris Rose

Okay, again, I am back at the crafting stuff. DH had a big set back but is on the mend now thank goodness.

Winter is coming and most kids need a new hat this time of the year. I love to knit for the grands and they are at an age still where they will wear a fun hat without worrying about the cool factor.

I published a pattern for a Tiger Hat that has been featured in a pattern round up for little’s hats and has had lots of downloads and positive comments.

This Tiger Hat is easy to knit and fun to wear. I have used the basic pattern and changed it to a cat, dog, teddy, etc. by simply modifying the ears and colour of yarn. Have fun with it! Here is direct link to the Ravelry download (free) for the pattern.

More next week on getting ready for the Big Freeze here in the Great White North. Ah, Bob and Doug, remember them?

Size: The hat in second size measures 43cm or 17” upstretched and 50cm or 20” stretched to fit. It will fit age 2 to 6 depending on the child’s head size.

Materials: I used pipsqueak like and eyelash yarn held together. You will need 70m or 78 yds of main colour (MC), 20m or 23 yds of contrast yarn (CC) for stripes and 10m or 12 yds of contrast yarn (CB) for muzzle and inner ears. You will also need about 4m or 5 yds of scraps of sport weight to make the nose and eyes. Small amount of stuffing for muzzle.
Tools: 6mm or US 10 (40cm or 16”) circular needle or DPNs and 3.5mm or US 4 needles for nose and eyes, a marker, a tapestry needle. You will need a second circular (magic loop) or DPNs for decreasing the crown of the hat.

Gauge: 13 stitches x 23 rows = 10cm or 4” in stocking stitch.

Abbreviations: k = knit k2tog = knit two stitches together

p = purl           kfb = knit into the front and back of the same stitch

Hat:
With MC, cast on 54 (60, 66, 72) stitches and join for knitting in the round placing a marker at the join to mark your row end.
Rnds 1 to 10: Work 10 rounds of 1×1 rib in main colour.
Rnds 11 and 12: Change to CC and knit rounds.
Rnds 13 to 15: Change to MC and knit these rounds.
Repeat Rnds 11 to 15 three more times for a total of twenty rounds in stripe pattern.
Rnds 31 and 32: Change to CC and work these rounds in stocking stitch.
Rnds 33 and 34: Change to MC and work these rounds in stocking stitch.
Rnd 35: Continue in MC and begin decreasing. (k 7 (8, 9, 10) k2tog) 6 times.
Rnd 36: Change to CC and knit 1 round.
Rnd 37: Continue in CC and continue decreasing. (k 6 (7, 8, 9) k2tog) 6 times.
Rnd 38: Change to MC and knit 1 round.
Rnd 39: Continue in MC and continue decreasing. (k 5 (6, 7, 8) k2tog) 6 times.
Rnd 40: Continue in MC and knit 1 round.
Rnd 41: Change to CC and continue decreasing. (k 4 (5, 6, 7) k2tog) 6 times.
Rnd 42: Continue in CC and knit 1 round.
Rnd 43: Change in MC and continue decreasing. (k 3 (4, 5, 6) k2tog) 6 times.
Rnd 44: Continue in MC and knit 1 round.
Rnd 45: Continue in MC and continue decreasing. (k 2 (3, 4, 5) k2tog) 6 times.
Rnd 46: Change to CC (for smallest size do not change colour) and knit 1 round.
Rnd 47: Continue in CC for larger sizes and MC for the smallest size and continue decreasing. (k 1 (2, 3, 4) k2tog) 6 times. This will be the last round for the smallest size. Cut a 20cm or 8” end and take off all stitches with a tapestry needle. Gather up tight and, slipping the needle to the inside, fasten off.
Continue decreasing in the stripe pattern for the next sizes, keep to MC for last rows so that the crown is in MC and stop after k1, k2tog round when there are 12 stitches left on the needles. Take the stitches off as described for the smallest size.
You are now ready for the face pieces.

