Category Archives: cast on

Cast On: Luminous Hat

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We are gearing up for travel, spring sports and lots of time in the backyard. I also need to start earning points for SSK 2025. This all added up to a new cast on!

I grabbed my new square needles and a skein of Another Crafty Girl Merino Worsted in Luminous color to start my basic beanie recipe. It’s 88 stitches on a US 8. If I can get this done then I can earn points for my knitting retreat this summer.

I am liking the square needles. I don’t know that my hands get any less tired but they do feel nice in my fingers. This project is going to live in my purse/backpack for “in between knitting” needs.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Vas Hat

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My hat mojo may be waning but it sure does make for good travel and meeting knitting. After finishing my Scandia Hat, I had not “on the go” knitting available. So I grabbed a skein that was already wound and got started on a basic beanie.

I have used a LOT of Rios over the last year so I am pretty confident in my gauge. I based on my normal 88 stitches on US 8 needle. I was not in the mood for ribbing today so this hat will have another stockinette brim.

I did get myself a fancy pedicure to brush away the winter doldrums! Here’s hoping soft yarn and clean toes will get me all the way to spring!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Synthe

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I finally knuckled under and cast on my Synthe sweater. My swatch told me I was on gauge and I am making the 44 1/2 size.

This starts at the neck and appears to not have a neckline. Just cast on and get straight to stockinette. The pattern shows no rolling but I don’t have confidence in my version. I may have to add some reinforcement to my neck opening.

So far the knitting is fast as the stitch count is still increasing. The yarn, Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, has a lot of veg matter in it that I am picking out as I go. I am not alternating skeins yet but I may do that as I get to the main body. My biggest hurdle is keeping the stitch markers from opening and falling off.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Touchdown Beanie Chiefs #2

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I did in fact decide to cast on another Chiefs Touchdown Hat with my leftovers from the kit I purchased.

I did opt to make a medium size this time instead of large, so as not to tempt the yarn chicken gods. I had training all day today and I powered through ribbing and the second two color additions. Stopped short of starting the chart for the pattern as I need concentration.

I also hedged a tiny bit and worked 1/2 an inch less of ribbing to conserve my use of the red color. I am eager to start the colorwork again now that I have had some practice. I know what kind of tails I need to leave and where I tended to knit too tightly or made errors on the chart.

This should be a quick finish! (Famous last words…) Happy Knitting!!

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!!

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!!

Trying Again

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I got my Iris Hat up and going new needles!

I am on US 10s with 72 total stitches. I worked like a one inch folded brim and then the remainder of this yarn is going into the body of the hat. Trying to avoid yarn chicken. I have told myself to decide on the brim when I get to the end of the skein. That’s a future Rachelle problem…..

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Dewberry Hat

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My mom’s trip is bearing down on me and I need to get these last hats done! I already had the Iris Hat on the needles and I also started this second hat in Malabrigo Mecha in a color called Dewberry.

I am sensing some doom on my other hat. So for this one I cast on fewer stitches to make this bulky skein go farther. I think I am at 70 ish stitches for a vanilla stockinette beanie. I am waffling on folded brim or no folded brim.

I really should finish the Iris first so I don’t make the same mistakes twice. But where is the fun in that! Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Iris Hat

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I had an awful no good dog of a morning the other day at work. And over my lunch I had to run into a store for a birthday gift. And there was a yarn store right next door. So I wandered in and grabbed some dopamine.

I picked up two skeins of Malabrigo Mecha which is a singles in a bulky weight. This color is called Iris. The idea was a soft and super fast hat. I am going to my friend’s for a little girls trip and I want to give away more hats. I had the yarn store wind the yarn so I could get off the races.

I am using my US 8s as I don’t feel this bulky is really that much different than the heavy worsted I have been using. I may live to regret that decision but so far this skein and color is working up beautifully. I am hoping for a folded brim hat and powering through with a LARGE sugar free iced coffee.

Happy Knitting!

Cast On: Chiefs Hat #7

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I was a little miffed with discovering the issue with my 2025 Chiefs Hat and the wrong number of stitches. And I was done with with the red color from that hat so I set aside some bedside time to cast on the next hat.

I counted twice and this hat for sure has 88 stitches. Duke was less than helpful in the cast on as he was in charge of napping. I am using US 8 needles for this yarn. It’s still Malabrigo worsted and therefore a singles. The sharper tips of the metal needles are nice so I can get the full strand on every stitch.

Happy Knitting!!