Mini Jayne Hat Ornament

You would think I would be tired of this idea after both the adult sized and baby sized Jayne hats I have made in the past. But apparently not!

For Christmas I had this idea for a little Jayne hat ornament. I know I had seen one on Ravelry, but there was no pattern to be found. I figured if I was going to work out a pattern, I might as well write it out while I was at it. And so I present the Mini Jayne Hat Ornament.

Materials:
I made mine with Vanna's Choice Solids & Heathers (a worsted weight yarn) in brick, terracotta and mustard, but you could use whatever size yarn you liked as long as you chose an appropriate size needle since exact gauge is unimportant.

Cast on 24 sts with orange.
Join, careful not to join.
*K1P1* around for 2 rounds.
Knit in stockinette for 4 rounds.
Break orange yarn and join yellow.
Knit in stockinette for 2 rounds.
*K2 k2tog* around. Knit 1 round even.
*K1 k2tog* around. Knit 1 round even.
*K2tog* around. Break yarn and draw through

Ear Flap (do twice):
Pick up 6 sts from inside of cast on edge.
Knit 6 rows of stockinette.
ssk k2 ktog
p1 row
ssk k2tog
break yarn and draw through last 2 sts
Do not sew in end. Then add 2 additional lengths of yarn in the same place to make a tassel.

Note: You want the second ear flap to be about 6 sts after the first one you do.

Make and attach a tiny tiny pompom and weave in all ends. Then I strung it up with another piece of string so that it could be hung on a tree if desired.

Jayne Hat

One of the WIPs that was high on my priority list for the Ravelympics was the Jayne hat I was working on. Once it got really cold this, went into rotation even without having the finishing touches done. This was great motivation to make sure the flaps and pom pom actually got completed.

Pattern: My Jayne Hat by Erika Barcott (free Rav download) of Redshirt Knitting
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Solids in brick, terracotta, and mustard
Needles: US 10½ / 6.5 mm

Modifications: I adapted a larger size by casting on 68 sts. This also meant that I needed to add 2 extra decrease rounds (k2tog around & knit around).

I remember reading about Erika making this and writing the pattern when she first posted about it on her blog. For a long time, it remained as one of those things that I just said I was going to make. It was a well written pattern though, with lots of thought about screen accuracy put into its write-up. I am really glad that I actually made it.

Quidditch Headband

I know that I said I was trying to get things off the needles, but I did cast-on one quick project to wear as my Quidditch uniform for the House Cup. It had been a while since I had done any double knitting. There was a double knit Slytherin hat for a friend and podcaster, and my stained glass hat from way back in 2006 before that.

Headband Pattern: Double-Knit Headband by Nancy Lindberg
Colorwork Pattern: Pillbox Flowers by Deb Gemmell
Pattern Source: Knit Hats!
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in 801 (green)
& Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Superwash in 09 (grey)
Yarn Suppliers: Woolcott & Co. (now closed) & Windsor Button
Needle: US 5 / 3.75 mm

Look, it's reversible!

This project is yet another from a pattern book that I have had for a while, but never knit from. It is actually a hybrid of two patterns from this book: Double-Knit Headband for the headband instructions and Pillbox Flowers for the design. I also added a few rows to the top and bottom of the band for a little additional width. Done over 84 sts in worsted weight, but on 5s gave a nice dense fabric still small enough for my little head.

I really like the instructions for the cast-on and bind-off that leave this project perfectly stretchy. Clever! The double knitting feels really slow though, as a more experienced (English) knitter, compared to regular knitting.

Winter Olympics 2010

There is just something about the Winter Olympics that I just love. I have been watching with great interest on tv, but I was also pleased to see how much the knitting blog-o-sphere has been talking about it. There are so many blogs on my Bloglines that I have been delighted to see that have posted for the first time in ages to talk about it.

There are two major craft-alongs going on. There is of course the Yarn Harlot and her Knitting Olympics. And the Ravelympics over on Ravelry, with more types of events. Although I am not doing the Knitting Olympics this year, it does hold a special place in my heart. I participated in 2006, shortly before I started this blog, knitting my first pair of toe-up socks for Chiquita.

