Finished object file: Crag hat | Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran

School is back and I'm going to aim to get back into the swing of things. I must confess that I do find the balance between blogging about knitting and actually knitting hard. When on the kinder days I only get a couple of hours completely kid free during Miss L's nap I often choose to knit rather than blog because I have so much knitting I want to get through. However, since I keep starting new projects I don't think that status is going to change any time soon, so today I'm going to keep the needles aside and update the blogosphere about one of my latest finished objects.

After asking my friends and readers to help me choose between the Bartek and Crag hat patterns to make for my husband as an anniversary present (you can read about that here) I went with popular opinion and knit the Crag.

I wanted to use up the charcoal Debbie Bliss Cashmerino from my stash but after making two swatches with the aran (heavy 10ply) weight yarn I was starting to lack confidence in my choice. Using 4mm needles for the main pattern was still slightly off gauge but I didn't want to go any smaller because my hands were finding it uncomfortable knitting such heavy yarn on small needles. I kind of fudged it because I rationalised that if I kept my tension tighter for the actual knit and because the Hubs does have a bit of a big head I think I can get away with it in the end.

For the actual knit I started on 3.25mm needles for the ribbing and used a crochet cast on that my dear friend Jenny (Tatterz on Ravelry) taught me. I was leaving this present to the last minute so I decided to skip the tubular cast on because I just wanted to get onto it rather than fiddle with a third needle size and learning a new technique. 

Once I got going into the main body of the hat it was pretty easy to memorise the pattern and it would have been a really enjoyable knit if it didn't hurt my hands. I found I could only do about one set of the pattern repeat before I needed to rest my hands. 

In the end I didn't finish it in time for our anniversary but I did have it done for our time away in Marysville. The Hubs wore it when we went up Lake Mountain to take the kids tobogganing and he said it was perfectly snug and at times he had to take it off because it made him too hot. All credit for that goes to the beautiful cashmere and merino blend of the yarn. You can't go past good fibre when you want warmth.

My latest lesson that I have learnt after knitting this Brooklyn Tweed design and also the Rosebud hat is that I should substitute with either a light worsted or even a DK weight yarn rather than use aran. I have never used Brooklyn Tweed's Shelter yarn for which both these hats were designed for and I hope one day to get the chance to use it but for the time being I am definitely going to select more carefully when substituting for future BT projects.

What to knit Wednesday: Essential Winter Accessories

I'm keeping rugged up to keep out the winter chill.

When I look at the forecast for next week and seeing a series of 13 degree Celsius days for Melbourne my mind is instantly starting to work out how I am going to wool up to stay warm. My key woollen accessories are cowls, mitts, beanies and shawls and this year I am desperately wanting some handknit socks to keep my tootsies warm. My top 5 today are patterns that I have in my wardrobe or I want to add in the near future.

Image source: Purl Soho

1. Big Herringbone Cowl by Purl Soho.

For me a cowl is essential and this cowl has been on my wishlist for ages. I can see that it is designed by Purl Soho with the New York winters in mind because it is a grand long loop that can be wrapped multiple times around the neck. There is no way that the chill can get through this cowl. I also love the classic style of the herringbone stitch.

As a free pattern on their blog it is easily adapted for different yarn weights and yardages. I will probably not make it as big as the designed size but one large enough to wrap around my neck twice would be a perfect cosy accessory for me.

Can never have too many of these angora/lambswool gloves.

2. Fingerless gloves by Penelope Durston.

Not exactly a handknit but these gloves are the bomb. Penelope Durston is a Melbourne maker and designer who hand dyes these beautiful angora and lambswool blend gloves herself and sells them in her Fitzroy shop, Cottage Industry. I came across these gloves many years ago, probably after reading a Frankie Magazine and I instantly loved the vibrant colours and the delicious softness. 

