Square Pegs

Project Name: Square Pegs

Pattern Name: Turn a Square by Jared Flood (Free Ravelry Pattern also free on the Brooklyn Tweed Website HERE)
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Worsted 0.45 skeins = 94.5 yards (86.4m) in Colorway Dark Grey Mix for Main color and Plymouth Yarn Boku 0.4 skeins = 39.6 yards (36.2m) in colorway 20 (purples)

Needle: 16" US 6, 16" US 7, and Size 7 Double Points to finish it off
Size: Adult Large
Love: ♥♥♥♥♥ SO MUCH LOVE! Have worn it every day since I finished it!

You can find my Ravelry Project Notes HERE.

I love this hat! I cast on when I was down with the flu and found it was a very well written pattern and a really quick knit. It's a great stash buster and wonderful to use up those odd bits of Noro or (as I used here Boku) for the CC. I think because the stripes are small it keeps you trucking along quickly. You don't knit a single color long enough to get bored with it, and then add to that I used a color changing yarn for the CC, so it was different every time I got to that stripe row. Loved seeing how the colors progressed and I really could not put this hat down!

This is the first time I have worked with Boku and it will not be the last! Love the colors, it's cheaper than Noro, and unlike Noro I didn't have a single break in the yarn! WIN!

Here is my only trouble spot with this hat. It gives directions (and yes - I watched the video too!) on how to make a jogless jog. Sadly mine turned out pretty rough and it makes it look like I knit the hat flat and seamed it up! Well, I love this hat so much that I immediately cast on another and am working on this "Jogless Jog" thing. Hopefully the next hat I post I will have an update on an improved method!

Packer hat - FINISHED!

Project Name: Soldier, Brother, Packer Fan
Pattern Name: Ribbed Watchman's Hat by Channah Koppel (Free Pattern on Ravelry)
Yarn: 147 yards of Red Heart Team Spirit in the Green/Gold colorway
Needle: Size 7 16" circular and double point needles
Size: One Size (very stretchy!)
Love: ♥♥♥♥

You can find my Ravelry Project Notes HERE.

 

This was a great hat pattern to work on my last few weeks of class and during finals. I didn't think when I started it that I would finish in time to give it to my brother for Christmas - but I did! YAY!

I had a few mishaps while knitting this and finally taught myself the proper way to Tink. I had been doing it wrong for years and it caused my stitches to twist when I would do it - so generally I would just start over whenever I made a mistake. (No pressure, right?) 

In case anyone else has this problem, you can watch this video on uTube to learn how to knit and purl back to correct your mistakes. It saved this hat! I was almost 9 inches into the ribbing when I saw a flubbed up row where I messed up. I was able to back up and redo it and now you can't even tell I messed up!

I found this yarn pretty abrasive. When you are used to working with Brown Sheep and Malabrigo.... well it's a very different tactical experience! Still, my brother will probably love it. He is a HUGE packer fan! I am hoping to get a picture of him wearing it when I see him at Christmas. 

The pattern was great. I recommend it! It took under 150 yards of worsted weight yarn. Still not sure what I think of the decrease section. I prefer a spoked decrease aesthetically, but I think for a basic watch cap style cap this decrease is probably more appropriate.

I am thrilled with the hat and cannot wait to present it to my brother at Christmas!

IEEE 802.15.1 Bluetooth Cap

 

Project Name: IEEE 802.15.1 Bluetooth Cap

Pattern Name: Snow Day Cap (Free Pattern on LionBrand.com)
Yarn: Lion Brand Hometown USA. 44 yards of Main Color - MPLS Purple & 11 yards of Seattle Sea Mist for the Snowflakes
Needle: US 13
Size: Small Woman's or Large Childs
Love: ♥♥♥♥ Well written free pattern. Uses a minimum of yarn and the end result is quite nice!

You can find my Ravelry Project Notes HERE.

 

I really had to stretch this to fit on my mannequin head to take pictures - and you can tell the snowflakes are distorted when I place it on the head.  Laying flat you can see the snow flake pattern more clearly - and I have to think some young gal (Pre-tween I think) would rock this out wonderfully.

I knit this exactly as the pattern stated. I found the chart was too much for me when I was tired and didn't want to think too much - so I saved it for more alert and less distracted knitting times. I really like how it looks from the top. A pretty decrease sequence. 

A welcome addition to my Knit Hat Donation pile.

Pasture & Sky Hat

Project Name: Pasture & Sky
Pattern Name: Erich's A&F Knockoff Hat
Yarn: Lion Brand Hometown USA in Washington Denim & Lion Brand Thick & Quick in Grass. Hat weighed in at 110 grams so I used 64 yards approximately.
Needle: Us 15 for most of it and then 13 Double points for the bind off
Size: Adult
Love: ♥♥♥♥ Lots of love. It's not my favorite I have made of this pattern (that would be the red/gray/black from earlier this week)

You can find my Ravelry Project Notes HERE.

Another charity hat for the Pine Ridge Reservation. This is #2 and I am looking at my stash so I can cast on another!

This hat I had intended to be shorter, but I ran out of the green yarn on the last three rows! So I improvised and added a final blue stripe and then bound off in the blue. I think the result is pretty good. When you put it on you can raise and lower the brim to cover your ears better if it's needed. I forgot how nice that option is - too many beanies knit lately I think. You just don't get the same ear coverage with the shorter beanie style.

I may have to knit more like this!

Butter Beret

 

 I am not sure what made me do it, but I had a burning need to cast on a simple crochet beret. I call it Butter Beret as the color is the palest yellow. It's a free pattern on Ravelry called Crochet Hat by Corrine Leigh of Threadbanger Fame.

 

I wanted to stash bust so I used a thinner yarn than they used for the pattern. They used Lion Brand Organic Cotton, and I used Debbie Bliss Cotton. Reading through other projects I decided I better add a single row of crochet after each increase row to give the hat some extra poof.

Here is a view from the top. I think the center area got a little wonky when I closed up the starting hole, but I am fairly happy with my stitch consistency.

 

A view from the inside. The pattern calls for just two decrease rows and no additional rows, but I thought it needed a little more, so I added two single crochet rows after the decreasing to clean it up a little and just give it more of a band sort of look.

 

I am fairly happy with it for a first crochet hat, but I think I might agree with my hubby that the color is just a little too light and baby-ish for me. I don't do pastel colors very well. We will see. It might look better with my wool pea coat this fall.