Tag Archives: hat

Knifty Knitter is Knot So Bad

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Going into the whole “teaching kids to knit” thing, I would have looked down my nose at the Knifty Knitter and other knitting looms.

71WfQ65azgS._SL1500_[1]In fact, when my boss gave me the tub of knitting supplies for the class, I shuddered at the presence of the Knifty Knitters, and the bag of Fun Fur (did you know that Fun Fur survived the last decade?).  I always thought they were dumb, useless tools for people who didn’t have the attention span to learn how to knit properly.  But, being a dutiful employee (and one paid by the hour), I sat down to try making a project on the loom.

I looked at the instructions, and realized that the Knifty Knitters are basically gigantic versions of those old-fashioned spool knitting mushrooms.  You wrap your yarn around each peg twice, then slip the bottom loop around the top loop.  Then you wrap and slip again (and again and again).

gk-knitting-mushroom2[1]Quickly enough, a decent little hat grew off the bottom of my loom.  I still thought it was a clunky way of knitting.  Unlike needles, the loom takes up quite a bit of space.  And, the stockinette stitch it produces is oddly gappy, with every stitch twisted, giving the stretched fabric a strange vertically-striped look.  Also, there is really no way to easily increase or decrease from the set number of stitches, or change the gauge.  I’ve since poked around on Ravelry, and it looks like some people have found ways to get around this aspect of the looms, but it seems like too much work, when using needles is so simple.

But, the best part of the Knifty Knitter appeared when I brought the looms out for the girls in my class.  About half the class was doing fairly well with their needles, but the other half was seriously struggling.   Once everyone had given their needles a fair try, I broke out the Knifty Knitters for those who wanted to use them.  Girls who had been unable to make a single stitch before were suddenly flying around the looms making hats, purses, cowls, and stuffed animals.

Charity_hat__6_medium2[1]Knitted Hat by Provo Craft

I’m not saying that I would recommend the Knifty Knitter as a substitute for knitting needles.  And, I will probably never use one again.  But, as a supplementary tool for young kids who are unable to wrangle needles and yarn, or people with issues that prevent them from knitting the “normal” way,  these tools get my enthusiastic thumbs up.

Inspiration: Spring!

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It’s official!  As of last Thursday, it’s spring!  And here in the PNW, it’s just gorgeous!  (Sorry to those of you in the Great White North still dealing with snow and cold.  You might want to skip this post.  I don’t want to make you jealous.)

The flowers here are just starting to bloom and we’re getting some beautiful warm spring days.  I’m having a great time exploring our new garden (we moved to a new house in the fall) and finding gorgeous spring flowers as they make their appearance.

In honor of these flowers, I thought we could do some spring flower-inspired knitting.

Tiny little snowdrops were the first to bloom:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASnowdrop Beret by Marya Speton

3440218173_2e11349f2c_z[1]Hellebore are subtle and gorgeous.  They remind me of an old, overgrown forest.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA151-30 Hellebore – Jacket in seed st in Andes and Fabel by DROPS design

30-2_medium2[1]We have a handful of daffodils just starting to open:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERADaffodil by Martin Storey

Daffodil_back_medium2[1]And camellia bushes are covered with fluffy, cheerful flowers:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERACamellia by Meg Myers

6305-cover_medium2[1]Our cherry tree (which I’m sure I will be cursing come fall when I have to clean up all the dropped cherries) is just beautiful and smells even better.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABaby Cherry Blossom by Sarah Franklin

sweater_baby_cherry_blossom_medium[1]What’s spring look like in your neck of the woods?

Inspiration: Downton Abbey

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I, like everyone else in America, am a huge fan of Downton Abbey.  If you’re not watching it, you are missing out.  Sure, it’s basically just a soap opera, but it’s on PBS, it’s vaguely historical, and they speak in posh British accents, so it feels like you’re watching something with a little more substance than your average soap.  Also, Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess is pretty much the best thing in the history of TV. Just saying.

Unfortunately, while the costumes are historically accurate (and gorgeous) there is a definate lack of yarn-related garments.  I’ve been on the lookout for a scarf, a sweater, or a pair of socks since the first episode, and frankly have come up almost entirely empty.  There was one episode where they played cricket and wore sweaters, but that was it (and not terribly exciting).