Muzzle: Using contrast yarn CB and leaving a long tail, cast on 5 stitches.
Row 1: purl.
Row 2: kfb, k 3, kfb = 7 st.
Row 3: purl.
Row 4: kfb, k 5, kfb = 9 st.
Start with a purl row and work 15 rows of stocking stitch.
Row 20: k2tog, k 5, k2tog = 7 st.
Row 21: purl.
Row 22: k2tog, k 3, k2tog = 5 st.
Row 23: purl.
Cut a long tail and take off stitches with a tapestry needle. Gather up and secure but leave the end for sewing the muzzle to the hat.

Ears: Make 2, using MC and leaving a long tail, cast on 8 stitches.
Row 1: purl
Row 2: k 1, (kfb x 6) k 1 = 14 st.
Start with a purl row and stocking stitch 7 rows.
Row 10: Change to CC and knit.
Change to CB and starting with a purl row, work 5 rows of stocking stitch.
Row 16: k1, (k2tog x 6), k 1 = 8 st.
Cast off leaving a long tail for sewing on the ear.

Nose: Leaving a long tail for sewing and using beige or pink sport weight yarn and 3.5mm US 4 needles, cast on 11 stitches.
Start with a knit row and work 4 rows of stocking stitch.
Row 5: k2tog, k 7, k2tog = 9 st.
Row 6: purl.
Row 7: k2tog, k 5, k2tog = 7 st.
Row 8: purl.
Row 9: k2tog, k 3, k2tog = 5 st.
Row 10: purl.
Row 11: k2tog, k 1, k2tog = 3 st.
Cut a long tail (you will use this to make the separate cheeks) and take off the remaining 3 stitches with a tapestry needle.

Eyes: Make 2, using black or your chosen eye colour sport weight yarn and 3.5mm or US 4 needles, cast on 5 stitches,
Row 1: purl
Row 2: kfb, k 3, kfb = 7st.
Row 3: purl.
Row 4: kfb, k 5, kfb = 9 st.
Row 5: purl
Row 6: k2tog, k 5, k2tog = 7st.
Row 7: purl.
Row 8: k2tog, k 3, k2tog = 5 st.
Cast off leaving a long tail for sewing.

Thank you for reading and I wish you a lovely week.  Be kind and remember that we all see through different eyes and interpret through different experiences.

Knitting

Another Pattern Sale

Iris Rose

DH had a major surgery last Thursday so my mind was not on my blog.  As a treat for being patient with me, I am offering a 50% off coupon on my Northern Rose Shawl pattern for the next month.

This is an easy knit (all garter) combining a Faroese shape with Shetland lace patterns.  You can knit this up in sock or worsted depending on your preference.  The sock version is light and airy; the worsted is soft and cozy.  Both are knit on larger needles so working these won’t wear out your fingertips!

 

This shawl makes a lovely gift and you have plenty of time for Christmas knitting if you start now.  Knit it in three colours as I did to bust your stash or use all one colour for a truly reversible shawl.

I hope that you enjoy my patterns and remember you still have time to buy the poncho pattern featured in my last post at 50 off too until October the 9th!

Thanks for reading and be kind to one another.  Happy week ahead and don’t forget to enjoy the beauty around you!

Knitting

Pattern Promotion, Gradient Cable Poncho

Iris Rose

I know that summer is still technically with us but, where I live anyway, the leaves are starting to turn yellow which means that fall is here. We can have warm days, but the evenings are cool as are the mornings.

I made this poncho last winter to stay cozy on those chilly early and late times of day. I spotted this really pretty gradient yarn in our LYS and just had to have it with, of course, no firm idea of what I was going to make with it. I had been fooling around with a poncho; the yarn and poncho idea were a match made in heaven.

This pattern can be made with any worsted weight yarn and is a fairly easy knit. Use 6mm (10.5US) to make this beauty in a warm and fuzzy or smooth and silky yarn to change up the look. The cables on the front and back are a simple front twist so no chart is needed. The instructions are written only.

The pattern is now on sale in my Ravelry store here with the coupon code 50OFF.

I will be featuring a coupon code for a pattern every couple of weeks over the fall and I hope that you will take advantage of my offer to you.

I have been busy with DD1 Hand dying yarn and will soon have that featured in my Etsy store as well.

