Raiders Decreases

Dee’s Retirement Hat is gonna be done today! I just set up the final decreases last night and saved for today to do in the daylight as the dark yarn is DEADLY at my age for nighttime knitting.

I think this will end up the perfect size for my curly haired friend. I just can’t wait to see how the letters block out. They look raised at the moment but that could be from my carrying the yarn across instead of breaking it like I did with the Chiefs hat.

Almost to an FO! Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Retirement Hat

Dee’s Retirement Hat has hit the needles!

I visited a dear friend last night and snoodled in front of a fake fire and talked for hours. I’m working the ribbing in the black aka Gunpowder color. I will do a the regular and non folded brim. My recipient has A LOT of hair.

This is also the medium size so it should be a generous hat. The person I was visiting thinks knitting is magic so it was fun to watch her watching me ❤️

Happy Knitting!!

A Retirement Hat

I have a dear former colleague who is retiring after 35+ years of service to the organization. And we have seen SOME SHIT. So I feel like want to make something special as she was kind to me as a peer and a boss.

This leads me to her favorites. She LOVES the LV Raiders and my Touchdown Beanie pattern just so happens to have that colorwork option. AND TreasureGoddess Yarns sells a Raiders kit. SOOOOO, I bought more yarn.

I got the Raiders kit which is the Pieces of Eight (grey), White Sand Beaches (white) and Gunpowder (black) to make the hat. I even lucked out because she didn’t have a half skein of the light grey and threw in a full one instead. She really is the best.

I also picked up an extra skein of the Ruby Daggers in Warmth Worsted so I would have Chiefs colors on hand again in case I need to whip up more of those hats.

Now I need to get knitting before her party on March 20th!! Happy Knitting!!

Swiftie Colorwork Flipped

The second Swiftie Hat is coming along nicely. I have finished the colorwork already.

I decided to break with the pattern instructions and make the colorwork in my own fashion. Normally the pattern would have the background be white and the letters in yellow. But I like the look of the band in the gold and red. I knew I had enough yarn to make this work. I think it makes it look like a purposeful band.

I just need to finish the hat in the white and then clip and weave my end for the colorwork. PB has gymnastics this weeks and I should get some good catch up time.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Swiftie Hat #2

I need to get cracking on a re-do of my Swiftie Hat after my last one came out too large. I wound the yarn and started working on a doing in a size medium. (I knit a large last time.)

I have to switch up the colors because I used up so much in the last one. I think I can still make a super cute white version as I have the most of that. I did have to cast this on no less than three times. The first time I had the wrong size needles and I counted wrong. And the second time I had the wrong sized needles and I counted correctly. The third time I finally got the correct smaller needles and correct number of cast on stitches.

I am going for a folded ribbing looks so I knit about 3.5 inches of hat and then started the main body. I am pretty happy with the gauge thus far and this looks much more appropriate for an average women’s sized head. Next up is the colorwork!

Happy Knitting!!

A Very Large Swiftie Finish

The Swiftie Hat is done AND blocked. Boy Howdy this hat finish our LARGE.

Pattern: Touchdown Beanie by Katie Carlson (Rav Link)

Needles: US 5s

Yarn: Treasure Goddess Warmth Worsted in the Chiefs kit

Mods: I extended the ribbing to make a larger folded section

This hat blocked and definitely relaxed. The hat is probably, honestly, too big. Its very loose and slouchy. This version of the Touchdown Beanie used 178 yards of yarn or just about 82 grams. I am a little disappointed in myself for not checking my gauge since last year. Technically this is a hat that functions, just not what I intended.

I have enough the Treasure Goddess yarns that I could make a white version and change where the colors go. I am going to do some thinking on that!

Happy Boxing Day and may your knitting be relaxing!!

Ready For Dragonfly Decreases

I love how quickly a basic beanie moves after turning the brim. Basically you knit twice as far to just get halfway when you make a folded brim.

The Dragonfly Hat is ready for decreases now. I was pleased to see that the micro stripe didn’t change much when I got into body knitting. And the fold worked perfectly. I do need to remember where my DPNs went so I can close out this hat, lol. The time change has my brain chemistry a little lagging lately.

Happy Knitting!!

Turning Dragonfly Brim

The Dragonfly Hat has a turned brim!

I am finding that this yarn worked on US 8s is making a denser fabric than other worsted bases I have used. This worsted base from Abstract Fiber is very round. The stitch definition is really popping.

I am getting a spiraling striping effect with this yarn. Some colors are thicker stripes and most are very thin. I have been letting this hat live in my office at work for a fidget/meeting survival tool. So my progress is sporadic, but this is not bad!!

Happy Knitting!

Cast On: Dragonfly Hat

I needed another hat for my work bag after I finished my Online Training Hat. I grabbed a skein from my abstract fiber haul and got started.

True to my broken record, this is my 88 stitch beanie “recipe” on US 8 needles. I am working a folded stockinette brim. At this gauge I am going to get big lime green stripes/pools and mini/micro stripes of the light blue and purple. Should be an interesting look when finished!

Happy Knitting!!

Prize Package

This past summer I participated in the Two Ewes Fiber Adventures Podcast KAL called the Summer Spin In and I won a prize!

I was the lucky recipient of a $50 gift certificate from Abstract Fiber. In true crafter fashion, I spent a little more than my gift certificate. Starting on the left I grabbed a skein of the Worsted base called Dakota and the color is called Dragonfly. In the middle a sport weight OOAK called creatively “Color 8”. And finally there is a skein of DK in the Tahoma base in the color Molly.

These will all probably end up in some sort of a hat situation. It’s my go to easy knitting and my gift stash is getting pretty low. For now I need to get back to sweater knitting!

Happy Crafting!!