Hi, I'm the World's Worst Blogger!

So obviously I am a terrible blogger. Sorry about that! It looks like I haven't posted a thing since July 2015... so a year and a half now. Maybe I should update and get back into it a little bit, huh?

I only have a few months left until I finish my Bachelor's Degree program (with a cumulative 3.7 GPA --I've been working hard!), and I am taking a year off before starting my Master's Degree program, so I should have a lot more time for things like blogging and making patterns soon. I have an 8 years old, 6 year old, and 2 year old (this Friday!) now, so they keep my pretty busy. My 8 year old just had her tonsils and adenoids removed a week and a half ago, so we've been recovering from that, recently. I have also been doing a lot of sewing and heat-transfer vinyl projects over the past year or so, which I can talk more about later on, maybe.

As for knitting and crocheting, I've finished a number of projects over the last year and a half --not all of the sweaters I was hoping to work on, but a couple! (By the way, you can always find what I'm working on or have finished on my Ravelry account --here-- if you're interested!) I am also working on finishing up a few more afghans/blankets at the moment, and a couple of little stuffed toys, and have been making quite a few of those new trendy bun hats, so stay tuned for pictures of those (I promise I'll do better with blogging!) Meanwhile, here are a few pictures of some of my favorites from the past 18 months:

My daughter is maybe not the world's best model, but I heard that fish lips and crossed eyes are
very "in" with the 8-year-old crowd this year. 😉 Pattern can be found here.

Pattern can be found here.

Pattern can be found here.

Pattern can be found here.

Pattern can be found here.

2014: The Year of Sweaters

I know I've said it for the past two years, but this is the year! I only have to finish up the never ending sweater I'm working on right now (a Harry Potter "Weasley Sweater" that I only have 8" left to finish but it seems like I never get anywhere on), an elephant, an infinity scarf, a monkey, and a child's wrap sweater (that is already partially finished) ... and then all of my current orders are finished and I can start on personal knitting. Here is my list of some sweaters (in no particular order) that I hope to accomplish this year:

I really want a cozy, fuzzy, warm open cardigan. This one is for me!

This one is for my daughter. She is five and a half, and I let her pick out
both the pattern and the yarn. If you couldn't tell, she's very girly.

My dad asked me a few months back about knitting him a cardigan a la
Mr. Rodger's style. (I'm kicking it up a notch.)

This one is on my Christmas gift list for my mom. She picked the pattern
and the yarn, I just have to put it together.

Another one for me! I just can't resist this lacy pattern and I love the
berry color.

Another for my daughter. Now that she's to an age where she's not
growing out of each new size within just a few months, I'd really like to
make her a couple of sweaters.

I'm sure this list will grow as the year progresses --hopefully I'll find at least one sweater to knit for my 3 year old son as well-- but this is it so far. Not that it isn't already substantial. I'm excited to take a break from knitting solely for profit though and make some things for myself and my loved ones. Now I just need to start saving up for all that yarn ...

All sweater pictures were found on Ravelry.com. Yarn sample pictures are from Lion Brand and Knit Picks Websites.

Entrelac! At last!

Entrelac is something that has been on my list to try for years. I just love textured stitches, so the basketweave quality has always really appealed to me. My list of things I want to try is, unfortunately, about a mile long though ... so it usually takes me until someone (a family member, friend, or customer) requests something using a new technique before I get to try it. Luckily my friend Liz requested this entrelac hat, so I finally got to try it out!

  

The pattern is called "Entrelac Winter Hat" by Amanda Lilley, and it's available for $3.99 on the KnitPicks website. I used KnitPicks Swish Worsted (100% Superwash Merino Wool) yarn in "Bare" (undyed). I also made sure to block my hat when I was finished knitting so that the "basketweave" laid a little flatter and wasn't as gathered-looking at the crown.

As intimidating as entrelac seems before you attempt it, or even after the first row or so as you're attempting it, once you get the hang of it it's really pretty simple! If you've been waiting to try it out, I really suggest you just take the plunge and try! If you get stuck and need help you can use this video I found on YouTube called "How to Knit Entrelac: Beginner Video on Entrelac Knitting from Knitting Daily TV", or you can search around YouTube and find a video you like better --there are tons! And now I'm going to go search for more enterlac patterns on Ravelry, because I think I'm in love.