Have a great week and remember to walk a mile in another’s shoes before judging. We are all wonderfully and uniquely different and deserve each other’s respect and kindness.

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Koolaid, Colour to Dye For

Iris Rose

I am going to take a break from the monster shawl today and let you in on some fun that DD1 and I had the weekend before last.

I love hand dyed yarn. I love the look of the rich colours, the different colour placements and the allover yumminess of the finished hank. I tried my hand at dying yarn a couple of years ago and, although I was generally pleased with the result, it just did not meet my expectations. Attempt number two did all of that and more.

Here is the yarn soaking in the sink.  I let it sit for 30 minutes to make sure that it was all hydrated.

Last time I used Wilton food colouring and did not do any research beforehand. I did my reading this time and we used Koolaid, guaranteed to stain anything in its crystal form. The only sad thing about all of this is that, in the wisdom of corporate Kraft Foods, Koolaid in the unsweetened package of crystals that we all know and cherish the memories of from our childhood is no longer distributed in Canada. This meant that an Amazon delivery was in order but, unfortunately, with limited colour (flavour) choices.

I think that we still did pretty well all in all. We had a variety of yarns to try, five in all, from the Knit Picks Bare collection. All are natural animal fibres which made the colouring easy.

Adding the Koolaid!  Then adding more Koolaid!  Then adding even more Koolaid!

Heating the yarn in the pots took a little time and I was so impatient.

Letting them cool before rinsing.  It is interesting that the water went from saturated with colour to clear in a couple of minutes.


I followed the instructions, here, on the Love Knitting website and everything went just as planned except that it took way more Koolaid than we expected for saturated colours. If you are looking at a large batch, this is definitely not the most economical way to play with dying yarn, but it was one hundred percent right on for the fun factor.

Drying took over night but was so worth the sheepy smell in my bathroom, not.  Good thing I don’t use this tub.

And, here we have it, from plain to fabulous!  Now, what am going to make with these lovelies?


I will have the promised next section of my shawl up for you later this week or early next but in the meantime, have fun with whatever craft you are working at right now. Take care of each other.

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Cardigans

Iris Rose

I missed you last week. Did you miss me? I lost my temper last week about a couple of things and just didn’t want to spew hate out to the world. I am over one thing but still mad about the other, the one I can write about and hopefully amuse you with.

I have been working on three cardigans at once. Crazy normal, eh? FYI, eh is Canada speak for don’t you agree. I machine knit, on my standard gauge, a pretty black cardigan that FITS!!! And is almost done except for the final blocking and sewing on the buttons. It has been in this state since last weekend and I keep playing a computer game or checking out Facebook or reading or, or, you know how this finishes.

I machine knit a cardigan with Hobbii Twister yarn on my midgauge that I was really excited about finishing. I didn’t machine knit the bands as I don’t have a ribber for this plastic bed machine. I opted for garter stitch bands which turned out great until I knit the neck band. Oops! My decreases on the second side of the neck front somehow became undone in a very messy way. It looks like the stitches dropped on every second needle, but I didn’t see this until after it was all put together. I fixed up the stitches and knit a doubled band to cover the repair. It worked but….. The band looks terrible. I was just going to leave it, but I know that I will never wear it and it FITS!!!! Guess what I am doing this weekend.

The one I had a temper tantrum about is a hand knit top down cardigan that I started a couple of months ago and has been languishing in my basket. I question my sanity in choosing a top down pattern. Why did I think that this was a good idea? I keep getting mixed up on which side the button holes go on even though I got the first one right. Every so often I panic that they are on the wrong side and have to turn my work around and visualize the finished piece. It is making me crazy. I have no way of knowing if it will fit and panic about that. Yes, I did make a swatch, but this is going to be named my doubting cardi.  This guy says everything will be okay.

I have knit kid’s sweaters this way and love the no sew part. An adult size though is a whole nother story. To top it off, I was just about half way down the body and found a mistake twenty-six rows back. I ripped it back, knit about ten rows and back it went into time out. Hence the mad. I have put my temper back into its place and hope, no I will, have more for next week.

Have a great week and happy crafting.  Kindness to you all.