Hat Redo

So I redid the Dean Street Hat for my cousin. It fits my head (almost, would like a little bigger for myself) so it should fit him, right?

I also made another coffee cozy with two colors. This one is for myself. If I remake this, I'll try a DNA pattern cuz I'm science nerd.

Still knitting Christmas gifts...sigh.

Christmas Knits!

Here's my family with their knitted Christmas presents from me. My poor cousin's hat didn't fit him so he isn't in the photo :( I have to make him a new one. And the hats I sent my other cousins also didn't fit. I guess I need to do better with children hats.

Winter Wonderland

So we got bombarded with snow twice this weekend. Thankfully I'm not traveling until today so hopefully I won't get delayed!

Cabled Coffee Cozy

Want to make something useful with your leftover yarn? Try a coffee cozy, or pillow for your coffee mug or the disposable cups. I knit this on straight needles instead of joining it in circular as I've seen in other patterns. This pattern can create an adjustable cozy if you sew on multiple buttons. The pattern is easy to modify if there is a specific mug you want it to fit. I used a bulky weight, but you can try a worsted weight (you would need more rows, but the smaller gauge would make the flap and the width of the body smaller--the variegated below is worsted). You can also add a color for the cables specifically to make it really pop (see mine here). I am not a professional knitter so please excuse any "strange" abbreviations or lack of clarity. I'd appreciate comments/suggestions to improve this and any design I make.

Materials:
Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Grande (bulky)
US 10 needles
cable needle
button (you only need one, but can attach multiple buttons)

Cable Stitches:
LFC = left front cross = slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in front of WIP, P2 from left needle, K2 from cable
RBC = right back cross = slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold behind WIP, K2 from left needle, P2 from cable

CO 8
The adjustable flap (increase or decrease the number of rows, increase if you want to add more buttons)
R1-3: knit across
R4 (button hole row): K3, bind off 2, knit to the end (6 stitches)
R5: K3, CO 2, knit to end (8 stitches)
R6-9: knit across

Row increases (increase or decrease the number of rows depending on the height of your mug and/or the weight of yarn)
R10: K1, k1fb x 2, K2, k1fb x 2, K1 (12 stitches)
R11: knit across
R12: K1, k1fb x 2, K6, k1fb x 2, K1 (16 stitches)
R13: same as R11
R14: K1, k1fb x 2, K10, k1fb x 2, K1 (20 stitches)

Cabled body (basically all rows are knit the knits and purl the purls, you just factor in the cable needle whether it is in front or behind the WIP)
R15: K4, P2, K8, P2, K4
R16, 17: knit the knits, purl the purls
R18: P4, LFC, P4, RBC, P4
R19 and all odd rows: same as R16
R20: P6, LFC, RBC, P6
R22: P8, LFC (knit all 4), P8
R24: P6, RBC, LFC, P6
R26: P4, RBC, P4, LFC, P4
R28-31: same as R16 (you can subtract or add rows to alter length very easily)
*the variegated cozy had an extra cable wound in and out...I was bored so I modified this design by just following the pattern...except I have no idea how I did it so I can't publish it. Feel free to experiment!

Repeat R18-24 EXCEPT R22 (or the R36 in the repeat) to make as follows:
R22/36: P8, RBC (knit all 4), P8 (this way, the cables alternate their crossing around your mug)

Row decreases (make this match your row increases for evenness)
R40: K1, K2tog x2, K10, K2tog x 2, K1
R41: knit across
R42: K1, K2tog x2, K6, K2tog x 2, K1
R43: same as R41
R44: K1, K2tog x2, K2, K2tog x 2, K1
R45: same as R41

Knit rows until desired length and BO.

Sew on buttons for a small, medium, and/or large coffee cup and enjoy! I'd love to see photos if anyone tries this!

Christmas Gifts

So, to prove I have knitted alot since April, here are the Christmas gifts for my family.

Keyhole Scarf (that I modified)
in the following way: CO 23, instead of 15.
After 16 rows in the pattern, I k2tog on the left and right sides, then on the right and wrong sides (increase each row by 2 stitches) until I had 15 stitches left on the needle.
I knit in the pattern for about 17” before I did the keyhole, then knit 2 rows in the pattern.
I did k1f&b on the left and right sides until I had 23 stitches again.
I knit so that it was slightly longer than the other side for a more decorative effect.

