kitty: work in progress - Missoni Inspired Hat

item #: Missoni Inspired Hat - Work in progress content: Paternayan Persian Wool 100% Wool price: $8.00 Manufacturer: Ellsa Williams Since I didn't have any internet connection on Monday I essentially had the day off. The roads around the house were closed due to down trees and no street lights so I spent the afternoon knitting. It was such a rare and luxurious afternoon of JDrama and HK Action flicks and two FO's. I have long been obsessed with Missoni for a couple of seasons so since I had some time off I decided to sit down and see if I could figure out there stitch patterns. So I sat down and started to swatch and swatch. I was able to distinguish a couple of the patterns and started on a hat. Well this ended up being my giant swatch. The yarn is pretty horrible to knit with and is way to stiff for a slouchy beret, but it is a start and for $8.00 I don't have a huge investment in yarn for a swatch.

kitty: Japanese craft book - 4834764621

Japanese Craft Books - Amazon JP - 4529044440

彼に編んであげたい帽子&マフラー (プチブティックシリーズ 462) (大型本) (Hats and scarves that you would like to knit for him.) 48 pages Publisher: ブティック社 (2007/09) ISBN-10: 4834764621 ISBN-13: 978-4834764628

It is always so hard to find hip accessories for your SO. M is probably one of the worst I have ever meet and he isn't gracious at all if he doesn't like the gift that he receives either. When I showed him this book on another site he actually said he liked some of the hats. So I immediately bought the book, of course now he is luke warm. There are a lot of really cute male hats and some neat scarves as well. content: scarves and scarves

kitty: start of a hat kit

Terra Bella Spun SWEET BUTTERFLY 3ozs. - Fiber Batt Merino, Superwash, Bamboo, Wool top, Glitz A couple of days ago, MG sent me a link for Terra Bella Spun fibers. She knew that Rising sun would be calling my name loudly and it did I ordered right away. While I was ordering, I picked up this colour way for Mia for her hat project. I have kind of mixed feelings about the fiber. The colours were a lot of fun and it was super easy to spin except for the black fiber that seemed slightly felted and clumped every time I hit it. So we will see how I feel about the Rising Sun batt that I ordered. The other half is spun through a new technique from PluckyFluff's new book Interwined, but it was to dark last night before I soaked it in hot water.

MG: 5-leaf zeebee

five-corner star atop one's head

zeebee
pattern: schmeebot Thuy's zeebee yarn: Araucania Ranco, 75% wool/25% nylon, 376yds/100gr, about 18wpi needle: 3.0mm (US2) addi natura circular dimensions: 18cm long, 55cm circumference for 62cm head (7cm negative ease) mods: five shortrow sections instead of four.

love this pattern; want to knit some more. nifty construction--made for customization. a bit shy in length but should still work well as intended under a bicycling helmet. had some trouble figuring out garter graft, but this woolly wormhead tutorial taught me the what-is-what, how, and wherefores of grafting in pattern.

a smidgen short?

MG: paddy cap ha ha ha

Paddy (cabled cap):
pattern-i made it up. yarn-Elann's Peruvian Highland Chunky in tranquil lagoon (medium slate blue w/ red heather; really hard to photograph) and chocolate truffle. 76yds/50g balls. yarn consumption-one complete ball of the blue, less than one of the brown. needles i used-5.0mm (US 8) clover bamboo circulars (two 24" ones to accommodate small circumferences in the round). finished dimensions-15inch (38cm) resting circumference. fits my 21inch (53cm) head comfortably.

i used a 2x2-ribbing tubular cast-on; it creates a stretchy and rounded edge. an attempt to capture the tubular edge i love so:


Paddy is shown here fresh off the needles, unwashed and unblocked. testing indicates a perfect fit on my head, but the recipient's cranium is significantly larger than mine. i hope the yarn will puff in the wash. also hoping a soak will smooth the decrease-bumps.

the pointy top was specifically requested; i think it makes for a happy hat.

MeowGirl: growing oregano

oregano is about 9"/22cm or up to my ribs. the final decision was center double decreases for the "seams." as the photo below illustrates, this creates a line that should echo the decreases of the raglan sleeves.

hubby's watchcap is finished. i played with double decreases for this project also--not crazy about the outcome. i'm not sure i like the effect of non-center/side double decreases (what's the proper name for this?). also, i'm left with questions on how to best integrate decreases into ribbing patterns and how to make decreases reversible (attractive from both sides of the work). still learning...

MeowGirl: hatty hatty hats

happy first day of February. Secret Pal 4 commences today, and i know Kitty Kitty is feverish with excitement. enjoy spoiling each other!

thank you, Tux-Gal, for leaving me that comment asking about the baby hat. i needed the nudge; other than being a slothy slowpoke, i had seaming anxiety. the idea that someone out there was waiting to see my FO made me giddy, and i hurried to completion last night. here my little yellow cotton baby hat:

summary statistics: Ironstone Warehouse Flake Cotton, color 1171 (buttery yellow), label gauge is 6sts per 1", 136 stitches in 2x2 ribbing, and seamed (3-needle bind off, actually 2 needles and a crochet hook) into a 4 corner cross at the top like this:

while i'm on the move, i'll share WIP photos of my other hats. first, a link for hubby's watchcap (if you are married to MeowGirl, please exercise won't-power and do NOT click): here. this hat has been frogged a couple of times, but it's finally back on track... i think.

i haven't yet put kitty ears on my Kittyville as i'm still convinced it looks too snug on my head. yes, i'm easily waylaid by imperfections. Kitty Kitty gifted me with enough Manos for a second attempt, so i will knit a larger one to compare before any kitty ears are considered. this will take a while, so here is what i have so far:

that was the serious-so-you-can-see-the-hat-properly pose. here is the can-i-go-play-in-my-hat-now pose:

i modified the shape of the earflaps just a bit:

ok, wish me luck with the remaining 2 hats... meow