Cabled Ponytail Hat

It's been a long time. I have since defended my thesis and am now a doctor :) So knitting time has increased.

The following is a hat for me and is the merge of two different patterns, and my second attempt, to make a pony-tail hat (Hannah hat) with a little bit of flair (Sarah's cabled hat), both of which are available as ravelry's downloads. I got permission from both of them to publish in my blog so here is what I did.

Cabled Ponytail Hat
-US 7 straight needles (14" +)
-US 7 DPNs
-size is med/large? I wanted it stretchy, to see the cables, without it being overstretched, that would give me a headache. I normally wear medium knit hats...and I hate gauging, especially with cables
-Cascade 220 Superwash Paints (worsted weight)
-C6F = place 3 stitches on cable needle to the front, K3 from the left needle, then K3 from cable needle
-C4F = same as above only with 2 on the cable needle, K2 from the left, then K2 from the cable
-C2F = same
-k2tog = knit 2 st together
-p2tog = purl 2 st together

CO 148 (do not join)

Flap with 3 button holes:
R1-R4: (k2, p2) until the end (2x2 ribbing--works really well to flow with the cables)
R5 (button hole row): (k2, p2) until last 5 stitches, p1, slip previous st over st just p, k1, slip previous st over st just k, k1, p2.
R6: k2, p2, cast on 2 st over gap, p2, (k2, p2) until end
R7-10 (and R13-16, R19-21): repeat R1-R4
R11, 12 (and 17, 18): repeat R5, 6

You can stop it at row 15 if you like for 2 button hole rows if you have a smaller head than me and decrease the CO to 132 st (stitch count of 16 repeated for the cable pattern in 12 rows).

Brim (can just bind off, and start cabling pattern immediately, but at the time I wanted to sort of separate this for this hat--didn't really come out the way I wanted so I would skip this)
R22: BO first 20 st, then p across R22
R23: p across

Body of the hat (cabling; this 16 st repeat has alternating cabling twists that flow from the 2x2 ribbing)
R24 (1st cable row): (C6F, p2, k2, p2, k2, p2) repeat until end
next 5 rows: knit the knits and purl the purls
R30 (2nd cable row): (k6, p2, C6F, p2) repeat until end
next 5 rows: knit the knits and purl the purls
R36: (C6F, p2, k6, p2) repeat until end
next 5 rows: knit the knits and purl the purls
repeat R30-36 for the length you want before you start your decreases. Start on a cabling row.

Decreasing on even rows (decrease by 1 stitch per repeat following cabling pattern)
R42 (like R30): (k2, k2tog, k2, p2, C6F, p2) repeat until end
all odd rows: knit the knits and purl the purls
R44: (k1, k2tog, k2, p2, k6, p2) repeat until end
R46: (k4, p2tog, k6, p2) repeat until end
I joined onto DPNs at R48. This depends on how high you want to wear your ponytail and I wear mine pretty high. You can join when you start decreasing if you wear a lower ponytail.
R48 (join, like R36): (C4F, p1, k2, k2tog, k2, p2) repeat until end
R50: (k4, p1, k1, k2tog, p2) repeat until end
R52: (k4, p1, k4, p2tog) repeat until end
R54: (k1, k2tog, k1, p1, C4F, p1) repeat until end

Decreasing every row (crown)
R55: (k2tog, k1, p1, k4, p1) repeat until end
R56: (C2F, k2tog, k3, p1) repeat until end
R57: (k3, k2tog, k1, p1) repeat until end
R58: (k2, k2tog, k1, p1) repeat until end
R59: (k3, k2tog) repeat until end
R60: (k2tog, C2F) repeat until end
R61: (k2tog, k1) repeat until end
R62: (k2tog) repeat until end

Finishing
Cut yarn and thread tail on to a yarn needle. Slip remaining stitches onto yarn needle and pull stitches tightly and secure. Weave in ends and attach buttons.

BU Stitch Markers

Look at what my friend Cathy Waldie sent to me! She makes these! And I love them! I'm sure she's giving me a big hint to start knitting a sweater so I can be a real knitter :)

My bf and friend thought these were earrings and wanted to know why they looked like candy canes...they are my school colors. Go terriers! Thanks so much Cathy!

Other random knitting

I finished my chocolate chip dishcloth also from my friend Cathy to match my Christmas lace sack sock. This is for my own personal kitchen so overall its taking forever (since everyone is having babies--need baby things now lol). I posted pics of my sock before.

Here's part of my mom's Christmas gift (yes, already, but I wanted to endeavor to make things other than hats). This is an oven mitt from knitpicks. I have to felt it still but I wanted to take a before picture. The close up is my first Kitchener stitch, which I'm quite happy with! I will make the pot holder, and perhaps another oven mitt for both hands (I bought enough of this yarn I think).

I'm now knitting a burp cloth in just a basic stockinette pattern with garter stitch border. I wanted it for gauging purposes to make something more fun, but we'll see!

Pouffy Baby Blanket

I finished my friend's baby blanket, my first one. Pattern comes from Cathy, per my usual choice for first time projects. Its her puffy basketweave baby blanket, but I call it pouffy since it just seems more appropriate to me. Its ~40" x 40" and I decided to use two yarns unlike Cathy's pattern. Basically I couldn't stand knitting something so large in one color. I wrapped a baby-sized stuffed animal with the blanket to give you some sort of scale. Aww. Now its time to knit more baby things. Why is everyone having babies right now?