Palindrome Hat and Scarf

2 Hannah Hats (from MagKnits December 2007).

Dean Street Hat (from ravelry)



Pidge Podge

Simply Striped Sack Sock




The Boyfriend Hat

Knitting frenzy (snaked patterns) REVISED

I modified my Snaked Ear Warmers design into a hat and scarf (its not a cable, but winds back and forth like a snake). These were made for a child, BUT it was too small. I forgot to take into account that cabling decreases the gauge. So, I modified this on 4/9/09, but I haven't tested this yet. This hat has no fold over brim, but you can easily add a 4x4 ribbing for as long as you want.
The pictures are from the hat that was too small, made with US 10, Malabrigo Chunky. Once I test this pattern, I will post the pics and any changes.

The pattern is below:

Snaked Hat
worsted weight, wool
US 7 DPNs (or circulars and switch to DPNs when needed)
Cable needle
stitches: 4LFC = left front cross, slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in front of work, K2 from left needle, K2 from cable needle and the stitches cross to the left; 4RBC = right back cross, which is the same only hold the cable needle behind the work creating a right cross
2LFC = slip 1 stitch and hold in front, K1 from needle, K1 from cable needle
2RBC = slip 1 stitch and hold in back, K1 from needle, K1 from cable needle

Adult small
CO 104 stitches, divide evenly across 4 DPNs
R1: K2, *P4, K4* (repeat * * until last 6), P4, K2
R2: same as R1 (knit the knits, purl the purls)
R3: K2, *P4, 4LFC, P4, K4, P4, 4RBC, P4, K4* (repeat * * until last 6), P4, K2
R4-7: same as R1
R8: K2, *P4, 4RBC, P4, K4, P4, 4LFC, P4, K4* (repeat * * until last 6), P4, K2
repeat rows 1-8 until row 40

Row decreases:
R41: K2, *P1, P2tog, P1, K4, P1, P2tog, P1, K4, P1, P2tog, P1, K4, P1, P2tog, P1, K4* (repeat * * until last 6), P1, P2tog, P1, K2 (91 stitches left)
R42, 44, 46: knit the knits and purl the purls
R43: K2, *P1, P2tog, 4LFC, P1, P2tog, K4, P1, P2tog, 4RBC, P1, P2tog, K4* (repeat * * until last 5), P1, P2tog, K2 (78 stitches left)
R45: K2, *P2tog, K4, P2tog, K4, P2tog, K4, P2tog, K4, P2tog, K4* (repeat * * until last 4), P2tog, K2 (65 stitches left)
R47: K2, *P1, K4, P1, K1, K2tog, K1, P1, K4, P1, K1, K2tog, K1* (repeat * * until last 3), P1, K2 (59 stitches left)
R48: K2, *P1, 4RBC, P1, K3, P1, 4LBC, P1, K3* (repeat * * until last 3), P1, K2

R49: K2, *P1, K4, P1, K1, K2tog, P1, K4, P1, K1, K2tog* (repeat * * until last 3), P1, K2 (53 stitches left)
R50, 52, 54: knit the knits, purl the purls
R51: K2, *P1, 4LFC, P1, K2tog, P1, 4RBC, P1, K2tog* (repeat * * until last 3), P1, K2 (47 stitches left)
R53: K2tog, *P1, K4, P2tog, P1, K4, P2tog* (repeat * * until last 3), P1, K2tog (39 stitches left)
R55: K1, *P1, K4, P2tog, K4, P2tog* (repeat * * until last 2), P2tog (32 stitches left)
R56: K1, *P1, 4RBC, P1, 4LFC, P1* (repeat * * unti last 1), P1

R57: K1, P1, *K1, K2tog, K1, P1, K1, K2tog, K1, P2tog* (repeat * * until the end; 23 stitches left)
R58: K1, P1, *K2tog, K1, P1, K1, K2tog, K1, P1* (repeat * * until the end; 17 stitches left)
R59: K2tog, *2LFC, P2tog, 2RBC, P1* (repeat * * until the end; 13 stitches left)
R60: K1, *K2tog, P1, K2tog, P1* (repeat * * until the end; 9 stitches left)
R61: K1, *K2tog* (repeat * * until the end; 5 stitches left)

Cut yarn, thread yarn through all 5 remaining stitches, pull tight, and weave in the ends

The Snaked Scarf is meant to match the hat, but snakes on both sides of the scarf. The pattern is below (same yarn and needle size):

CO24 stitches
R1: P2, K4, P4, K4, P4,K4, P2
R2, R3: knit the knits, purl the purls
R4: K2, P4, LFC, P4, RBC, P4, K2
R5: P2, LFC, P4, K4, P4, RBC, P2
R6, R7: same as R2, R3
R8: K2, P4, RBC, P4, LFC, P4, K2
R9: P2, RBC, P4, K4, P4, LFC, P2
repeat rows 2-9 for the length of scarf you want

Enjoy!