I must confess that I own too many pairs of these and at least one of each of the lengths (hand, wrist and elbow length). Sadly I have lost a couple of pairs over time and I can't stop myself from buying replacements. They range from $45-$60 and are so worth it.

I love the cable panel on this hat.

3. Rosebud Hat by Jared Flood.

I wrote about this hat recently in a finished object post. It turned out much bigger than the designed sized because I did not follow gauge, but it is so cosy. The Road to China Worsted yarn from The Fiber Company is so soft and undoubtedly the cashmere, camel, alpaca and silk blend is the reason behind this. On those bitingly cold mornings this has been my go to hat this winter.

4. Pure by cabinfour.

When I purchased 300g of Ton of Wool Cormo I decided to turned this beautiful wool into this shawl. Pure is a subtly textured triangular shawl that will look perfect with the undyed cream cormo wool. The shawl is designed to represent it's name; pure, clean, unmixed and plain. The aran weight cormo is super squishy and is so cosy to touch. I just know it will turn into a wonderfully warm shawl.

5. Elementary Watson Socks by Sherry Menton.

I chose these socks because I am a fan of the BBC 'Sherlock' series. The cable pattern was inspired by the cabled jumper that Martin Freeman's Doctor Watson character wore in the first season. The nerdy part of me will take pleasure in making and wearing these cute socks and I'll also appreciate being able to keep my cold feet warm too.

Stay warm this winter if you're in the southern hemisphere like I am. 

What to knit Wednesday: Help me decide.

I'm going to try to stash bust the left overs of this Debbie Bliss Cashmerino for this project.

Today I am literally asking 'What to knit?' as I need help deciding what I should knit for M. At the end of the month we are celebrating our 8 year wedding anniversary and I want to make him something.

I did a bit of stash diving and found about 140 metres of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in Charcoal which I could turn into a hat. I've done some Ravelry trawling and I have two patterns in mind. 

Image source: Brooklyn Tweed/ Jared Flood

1. Crag by Jared Flood.

This lovely hat was part of the latest BT Men Volume 2 release and I was immediately drawn to it. I am wanting to do some more cable knitting and the all over cable pattern on this hat looks striking yet easy enough to memorise and repeat all through the hat. I also like the name Crag because it connects to our love of rock climbing.

I would absolutely love to try making this in the Brooklyn Tweed Shelter yarn that is suggested but to my knowledge this yarn is not available through any Australian stockist yet. As much as I love trying new yarns I still prefer to buy from Aussie stockists and support their venture.

I think the Cashmerino Aran would be ok with this pattern. I will have to swatch it properly and make sure I get gauge before I go ahead with the project.

Image source: Woolibear/ Jesska Hoff

2. Bartek by Jesska Hoff.

The second pattern I think could go well with the yarn is this Bartek hat. I like the main large cable twist surrounded by a set of smaller cable bands. I also like how it has a bit of a slouch to the hat and if I do make this it will be different to the hats M already has.

The suggested yarn is an Aran weight so I think substituting with the Cashmerino will be ideal. However, the designer, Jesska has noted in the pattern that she is a tight knitter so I will need to carefully gauge swatch this to double check which needles I will need to use to match gauge with her.

Take a look at both patterns and help me decide which one I should attempt. Or I'm welcome to other suggestions. If you've made a fabulous hat for the man in your life that was a winner share your project.

Finished object file: Rosebud Hat | The Fibre Co. Road to China

Hi ho hi ho it's a super slouchy hat for me.

Today I finished knitting Jared Flood's Rosebud hat. I mentioned in the post covering patterns that I was stalking, that I have had this pattern queued for at least a year now after it caught my eye. I was drawn to the striking cable panel set within garter stitch and the perfect level of slouchiness in the design. I consider Jared Flood a bit of a genius in knitwear design and anything that comes out of his brand, Brooklyn Tweed is phenomenal. Though this hat is a pretty easy knit it does not lack any of the fine Brooklyn Tweed blueprint.

