Monthly Archives: February 2025

Spun Through Twelve

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I finally carved out time to work on my 2024 advent fiber. I am all the way through the first 12 fiber nubs.

These latest few days were a mix of pinks, whites and even some purples and teals. I am unsure how close my singles are to when they started. I should get a control card and take better notes. As opposed to just winging it like I do.

I am going to stop this bobbin here and then start the last 12 fiber nuggets on a second bobbin. I know all 24 will not fit on my standard bobbin.

I am currently torn. Do I chain ply these to make a hodge podge stripey yarn? Or do I spin the second bobbin and then ply them together to make a crazy barber pole? I can’t decide. I am tempted to do the chain ply. The barber pole might make a muddled yarn….

Happy Spinning!!

Cozy Handspun Decreases And A Finish

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My Handspun Hat is finished and oh so cozy!

Pattern: My own basic beanie “recipe” with 72 stiches

Yarn: My own bulky (thick and thin) handspun

Needles: US 10s

This hat weighs roughly 120 grams and round about 100 yards of yarn. It is sufficiently large enough for my noggin. This hat will not be going into the gift bin. This will be a Rachelle hat. I have a couple of yards of handspun left but not enough to really do anything with. I put it in my scrap bag just in case.

I need to see if I have any more skeins of handspun to make hats with! Or you know work on the sparkly handspun hat that has been languishing for AWHILE, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

The Perfect Morning

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I hid from my children and adult responsibilities this morning. I couldn’t sleep in on my appointed day to sleep in. So I improvised. I grabbed a protein shake, homemade cinnamon roll I baked, HOT coffee and my latest project: Frankenstein Hat #3 and my book club book.

This book is SO ADDICTING. It took a minute to get used to this author and his chapters. And the characters are so spellbinding that I quite literally can’t put it down. Book club isn’t for two weeks and this book will be done well in advance of that.

I was so captivated that I only got a few rows on my hat. I did finish the increases and the whole thing is on a circular needle. So that feels like an accomplishment right?

Happy Knitting and Reading!!

Cast On: Frankenstein Hat #3

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I had the itch to clear out some more scraps the other day. It’s getting a little more interesting to dig through my bag of leftovers and find cohesive coordination. I mulled my options and went with yellows, oranges and reds.

I am working the Musselburgh style pattern though I am not bothering with stitch counts or gauge. This hat will be what it will be and it will fit someone. I always dislike the tiny cast on and messing with so many needles in a small area but it always works.

I did use my darning needle to close up the cast on hole while it was this little. I hope future Rachelle thanks me! Happy Knitting!!

Finished: Dewberry Hat

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The Dewberry Hat is complete and all washed up to go straight to the gift pile

Pattern: Top Down basic beanie with 72 stitches

Needles: US 10s

Yarn: Malabrigo Mecha in the Dewberry colorwway

I used up every last inch of this yarn and that is incredibly satisfying. I could have started the ribbing sooner but still ended up with a decent brim. This version of the hat will fold for the right sized head.

This is a singles yarn so it make an incredibly soft fabric and the bulky yarn gives a lot of loft and warmth. This one might make your head sweat a little! I do think I will go back to my DK and worsted hats as they tend to be less vexing. And it’s still nice to know I have figured out a “recipe” for a quicky bulky hat if I needed one.

Happy Knitting!!

Damn Twist

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While spectacularly getting my arse handed to me in Uno: No Mercy, I was knitting in my Scandia Hat and realized the damn thing is twisted…..

So I ripped that sucker out and started over. This time with no Uno cards and a glass of wine.

I opted to skip the 2×2 ribbing this time and just do stockinette. I chose solace in the comfy chair with the gas fire place that took longer to figure out that I would like to admit. I am still loving this yarn from my Christmas stocking. It really held up well to knitting and ripping back. The cast on row was a little sticky but came apart fine.

Happy Knitting!!

Dewberry Progress

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The Dewberry Hat is zooming along. Imagine that! It’s only bulky yarn on US 10 needles, lol.

This is a 100 gram skein and I need to weigh where I am at. I think I will save the 15 or 20 grams to do the ribbing? I will knit until the yarn chicken gods yell at me to stop and then cast off in ribbed pattern.

I am keeping a stitch marker on the beginning of round. And I was too lazy to find a big enough one to fit on these large needles so I am clipping it to the row and just moving it up once in awhile.

Happy Knitting!!

Handspun Hat Progress

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I am really loving how my Handspun Hat is coming out!

I am getting close to the end of this handspun skein and probably need to start the decreases. The yarn is a 2-ply from a braid I split down the middle. I can tell where my fiber colors lined up and therefore give me solid color chunks versus the barber poling. It is giving the hat an almost striped appearance?

It’s true when they say that you should knit with your handspun so you can see what how it works up in fabric. Is it my most even yarn? Absolutely not but will make a cozy hat! I am knitting on US 10.5s and I don’t have that sized DPNs. I am just going to make due with the US 8s again and try to manually manage my gauge to finish.

Happy Knitting!!

Dewberry Do-Over

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I ripped out the original start of my Dewberry Hat and started over again on DPNs.

I intend to work this hat on US 10s but I don’t have any DPNs in that size so I am using my US 8s and hoping for the best. I am working to be as loose as I can manage to make the change in needles less obvious.

I am going to increase up until I have 72 stiches total and then put the project on circulars to work the remainder. I am using the M1L and M1R increases at end of each DPN for a box like increase section. And after all the messing around with this yarn….this is going to be a vanilla hat body with ribbed brim. I am encouraged to get these couple of hats behind me and move on to less vexing choices.

Happy Knitting!!

Finished: Iris Hat

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This hat vexed me and yet here we are with a finished Iris Hat.

Pattern: A frustrating mix of basic beanie with influences of the Pussy Hat with 72 stiches

Needles: US 10s

Yarn: Malabrigo Mecha in the Iris colorway

I am very proud of my Kitchener skills and used up almost every last inch of this skein. I accurately left a tail long enough to close up the entire hat. The finished hat does fit an adult sized head and create the cat like ears with the two corners. However, it’s not a hat you can pull super low or do any additional folds.

This is definitely going into the gift pile and I will course correct for the other hat that I have going with the Malabrigo Mecha. This bulky single definitely calls for a top down approach….even if I hate starting a hat on DPNs.

Happy Knitting!!