Make an extra floofy i-cord pom-pom

This fun loopy pom-pom made from an i-cord is a unique topper for any hat. Instructions are for small 2.25" (5.75 cm) and large 3.25" (8.25 cm) size pom-poms.

The Flower Petal Hat pattern shown above featuring an i-cord puff is available via ravelry or as a kit from MollyGirl Yarn, but in the spirit of the holiday season, I've made a free tutorial for the i- cord pom-pom.

Gift Cowl Pattern

Winter is the season for gifts, and every year this is my go-to cowl for family and friends who are on my gift list. Worked in an airy lattice stitch, this cowl is still extra warm for winter because of the thickness of the recommended yarn.

A printer friendly version of this pattern is available as a free download on Ravelry, or you can continue online with the instructions below.

Simple Gifts Scarf

It is gift season and if you are a knitter, you are probably looking for some easy , fast last minute ideas.

Consider this simple brioche stitch scarf.

Box and Barrel Lanyards, Classic Camp Crafts

Now, this is the  real classic  lanyard knot, used by sailors to boyscouts.  One of the first things you learn to make as a camper, or at least one of the first things I learned with gimp: the box stitch. 

You may remember from the cobra stitch tutorial that you will need  plain gimp ,  neon, glow, clear, double sided or tie dye, and you can get a better color selection  online .

Still loving that neon paracord though. it is good for everything.

Making Neon Rope Baskets

Neons are really hot right now and one of my favorite neon craft supplies is the brightly colored mason line that you can find in the rope aisle of any hardware store. Pair it with plain cotton clothesline, and you have these super fresh baskets. I use mine to hold knitting needles, scissors and my drop spindle.

You might even be able to make these and call it "spring cleaning" because they are a great way to organize things in a presentable way.

I've made some videos of this project because it is a little hard to learn with still images. There are also pictures below showing how to do the stitch.

Video tutorial part 1

Video tutorial part 2

Both of these are playable in HD, and I recommend doing so in order to clearly see what is going on.


You will need:

Cotton clothesline or a similar thick rope in any material, I used this kind.
Neon mason line, I've located it for sale online in neon yellow, neon pink, neon orange, and white.
 or
Cotton butcher's twine
 or
Similar thin rope in any material - but if you can break it with your own strength it is not a good choice
A crochet hook
Scissors
Fire to burn the ends of the mason line

Begin as in the video by making a crocheted magic ring.

Work in a coil attaching the rope with the following stitch

Reach through the previous coil with the hook and create a loop. This should be about an inch from the last stitch.

There should be a loop on the back of you work after you pull the string through.

Put the front loop through this back loop.

Put your bobbin or spool of thread through the front loop.

Now pull tight. You have finished the stitch.

Just as if you were making a coil pot out of clay, the shape of the vessel can be changed depending on how you place the coil. Each of these baskets took about 100 feet of thin rope and 20-30 feet of clothesline.  Finishing instructions are in the video.

It takes some practice to control the shape.

Have fun making your baskets and please leave a comment if you liked the videos, want to see them in the future, or have a suggestion for future videos.

YUMMY COLOR FREEKY (STEEKY) SWEATER

I was making a cowl out of this Lanaloft yarn, and it was just begging to be a sweater.I went and got some contrasting colors of yarn for the sleeves, and started knitting.

6 skeins later, there was a tube with appropriately placed steeks.  Steeks were new to me, but I followed Eunny Jang's comprehensive writings and tutorials. If you know a bit about drop sleeve patterns, you should have no trouble making your own simple sweater. 

Below is a chart of my stitch pattern.

I used the crocheted steek technique.

                                         

Cutting a sweater is not as scary as it sounds.

The sleeves are a semi set in shape, meaning that I put a set in sleeve into a drop sleeve hole. This requires a bit more math. 

Here are some more strange pictures:

I heard you like pills

Yo dawg, I heard you like pills* so I put your pills in this pill so you can take them where you take it. 

See, this is a big felt pill. It looks like that little pill.

And inside of the big pill is a container with little pills. It's good for traveling because you can take your pills with you wherever you go.

I'm in the habit of carrying a prescription bottle and a baggie with Advil and Benadryl with me when I go on overnight trips. As part of my celebration of finding bright red Patons Classic Wool at the store, I made this little holder for my pills.  It fits a small prescription bottle and a few bags of other stuff for traveling.

