Category: knitting

TECHknitter’s post on flat tops and no distortion of ribbing at the crown decreases for ribbed hats.

I know most of my readers aren’t knitters. And even those who are aren’t as geeky as me.

But a  few of you are just as geeky and “I can’t knit a pattern unless I modify it.” Enjoy!

On that note, finally got my own copy of EZ’s Knitter’s Almanac. Best $8 I’ve spent in years! Contrary to what many have been told, Little Turtle Knits did not come up with the term “longies” for knitted wool pants. So if you’re selling them as longies and get hassled by someone who says you can’t call them that unless you get a LTK license, refer them to page 25 of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac and tell them to buzz off. So there!

I know a few knitters who were bullied a bit about that a few years ago. Meh.

I went to the new yarn store with my mom yesterday. It’s lovely, and right next door to The Red Cup.

(As an aside here, Sean and I always say “Darn Red Cup, anyway!” due to their very odd hours. They’re never open when we go there. Which is, admittedly, not often at all these days. But I digress.)

So anyway, the yarn store. I didn’t buy any yarn, but I did buy an Addi Natura. I have resisted these needles for years due to the price – if I liked them I’d be looking at considerable expense.

I love it.

Did I mention they cost twice as much as the Clover needles I’ve been using? Of course they do. Argh.

I made a really little hat for a really little head. I’ll post a picture when there’s a little head to put it on.

This hat is very basic, very quick to knit, and VERY SMALL, truly a newborn or large preemie hat. It won’t fit a month old baby, for instance. Notice also the decreases change a bit towards the end to make a rounder crown. Please comment if you find any errors in my pattern!

Yarn is Peaches and Creme 100% cotton, and not much of it. One ball is more than plenty. (Any worsted weight cotton will do, but wouldn’t you rather support a lovely American made yarn like Peaches and Creme?)

I used US size 8 DPNs (5mm), use whatever gets you a gauge of 4st/in in st st AFTER washing and drying.

Cast on 48 stitches in a nice, stretchy cast on. I like the Twisted German cast on, but a standard long tail cast on is probably okay, if you do it loosely. 48 stitches conveniently means 16 stitches per needle.

Join and K1 P1 for 18 rows.

Row 19: *work in pattern for 6 stitches, k2tog*

Row 20: work in pattern as established, knittng the knits and purling the purls

Row 21: *work in pattern as established for 5 stitches, k2tog*

Row 22: as row 20

Row 23: *work in pattern as established for 4 stitches, k2tog*

Row 24: as row 20

Row 25: *work in pattern as established for 3 stitches, k2tog*

Row 26: *work in pattern as established for 2 stitches, k2tog*

Row 27: *work in pattern as established for 1 stitch, k2tog*

Row 28: *k2tog*

Cut yarn, draw through remaining stitches, poke through middle hole, weave in all ends. I split the yarn into its plies and wove those in as invisibly as possible so the hat was reversible. Machine wash and dry hat to tighten stitches, find newborn still wet behind ears to put on, and you’re done.

I knit mittens! Many, many mittens!

It’s an easy made-up pattern, uses two strands of worsted weight together (or really bulky yarn – that’s the blue.) And here’s the thing – they WORK. If you use real wool and wash in a lanolizing wool wash (my personal favorite is Sudz n Dudz) they are actually waterproof enough to keep out the snow.

I love it, and will be making them again and again. Well, I’ve made ten so far, I guess that’s again and again already! The kids give them two thumbs up. Heh.

I’ll try to write out the pattern soon, it was really, really easy. Thanks Tabitha for giving me the lowdown on the afterthought thumb.