Category Archives: hat

Spa Day

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I took some time for myself away from work and away from family this week. I scheduled a cool spa soak followed by a massage and then dinner by myself.

My Basic Dude Beanie came along with me on the trip. I managed to knit above the water and keep the skein dry in my bag. I am really coming along with the brim!

For dinner I wandered down to a Ramen shop where I got dumplings in chicken based ramen and fried wontons. I couldn’t eat anywhere near the whole thing but It was GLORIOUS to enjoy a meal and not have to parent anyone. I just ate and read my latest book.

It’s nice to find time to remember who I am aside from my output! Happy Self Care!!

Cast On: Basic Dude Beanie

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Golf lessons continue into the cooler weather of fall. This led me to want to start another beanie. My Punch Bug Vanilla Beanie is at the brim decreases and not conducive to traveling.

I had a single skein of Ella Rae Classic wool from a mystery grab bag I purchased. It’s pretty toothy wool and just 200 yards of worsted. Made perfect sense to make a hat. This time I decided on a folded stockinette brim. I am hoping this type of construction can help me maximize the full skein. No science, just gut instinct and going to knit until I get close on yarn.

The last hat was a little snug on the husband so I went up to 96 stitches on US 8s instead of 88. This should make it a better fit for a dude. I think this hat will go to live with a coworker who often works out in the cold at all hours.

Happy Knitting!!

Punch Bug Vanilla Beanie: Take Two

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I found my Chia Goo interchangeable needles and managed to get my Punch Bug Beanie back on the needles. I am calling this one “Take Two”.

I am still casting on 88 stitches for this redo but this time its on 8 US needles. So the fabric is not as loosey goosey as it was on 10 US. This is a pretty fat skein of worsted therefore I think I will knit the ribbing doubly long and fold it over. In hopes of maximizing using up the full skein.

Happy Knitting!!

A Quick Baby Shower Hat

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One of my staff at work recently found out she is going to be a 1st time grandma to a little baby girl. She is BURSTING with excitement. The staff are going to throw a staff “grandparent sprinkle” so I needed to whip up a little hat.

I had some leftovers of worsted in my hat stash. The pink is some Woof Worsted from Lilliput Yarns and the silver is from K-Zip knits. I think the two tones work really well together. It’s 64 stitches on a US8 needle.

I did a 2×2 rib until it looked like enough and then switched to stockinette. And then I made up the crown decreases as I went. And it felt super great to eek out this hat and completely use up these scraps. Now I just need to make at least two more hats for other new grandparent coworkers.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Punch Bug Beanie

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Before I jump into sweater surgery with both feet, I decided to take up something more mindless as a palette cleanser.

This skein of Felici Worsted is the companion skein to my Punch Bug Vanilla Socks. I couldn’t find my US 8 needles and I was impatient so I grabbed 10.5US needles. This meant I needed to take my standard 88 stitch worsted hat down to 80 stiches.

I got the brim cast on and the ribbing established. I can’t decide if I am going to do a standard ribbed brim or a folded ribbed brim for extra cushy factor. I think I will knit a little longer and decide later.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Connections Beanie (Dark)

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My Connections Beanie (Dark) is off the needles, washed and blocked. It turned out not too shabby!

Pattern: Connections Beanie by Susan Lobos Garcia (Rav Link)

Yarn: The Shepherd’s Mill 2-ply sport in Light Yellow and Aqua

Needles: US 4 and 5

Mods: One accidental error in the colorwork chart that I consciously chose not to go back and fix.

The crown decreases went fairly well. I had a few tension problems around the centered decreases. But after all the trials around this hat I just wanted to be done. This dark version of the pattern is the smaller size so this hat technically fits me it is definitely better suited for PB or Jellybean.

I would knit this pattern again, but I think I need a break to get over my frustrations around this version. Totally on me as the knitter and not an issue of the pattern. Happy Friday and Happy Knitting!!

A Second Trip To The Frog Pond

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I think I may be slightly cursed…..my Connections Beanie (Dark) is taking a second trip to the frog pond…sigh.

I was recovering from my previous mistakes and doing SO well. And then I thought I was done with the colorwork and started working the crown. Nope….I was missing the last bit of yellow to finish off the colorwork. So I pulled out the needles a second time to rip back to the mistake.

The stitches were not to bad to get back on the needles and I added the last two missing rows of color work. I am truly now ready to work the crown and decreases. This hat is really trying my patience.

And yes, my original mistake is still there and I’m leaving it as an unintended design feature! Happy Knitting!!

The Hat and The Frog Pond

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Whelp, my knitting while drinking did end in disaster. I made not one but TWO mistakes in the charts. Sigh.

The first one towards the beginning of the chart wasn’t so bad. Stuff is lining up where it shouldn’t but doesn’t look horrible, just now how the designer planned for. But the wheels REALLY fell off towards the top. That shit just doesn’t eve make sense, sigh.

I got REAL brave and pulled the needles completely out. I used a DPN to catch the first stitch of the round where I wanted to rip back to. And then to the frog pond I went! I have all the stitches back on the needles and nothing ran too badly. Just don’t have the energy restart and redo today.

This is a future Rachelle task! Happy Knitting!!

Yet Another Bad Idea

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My Connections Beanie (Dark) is FINALLY past the ribbing of the brim. It felt like that took forever and I was never so happy to get to the colorwork section.

Last night I chose to poor myself a lovely glass of red wine and sit down with my beanie after the children crashed for the day. I sent a Snap to my friends that surely this would be a recipe for disaster. What can go wrong with reading charts while consuming alcohol?!

I haven’t checked my hat yet this morning to see how I did. I’ll let that be a little surprise to myself later! Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Connections Beanie (Dark)

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So as not to lose to steam, I got my second Connection Beanie on the needles right away. This time the dark version.

I managed to get the long tail cast on on the second try and get it joined in the round without twisting it on the first try. It’s just slow going with the designers choice in ribbing. It’s beautiful but it requires me to pay attention and I don’t have a lot of that right now. It’s all a mental game and I’m doing my best not to get stalled out.

Happy Knitting!!