You will need one or two colors of Patons Classic Wool - I didn't measure yardage, but it isn't much.
You will also need  size 8 double pointed needles.

Gauge before felting is 5 stitches by 8 rows per square inch.

Capsule top
Cast on 36 stitches and divide equally amongst 4 needles.
Knit 30 rounds.
Knit 7, k2tog. Repeat this sequence another 3 times, you will have 32 stitches.
Knit 1 round
Knit 6, k2tog. Repeat this sequence another 3 times, you will have 28 stitches.
Knit 1 roundKnit 5, k2tog. Repeat this sequence another 3 times, you will have 24 stitches.
Knit 1 roundKnit 4, k2tog. Repeat this sequence another 3 times, you will have 20 stitches.
Knit 3, k2tog. Repeat this sequence another 3 times, you will have 16 stitches.
Knit 2, k2tog. Repeat this sequence another 3 times, you will have 12 stitches.
Knit 1, k2tog. Repeat this sequence another 3 times, you will have 8 stitches.
break yarn and pull it through the remaining stitches.

Capsule bottom
Cast on 32 stitches and divide equally amongst 4 needles.
Knit 52 rounds.
Knit 6, k2tog. Repeat this sequence another 3 times, you will have 28 stitches.
Knit 1 round Knit 5, k2tog. Repeat this sequence another 3 times, you will have 24 stitches.
Knit 1 round Knit 4, k2tog. Repeat this sequence another 3 times, you will have 20 stitches.
Knit 1 round
Knit 3, k2tog. Repeat this sequence another 3 times, you will have 16 stitches.
Knit 2, k2tog. Repeat this sequence another 3 times, you will have 12 stitches.
Knit 1, k2tog. Repeat this sequence another 3 times, you will have 8 stitches.
break yarn and pull it through the remaining stitches.

Felt these pieces in the washing machine or by hand. I did mine by hand and it took very little time.

Now you have a pill shaped pill case.

Make 20 of these in 3 colors and you can play real life Dr. Mario.

*The number of Americans that take a prescription hovers between 40 and 50%. It is reasonable to assume that an even larger number of people take over the counter pills somewhat regularly. I'm also going to assume that this means most people "like pills."

Red and white ombre knit bandana

Using my previously tutorialized gradient dying technique, I made a ball of Lang Bebe superwash wool for an early spring weight bandana.

Bebe is a light fingering weight yarn which is very soft and has a lot of drape when knit in a loose gauge. I used 150 yards for the dyed ball, keeping the remaining 230 yards plain white for rest of the scarf. This time, instead of kool aid, which is surprisingly hard to find around here, I used Wilton food color and vinegar.

The pattern is just a basic triangle.

THE PATTERN
I used about 400 yards of light fingering weight yarn on size 6 needles, but this pattern will work with any weight or size.
Start out by casting on 3 stitches
Row 1: P1, YO, P1, YO, P1
Row 2: K1 row
Row 3: P1, YO, Purl up to the last stitch, YO, P1
Row 4: K1, YO, Knit up to the last stitch, YO, K1
Row 5: P1, YO, Purl up to the last stitch, YO, P1
Repeat rows 2-5 until you are close to the end of your yarn or are an inch away from your final size.
Work 6 rows of 1 x 1  ribbing then cast off.

The color change happens about halfway up the scarf.

I think it looks nice, but next time I would not want the dyed section to end so high up.

I'm still not sure if I'll keep or wear this. I had kind of planned on giving this to someone but I dropped the iron on it while blocking and made a big yellow iron burn. Very disappointing, but at least it isn't in an obvious place.

Silly Earhat Family

The holidays are coming and it is gift/winter hat season. The best thing to do is (obviously) to knit somewhat embarrassing to wear, brightly colored hats for everyone. But not just any silly hat is good enough. If you want people to wear your silly hat it has to have a certain level of cuteness, which means it should probably look like an animal.

Three years ago when I began to contemplate the balance between animal cuteness and abstraction, I came up with this hat. It shows no species bias in its representation of animal characteristics, and it still has cute fluffy ears.

The pattern has taken a while for me to remember, write down, and size. But finally it is all here.