Originally I had planned to knit this with some Quince & Co. Owl Tweet but I ended up using that yarn for other projects. So, I bought some Dark Amethyst coloured Road to China made by The Fiber Company because I wanted some really luxe yarn for a personal project. This yarn is an aran weight alpaca/ silk/ camel/ cashmere blend and it is the softest thing to touch. 

The Road to China is a thicker yarn than the BT Shelter for which the hat was designed for and I had a tricky time swatching with it. I tried the suggested 5 mm at first and was getting 4 stitches for 1 inch when the pattern's stated gauge is 4.5 stitches for 1 inch. I know it seems like such a small difference but it all adds up when you start knitting the whole hat. When the number of stitches is fewer than the suggested gauge it'll mean the measurements will be larger than the pattern's design. So, I knit another swatch with 4.5 mm needles and came up short again. I then tried 4 mm needles and hit the stitch gauge but not the row gauge. By this time you can imagine I was getting a bit frustrated and I just wanted to get onto the hat because I really wanted to wear it.

In the end I did a very 'naughty knitter' thing and knit the hat with 4.5 mm needles even though I didn't achieve gauge with these needles in my swatch. I didn't go with the 4 mm needles because I felt a bit absurd knitting aran weight yarn on such small needles and I wasn't sure if I should knit the rib band on 3 mm needles or just go down two sizes as the pattern suggests to 3.5 mm. In my eagerness to get into the knitting I knit the band on 3.75 mm needles and then switched to 4.5 mm for the main body of the hat.

I used up almost all of the three skeins of yarn that I had purchased from the online store, Zigo Zago which means that my hat used about 40 yards more yarn than what the pattern suggests and this is the result of the larger size that it became. I am happy that I have merely 3 metres of yarn left so I don't have to deal with remnants.  This yarn has actually been discontinued by The Fiber Company and to my knowledge Zigo Zago is the only Australian stockist to still have some. The US distributors, Kelbourne Woolens are selling off their mill ends on their website and they will ship to Australia but you need to email them to get a shipping quote. I want to work with the Road to China blend again but may try the lighter sport weight and lace weight lines.

As a knit it was easy but the exquisite cable pattern kept it interesting. It was nice to be able to pick this project up as a break from the more mindless knits that I am currently working on.

The result is satisfactory in my humble opinion. It's super slouchy and some might consider it too big but I actually think it looks like the hats that the seven dwarfs were drawn wearing in the Disney version of Snow White. It is also so warm and I know it will be perfect this winter when we go to the snow.

You can take a look at my project page for this hat on Ravelry here.

To be honest, if I knit this hat again I will use a lighter weight yarn and definitely match gauge. After all, you really only need one super slouchy seven dwarfs hat in your wardrobe.

What to knit Wednesday: Quick gift knits

The Sabi Hat that I knit with Sublime Yarns Baby Cashmerino Silk DK

Hooray, we're over the illness hump and I'm bringing 'What to knit Wednesday' back. I've just finished knitting a present for my SIL so I thought I might take a moment to look at some quick knits that are great little gifts.

1. Mitini Mitts by Colleen Powley.

This pair of dainty mitts is what I just finished for my SIL. I love how the simple cables across the back of the mitt creates texture and a subtle elegance. I received this pattern as a freebie when I purchased a ball of Blue Sky Alpacas Royal Petites, which is a super soft 100% alpaca yarn. One ball of the Petites is meant to be enough for both mitts but my gauge must be off because I was yards off. After knitting the right mitt I found it to be too big for my hands and I knew that it would be even bigger for my SIL's hands. It was also clear that I wasn't going get both mitts out of the 1 ball so I knew I needed some MODS. I CO 50sts (6 less than the pattern's instructions) and to ensure I had enough yarn to BO I made the thumb shorter. Full details of my MODS can be read on my Ravelry project page.

My SIL's birthday is next week so I hope she'll like these little mitts through the winter.

