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| Knitted Slouchy Hat with Color Changing Flowers |
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| The Lovely Leana Hat |
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| Jacques Cousteau Hat |
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| Crochet Flowers Turn Lavender in the Sunlight |
Showing posts with label hats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hats. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Hat Season
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Epic Knitting Failure or the 29th of February
First, I want to say that I am blogging today so I can have at least one blog post with the date of February 29th. Like a lagniappe, we get this extra hours to enjoy one more day of the mildest Februaries I can remember. And the forecast says tomorrow will be just as unseasonably warm. I say bring on the strawberry spring, I can handle it.
Second, I am very tickled with the new look on my blog. I am also impressed that I figured out how to change the format and give the fonts a fresher look. I am not very computer savvy so I was pleased it turned out so well. Now if only I can figure out how to fix the broken flickr link, I will think I am a computer goddess. As to the new look I hope you like it too.
Third and lastly I have made an epic knitting failure and of course it was on a hate (my word for hats these days). I have been working hard in the land hates trying to improve my knitting skills. So when I found a slouchy beret pattern called Starving Artist by Laura Linneman on Ravelry I thought that looks kind of fun. I even had some cotton chenille in a strawberry parfait color that I thought would look charming. I hit a snag when I had a purl front back increase, I had no clue how to do it. However youtube saved the day with a very good tutorial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPJCawekDfY) so onward I knitted thinking my problems were solved.
My mistake was the usual, I knit big. I think because I am a queen size woman, everything I knit must be queen sized as well. My head is actually very normal sized and I don't need to knit like I am knitting for a titan sized head. This lesson had yet to be learned, it is now. My starving artist is more like a gluttonous hack, fat and overdone. Sigh, I have only myself to blame. I would rip it out, but using a cotton chenille makes that an effort in frustration. In the end I have a beret that has a 15 inch diameter. I think it looks more like a mushroom hat, than a slouchy beret. In other words EPIC FAIL. But I knit on and think, never, ever, super size your head again.
Second, I am very tickled with the new look on my blog. I am also impressed that I figured out how to change the format and give the fonts a fresher look. I am not very computer savvy so I was pleased it turned out so well. Now if only I can figure out how to fix the broken flickr link, I will think I am a computer goddess. As to the new look I hope you like it too.
Third and lastly I have made an epic knitting failure and of course it was on a hate (my word for hats these days). I have been working hard in the land hates trying to improve my knitting skills. So when I found a slouchy beret pattern called Starving Artist by Laura Linneman on Ravelry I thought that looks kind of fun. I even had some cotton chenille in a strawberry parfait color that I thought would look charming. I hit a snag when I had a purl front back increase, I had no clue how to do it. However youtube saved the day with a very good tutorial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPJCawekDfY) so onward I knitted thinking my problems were solved.
My mistake was the usual, I knit big. I think because I am a queen size woman, everything I knit must be queen sized as well. My head is actually very normal sized and I don't need to knit like I am knitting for a titan sized head. This lesson had yet to be learned, it is now. My starving artist is more like a gluttonous hack, fat and overdone. Sigh, I have only myself to blame. I would rip it out, but using a cotton chenille makes that an effort in frustration. In the end I have a beret that has a 15 inch diameter. I think it looks more like a mushroom hat, than a slouchy beret. In other words EPIC FAIL. But I knit on and think, never, ever, super size your head again.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Trying to Love Hats, or What I Have Been Knitting
You know I have been whining about knitting hats. I have complained endlessly about not getting the nuances of making a well fitted hat. I have even taken to calling knitted hats, hates. But with Nietzche ringing in my ear, "Was uns nicht umbringt, macht uns stärker" or in English, "What does not kill us makes us stronger," I have knit on in the land of hats.
I fell in love with a be-tasseled hat pattern called Capucine, remarkably the first pattern written by a new knitter, (http://navlne.blogspot.com/2009/12/knitting-pattern-capucine.html) and decided as soon as I could I was making me one of those crazy toppers. Anything with excessive tassels has to be mine. I made three of these over the top things out of alpaca and alpaca blend yarns. The pattern was fun and making tassels is never a chore so these were done in short order. Granted I have only one head so wearing all three of them at time would be difficult so I am giving two of them away to people who I know will wear them with dignity and pride. Or should I say with the crazy abandon those kind of tassels deserve.
I then had a Boho Beret pattern (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/boho-beret) that I wanted to knit for a birthday present. This pattern started with the yarn. I had the yarn to match a scarf I made as a Christmas present (see not so straight scarf: http://tempestinapot.blogspot.com/2012/01/end-of-year-knitting-wrap-up.html). Ravelry (my favorite social network) has an awesome feature where you can look at pattern suggestions for yarn and I found the Boho Beret design. Again this pattern was some much needed fun knitting. I really loved that the beret is wide at the top to accommodate big hair. When I finished the beret I wanted to knit another one, but stopped myself with the thought that I will knit another one later. I gifted this brightly colored beret and it was well received accept she wanted a pom-pom instead of a stem. I had to tell my friend, I DON'T do pom-poms, ever. You can quote me on that if you like.