Silly Earhat Family

You will need:

Size 8 double pointed needles, and optionally a pair or circular 16" #8s

100-200 yards of Patons Classic Wool, Cascade 220 wool, or another worsted weight yarn.

A hand full of poly-fill

Gauge is 20 stitches and 26 rows for a 4" square

Stripes shown in the picture are improvised and varied, but can be added to the pattern. It is a great way to use up some scraps of yarn.

Instructions will make a hat to fit a 21-23" adult L, 19-21" adult S/M, 17-19" kids or adult XS, 15-17" toddler.  

Hat Body:

cast on 90 (80, 70, 60)stitches

Knit 7 (6, 5, 4)  rounds

Purl 1 round

Knit 7 (6, 5, 4) rounds

Knit 1 round picking up cast on edge to form the hem. If you have trouble with hems, this article will help.

K9 (8, 7, 6), M1 x 10, you will have 100 (90, 80, 70)

Knit 22 (20, 18, 15) rounds

K18 (16, 14, 12),  k2tog x 5

Knit 1  round

K28 (25, 22, 19) K9 (8,7,6) with waste yarn, then slip the provisional stitches back to the first needle,  K30 (27, 24, 21)  K9 (8,7,6) with waste yarn, slip the provisional stitches back to the first needle, K37 (33, 29, 25)

K17 (15,13,11) k2tog x 5

Knit 1 round

K16 (14, 12, 10) k2tog x 5

Knit 1 round

K15 (13, 11, 9) k2tog x 5

Knit 1 round

K14 (12, 10, 8)  k2tog

Knit 1 round

K13 (11, 9, 7)  k2tog

K12 (10, 8, 6)  k2tog

Continue to decrease 5 per row every row in the established pattern until 10 stitches remain. Break yarn and pull through.

Ears - there are two of them:

Remove waste yarn, picking up 18, 16, 14, 12 stitches plus an extra 2 in each corner distributing the stitches equally between 3 needles

knit 14, 12, 11, 9 rounds

K4, 3, 3, 2 k2tog, K3, 3, 2, 2, k2tog, K4, 3, 3, 2, K2tog, K3, 3, 2, 2, k2tog

Knit 1 round

K3, 2, 2, 1, k2tog, K2, 2, 1, 1, k2tog, K3, 2, 2, 1,  k2tog, K2, 2, 1, 1 k2tog

break yarn and pull through for smallest 2 sizes.

K2,1,  k2tog  K 1,1 k2tog, k 2, 1, k2tog, k1,1, k2tog

break yarn and pull through.

Put some poly-fill in the ears so that they are round and squishy. It will stay in on its own, you do not need to sew or line anything.

Good luck with your new hats. If you like this pattern, visit me on ravelry to post your finished object or to look at my other patterns.

Hot pink

On Monday, I finished my first original sweater, set in sleeves and all. The whole process was pretty easy, getting a true gauge swatch was the most difficult part.

Here it is, a cropped sweater with a high neck and set in sleeves. After correcting the gauge confusion, I realized that only two skeins of red hear were needed, dropping the cost down to $6.00. Very reasonable for a custom fit sweater, and the hot pink color kind of makes the cheapness of the acrylic yarn acceptably synthetic.

So for any of you who fit into a size small (34" bust), I've typed up the pattern. It's nothing special, but it would be cool to see other people make it.  The sweater is 17" long, and ends at the waist. My apologies to anyone of another size, that's the next sweater project.

 

You will need:

Size 6 needles

Size 8 needles straight and double pointed

2 skeins of Red Heart Super Saver in Pretty 'N Pink (or equivalent)

OR

720 yards of worsted weight yarn

Gauge:

4" x 4" in stockinette stitch = 18 stitches and 22 rows

You will need one front, one back, and two sleeves to make a full sweater. I added a one stitch selvedge to the edges of all pattern pieces to facilitate seaming.

Front and Back:

On size 6 needles, cast on 55 stitches.

Work 20 rows of 1 x 1 ribbing.

Switch to size 8 needles.

K6, M1, K6, M1, K6, M1, K6, M1, K7, M1, K6, M1, K6, M1, K6, M1, K6 (63 stitches).

Work 7 rows in stockinette stitch.

K16, M1, K31, M1, K16. Work 7 rows in stockinette stitch.