This year as I am trying to focus on stuff already on the needles, I am focusing on the WIP dancing events and possible some Aerial Unwind events over on the Ravelympics for Team Sexy Slytherins (Rav link). The HPKCHC (another Rav link) is counting Ravelympics participation as Quidditch, so there is some added motivation to finish things ups and earn some point for my house.

Dark Mark Socks

Last year I met up with some of the lovely ladies of the HPKCHS (Ravelry group page) at Webs. So since we were going to meet up again last weekend, I wanted to have some of the last yarn I bought in the last trip to be on the needles. I had bought this yarn because of a passing mention of the fact that it was the colors of a cast Dark Mark. Who wouldn't want a pair of socks like that?

Yarn: Knit One Crochet Too Ty-Dy Socks in color 1556
Yarn Supplier: Webs
Needles: US 1 / 2.25 mm
Pattern: 64 st cuff down standard socks

I had not heard of this yarn before when I bought it, and I haven't heard much about it in the year since. It is great though! Highly recommended. I was really taken by the long color stretches in the ball, but even more so I love the feel of this yarn knit up. It is super springy and soft. I would not have known it had any nylon content if I hadn't read the ball band.

Mermaid Bowl

This year at Arisia, I did something that was a first for me. Every year I really try to get up to the Arisia Art Show and see all the incredible things the artists have created, but this year was particularly amazing. There was so many things that appealed to me. Also the Artist Guest of Honor was Sarah Clemens, whose paintings are really incredible. (Go look if you have never seen her work before.)

But back the to the thing that I had never done before. I bought something at the Art Show. No, it wasn't a painting. It was this:

The artist, Anna Borodovsky, does not appear to have a website, but there is a picture of her work in this blog post on her partner's blog. The stencil is very nice, but more so I really love how it harmonizes with the lines of the colors and texture of the swirl at the bottom. I am afraid I washed out the amazing depth of the cobalt blue in this picture in order to make sure that you could see it clearly in the photo.

Love! I am afraid I am a little too fond of this piece to let it go into circulation as dishware. Yes I know it could take it, but it gives me great joy every time I walk past my dresser and is useful for holding elastics and other assorted items that float around my dresser.

Convertible Mittens - Take Four?

I was looking for the perfect pair of convertible mittens for my housemate. I thought I had found it in this pattern. It has the little fingerlets and flap exactly the way I wanted, but I started getting a little nervous when I started reading the comments on Ravelry.

Many people seemed to mention that even though they had large hands for a woman they had to knit the small size. "That is ok," I thought. "I will just downsize it a little, since these are for a woman with small hands."

After getting through the ribbing, thumb gusset, the thumb and started up the palm, I had to rip out not once but twice. Looking at the photo on the pattern rather than the finished projects on Ravelry, though I noticed something. See how weird and baggy the mitten looks at the beginning at the bottom of the hand after the wrist? Arg, that is exactly the problem I was having problems over coming.

So I thought it was time to break out the Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns and rework the flap on my own from that beginning. Yet I still only managed to get something remotely acceptable on the fourth try, and despite all the same number of stitches, the second mitt is slightly larger in the palm area. Seriously what gives!

Whatever, I am just going with it at this point, since they are wearable. Ok, so now the mitt part is done. I just need to go back and add the flaps.

Blue Spiral Hat

Chiquita requested a new hat for her walk to school, since it has been quite chilly here in the Boston area. Nothing too fancy, this was just to be something to keep her head warm.

Pattern: Hurricane Hat by Andrea Goutier of String in Motion
Yarn: Reynolds Odyssey in color 410
Yarn Supplier: The Wool Basket
Needles: US 7

Long term blog readers may remember this yarn from way back in 2006 when I made my sister a DNA cable hat. For some reason I don't hear a lot about this yarn, though it has been around for ages. Love this yarn! It is soft, interesting to knit, and comes in some great colors.