Finally, last week with my three day weekend, I decided to treat myself to a hate, I mean hat, of my own. I checked out a book from the library (my library, not the one I work for). I was attracted to the title, Stashbuster Knits by Melissa Leapman. The book was full of hints for projects of the stray ends of yarns. One project was the Urban Knitser Slouch Hat. I saw the pattern and thought hey I have some left over yarn from the Capucine-apalooza which would make a lovely Urban Knitser Slouch Hat.
I would like to say that knitting this pattern was fun and as the pattern says, "You can easily knock it out the morning of a bad-hair day." Sorry Melissa Leapman, but that was just not the case for me. It took three days and two trips to the frog pond of rippit out. The size 9 needle band was too tight, and the size 10 needle too loose. In the end I went with the 10 needle and decided loose was better than too tight. I also used up my scraps and needed more so back to the bowl of scrap yarn I went and came up with a very bright top. The hat turned great and with the cold weather I have worn it all week and loved it. I wore the hat Friday to work with one of my tie dye t-shirts and a co-worker called me a hippie. Yikes that was not really the look I was going for, maybe it was the t-shirt? Okay, I hope it was the t-shirt and not the hat.
When all is knitted and done, I am still going to call hats, hates, but I will say it with love.
I fell in love with a be-tasseled hat pattern called Capucine, remarkably the first pattern written by a new knitter, (http://navlne.blogspot.com/2009/12/knitting-pattern-capucine.html) and decided as soon as I could I was making me one of those crazy toppers. Anything with excessive tassels has to be mine. I made three of these over the top things out of alpaca and alpaca blend yarns. The pattern was fun and making tassels is never a chore so these were done in short order. Granted I have only one head so wearing all three of them at time would be difficult so I am giving two of them away to people who I know will wear them with dignity and pride. Or should I say with the crazy abandon those kind of tassels deserve.
I then had a Boho Beret pattern (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/boho-beret) that I wanted to knit for a birthday present. This pattern started with the yarn. I had the yarn to match a scarf I made as a Christmas present (see not so straight scarf: http://tempestinapot.blogspot.com/2012/01/end-of-year-knitting-wrap-up.html). Ravelry (my favorite social network) has an awesome feature where you can look at pattern suggestions for yarn and I found the Boho Beret design. Again this pattern was some much needed fun knitting. I really loved that the beret is wide at the top to accommodate big hair. When I finished the beret I wanted to knit another one, but stopped myself with the thought that I will knit another one later. I gifted this brightly colored beret and it was well received accept she wanted a pom-pom instead of a stem. I had to tell my friend, I DON'T do pom-poms, ever. You can quote me on that if you like.
Finally, last week with my three day weekend, I decided to treat myself to a hate, I mean hat, of my own. I checked out a book from the library (my library, not the one I work for). I was attracted to the title, Stashbuster Knits by Melissa Leapman. The book was full of hints for projects of the stray ends of yarns. One project was the Urban Knitser Slouch Hat. I saw the pattern and thought hey I have some left over yarn from the Capucine-apalooza which would make a lovely Urban Knitser Slouch Hat.
I would like to say that knitting this pattern was fun and as the pattern says, "You can easily knock it out the morning of a bad-hair day." Sorry Melissa Leapman, but that was just not the case for me. It took three days and two trips to the frog pond of rippit out. The size 9 needle band was too tight, and the size 10 needle too loose. In the end I went with the 10 needle and decided loose was better than too tight. I also used up my scraps and needed more so back to the bowl of scrap yarn I went and came up with a very bright top. The hat turned great and with the cold weather I have worn it all week and loved it. I wore the hat Friday to work with one of my tie dye t-shirts and a co-worker called me a hippie. Yikes that was not really the look I was going for, maybe it was the t-shirt? Okay, I hope it was the t-shirt and not the hat.
When all is knitted and done, I am still going to call hats, hates, but I will say it with love.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Not Forgotten or Love and Hate
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| Loved Yoga Socks. |
I have not forgotten my blog, I have just been very busy with Christmas knitting. However, I did have three knitted items which were gifted on St. Nicks Day. I knitted two pair of yoga socks, which were a free pattern I love (http://www.plymouthyarn.com/index.php?nav=cPatterns.freePatterns&pattern_id=000031). The sweet stitch pattern was just fun to knit. I made a pair for myself (http://tempestinapot.blogspot.com/2011/07/i-needed-yoga-socks-because.html) that I just love them to wear around the house. Co-worker Angie said she wanted a pair and my work bff, Cynthia, needed a pair too. Both projects turned out great and I loved the knitting.
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| Right Twist Stitch Pattern |
Okay back to Angie, she wanted a hat and with trepidation I found the pattern and did the knitting. The end results were not my favorite, I really don't like knitting hats and I think it shows. First hat had issues so I decided to try again. The second hat turned out much better, but trust me on this, it did not make me love hat knitting at all. I have started calling hats, hates. Note to self, STOP knitting hates.
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| Angie in the Dreaded Hate |
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