That was, until last night, when the under-cook Daisy rocked this crocheted hat when she went to go visit with her father-in-law.

UntitledIt’s an odd sort of a hat, to be honest, but she looks adorable in it.  (But Daisy is adorable no matter what, so that could be part of it).  It’s somewhere between a beret, a cloche and a potato sack.  Untitled2I like to imagine her sitting in her dormitory, working on her hat in the few moments she would have to herself between meals.Untitled3If you want to make yourself a daisy-inspired crochet hat, try one of these patterns:

Beret by Columbia-Minerva

india.arie_beret_medium[2]Slightly Slouchy Hat by MK Carroll

9131453318_000e73673b_z[1]

Inspiration: Parade of Knitwear

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I don’t know about you, but I was glued to the TV on Friday night, eagerly awaiting the awesome (or the semi-awesome, as it often ends up) that is the Olympic Opening Ceremony.  Especially since this is the Winter Games, I was expecting some excellent knitwear.  I was less than happy, therefore, when a disturbing amount of Gore-Tex came out on the athletes.

But, nevertheless, there were a few points of light in a darkness of polar fleece and weatherproof jackets.

Slovakia went all-in on a heart-motif for their hats and scarves.2014 Winter Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony

Kyrgyzstan wore red-and-white scarves with a very cool curlicue motif.2014+Winter+Olympic+Games+Opening+Ceremony+_ksK8nJ2t5kl[1]

Andorra went all-out with (pardon my French) bitchin’ color work sweaters.OLY-2014-OPENING-CEREMONY-DELEGATION

And, well… This happened.1391805399020-USP-Olympics--Opening-Ceremony39[1]

It’s a knitting blog, so I have to include us in this post, after all.  But, let’s just not talk about them ever again.  Embarrassing and tacky, to say the least.  Not good, USA.  Not good at all.

Another awesome knitting moment happened during the Men’s Slopestyle (which, if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to watch it.  It’s super cool).  Check it out:1654697_10152558586959918_501735966_o

See that?  It’s Antti Koskinen, the coach from Finland.  Apparently the whole Finnish team are passing around the scarf, so that everyone who wants to will get a chance to work on it.  I can’t imagine a cooler project, or a better way to calm your nerves when you’re at the Olympics!

Inspiration: Seahawks

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Apparently, there’s a football game this weekend.  And apparently the Seattle Seahawks are playing.  Yay!

I actually have very little interest in Football (as did the entire city of Seattle until about two weeks ago), but since we’re playing in the Superbowl, I figured I’d jump on that bandwagon.  I’m all about jumping (and bandwagons).

If you have time before Sunday, how about making a very team-spirited Seahawks hat?  (Fun fact: The Seahawk’s mascot is named Blitz… I just looked that up.  Just for you guys.  Also, Blitz is a sea hawk, which is not actually a real bird.)

Adult Sized Seahawks Hat by Chelan Ku

seahawks_hat_2_small_best_fit[1]Or you could make a scarf from some hand-dyed Seahawks yarn.  (Fun fact: The official Seahawks Colors are College Navy, Action Green, and Wolf Gray.  I’m not even making that up.  Action Green.)

Seattle Seahawks Hand Dyed Yarn by yarnpirate

il_570xN.554593860_nkyh[1]Or, if you only care about football a tiny bit (like me), how about making a tiny football?  (Fun fact:  A standard NFL football is about 11 inches long, tip to tip.  This one is about 1 inch.)

Tiny Football by Anna Hrachovec

tinyfootball_small[1]

Inspiration: It’s Colder Than Balls (of Yarn)

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So, you remember when I was complaining about how cold it was?  Turns out I was completely wrong.  20 degrees is lovely, balmy weather.  Practically a tropical paradise. It seems especially lovely when you have Christmas cookies and hot chocolate, and the only time you go outside is when you feel like going skiing.

Real cold has now settled in.  The kind of cold that makes people worry about frostbite when they run to the 7-11 down the block.  The kind of cold that makes the state of Michigan (Michigan!) close down every single public school.  The kind of cold that makes you curse the first Norwegian trappers who found Chicago and said “Hey, I bet this would be a great place to start a city.”