2. Chibi Maruko by Mari Chiba.

I knit this cowl a few months ago as a birthday and farewell present for a friend who was moving back to NZ. I thought a cowl would be a nice way for her to stay cosy during those Kiwi winters and she would be able to remember us whenever she wears it.

The cowl is a lovely textured stitch that is easy to remember and since it's not a fitted garment it is easily adapted for desired size. I chose to knit it with some Quince & Co. Owl Tweet in Boysenberry and I think the texture suited the darker coloured yarn well. The yarn itself is an alpaca/ wool blend with some nubby bits to give it a slight tweed feel. 

3. Honey Cowl by Antonia Shankland.

This pattern is a free Madelinetosh download and it is so easy. It uses a slipped stitch to create a honeycomb pattern that is really easy to memorise. It can pretty much be knit with any weight yarn even though the suggested weight is DK/ 8ply. The pattern gives suggestions for a long and short cowl and these instructions can be used as a guide for modifying the pattern. I knit it with 2 skeins of Madelinetosh Pashmina Worsted for a long cowl.

4. Sabi Hat by Olga Buraya-Kefelian.

Hats are another one of those small projects that are quick to knit up for gifting. I made this last year for a church friend and it took me just a few days. It's a stylish hat that uses directional ribs to create a zig zag pattern. The ribs also makes it quite a stretchy hat and can fit lots of head sizes and shapes.

5. Windschief by Stephen West.

Here's one for the boys. I made this as one of my Christmas gifts last year and it was such a quick knit with the worsted-aran weight/ 10ply yarn. The design is not overly fussy which appeals to the guys and the rib panel gives it a bit of stretchiness to fit a variety of head shapes and sizes.

Not that it's necessary to point out the obvious but small projects are best for knitting up last minute gifts. I have a preference for cowls, hats and mitts but small softies, socks and small household items like mug cozies are also great gifts that can be knit up quickly.

Also, patterns that have easily memorised instructions are ideal. Once you memorise the necessary steps of the pattern you can sped through the rows or rounds without constantly needing to look up the pattern. Another perk of memorising the pattern is that you can knit on the move without needing to fiddle with checking patterns on paper or on tablets and phones. When knitting to a deadline you can maximise your knitting time by having your projects at hand for any spare moments of knitting. I can usually knock out a row or two while I'm supervising bath time or during a car ride to the grandparents.

Leave a comment and share your quick gift knits.

Finished object files: Dragon Aviatrix | Cleckheaton Superfine Merino

He's so chuffed with his dragon hat that he's proudly telling people his mum made it for him.

For my big boy's birthday this year I knit him a dragon hat. He is a big fan of the 'How to train your dragon' movie and has been asking me for a 'Toothless' costume and I'm not quite ready to try my hand at sewing a dragon costume yet so I stuck to what I know best, knitting. 

To make this hat I knit a large child sized 'Aviatrix' hat and then knit a set of spikes that I then whip stitched onto the hat. If you read my 'top 5 baby hats' post earlier in the week you will have read my thoughts on the pattern. I chose this over other dinosaur/ dragon hat patterns that are on Ravelry because I love the earflaps and the shaping of this hat. I also thought that the hat's design of stockinette stitch sections bordered by a row of garter would be perfect sections for each of the spikes. To knit the spikes I took the stitch pattern the 'the ninja herself' blog and before I stitched the them onto the hat I stuffed my yarn tails into the triangles to puff them up a bit.

The hat is knit in black because that is the young sir's favourite colour and I suspect he likes it because with his colour blindness, black is the one colour that he feels confident he sees it correctly. But, if I was going to knit something in such a boring colour I decided to choose something nice to knit with, so I picked Cleckheaton's new Australian Superfine Merino. This is a seriously soft and bouncy yarn and it is so good to see Australian farmers producing such a magnificent fiber. I used up 1 whole ball for the hat so I knit the spikes with some black acrylic. The difference between the textures is quite obvious but since the spikes were not going to be worn against the skin anyway I decided to go with it.

