Tag Archives: beanie

Ready For Crown Decreases…Again!

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My hat mojo is staying strong this week. I have plowed through several inches of hat this week and I’m now ready for the crown decreases on my Learning to Flick Hat.

I think there might be something to this flicking thing making me a faster knitting with the knit stitch. I think I knocked out about five inches of hat in two evenings worth of bedtime knitting.

I’m using the super scientific eyeball method to determine when to start the decreases. This is paired with looking my ball of yarn and trying to decide if I have enough to get to the end, lol. But mostly when I fold up the brim it looks like I have really decent warm hat that will fit the average adult.

Maybe if I get some decent knitting time tonight I can have a FO tomorrow?

Teaching Myself To Flick

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I finished a worsted weight hat last week. It was supposed to be for my dad but ended up going to my daycare provider who is losing her hair to chemo. Well, my needles were cold so I pulled out the second skein of Lilliput Yarn Woof Worsted and cast on another hat over the weekend.

This is the chasing cars colorway and is a nice mix of blues, greens and yellows. I want to learn to flick instead of throw my yarn. I think it will cut down stress on my wrist and possibly make me a faster knitter because I won’t let go of the right hand needle.

Flicking in ribbing was really slow and my index finger got tired so I used a mix of flicking and throwing on the brim. But for the stockinette portion I am flicking all the way and I’m FLYING through this hat. I do have some tension issues but they will work out with practice and aren’t that big of a deal in hat. Honestly, my brain feels kind of good learning a new skill.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: A Hat For Dad

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The super slouch Hat for Dad is done, washed and ready to head out the door. I made a left turn after I finished this hat. It’s not going to be for my dad. It’s going to my daycare provider as she is starting 18 weeks of chemo and going to lose all her hair. She needs this worse than my dad and I just want to wrap her in wooly hugs.

Pattern: None, just a basic 88 stitch worsted weight beanie

Yarn: Lilliput Yarn in Woof Worsted in the Man’s Best Friend Colorway

Needles: US 8s

Mods: None because I made up the hat as I went, lol.

This hat turned out to be a SUPER slouch when used with single brim. But is a nice beanie with the brim folded double. I ended with 11 gram leftover, so a nice sized ball. The hat only took 89 grams or 194 yards. So my prediction was correct…winging it made me have a decent chunk of yarn leftover, lol.

I’m still proud of this hat and I’m itching to get another one on the needles. I have a second skein of this Lilliput yarn in the Chasing Cars colorway that I think will be next up on the needles.

Happy Friday and Happy Knitting!!

Closer To A Hat

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Dad’s hat is swimming right along. This has been great knit night knitting and zoom meeting knitting.

I am not following any kind of pattern. I have 88 stitches and I’m just knitting what feels good. No clue how many inches of ribbing, no clue how long I’ll make the hat portion and no pre-plan for the crown decreases. I’ve been knitting long enough that I’m comfortable with just winging it.

The only thing I do want to try to do is use as much yarn as possible. But I feel like that is a chuckle waiting to happen since I’m winging it. I firmly believe I will either be wildly over or under and either run out or have a ton left. Time will tell, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Pardon Me, Sir Hat

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I couldn’t leave this project alone. I think I knit this over three nights? But I’m just getting around to taking good photos of it. I present to you my My Pardon Me, Sir Hat!

Pattern: A “vanilla” knit beanie knit with 90 stitches (Rav link)

Yarn: KnitCircus Ringmaster in the Pardon Me, Sir colorwa

Needles: US8s

I couldn’t bear not to use every inch of this beautiful gradient. Thus I ended up with a super long and super slouch hat. But I don’t mind because the brim folds up nicely.

The 90 stitches make a nice loose hat on me and a decently firm hat on my husband’s larger head. But the fabric is a nice medium density that keeps out the wind. I am definitely keeping this one for me and it pairs beautifully with my navy blue coat.