Lacy Cardigans

I mentioned some time ago how much I love the look of a hand-knit sweater, and how I was planning to make a ton of them in my "free knitting" time. Well ... I have been! I'm working on one long project right now for a friend who is visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter this fall (one guess what I'm making!) so to make sure I don't get bored and put it in "knitting time out", I've been making some little side projects at the same time. Namely these little cardigans:

The pattern I'm using is a Sirdar pattern from the "1913 Cardigans" pamphlet. It's knit in pieces and then sewn together at the end ... but after the first sweater I converted the pattern to one big piece, and left stitches active and on stitch holders at the top of each panel to create the yoke instead of picking them back up at the end.

I've actually been buying up quite a number of Sirdar patterns on Patternfish lately. They have the cutest little infant and children sweaters! The patterns are well written and easy to follow (provided you are an experience pattern-reader) and they always turn out adorable. And I love changing out the buttons and embellishments (like a little flower pin) to give each sweater its own unique feel. I even found a pattern I want to make for myself -- which will be the first thing I'll ever make for myself!

Next up is a little dress for a friend's infant, and a ballet sweater for another friend's little girl. I might also be knitting a dress and matching doll dress for my daughter for her birthday in about a month if I can manage to acquire the yarn in time. And I'll try not to take so long to post about my new projects this time. ;-)

A Simple Headband/Ear-Warmer (Flat Knitting Version)

I've had several people ask for it ... so here's the flat knitting version of my Simple Headband/Ear-Warmer pattern. I haven't personally tested this version, so please please please let me know if I made any mistakes while writing the pattern!

Find the circular version here.

Download the PDF Version here!

(Shown here with the garter rows left out.)

Materials:

• Worsted Weight Yarn (Hobby Lobby’s “I Love This Yarn” in Red)
• Size 8US Knitting Needles
• Stitch Marker

Abbreviations:

• K: knit
• P: purl
• Sts: stitches

Gauge:

4 sts = 1 inch in Stockinette Stitch

Sizes:

Child or Adult

Notes:

The flower shown is crocheted. Any knit/crocheted flower, or practically any other embellishment, would look good too. And if you’re not into embellishments it looks great just on its own as well!

For a Child:

Cast on 84 sts.

Row 1-5: *K2, P2* repeat to end


Row 6: Knit across
Row 7: Purl across
Row 8: Knit across
Row 9: Purl across

Row 10-14: Knit across

Row 15: Purl across
Row 16: Knit across
Row 17: Purl across
Row 18: Knit across

Row 19-23: *K2, P2* repeat to end

Bind off loosely. (If you bind off tightly there will not be enough stretch.)
Using a tapestry needle, join the ends of the headband to form a circle.
Weave in ends.

For an Adult:

Cast on 92 sts.

Row 1-6: *K2, P2* repeat to end

Row 7: Purl across
Row 8: Knit across
Row 9: Purl across
Row 10: Knit across
Row 11: Purl across

Row 12-17: Knit across

Row 18: Purl across
Row 19: Knit across
Row 20: Purl across
Row 21: Knit across
Row 22: Purl across

Row 23-28: *K2, P2* repeat to end


Bind off loosely. (If you bind off tightly there will not be enough stretch.)
Using a tapestry needle, join the ends of the headband to form a circle.
Weave in ends.

Happy Halloween!

My four-year-old likes to read. Not as much as my one-year-old, who is a bookaholic, but she does love reading. I guess really she just loves stories. It doesn't matter if they're in a book, on the tv, or someone is just telling her one. She just loves stories.

About two months ago I got her "Little Red Riding Hood" on my Nook --it's one of the "read to me" stories on there-- and she loved it. That was around the time we got our first Halloween costume magazine in the mail ... and Little Red Riding Hood happened to be one of the costumes in there. And so she made up her mind. She was going to be Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween. And she let me know that her little brother was going to be the Big Bad Wolf ... and her daddy was going to be the Woodsman ... and her Grammy was going to be the Granny. (She ran out of parts for me I guess.)

I thought about just buying costumes from a party store or one of the costume stores on-line ... but money's been a little tight lately and the only wolf costume I could find was $40. And I wasn't even confident my toddler would keep the heavy hood part up, and he wouldn't ever wear it again, so I couldn't really justify that $40 to myself for an outfit for one night ... so I came up with my own costumes.

I didn't get a great picture of them together ... but this is what I could manage.