Just need to add this mask and the costume will be perfect. Image source: MyBFC

I know that the hat doesn't really look anything like 'Toothless' from the film but I found this really cute mask on Etsy and if Sir S wears the mask with the hat together I think it will give a pretty accurate picture.

With the completion of this project, I have crossed off all the items from my Feb/Mar make list. However, I'm not going to get cracking into my April projects just yet because I want to take some time to work on a 'me' project. I realise that I've been knitting gifts since I started last year's Christmas knitting and that the last thing I knitted for myself was my Mara shawl. So, I've cast on a Moto Vest for the March Woolful KAL (knitalong). I'll write more about this later but suffice to say this little bit of 'me' knitting is quite soothing for the soul.

Do you too find that you knit more gifts than projects for yourself? How do you achieve a balance between gifts and 'me' projects?

What to knit Wednesday: Baby Hats

Another Crooked Little Baby Hat

Today's 'What to knit Wednesday' post is about baby hats. In my friendship circle there have been a LOT of babies in the past 4 years and during the past year I have endeavoured to give handmade items to these babies rather than buying stuff. Small items being the quickest projects, I have spent my time busily knitting bonnets and hats for these little humans and here is my list of 5 patterns that are my go to head warmers.

1. The Crooked Little Baby Bonnet designed by Melissa LaBarre.

I have blogged about this pattern before and it is my go to item for little girls. I won't harp on about it again but do read the post on what I love about this pattern here.

A newborn size Aviatrix

2. Aviatrix designed by Justine Turner.

This is my go to bonnet for little boys. Justine offers this pattern on Ravelry for free and she has designed it for multiple sizes and multiple yarn weights. Knit flat but using short rows to shape the crown of the hat, this pattern is enjoyable for it's clever design as well as it's cute aviator style. Though I generally do love this pattern, I do modify it by knitting a pair of i-cord straps rather than following the designed chin strap.

Recently I have knit a big child size aviatrix for my boy as a 5th birthday present. He is a bit dragon mad so I knit some spikes to sew onto the hat. The stocking stitch sections lend itself perfectly to having spikes sewn on and instantly it becomes a dragon hat. It is worth mentioning that I found the pattern for the spikes from 'The Ninja Herself' blog.

Baby Bear Hat knit with Malabrigo Worsted

3. Baby Bear Hat designed by Jennifer Dickerson.

For those Winter born bubs I like to gift them this little Baby Bear Hat to make them look even cuter than their natural babyness. Jennifer generously offer this pattern for free on her blog, Fiber Flux and has multiple sizes available. Nobody can resist a baby in a bear hat.

This Garter Ear Flap Hat is just too cute with it's little tassel on top.

4. Garter Ear Flap Hat by Purl Soho.

I recently knit this for a friend's little girl to wear this coming winter. Garter stitch is so commonly used for baby items because it is a classic look but it will also be a cosier garment because of the denser fabric that the stitch creates. 

This Purl Soho pattern is also free on their Purl Bee blog and it too comes in multiple sizes. The hat is knit in the round and short rows are used to create the ear flaps; no seaming is required at all. The addition of the little tassel on top is just a sweet little touch that makes this pattern all the more appealing.

Image source: Pickles blog

5. Cool Kid Hooded Hat from the Pickles blog.

Yet another free pattern, the smallest size that this comes in is 6-12 months, so not exactly newborn gifting but it is such a cute knit that I felt it worth mentioning in this post. Knit with DK/ 8ply weight yarn held double it is a super warm hat that is designed to not be easily pulled off. When the fit is right the hood will wrap snuggly around the child's face and the extra section that comes down the neck to cover the shoulders will challenge the most Houdini like child. The Pickles blog is written by Norwegian designers Anna and Heidi Pickles and you can probably guess why they have designed such a cosy baby knit - if it's not obvious, think about how low the temperatures will get during a Norwegian Winter.