My Fuzzy Set!

Look at how perfectly it matches. I still have some yarn left...maybe I'll replace the belt with a knit one...

In other knitting news, I started a baby blanket, only I'm not happy with it so I should frog it, but I knit so much!

I also knit my friend a hat, only I think it's too small...Ugh.

More knitting

I finally finished my fuzzy ear warmers to match my fuzzy keyhole scarf. I can't wait to wear the two with my blue coat!

And my Christmas Lace Sack Sock (part of my chocolate chip kitchen set). Working on other things.

Celtic Cable Fingerless Gloves

I found this wonderful Malabrigo Sock yarn in Velvet Grape and decided it was time to knit a winter set for me. But in my normal true fashion, it's a warmer set, meaning wrist warmers (really its fingerless gloves), ear warmers, neck warmer, and possibly leg warmers. This is the pattern for the gloves. I've only made one so I will test the pattern when I make the other and take photos while I make it (maybe someone will beat me to it?).

This is pattern modified from Celtic Cable Scarf. I didn't make it for its heritage, merely for the intricate cable pattern which is 24 stitches for the knot itself on the back of the hand. FYI if you want it to be a true Celtic knot, the C4B should be changed to a C4F in rows 6 and 14. There should be NO C4Bs in these rows.

I basically purled all the way around my hand and for the fingers so the sizing is easy to modify. I suggest doing a 2x2, 3x3, or 4x4 ribbing around the wrists first to prevent curling and give you some more stretch. Or do seed stitch for a decorative border.

Materials
Malabrigo Sock Yarn
US2 DPNs
Cable needle (CN)
Stitch holder (or scrap yarn)
Stitch markers

Stitches:
C4F (Cable 4 Front) = slip 2 sts onto CN and hold in front of WIP, K2 from DPN, K2 from CN
C4B (Cable 4 Back) = slip 2 sts onto CN and hold in back of WIP, K2 from DPN, K2 from CN
T3B (Twist 3 Back) = slip 1 st onto CN and hold in back of WIP, K2 from DPN, P1 from CN
T3F (Twist 3 Front) = slip 2 sts onto CN and hold in front of WIP, P1 from DPN, K2 from CN
T4B (Twist 4 Back) = slip 2 sts onto CN and hold in back of WIP, K2 from DPN, P2 from CN
T4F (Twist 4 Front) = slip 2 sts onto CN and hold in front of WIP, P2 from DPN, K2 from CN

CO 57 stitches (I wear small gloves, the length around my knuckles is 7.5")
Arrange the stitches on 3 DPNs as follows: 14 (palm near the thumb), 24 (back of the hand with cabling), 19 (palm near the pinky)

if you start the pattern immediately...
R1: P15, K5, (P4, K4) x2, K1, P20
R2: P15, K1, C4B, (P4, C4B) x2, K1, P20
R3: knit the knits, purl the purls, and all odd rows
R4: P15, T3B, (T4F, T4B) x2, T3F, P20
R6: P14, T3B, P3, C4F, P4, C4B, P3, T3F, P19
R8: P14, K2, P3, T3B, T4F, T4B, T3F, P3, K2, P19
R10: P14, (K2, P3) x2, C4B, (P3, K2) x2, P19
R12: P14, K2, P3, T3F, T4B, T4F, T3B, P3, K2, P19
R14: P14, T3F, P3, C4F, P4, C4B, P3, T3B, P19
R16: P15, T3F, (T4B, T4F) x2, T3B, P20

I'd try this on at this point...
Repeat rows 1-16 twice (or the desired length). Continue through the pattern until you start the thumb gusset. I did it in R6.

Thumb Gusst (for the left hand):
R6: P6, PM, M1, P1, M1, PM, P6-->then R6 Celtic pattern
Continue in pattern adding two stitches in between the markers for each row that you cable (meaning only on even rows) until there are 19 stitches between the markers. For the odd rows, just purl across the thumb. Place stitches on holder until the rest of the hand is complete.

When you're ready for the thumb, pick up 5 stitches from the hand so that you have 24, divide evenly among 3 DPNs and purl 6-12 rows (or desired length; I have a very skinny thumb so I P2, P2tog around before I finished). BO.

Fingers:
Continue in pattern (note there are now 56 stitches around the hand) for desired length (I actually completed the cabling 3 x for a total of 64 rows--I had to start the pinky since my pinky's base is much lower than my other fingers).

R64: follow pattern until last 21 stitches, slip 14 sts onto stitch holder (pinky), then purl the last 7.
Purl more rows until desired length (I did 5 more).

Index finger:
P14, CO3, join these 17 sts and purl 6-12 rows (or desired length). BO.

Middle finger:
pick up 3 sts from index finger, P7 sts from the back of the hand, P the last 7 from the palm, join these 17 sts and purl 6-12 rows (or desired length). BO.

Ring finger:
pick up 3 sts from middle finger, P the remaining sts and join these 17 sts and purl 6-12 rows (or desired length). BO.

Weave in all the ends.