Cast On: Musselburgh In Blues

Happy Halloween!. I decided to start that Musselburgh in Blues hat while passing out candy at the door later tonight. But first I needed to get the increases done and get the knitting going in the round in the circular needles.

I am customizing the Musselburgh pattern for a worsted yarn (but adjusted for my gauge) to make this hat. I’m not 100% following the pattern but using it’s guidance to get a hat I like. As I am using scraps, I am flying by the seat of my pants to know where and how I will finish. It’s kind of like a “choose your own adventure” hat as I start building these colors.

Be safe and save me a Twix!! Happy Knitting!!

Scrappy Hat Planning

My worsted weight scrap bag is busting at the seams with all the hat knitting and finishing I have been doing in 2024. I think it’s time to start making some scrappy hats before I make any more full skein hats.

First up, I think I have enough coordinating scraps to make a scrappy Chiefs Beanie. They have a lot of black in the logo, so I am pairing two levels of black with the leftover balls of red and yellow. I weight and have 85 grams total so I just to plan out yarn management to get a cohesive hat.

Next up, I pulled several of my blues that I thought worked well. I think I would make a second scrappy Musselburgh. And when I weighed them….I was short. So I am auditioning some pops of color that compliment the blues. I still need some pondering on this one!

Happy Knitting!!

Finished: Chiefs Hat V2

Football fever is upon the house. Jellybean has gotten very into watching any football game he can. He loves talking to his Papa about football and learning all the details. So I decided to push through to finish my Chiefs Hat V2 so Jellybean and Papa each could have one.

Pattern: My own basic beanie “recipe” using 88 sts

Needles: US 8s

Yarn: Leading Men Fiber Arts Box Office Worsted in Poison Apple and Sweet Corn

I am MUCH happier with the overall look of the hat with the red being the outward facing portion of the brim. It makes it look more substantial and polished. I followed the same recipe of 20 rows for the brim stripes and then 15 rows for the hat body stripes.

True to the V1 hat, I used both colors four times in the hat but the last red stripe is just a week bit of decreases. This hat used slightly more yarn than the first as I think my gauge relaxed. It weighs 86 grams that means almost 190 yards of yarn!

I have a decent chunk of the red and yellow left….I am scrounging to see if I have other leftovers to make a Scrappy Chiefs hat. I may or may not have a hyper-fixation 🙂

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Oh Deer! Hat

It’s quickly approaching hunting season in my family and I just so happen to have ordered some orange yarn from Leading Men Fiber Arts. Why not make another Blaze Orange hat. I’m calling this one my Oh Deer! Hat as a pun for the deer hunting my dad and uncles have always done.

Duke is on supervision duty, as always. Since I am not flying in any near future, I decided to go back to my metal needles as they are wee bit faster for the knitting. And working a stockinette brim…..again.

Duke and I are cozy in the basement as the fall chill settles in. This guest room is one of my favorite “mom” hiding spots because no one want risk being asked to do laundry, lol!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Chiefs Hat V2

Back from vacation, I decided to take my turns at reorganizing my Chiefs Hat. I started my basic recipe with the yellow instead of the red. I am a little nervous at this stage because before the fold….it looks an awful lot like my original hat.

It’s getting so close to Halloween and I have SO MUCH TO DO. Knitting has become my refuge (and procrastination tool) as I head into busy holiday season. I don’t forsee this hat taking very long to finish at this rate.

Happy Knitting!!

Finished: WPF Conference Hat

I am over the moon with this finish. To me, this hat just came out so polished and beautiful. My 2024 WPF Hat is done and snuggled in the growing gift pile.

Pattern: My own basic 88 sts stockinette beanie “recipe”

Needles: US 8s

Yarn: Leading Men Fiber Arts in the color Chocolate Mousse

This is just about the perfect slouch for me in a hat. The decreases swirl nicely and fall at the correct part of my head. I am back to my “default” where I used 78 grams of worsted yarn for a 170 yard hat.

The Box Office worsted from Leading Men Fiber Arts is a great base. I would buy all the colors and knit this forever. It’s just a lovely combination of soft and sturdy. I would put this in a dead heat with Malabrigo Rios for my favorite hat yarn.

Happy Knitting!!

Plane Decreases

My 2024 WPF Hat was my travel home knitting. It was an EARLY morning trip so I had to wait for the sun to come up in order to see the dark brown stitches.

As the wheels taxied to the gate, I pulled the yarn through and zipped up the remaining stitches to finish. I sat next to PB and the extra arm space was a great boost to knitting comfortably on the plane. I did have to pick up and put down a TON to administrate drinks for her and navigate her tablet.

FO coming at you! Happy Knitting!!

Two Times The Mocha

My conference had some down time, which was nice to give some time for family stuff AND some alone time. I grabbed an iced coffee and snuck out onto the balcony while the kids were washing up from the beach to work on my 2024 WPF Conference hat. That’s what I am call this, by the way.

I managed to get the brim knit, folded and attached to the hat body. I think I am getting faster at these hats especially on the stockinette versions. Flicking in stockinette has become my default knitting “mode” and its becoming quicker.

I haven’t counted my hat tally in awhile but it’s getting large, especially after vacation knitting!! Happy Crafting!

A Hat On A Boat

With the finishing of my LSP hat, I had a whole in my travel knitting that needed filled. I admit to having had packed extra skeins of yarn in my suitcase for travel knitting. Worsted works up fast don’t you know!

I pulled the Chocolate Mousse skein of Leading Men Fiber Arts and started yet another basic Rachelle hat. This time, I got to cast on from a boat cruising the San Diego harbor! It’s back to my normal 88 stitches on a US 8s. And wooden 8s so as not to anger the TSA gods for travel.

It was lovely to sit in the sun, sip a mimosa and work on a hat! Happy Knitting!!

A Glazed Carrot Finish

Two for one finish day! (I told you all that I was productive on my vacation knitting). My Glazed Carrot hat was finished while also in San Diego.

Pattern: My Own 88 st beanie “recipe”

Needles: US 8s

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Glazed Carrot

This hat was a great finish. Perfectly stretchy and ever so soft! And I pushed myself to make this one taller. I used 80 grams of the 100 total which is 5-6 more than I have been achieving. This calcs out to 170 yards of yarn in the finished product.

I am interested to see how this hat wears to see if the singles are good for the type of wear and tear that objects get in our house. I don’t think this one will go in the gift pile as both kids have laid claim to it. And we all wish we could go back to that weather and view!

Happy Knitting!!