The classic garter stitch paired with contrasting stripes and hood edge is a winning combination in my humble opinion. The one I knit for Miss L in 1-2 year old size was still a bit big last year and looked more like a mini poncho but it was such an easy thing to throw on her when we headed out the door during those cold months.

So here we are 5 super cute bonnets or hats to keep tiny heads warm. Please share your favourite baby hat patterns. Or tell me what features do you look for in hats for kids? Ear flaps? Chin ties or straps? Pom poms on top?

It is worth mentioning, that since multiple sizes are offered for these patterns (other than The Crooked Little Baby Bonnet and the Cool Kid Hooded Hat is only up to size 6) you can knit a family set of these hats if it so takes your fancy. I'd love to see a family of Garter Ear Flap hats one day so get knitting friends.

-- On a side note: The Purl Bee blog and the Pickles blog are both worth a look at if you are looking for some well designed patterns. Both blogs offer a number of their designs for free; the Pickles girls will generally offer one size for free and have purchase details for other sizes. Patterns are of varying skill levels but all are very well explained and often provide links to tutorials for their more complicated steps. Patterns are of all categories from garments for babies to homewares. Check them out if you haven't already come across them.

Babies need bonnets

My favourite thing to knit for new babies is a bonnet. I just finished one for our friends in Sydney who are expecting their first. 

For little girls my go to pattern is Melissa LaBarre's Crooked Little Baby Bonnet. The pattern is designed for worsted weight yarn to fit at 6-18 month but it also gives a suggested conversion for newborn babies. Melissa suggests by using sport weight yarn and using 3.75mm needles a bonnet sized 0-4 months can be achieved.

The first time I knit this I used some left over Quince & Co. Chickadee in Frost that I bought from my favourite online yarn store, yarn haus. Knit on the suggested 3.75mm needles the bonnet knit up into a tiny little slip of a thing. Though very cute I thought it would really only fit a small baby for a very short amount of time - because we all know how quickly those little bubs grow.

A tiny little bonnet knit in a 100% wool Quince & Co. yarn knit on 3.75mm needles

Since that first knit up I have made it twice and have upped the needles to 4mm for the bonnet and 3.25mm for the i-cord straps. I personally like the slightly larger fit that results from the larger needles.

Side by side the size difference is more discernible

I have also tried it with different yarns because now that we have moved into the Australia summer gifting a woolen bonnet is a little silly in my honest opinion. So, I've tried this pattern in two beautiful yarns that I purchased from my LYS, Sunspun in Canterbury. Debbie Bliss ecobaby cotton as well as some left over Skein Merino Silk Sport (a 50/50 merino silk composition that is just so luscious to touch).

Beautiful colourways and soft squishy yarn make Skein one of my favourite yarns to knit with

The cotton is ideal for the warmer temperatures but I didn't like the lack of springiness that cotton yarn is subject to. The bonnet is soft to touch and drapes nicely but I'd prefer it to hold shape a bit better since it is a hat after all.

This little cotton bonnet was ideal for a little December bub

The third time I knit it with the Skein Merino Silk Sport hoping that the springiness of the merino would help the hat hold it's shape. Now, after I have blocked it, my conclusion is that it worked really well in this yarn. There is a delicious softness that will make it lovely to wear against the skin and just enough spring to keep the shape of a hat. 

bonnet love

Just by knitting this pattern multiple times I have played around with sizing and yarn composition. This has given me the opportunity to learn more about matching the right yarn to my projects and how to make things bigger or smaller.

This pattern has really proven to be "third time the charm" and I have really enjoyed the experimenting and learning process that I have undergone each time I knit it.

The perfect little knit for a precious little baby girl

And the next time there is a boy baby to knit for I'll showcase my go to baby boy beanie pattern.