Friday, November 15, 2013

Apology and new beginnings!

So I've been absent for a while for many reasons- life changes being the most important. However, I've also become pretty happy with the 50+ nail shades that I own and will probably not be adding to the nail blog as much as before. Besides, I'm currently wearing Essie 'Chinchilly' and I doubt I'll wear anything else all winter. So fun!

I've decided to make this blog more of a hobbies blog, whatever strikes my mood at the time. Whether it be cooking, baking (especially now that it's near the holidays!!) or knitting. I'm going to start with knitting!

I taught myself to knit in college. Not sure why, but I did. Since then I've literally made dozen of blankets, scarves, hats, etc. I don't like the pieces that require lots of attention - like socks, sweaters, anything shaped. I like big block things that I can work on while watching TV and not worry about mis-counting my stitches.

Recently I was cleaning the house and came across my (not-insignificant) yarn stash. Since I've got some more free time on my hands these days, and because it's chilly!!, I decided to start making hats. I plan on giving them to the local society for chemotherapy patients, and use up my yarn stash at the same time. Its a win-win scenario!

Also, I hate knitting in the round. And dpns. They are the devil. I'll post pictures of the hats I've made PLUS instructions for making them on STRAIGHT needles, if you like.

I'm starting with a simple roll-brim hat. Each one takes me a few hours, maybe 5-6. One seam, easy-peasy!

Use any yarn you like that's a light to medium, based on this website (or a '3' to '4', something like worsted weight or DK weight). Here is the pattern I quasi-made up, and quasi-borrowed from the million standard rolled-brim patterns online. Here is mine. :)





Size 9 needles, cast on 81 stitches

Work in stockinette pattern (knit a row, purl a row) until piece measures approximately 7 inches in length. Decrease as follows to obtain stellate crown:

1. *K8, k2tog, repeat to end
2. Purl
3. *K7, k2tog, repeat to end
4. Purl
5. *K6, k2tog, repeat to end
6. Purl
7. *K5, k2tog, repeat to end
8. Purl
9. *K4, k2tog, repeat to end
10. Purl
11. *K3, k2tog, repeat to end
12. Purl
13. *K2, k2tog, repeat to end
14. Purl
15. *K1, k2tog, repeat to end
16. Purl
17. *K1, k2tog, repeat to end
18. You should have ~10 stitches left (I forget exactly how many) - cut the end of your yarn leaving ~18 inches. Using a needle, threat remaining stitches onto the tail and draw tight. Sew seam with hat inverted to leave a neater seam. Tie tail to the cast-on yarn, snip the ends, and you're all done!


Placed over a handy jar. :)


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