For my daughter's costume I thought about sewing a Little Red Riding Hood dress myself ... I mean, I'm not a terrible sewer and I've made little dresses before, I could have managed a Halloween costume ... but then I came across this great shop on etsy called "Lover Dovers", and they had the perfect little dress, so there was no reason for me to try to make something on my own. It was a little pricey for my budget, but my daughter is big on playing dress-up --she still uses the ladybug dress from Halloween when she was 1 year old  as the rag dress for Cinderella before she gets her ballgown-- so I know she will get A LOT of use out of it playing dress up. I did make her cape though. I was a little worried because I cheaped out on yarn and used Red Heart ... but I think it turned out ok. I used the Petite Purls "Capuchon" pattern (free) and it took me about three days of off-and-on knitting to finish. Very easy to follow the pattern and could be made in any color for any reason -- not just Little Red Riding Hood.

For the Big Bad Wolf I knew I wanted to make a hat, but it took me up until last week to decide on a pattern. I ended up combining three different wolf hat styles I found while Googling, because I just couldn't find one pattern I really liked. I knew I wanted fuzzy yarn and I ended up using Yarn Bee "Boucle Traditions Brushed Yarn" in Salt & Pepper ... mostly just because it was the only fuzzy yarn I could find in a grey colorway ... but it did the job. Everything else I just kind of made up as I went along until it looked right.

After that I improvised a couple of shoe covers with triangle felt "claws", hand-stitched a big white circle on a grey fleece jacket for the underbelly (hand-stitched so I could easily take the stitches back out to use the jacket as a clothing staple afterwards), stuck him in a grey long-sleeved shirt and grey fleece pants (also post-Halloween clothing staples) ... and called him a wolf.

They tied with each other for second place in their age division (1-4 year olds) and they won first place as a group with their Grammy (as "Granny") and Daddy (as the "Woodsman"). Not too shabby.

The Cat in the Hat

Recently a friend of a friend contacted me in search of a photo prop for her new baby boy. His nursery is Dr Seuss "Cat in the Hat" themed, so that's what we went with!

For this I used a combination of patterns. For the hat and bow tie (not pictured) I used "Top Hat and Bow Tie" by Beezy Mom's Creations. For the furry I cape I adapted a pattern from Calleigh's Clips. Calleigh's Clips does have a pattern for a "Kitty in a Striped Hat", I just preferred the hat pattern from Beezy Mom's Creations so I went with that instead. I do have several other patterns from Calleigh's Clips though and have always loved them, so I just used a pattern I already had from her to make up the cape. I'm happy with how it turned out, and, more importantly, so was the customer.

For the cape I started out using Yarn Bee "Haute Fur" ... but after the third of fourth attempt to unravel a part I wasn't happy with and having the yarn break off with no way to retrieve it, thanks to the texture of the yarn, I had had enough. I will admit it is probably the softest fur yarn out there ... but it just wasn't very easy to work with. I usually crochet as a means of de-stressing and relaxing ... so when I spend all of that time swearing at the yarn I know it's time to try another brand. Lion Brand "Fun Fur" was WAY easier to work with (and cheaper, and available at Walmart). Like night and day. I could unravel stitches if I made a mistake or wasn't completely happy with my work without it getting tangled up and breaking. The other noticeable improvement was the amount of shedding between yarns. "Haute Fur" ended up all over my clothing and couch, while "Fun Fur" barely shed at all (maybe one or two stray "hairs"). I'll definitely use "Fun Fur" again the next time I make something requiring furry yarn. I was not impressed with "Haute Fur" at all.

How cute is that sweet boy sleeping under his "Cat in the Hat" prop? I just love getting pictures from customers of their purchases in use. It always gives me the warm fuzzies. :-)

Marigold Slouch (Knit Pattern)

ERRORS IN ORIGINAL PATTERN!

• If you downloaded this pattern before 10/22/2012, please change the increase row after ribbing from (k7, kfb) to (k6, kfb). This will give you the correct number of stitches. Sorry for the error! Any downloads since 10/22/2012 have the revised pattern and need to make no changes.


• If you downloaded this pattern before 11/03/2012, please change the instructions for “Cable 6 Front” and “Cable 4 Front” from P3/P2 to K3/K2. Any downloads since 11/03/2012 have the revised pattern and need to make no changes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Download the PDF version here!