It’s the kind of cold that cancels almost 2000 flights at O’Hare Airport.  That’s right, two thousand.  Including mine.  (I was supposed to fly back to Seattle last night).  I have still not actually managed to reach a real person to help with rebooking, but their computer system automatically gave me a new flight.  Next weekend. That means that I will be spending an unexpected week in Chicago, before getting back home.  Luckily, my folks are letting me stay with them, so I don’t have to stay hotel for a week (yay!),  But, it means I have to stay another week in -13 degree (-40 windchill) weather, before going home (boo!).

At least I have plenty of knitting to keep me busy and a good book on my Kindle, so I’ll be a happy camper inside the apartment.  If I have to go outside, however, I think I’m going to need knitwear a little more extreme than my usual hat and mittens.  Maybe I’ll make myself an emergency balaclava or two.

I could go girly:

From Russia, with Love: Cabled Balaclava by Nikol Lohr

3968160718_7d53180fb6_z[1]I could go classic and functional:

Antifreeze by Jenna Adorno

ravelry2_medium[1]Or, I could go viking:

Dwarven Battle Bonnet by Sally Pointer/ Wicked Woollens

4221424550_1a06de25f2_z[1]

Inspiration: In the Fog

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Usually fall in Seattle entails rain.  And drizzle. And more rain.  And overcast skies.  And more rain.  Delightful, no?

But, for some reason, this year, Seattle looks like this:

grey_square[1]It’s been crazy foggy for approximately two weeks, and I’m about ready to go crazy up in here.  It’s pretty much the worst.  It’s gray and never really gets any brighter than sort of a wan pre-dawn kind of light.  And, driving is terrifying!  You can’t see more than a block or two ahead of you with any sort of clarity.

But, I suppose, when life gives you lemons (or fog), you make lemonade (or fog-inspired sweaters).

So, here’s what I would like to knit to hold the fog at bay:

Fog Sweater by Tiennie

2183219713_e49a79cf80_z[1]Seattle Fog Beanie by Julie Grantz LeFrancois

6668403171_02b1682249_z[1]Patchwork in Fog, by Mimi FautleyKSH_Stripe_for_pattern_medium2[1]

Icing on the Hat Cake

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I love my little red hat, and I bet you love your hat, too.  But, I feel there is something missing… something extra… something… fluffy.  Also, I have some leftover yarn that I want to use up.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI’m going to make a pompom to put on top of my hat!  (I realize that pompoms are something of a polarizing subject for folks, but I enjoy a good pompom from time to time, and this is definitely one of those times.)

Pompoms are easy to do, but probably the messiest project you’ll ever do involving yarn…the little scraps of yarn tend to go everywhere and stick to things if you’re not careful (that static cling will get you every time).  You have been warned.

Here’s what you need:

Yarn (The fluffiness of your pompom depends on the amount of yarn you use.  The more yarn, the more fluff.)

A book, coaster, cell phone, box or other small, rigid object that you can wrap yarn around.  The object should be slightly longer than the desired diameter of the finished pompon.  I’m using a tiny copy of Peter Rabbit that I have on my bookshelf for some reason.  It’s about 4 inches wide.

Scissors

A great big mixing bowl, pot, trash can, or drop cloth (optional, but recommended. Use his to keep your schnipples neat while you work.)

Step 1: Cut a piece of yarn about 2 feet long and tie a slip knot in the middle of it.  Set it aside.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAStep 2: Wrap the rest of your yarn around the book approximately 1 million times.  Try to get the yarn to build up into a big clump.  Stop when you get bored, or when you think that you have enough.  It might be possible to wrap too much yarn around the book, but I haven’t done it yet. Cut the yarn when you have enough wrapped around the book.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAStep 3: Carefully slide the yarn off the book, being sure to keep the clump nicely together.  Slip the piece of yarn you set aside earlier over the clump, and pull the slipknot tight.  Wrap the ends of the knotted yarn tightly around the clump a couple times and secure with a square knot.  See how the clump has now become a neat bundle of yarn?

