Knitting: Project 3 ~ Hemp Hat

I used The Rikke Hat (free pattern available here) as inspiration for this hat. I used another Ravelry user's notes (link here) to make the decrease for my hat, being I did not like the star like swirl the original creates. I wanted this hat to be for a guy and the star, swirl decrease look girlie to me.

This is a garter stitch hat (which in the flat is knit every row) but being it was knit in the round, it is actually knit one row, purl one row. It's a great slouchy hat and super comfy. I was looking for a hat to make from hemp yarn because of a request from a friend. Hemp yarn can be difficult with which to work being it works more like cotton and can be stiff. I was able to get a nice slouchy, soft hat from hemp with this pattern.

Front view

Back View

Side View

Close up.

Materials:
-US size 4 16" circular needle
-US size 8 16" circular needle
-US size 8 DPN
-Stitch Marker
-Darning needle
-2 Skeins Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy (153 yards each), held together. I used contrasting green yarn.

Directions:
-With larger needles (I used two sets of US 4 needles, to make sure the cast on is nice and loose) CO 85 sts using the German Twist Cast-on Method (holding both strands of yarn together for entire pattern) *There are some great youtube videos on the German Twist Cast-on Method. I linked the one I used at the bottom of this post.
-PM to indicate end/beginning of round

Brim
Using smaller needles
-Round 1: Knit
-Round 2: Purl
-Repeat 14 more times for a total of 15 garter stitch ridges

Body
-Change to larger needles
-Round 1: Knit
-Round 2: Purl
-Repeat until hat measures 6" from cast-on edge

Decrease (switch to DPNs as needed)
-Round 1: [k2tog, k3] repeat to the end of the round
-Round 2: P
-Round 3: K
-Round 4: P
-Round 5: K
-Round 6: P
-Round 7: [k2tog, k2] repeat to the end of the round
-Round 8: P
-Round 9: K
-Round 10: P
-Round 11: K
-Round 12: P
-Round 13: [k2tog, k1] repeat to the end of the round
-Round 14: P
-Round 15: K
-Round 16: P
-Round 17: [k2tog] repeat to the end of the round (16 sts remain)
-Round 18: P
-Round 19: K
-Round 20: P
-Round 21: [k2tog] repeat to the end of the round (8 sts remain)
-Cut Yarn and use darning needle to thread through the remaining live sts, pull and close the hole
-Weave ends into the hat

Enjoy!

German Cast-on Method

Knitting: Project 2 ~ Watermelon Fingerless Gloves

Watermelon Rappers

I've been wanting to do some fun arm warmers for my girls. I used Sweet Stripped Arm Warmers (free pattern available on Ravelry) as an inspiration for this fun project but then of course tweaked it quite a bit to make it work for what I wanted. These are modeled by my youngest (she's 10 but very petite for her age) but I have also worn them. I think they could be easily considered pre-teen to small adult in size.

Watermelon Rappers

Arm warmers, juniors gauntlet size 

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft

Color A:Watermelon (pink) 

Color B: Limelight (green)

Needles: US 8, 9" circular 

Knit bottom up and in the round.

With Color A, co 32 stitches with a long tail cast on.

Rows 1-4: [K2, P2] to the end

Rows 5-9: K

Row 10: Color B, P

Rows 11-19: K (with color B)

Row 20: Color A, P

Rows 21-29: K (with color A)

Row 30: Color B, P

Rows 31-39: K (with color B)

Row 40: Color A, P

Rows 41-49: K (with color A)

Row 50: Color B, P

Row 51-52: K (with color B)

Rows 53-57: K 24, turn work as if working flat, P 32 (working in the thumb hole)

Turn work back and forth for 5 rows

Rows 58-59: Rib 2x2 rejoining work in the round

Bind off loosely

Weave in ends

For the second one: I reversed the colors starting with Color B and ending with Color A for a fun funky look. It's like the mismatched sock fad ;)

*A couple of notes about this: I carried the yarn along weaving it back and forth in the stitches to prevent a solid line up the work. This did cause it to look like the yarn is pulled like a corset. I liked the look but of course you could join the yarn each color change to avoid this look.

*You can use any thumb hole method but I prefer this one so I don't have to seam later.

*I'm not sure how much yarn this uses, the pattern from which my inspiration came said only 80 yards of each color. I didn't make mine as long and didn't do the increases she had in her pattern. I would guess that mine used around 50 yards of each color making it a great stash buster!

Carrying along the string caused the stitch to weave.

Knitting: Project 1 ~ Rascal Market Bag

I tried out this pattern: Elisa Nest Tote

I'm calling it the Rascal Market Bag, because it was bit of a rascal as I tried to finish it! It's my very first bag and I think I see another market bag in my future...my own design & a trial is on my needles now.

I did not like how mine turned out...but I learned a few things along the way. First off, the kitchner stitch and I are not friends. Second, I like the applied I-Cord edge but disliked the I-Cord handle.

Okay, with that said, I made the bag and was 97% finished before I realized I didn't like it. The thing is I've made a pack with myself to finish all projects I start this year...ALL of them, not just the ones I like. It is something God has laid on my heart and as I have struggle this past year with being "out of focus" this year I am embracing the 30 different things I do without "focus" and the thing I do I will FINISH STRONG!

So the bag doesn't quite look like the one from the pattern I followed. I looked at a thousand on Ralvery.com. Some actually looked like mine, so I relaxed and finished.

The applied iCord causes the opening to be narrow. The kitchner stitch did not make a nice finish on the handle.

I used Peaches and Cream, Dark Taupe (from Walmart).

Not a great pic...was learning how to take pics of my yarn.

Finished Bag

Opening is small...not much bigger than this box would fit.

Bag hanging empty

5 lbs. of potatoes to see that the bag stretches quite a bit. 

This is really my first time blogging about a knitting project. I only started really knitting in September of 2011, though my mom had taught me a thousand times before then. You can find me on Ravelry.