Materials:

• Worsted weight yarn (Lion Brand Yarn - Vanna's Choice in "Mustard")
• Size 7US (4.5mm) dpn’s
• Size 9US (5.5mm) 16” circular needle
• Size 9US (5.5mm) dpn’s
• Cable Needle
• Tapestry Needle
• Stitch Marker
• Row Counter

Abbreviations:

• dpn’s: double pointed needles
• k: knit
• p: purl
• sts: stitches
• kfb: knit in front and back of stitch
• Cable 6 Back: Slip next 3 sts onto cable needle and hold in back, K3 from left-hand needle, then knit the 3 sts from cable needle
• Cable 6 Front: Slip next 3 sts onto cable needle and hold in front, P3 from left-hand needle, then knit the 3 sts from cable needle
• Cable 4 Back: Slip next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold in back, K2 from left-hand needle, then knit the 2 sts from cable needle
• Cable 4 Front: Slip next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold in front, P2 from left-hand needle, then knit the 2 sts from cable needle

Gauge:

4-4.5 sts = 1” (in Stockinette Stitch)

Size:

Adult

Pattern:

Using smaller dpn’s, cast on 112 sts. (Place marker.)

Work 7 rows in 1x1 rib. (k1, p1)

Switch to circular needle and work one increase row as follows: *k6, kfb* repeat around (128 sts)

Rows 1-2: *p4, k12* repeat around
Row 3: *p4, cable 6 back, cable 6 front* repeat around
Rows 4-8: *p4, k12* repeat around

Repeat rows 3-8 six more times. (40 pattern rows)
Work rows 3-6 once more.

Shape Top:

Row 1: *(p2tog) twice, k1, k2tog, k1, (k2tog) twice, k1, k2tog, k1* repeat around (80 sts)
Row 2: *p2, k8* repeat around
Row 3: *p2, cable 4 back, cable 4 front* repeat around
Row 4: *p2, k8* repeat around
Row 5: *p2tog, (k2tog) 4 times* repeat around (40 sts)
Row 6: *p1, k4* repeat around
Row 7: *p1, (k2tog) twice* repeat around (24 sts)
Row 8: *p1, k2* repeat around
Row 9: *k2tog* repeat around (12 sts)

Finishing:

Break off yarn, leaving an 8-10” tail. Using a tapestry needle, thread end through the active stitches on the needle. Pull tight and secure on the inside (wrong side) of hat. Weave in any remaining ends. Hat should look like the picture to the right at this point.

Blocking:

Soak hat in warm water for 20-30 minutes. Stretch hat around a salad plate (or other mostly flat circular object approx 8.5” in diameter), as shown in the pictures below, and allow to dry completely. (Don’t worry if there is a slight crease once it’s dried, that will smooth out with wear.) This keeps the hat from taking on a ribbed appearance (because of the purl stitches between the cables) and will ultimately give it the slouchy shape you’re looking for.

The Importance of Blocking

People often ask me what blocking is, and why it's necessary. I used to rarely block my projects, so I was definitely one of those people that didn't think it was very important. And really, a lot of projects don't need to be blocked ... but there are also a lot of projects that do. Lace projects almost always need blocking to show the pattern correctly, for example.

I'm certainly no expert on blocking, but it's hard not to see the importance of it when you compare the two pictures below:



The picture on the left is a "slouchy" hat straight of the needles -- no blocking. As you can see it just looks like a regular beanie, maybe a little too long. The picture on the right is the same hat after blocking. You can see how the cables have spread farther apart and the shape is completely different. The purl stitches between the cables have a natural tendency to give the hat a ribbed appearance. After blocking, the hat takes on a completely different look -- no more ribbed appearance. And you can see how blocking the hat around a small plate gives it the shape necessary for a slouchy hat, as opposed to the tubular style it takes on while it's on the needles.

There are several different methods of blocking, as each fiber and project requires it's own specific technique to ensure you don't ruin your yarn or mess up your project while you're blocking it. For an overview of some of these techniques follow this link: "How to Block Knitting". (If anyone has a better link they recommend, leave it in the comments, please!)

Hopefully the pictures make it easy to see the importance of blocking. It's a hard concept to explain (especially to non-knitters), but it makes a big difference in a finished project.

(P.S. - The pattern for the hat shown above will be available within the next few days! Stay tuned!)

Viveca Slouch Hat

I like bartering. Like, really like it. I trade for anything someone will let me trade them for, from applique t-shirts to a photo session for my kids. I just love trading my craft for someone else's and I'm lucky to have talented friends who don't mind bartering with me.

As a stay-at-home mom I don't really get out much or worry a lot about the way I look. I haven't bought myself new clothing pretty much since my daughter was born four years ago, except to replace things that are falling apart here and there. And I basically just wait until my hair makes me look homeless before getting it cut again. Which is where I'm at right now, lol. Thankfully I have a friend who is a wonderful hair stylist and is willing to trade me a hair cut for some knitting. She wanted a very slouchy hat and liked the "Viveca Slouch Hat" pattern best ... so I was more than happy to oblige.

