The Achievement!

I know I have several FOs to blog about, but all I want to write today about is Kaffe Fassett’ pillow. It took me absolute ages to complete. It drove me to insanity: often I felt like putting the whole damned thing to flames. I think it is my one and only block knitting project.
I was so fed up with it that once finished; I could not bring myself to sewing it together. So, my boyfriend did it! His first ever machine sewn piece (I am very proud). A collective effort in the end!

Model: Natural Tumbling Blocks by Kaffe Fassett (Rowan Club kit)
Yarn: Rowan Rowanspun 4-ply, 1 ball for each colour 701, 702, 704, 705, 706, 710
Needles: Addi circulars 4.5mm
Time: August 2006-December 2007
For my grandpa

Stripy hat for DB

Ever since I saw this wonderful hat I knew I was meant to knit it. I wanted the exact replica: slouchy, alpaca-y, and stripy. I even went as far as purchasing the same yarn and counting down the exact number of rows for each colour. All of this only to realise, the colours did not work for me but did for my boyfriend, so I made it only 2/3 of the way.

Pattern: Palisel Hat by ever talented Olga
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Sport Weight in colours 507, 508, and 510
Needles: 4.00mm and 5.00mm
Modifications: only knitted it 2/3 of the way but keeping the original striping

What is cooking?

Hooray, I am finally blogging about my ongoing projects, not just posting images of the finished ones!
First it is Mad Colour Sock knitted in Sunshine yarn. I love the pattern; love the yarn….but the colour itself…. Well, it is called Colorado sunset and in a skew it looked magnificent, in the knitting however it is a totally different story…



I’ve never seen Colorado sunset but this to me looks more like Gauguin’s Marquesas period. The pooling is psychedelic, cannot make out whether I like it or hate it. Interesting part of this knit is the fact I wanted to find the pattern to suit variegated yarn. My only previous experience of variegated was Monkey socks (which I have to admit turned out rather bad as yarn overshadowed the pattern) and this time around I wanted it to work. So, I hunted for some lovely yarn to knit this pattern. Still not convinced though fitting is great and yarn itself is fantastic.

Second, it is Icarus shawl for my boyfriend’s mum. It is done after almost three full weeks of knitting. The pattern is nice and simple but having 500sts in a row was new to me. I will wash and block it soonish, so expect FO pics soon

Birthday present

For my boyfriend…




Model: Beau from Rowan Vintage Knits
Yarn: 7.1 balls of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran in colour Muffin
Needles: 4.00mm and 5.00mm
Modification: sleeves are 10cm longer (done to his particular specification)


And from left-overs…


Model: Zeebee
Yarn: 0.8 ball of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran in colour Muffin
Needles: 4.00mm
Modifications: made 5 repeats instead of 4

Helmet Hat Pattern

Finally the pattern for this hat is done, sorry for 7 months delay...

This is a very simple pattern, easily adjustable to fit and looks good with variegated yarn.

Yarn: I have used slightly over 1 ball of Gedifra Fashion Trend Color in colour 4567 (roughly about 100yards). This is very inconvenient unless you already have some of that yarn as left-overs (I had, so going over 1 ball made no difference). Any Sport weight yarn suitable for US 6-8 (4.00-5.00mm) will work.

Gauge: 15st x 20rs (10cm x 10cm/ 4inch x 4inch)

Needles: 4-5mm (US 6-8) circulars. I knit using magic loop, but you can chose to work with DPN or any length of circulars.

Size: 56cm (standard) adjust by adding removing pattern repeats

Pattern: [3K, 3P]*

Also you need crochet hook (same size as your needles) and extra yarn for cast on (try to use same type as your hat yarn).

With crochet hook cast on 84sts (28 pattern repeats). Change to needles and your hat yarn: [K3, P3] x 14. Carefully enclose the ring (take care not to twist). Now continue knitting in your pattern for 12cm (here 24rows).

Decreases:

Note: Knit 3 rows keeping the pattern after each decrease row!

Start decreasing in the P3 regions of the pattern only. P2tog first two sts in every following purl region (i.e. K3, P2tog, P1, K3, P3). You now have 77sts.

Repeat decreases with the P3 regions you have not decreased last time. You will now have 70sts left and pattern will be [K3, P2] x 14.

Repeat decreases as above until you have [K3, P1] x 14 pattern and 56sts.

Decrease as above but now with SKPO (sl1, k1, psso) instead of P2tog; first by decreasing P1, then K3. Continue until you will have 14K sts left. SKPO every second sts in one row, so you have only 7sts left. Cut yarn and with either crochet hook or needle close and secure those sts. You now have main body of the hat.

To make the helmet, remove waste cast on and put a needle through all stitches, you will now work in opposite direction from previous knitting!

Using markers, select 33 front sts (starting and finishing with P3); this will be your forehead region.

Row1 (RS): Join the yarn just in front of your first marker; P1, P2tog, cast off front 27 sts, P2tog, P1, finish the row following the pattern. You will now knit only the ear flops and the back having both right and wrong sides.

Row 2 (WS): SKPO, work the pattern until last 2 sts, K2tog

Row 3: SKPO, work the pattern until last 2 sts, K2tog.

You now have 15 sts of first ear flop (K3, P3, K3, P3, K3), 21sts of the back and 15sts of second ear flop (K3, P3, K3, P3, K3).

Knit following pattern for 7 more rows and close the back 21sts leaving only ear flop regions to be worked separately. You might wish to make the back region longer, mine is 5cm longer.

Ear flops are knitted using the same decreases method as in the main body of the hat. Keep decreasing until you have only 3 sts remaining, K3tog and secure the end.

That’s it! You have your own helmet hat! Mine took under 2hrs from initial measurements to the end result ;)

Presents

I know I haven’t been blogging... there is a combination of having little time and little desire to knit. Uni shrink says that if you do not feel like keeping up your hobby, you are depressed. And I guess I am, mentally I am finding my PhD very-very hard, and it just sucks up all my energy and will-power. But with a little help and holidays coming soon, I fell like knitting again.

So, here are two presents I have knitted for my friends in last one and a half months:




Pattern: Swan Lake (aka Mystery Stole 3) from MS3 KAL
Yarn: 1.2 balls of JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk 2/18 in Vanilla
Needles: Addi Lace circulars 3.5mm

Pattern: I love Gansey socks from Six Sox KAL
Yarn: 2 skew of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock Solid in Old Rose
Needles: Addi Lace circulars 2.5mm
Modifications: the Celtic knot (as has been discussed in the group); added 5 rows of garter stitch before toe decreases, so it is symmetrical to the top of sock