Pictures of my other knits

Before I started this blog, I was posting pictures of my knits on KD Weekly. I'm linking it here so it's included in my new knitting journal!

Jungle Jane Neckwarmer

I'm so drawn to wild-colored yarn. Here's another take on my neckwarmer, but in a yarn called "Jungle." It came out a little loose around the neck, but still very cozy. I think this yarn may just be stretchier than the yarn I used on my "Sunset in a Mossy Forest" neckwarmer so it rolls more, and is more like a shrug for the neck! I'm planning to give it away to a friend...usually I like everything I make, and find it hard to give it away, but my own box of winter accessories is overflowing!

Here's the pattern:

Materials:
1 skein (82 yards) of NASHUA hand knits yarn, "Jungle"
10 1/2 inch circular needles
13 inch straight needle (for binding off)

Cast on 64 stitches. Knit in garter stitch in the round until desired length (I know--don't you hate it when patterns say that? This neckwarmer is about 8 inches long when stretched out). Use a 13 inch straight needle to bind off.

So easy!

Funny commercial

Knitting burns calories, right? This commercial makes me laugh everytime I see it!!

Mrs. Seuss

This is the hat I think Dr. Seuss' very cute, patient and good humored wife (I mean, come on, the man spoke in rhyme all day) would have worn.

Materials: 2 half-skeins of "leftover" yarn: I used green (Color A) and pink (Color B); size 10 circular needles; size 10 double pointed needles

Cast on 64 stitches with Color A. (I always try to cast on a number of stitches that is divisible by 8. This will help with decreasing later.)

Gauge: 4 stitches = 1 inch

Knit 5 rows with Color A in regular knit stitch. This will give your hat a rolled brim edge. Drop Color A and pick up Color B. Knit 5 rows. Repeat. Tada--you are making ~1 inch stripes of each color!

When is it time to decrease? Most patterns say when your hat measures around 6-7 inches, you should begin to decrease. I usually try the hat on a few times before it measures 7 inches to see how it's fitting. If it is long enough to cover your ears and the top of it stops near the crown of your head, you are ready to decrease!

Decrease:

This is where the number divisible by 8 comes in handy. Divide the number of stitches you cast on by 8. 64 divided by 8 is 8. So, your first row of decreasing will be Knit 6, Knit 2 together (adds up to 8--get it?)

Decrease Row 1: Knit 8, Knit 2 together, repeat until end of row

Row 2: K7, K2tog, repeat

Row 3: K6, K2tog, repeat

Row 4: K5, K2tog, repeat

Row 5: K4, K2tog, repeat
Row 6: K3, K2tog, repeat

Row 7: K2, K2tog, repeat
Row 8: K1, K2tog, repeat

Row 9: K2tog all the way around

Cut yarn with a 12 inch tail. Thread yarn through a big needle and pull through remaining stitches and then in through the small hole in the top of the hat. I usually knit back and forth a few times on the top of the hat then to minimize the look of the hole.

Weave in loose ends and you're done!

A demoted hat

I've been making things out of left-over yarn lately. I figure I might as well use up the yarn I have before I buy new yarn. Well, the problem with that is that this yarn is left over for a reason: there's just not enough to make an entire hat or scarf with it!

I was feeling hopeful when I began making a pink cabled hat, but quickly realized I'd run out of yarn before it was done. So, I turned it into an earwarmer!

Like it? Make your own following these instructions:
Materials: Half a skein of bulky yarn; size 10 16" circular needles, size 13 straight needle, cable needle
Gauge: roughly 3.5 or 4 stitches = 1 inch

Cast on 64 stitches. Work in following rounds for about 4 inches (or until desired length):
Rounds 1, 2, 3: Knit 4, Purl 4 over and over again until end of round
Round 4: *Knit 4, Purl 4, Cable 4 back (Put 2 stitches on cable needle and tuck behind circular needles. Knit 2, then knit the two stitches on cable needle back onto circulars), Purl 4 *repeat to end of round

When earwarmer measures around 4 inches (or desired length), bind off using your size 13 needle. (Using a bigger needle will prevent your earwarmer from being too tight on one side.) Pull the remaining yarn through the last stitch and weave in ends.

Voila! A warm, cozy earwarmer that won't mess up your hair!