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAStep 4: Cut all the loops, and use your fingers to fluff out the ends.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAStep 5: This is the messy step.  With your scissors, carefully trim the ends of your yarn until the pompom starts looking nice and round. Go slowly, since you can always trim off more yarn, but can’t add any back in.  Try to avoid cutting the long tails of the tie-off yarn.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAStep 6: Attach the pompom to your hat.  Use a tapestry needle to pull the long tail ends of your pompom through the crown of your hat, right at the top.  I like to just tie the ends together using a bow or other removable knot, so that if I’m having a pompom-ish day, I can wear my pompom hat, but if I’m having a curmudgeonly day, I can remove the pompom and wear the hat plain.  But today, is totally a pompom day!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Pattern: the n00b Hat

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThanks for playing along with me and my hat-making shenanigans!  I’ve compiled the last month’s-worth of n00b hat-ness into one easy-to-find .pdf pattern.  Feel free to download it, use it, or share it, whatever you like.  Maybe your friend/mom/dad/kid sister/weird guy down the street wants to learn how to knit.  I’d be delighted if folks started using this pattern more and more.  And I’d love to see everyone’s first n00b hats!  That would totally make my day!

The nOOb Hat

 

n00b Hat, Part 3: the Purl Stitch

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Have you got your garter stitch brim done?  Awesome!  Send me a photo, if you like.  I’d love to actually see it, instead of just pretending to see it.

So, your hat should look something like this:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIf it’s a little longer or shorter, no worries.  If it’s a little lumpier, also no worries.

Today we’re going to start working on the middle part of the hat, which we’ll work in stockinet stitch.  Stockinet stitch is a simple knitting pattern where you alternate knitting one row, and purling one row.  When you imagine a basic knit sweater, the smooth-looking parts are stockinet stitch.

You already know how to do knit stitches, so I guess it’s time to learn how to do purl stitches.  The purl stitch is worked very similarly to the knit stitch, except that it’s mirrored (don’t worry… it sounds worse than it is).

Just like before, you’re going to start with your knitting on your left side and your empty needle on your right.  Take the tip of your right-hand needle, and poke it through the back of the first stitch.  Keep your yarn in front of your knitting.  (See how it’s backwards from working a knit stitch?)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThen, wrap your yarn around the tip of your right-hand needle.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd pull the new stitch through the old stitch, from front to back.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd, just like before, you slip the old stitch off the left needle.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Does that make sense?  Let’s try it again.

Keep your yarn in front of your knitting.  Insert the tip of your needle into the back of the stitch. Wrap your yarn around the tip of your needle, and pull the new stitch through.  Drop your old stitch off the left-hand needle.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAKeep going!  Purl the whole row.

Now that you’ve purled a whole row, do you see how knitting and purling are very similar?  For both, you insert your right-hand needle, wrap your yarn around, pull the new stitch through, then drop the old stitch off.  Here’s a quick summary of the differences between knitting and purling:

Knitting: Insert your needle into the front of the stitch, keeping your yarn behind the knitting.  Wrap your yarn around the needle tip, and pull the new stitch through from back to front.

Purling: Insert your needle into the back of the stitch, keeping your yarn in front of the knitting.  Wrap your yarn around the needle tip, and pull the new stitch through from front to back.

OK, so, since we’re doing the stockinet stitch pattern, it’s time for another knit row.  (Remember, knit one row, purl one row.)  So, turn your knitting around and knit back.

Then purl a row.

Then knit a row.

Then purl a row.

Simple!

But, what if you have to (I don’t know) sleep or something?  How will you remember what to do next?  Easy; just “read” your knitting.  “Reading” your knitting means that you look at the stitches you’ve already worked to figure out what to do next.

After a few rows of stockinette stitch, you’ll see that your hat has two different textures.  The bumpy and squishy garter stitch at the bottom, and the smooth stockinet at the top.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAStockinet has two different sides.  The “right side” is the side with the little V-shaped stitches.  When you see this side facing you, it’s time to knit.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe “wrong side” is the side with little bumps.  When you see this side, it’s time to purl.  (You can think of the bumps as “pearls,” if that helps.  Get it? Pearls=purl.  Clever clever.)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAKeep going, knitting one row and purling one row until your whole hat measures about 5 inches from the cast-on edge.  If you have a smaller head, you can make your hat a little shorter, if you have a bigger head (or lots of hair) you can make your hat a little longer.  I like to err on the too long side, since you can always roll up the brim, if it’s too big.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERANext week, we’ll make the crown of the hat, and I’ll show you how to do decreases.