K16, M1, K33, M1, K16. Work 7 rows in stockinette stitch.

K16, M1, K35, M1, K16. Work 7 rows in stockinette stitch.

K16, M1, K37, M1, K16. Work 7 rows in stockinette stitch.

K16, M1, K39, M1, K16. Work 7 rows in stockinette stitch.

Bind off 3, knit to end. Bind off 3, purl to end.

(Bind off 2, knit to end. Bind off 2, purl to end.) x 2

For Front:

Work 18 rows in stockinette stitch.

K23, bind off 13, K23.

P23.

Bind off 3, K20.

P20.

Bind off 2, K18.

P18.

Bind off 1, K17.

P17.

Bind off 1, K16. Work 3 rows in stockinette stitch.

Bind off 1, K15.

Bind off 5, P10.

K10.

Bind off 5, P5.

K5.

Bind off .

-------------------

With the stitches still on the needle:

Bind off 3, P20.

K20.

Bind off 2, P18.

K18.

Bind off 1, P17.

K17.

Bind off 1, P16. Work 3 rows in stockinette stitch

Bind off 1, P15.

Bind off 5, K10.

P10.

Bind off 5, K5.

P5.

Bind off.

For Back:

Work 30 rows in stockinette stitch.

Bind off 5, K16, Bind off 17, knit to end.

Bind off 5, P16.

Bind off 4, K12.

Bind off 5, P7.

Bind off 2, K5.

Bind off.

-------------------

With the stitches still on the needle:

Bind off 4, P12.

Bind off 5, K7.

Bind off 2, P5.

Bind off.

Sleeves:

On size 6 needles, cast on 31 stitches.

Work 20 rows of 1 x 1 ribbing.

Switch to size 8 needles.

K1, *M1, K1, repeat from * to end.

Work 7 rows of stockinette stitch.

(K1, M1, Knit to last stitch, M1, K1. Work 7 rows of stockinette stitch) x 9

Bind off 3, knit to end. Bind off 3, purl to end.

(Bind off 2, knit to end. Bind off 2, purl to end.) x 3

(Bind off 1, knit to end. Bind off 1, purl to end.) x 2

Bind off 2, knit to end. Bind off 2, purl to end.

(Bind off 1, knit to end. Bind off 1, purl to end.) x 2

(Bind off 2, knit to end. Bind off 2, purl to end.) x 2

Bind off 3, knit to end. Bind off 3, purl to end.

Bind off.

Sew shoulders, attach sleeves, then sew side seams.

Pick up 70 stitches around the neck using double pointed or circular needles.

Work 8 rows.

 Bind off loosely

Share pictures if you make one.

Spine Poncho Pattern is finally here!!

You may remember A while ago I asked for some help with a pattern that I came up with. After a little help from the ravelry community, I figured out how to chart this thing. The color came first, but after I uploaded the simple chart, people started to ask for the full poncho pattern.

Spine Poncho

 **A few people have had problems with Scribd  so I've decided to provide an alternative means of downloading. For those of you who would rather download from ravelry, the file is now posted there too**

This PDF is a diagrammed chart of the whole poncho. I don't want to write it out line by line because the pattern is very simple and easy to understand once you see it laid out. It's just a really big mitered piece.

For me, this was a stash buster, using up a bunch of yarn that was really warm and a bit itchy, good for a jacket type project. I never wrote down the yardage, so the file might be a little low on the amount needed of the main color.

Unfortunately, I do not have the resources right now to test this pattern before posting it, but I am sure any corrections or notes will be easily fixed once people start to make it. If you find one, just let me know in the comments section and I'll modify the file.

Ironic Gnome Hat Pattern

The Ironic Gnome hat is for hipster gnomes or people who like to sit out on the grass ironically.

wear it like a hipster

or like a gnome

I used some hand dyed Paton's classic wool - less than a full skein.

You will need about 200 yards of worsted weight yarn, size 8 DPNs

Cast on 80 stitches and distribute between 3 needles

Work 10 rounds in 1x 1 ribbing - K1, P1...

Round 11: *K8, M1 x 10. You have 90 stitches now.

Knit 15 rounds

Begin to decrease:

K16, k2tog x 5. Knit 2 rounds.

