Happy Hat Recipiant

I added an airplane button last minute.

My Grandson, likes the hat!

That makes a Happy Grandma too!

You know, once in a while there is a project that tickles me more than I would expect. This is one of those.  It was fast and easy, not a heavy duty lace or cable or weird construction, and yet it tickles me more than some of those large complicated projects I've done.  Go figure. I've written up the pattern here,

Julie's Highway Hat

I heard this hat described on a Savvy Girls podcast(episode 59).  I thought it sounded both very cute and easy to do.  After searching Ravelry, and a little experimenting, I have come up with my interpretation of the "Highway Hat".    

Materials needed:

Cascade 220 superwash, or other light worsted weight, in small amounts of green, black yellow and sky blue.
One skein of each will make two or three hats, possibly more, I haven't tried to measure that closely.

US size 7 dpns or circulars, according to your preference (dpns, two circ's or magic loop)

a couple of race car buttons.  (I found mine on clearance at my local,  Jo-Ann  fabric and craft store.) or other car or truck buttons or pins, according to your preference.

Size: child, I made it for my grandson,  finished measurements were about 18 inches around and 8 inches tall.

Gauge: 5 stitches and 6 rows to the inch, measured over St St.


Pattern:
Using green, loosely Cast-on 92 stitches, join into a circle, being careful not to twist, and work in k2, p2, for 10 rounds.

Change to St St, increasing 3 sts evenly spaced around (95 sts)
Work 4 more rounds St St, and break green yarn

Change to yellow and knit 1 round, break yarn

Change to black and knit 5 rounds, do not break yarn

Add yellow, and work round as follows: (k2 black, k3 yellow) around, break yellow yarn

Knit 5 more rounds in black, break yarn

Change to yellow and knit 1 round, break yarn

Change to light blue, and knit 11 roounds, do not break yarn

Add yellow, and knit 2 rounds as follows: k3 blue (k1 yellow, k4 blue) around to last 4 stitches, end with k1 yellow, k1 blue. Be sure to carry unused yarn LOOSELY on the wrong side

Next 2 rounds: k2 blue, (k3 yellow, k2 blue) around to last 3 st, end with k3 yellow. break blue yarn

1st dec round: using yellow, (ssk, k3) around (76 sts)
 Work 2 rounds even

2nd dec round: ssk, k2 around (57 sts)
Work 1 round even

3rd dec round: ssk, k1 around (38 sts)
Work 1 round even

4th dec round: ssk around (19 sts)
5th dec round: ssk around, end round k1 (10 sts remain)

Break yarn, and draw  through remaining stitches to finish off.

Weave in remaining ends, and sew buttons onto roadway.

Thank You Lucy!

As I've been working on getting a written pattern together for my favorite Pinwheel Baby Blanket, and one of the things I am struggling with is how to write instructions for my favorite version of the "provisional crochet cast on".

The original way I learned the crochet cast on, you chain the number of stitches you wish to cast on, and then pick up those stitches trough the back loops with your knitting needle.  It works, but there is always the chance I need to chain a few more at the end, because things tighten up as I pick up the stitches, and that I will split the yarn as I pick up my stitches.

In my favorite version of the crochet cast on, you make your loops around your knitting needle as you go, and when you are finished, you are ready to knit your first row. No extra counting, and no split yarn when you pick up the stitches.

So I did a search on YouTube, and I found that Lucy Neatby, (knitter and teacher extraordinaire) has already done a video for me!  So check it out.
Thank You Lucy!

Eureka!

I drove up to Eureka yesterday to attend a workshop at the North Coast Knittery with Franklin Habit The Panopticon, on  "Photographing Your Fiber".   It was a lovely drive and the workshop well worth while. I took with me a couple of projects that have given me a hard time, one way and another, and came home with great new knowledge and some photographs I'm happy with!  

 We learned basic photography skills, and some cool inexpensive ways to maximize whatever lighting conditions we have to work with.   

See!  beads!  you can actually see the beads on my shawl!  I was a little discouraged as I practiced photographing this shawl, but when I got my photos home, and could look at them on the larger display of my computer, there they were....Beads! 

If you get an opportunity to take this class with Franklin, I recommend taking it!  Franklin is both fun and informative, not to mention nice. 

Basic Slippers

I first came across this slipper pattern, when it was handed out at church for a charity knitting project. I've since lost the original pattern, but I've long since memorized it. I've made a few minor refinements. My hat's off the the original designer of these slippers, they are easy to make, fit most feet, and can be easily adjusted to different sizes, and a fast knit. They can also be a fun way to use odd bits of leftover yarns, to create fun color combinations.

I can't begin to count how many of these I've made over the years, as they are a family favorite. However, I've rarely kept a pair long enough to photograph.

Yarn: any Worsted Weight yarn, held double through out.

Needles: US 10 for a ladies slipper, and US 10.5 for a man's slipper.

Gauge: should be about 3 st /inch, in St St.

Directions:

With yarn held double ( you can work from both ends of the same skein, or from two different skeins), cast on 60 st.

Slipper Sole:
Continuing with both strands, and Working back and forth, Knit 13 rows

Decrease rows:

Place a marker in the center of the row, between stitches 30, and 31.

Slipper Body:

Row 1: (rs) K27 (three st before marker), ssk, k1, slip marker, k1, K2tog, K27 (58 st remain)
Row 2: (ws) P26 (three st before marker), P2tog, P1, slip marker, P1, ssptbl*, P26 (56 st remain)

Row 3: (rs) K to 3 st before center marker, ssk, k1, slip marker, k1, k2tog, k to the end
Row 4: (ws) p to 3 st before center marker, p2tog, p1, slip marker, p1, ssptbl*, p to the end

Repeat Rows 3 and 4 until 30 stitches remain.

Slipper Cuff:

Knit 8 rows,
Bind off loosely, leaving a long tail for seaming. Turn right sides together, and seam heel and sole.


*ssp: slip next two stitches knitwise,  insert the right needle through the two back loops, and purl these two stitches together.

OR alternatively, this decrease can be worked this way:
 
* pssops: Pass Slipped Stitch Over Purl Stitch: purl 1, slip next st knit wise, slip 2 sts back to left needle (maintaining orientation), then pass the slipped stitch over the purled stitch, and slip the decrease back to the right needle.

I find the second option easier to work with the bulky yarns. They both make a left leaning decrease on the right side, and that is what you are looking for. 

Phone Call

So my phone rings today, and on the other end is the voice of my Charmaine!  She sounds ok, though the call was shorter than I would like. I still have many questions, but... At least she is among the living!  and I can sleep tonight. 

Missing!

Charmaine Forsythe

This is my daughter Charmaine, she's a beautiful, bright, loving 24 year old girl, mother of two. I last spoke with her on March 31st. She has not answered her phone, or text messages since that night. Their are many good reasons she should be getting in touch with me. And while it is not unusual for her to take a day or two to get back to me, it is not normal for her to go a week or more without talking to me.

She was looking forward to seeing her children Easter week, (as they live with their father) They were broken hearted when she did not call or come by.

Yesterday, the van she was driving was towed from the Flea Market, in Ceres, CA, on Crows Landing and Hackett. She has been more or less living in this van, and it is very disturbing to find the van and not the girl. If anyone has seen her recently, please leave me a comment, or call the Stanislaus County Sheriff at 209-525-7076