Feels really good to have my first FO of 2021. And even better that this gorgeous yarn didn’t languish in my stash very long either. Win win!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Everyday (Not So) Slouchy Beanie

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I have another FO this week! My Everyday Slouchy Beanie is complete and I’m now re-naming it Everyday (not so) Slouchy Beanie because gauge matters, for real.

Pattern: Everyday Sloubhy Beanie by Dragon Hoard Designs

Yarn: Apothefaery Fabrications Middle of the Road Sock and Halo Brushed Suri Alpaca

Needles: US 1 and US 4

Mods: Because of my gauge issues, I didn’t knit the full slouch so I could save some yarn for a second hat.

This hat fits my kids SUPER well. I can get it on my head but it’s REALLY tight. I blindly followed the pattern and made the medium size without checking gauge. Silver lining, the hat is very very warm. I’m not sure I’m going to trust my children with a hat made with indie dyed yarn. But I’m not sure I’m going to wear this either. So I am going to let this FO marinate in my cedar chest for the summer to see how I feel about it later.

The yarn is delightful! You can see the halo of the suri alpaca and the colors are very rich. I might have been drowning my canceled fiber show blue by popping over to Apothefaery Fabrications to buy more of her Halo Brushed Suri in some neutral colors. I want to try some more projects with this yarn!

Happy Knitting!!

Basic Failure

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Well….I got kicked in the teeth by not swatching during what is a very stressful time. My Everyday Slouchy Beanie is TIGHT y’all. Like squeeze my brain out my ears tight.

I made enough fabric in the hat portion to try it on. I had been having a niggling feeling that brim was maybe tight after I had turned and joined the cast on edge. But I just kept knitting and damned if my instinct wasn’t correct.

Now, I have knit a TON of stitches into this thing. Andafter knitting both halves of the brim…I’m not ripping out floofy yarn for that many stitches! This hat will fit someone when I’m done. I might just have to be sad that it doesn’t fit me.

Note to self: Next time you are extraordinarily stressed….check yo gauge!

Turning The Brim

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I’ve overcome my dropped stitch problems and busted through the entire brim! My Everyday Slouchy Beanie is soooo soft, I can help but stop and pet the fabric!

This is yarn I picked up from Winter Woolfest 2020 from Apothefaery Fibers. I’m holding brushed Suri alpaca and fingering weight sock yarn to make my fabric. It’s melted butter soft and doesn’t shed like mohair. And the best part is now I’m on to the bigger needles and the at is just FLYING!

Happy Knitting

Dropped Stitch Drama

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I am cruising along through the brim of my Everyday Slouchy Beanie. This has been my Zoom meeting and assorted work from home conference call knitting that I keep in my lap. I looked down tonight after I had created about an inch of fabric throughout the day to discover a d*mn dropped stitch….

So I took a fortifying drink of chamomile tea and laddered back down in floofy suri alpaca lace weight held double with sock yarn. I didn’t feel like working the dropped stitch back up as it’s own column so I just worked a K2TOG with the stitch next to it. And then worked the single column of stitches all the way back up.

The fix was pretty seamless aside from you can see the decreased stitch. The floof of the suri silk really hides a on of sins. And now I’m back on track to almost be done with the brim. This hat has a folded double brim instead of ribbing. I am almost the point I can pick up my cast on edge and work into my live stiches.

Happy knitting!!

Cast On: Everyday Slouch Beanie

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I have capitalized on my winding frenzy earlier this week and cast on my Everyday Slouchy Beanie by Dragon Hoard Designs. I also threw on the Corner of Craft podcast and had a dose of the amazing Hannah. I’m in my basement guest room/craft room surrounded by chaos but I just felt the need for a new cast on.

The project called for a provisional crochet cast on. I was not in the mood so I just did a knitted on cast on. I may regret my choice when I have to fold this brim over later in the project and join it to the live stitches on my needle. But today I didn’t have the stamina to deal with a crochet provisional cast on. I also chose to have a glass of wine in my favorite glass. The wine is a nice crisp Pinot Grigio from Yellowtail Wines.

Happy Knitting!!