K15, k2tog x 5. Knit 2 rounds.

K14, k2tog x 5. Knit 2 rounds.

K13, k2tog x 5. Knit 2 rounds.

K12, k2tog x 5. Knit 2 rounds.

K11, k2tog x 5. Knit 2 rounds.

K10, k2tog x 5. Knit 2 rounds.

K9, k2tog x 5. Knit 2 rounds.

K8, k2tog x 5. Knit 2 rounds.

K7, k2tog x 5. Knit 2 rounds.

K6, k2tog x 5. Knit 2 rounds.

K5, k2tog x 5. Knit 2 rounds.

K4, k2tog x 5. Knit 1 round.

K3, k2tog x 5. Knit 1 round.

K2, k2tog x 5. Knit 1 round.

K1, k2tog x 5.

k2tog x 5, Pull yarn through all 10 stitches, and break.

sew in ends.

When you finish, put your pics on Ravelry

 A tutorial on how to dye a long gradient in yarn will be up soon.

sweater help

So, here are some pictures of that sweater that a few months ago was scheduled for frogging. The color of the Noro inlay was so nice that I just couldn't get rid of the back. so instead of frogging, I did some creative reworking and turned the crazy, oversized dress into a manageable poncho.

A pattern is in the works right now, but there is a bit of confusion on how to do a color chart on a mitered pattern.

To anyone who knows how to do a chart of a mitered panel, I welcome your advice.

This week

In case anybody was wondering what I have been doing this week:

 This is a picture of the new sweater pattern that I have been occupied with. It is rather largae and time consuming, so I hope it will be worth the time.

When I am finished I will share the pattern here.

Leafy hat pattern

I made this pattern right after I figured out how to make leafy lace. I thought that maybe the tips of the leaves could make a nice top for a hat. It is a very fast pattern to make, and it is simple enough for those who are first learning to make lacy projects.

Worked in Lion brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick on 5 double pointed size 13 needles.

Cast on 56 stitches and distribute equally.

K1 P1 for 8 rounds.

Place marker at beginning if the row. yo = yarn over

R1: yo, K1, yo, P1 K4 ♥(the ♥ means slip 2 as if to knit together, K1 pass slipped 2 over) K4 P1

R2: K3, P1, K9, P1 repeat to end

R3: K1, yo, K1, yo, K1, P1, K3,♥, K3, P1 repeat to end

R4: K5, P1, K7, P1 repeat to end

R5: K2, yo, K1, yo, K2, P1, K2,♥, K2, P1 repeat to end

R6: K7, P1, K5, P1 repeat to end

R7: K3, yo, K1, yo, K3, P1, K1,♥, K1, P1 repeat to end

R8: K9, P1, K3, P1 repeat to end

R 9: K4, yo, K1, yo, K4, P1,♥, P1 repeat to end

R10: K4,♥, K4, P2 together P1 repeat to end

R11: K9, P2 repeat to end

R12: K3,♥, K3, P2 repeat to end

R 13: K7, P2 repeat to end

R14: K2,♥, K2, P2 repeat to end

R15: K5, P2 repeat to end

R16: K1,♥, K1, P2 repeat to end

R17: K3, P2 repeat to end

R18: ♥, P2 repeat to end

R19: K1, P2 repeat to end

Sew through stitches and pull in the top of the hat. Sew in ends.

Color Theory Cowl Pattern

This pattern is great for using up a few odd skeins leftover from a big project. For an advanced knitter it is a weekend project, and for a beginner, it is a simple introduction to increasing and decreasing.

 

The Color Theory Cowl was knit with 2 contrasting skeins of Noro Kureyon in shades 102 and 172 I recommend using a self striping yarn they make the pattern more interesting and inspired the name "color theory cowl."

Gauge on size 10 needles - 15 stitches and 23 rows in a 4" x 4" square. Gauge is not terribly important for this pattern.

Finished garment is 12" tall and 28" in diameter

Using your favorite provisional cast on method, cast on 60 stitches

Row 1: knit to end
Row 2: k2tog k3 p52 k2 inc1 k1

Repeat these two rows while alternating colors every four rows.

When you reach the diameter that you want (I continued until I ran out of yarn) connect the two ends using the kitchener stitch as shown below.

When you finish, put your pictures on Ravelry