I did make some modifications though. She wanted her hat to be slouchier than the original pattern, so I added a few extra repeats to accommodate that. The other thing I changed is going from knitting flat and seaming at the end to knitting in the round. I hate seaming and didn’t really see why it was necessary here. I also really disliked the way this pattern was written but that’s a nit-picky thing I suppose. Anyway, here are the changes I made:

• Cast on 108 on size 7 dpn’s.


• 6 rows of k1, p1 rib.


• Switch to size 9 circular needle and do one increase row as follows: *k8, kfb* rep around.

Pattern:

• Row 1: k2 *yo, k8, yo, k1* rep around, k1


• Row 2: *p3, k8* rep around, p3


• Row 3: K3, *yo, k8, yo, k3* rep around


• Row 4: p4, k8, *p5, k8* rep around, p4


• Row 5: k4, *yo, k8, yo, k5* rep around, end last rep with k4 instead of 5


• Row 6: p5, k8, *p7, k8* rep around, p5


• Row 7: k5, *k4tog TBL, k4tog, k7* rep around, end last rep with k5 instead of 7


• Row 8: purl


• Work pattern until 5 repeats have been completed, then work Rows 1 – 4 of pattern once more before moving on to shaping the top.

Shape Top:

• Row 1: knit


• Row 2: p4, k8, *p5, k8* rep around, p4


• Row 3: k4, *k4tog TBL, k4tog, k5* rep around, end last rep with k4 instead of 5


• Row 4: purl


• Row 5: k2, *yo, k6, yo, k1* rep around, k1


• Row 6: *p3, k6* rep around, p3


• Row 7: knit


• Row 8: repeat row 6


• Row 9: knit


• Row 10: repeat row 6


• Row 11: k3, *k3tog TBL, k3tog, k3* rep around


• Row 12: purl


• Change to same size dpn’s.


• Row 13: k1, k2tog, k2, k2tog, *k3, k2tog* rep around, k1


• Row 14: p2, *k2, p2* rep around


• Row 15: k1, *k2tog, ssk* rep around, k1


• Row 16: p1, *p2tog, ssp* rep around, p1

Finishing:

• Break off yarn, leaving an 8” (or so) tail, thread through active stitches using a tapestry needle, pull tightly and secure on inside (wrong side) of hat.

DISCLAIMER! This is NOT my pattern. This pattern is "Viveca Slouch Hat" by the Berroco Design Team. The above modifications are just what I did when knitting it up -- again, this it NOT my original pattern.

Knitted Wild Animals

I love pattern books. I know you can get a lot of patterns on-line, and I do; I print them out and fill binders with them ... but there's just something about all the pictures and colors in a pattern book that I love.  I have a wishlist about a mile long. One I picked up a while ago is "Knitted Wild Animals: 15 Adorable, Easy to Knit Toys" by Sarah Keen. I knit the Hippo about a year ago for a friend, but haven't had a reason to make any of the other animals since.

There are patterns for a crocodile, elephant, giant panda, Giraffe (although I think the giraffe is kind of ugly, which says a lot because giraffes are my favorite), hippo, koala, lion, monkey, moose, penguin, rhino, snake, tiger, warthog, and zebra. The patterns are knit in pieces and then sewn together, which I'm not a fan of. I followed the instructions step-by-step while doing the hippo, which means I knit all the individual pieces and then sewed them all together at the end ... and that one time was enough for me. Too many pieces, too much sewing.

Next I made the elephant, which I knit in the round except for the base and ears. You can also add tusks, but I figured a pink ballerina elephant probably wouldn't have tusks, and left them off. The head was a little hard to convert from straight needles to dpn's, but I got it figured out. I knit in the round until I got to the decreases for the trunk, and then I knit back and forth for a few rows until I got into the repeating stitches of the trunk, where I started knitting in the round again. That left a small hole for stuffing as well, and that little 1-1.5 inch hole was completely covered when I attached the head to the body.

The book doesn't add any embellishments besides embroidering features, but I thought the little tutu's and bows really add that extra little "something".

The patterns call for DK yarn and size 3 needles ... but I used worsted and size 6 needles, which produced a very snuggly and large stuffed animal. I compared her to Scout above to show her size. Definitely a great size for cuddling with!

I'm not sure which I'll do next. Maybe the monkey. Or I might try the giraffe in some sort of self-patterning yarn and see if it's cuter like that. I'm excited to see how the other animals work up!

Child's Classic Raglan Pullover

I told you I was going to make some sweaters! Here's the first one. It's a basic raglan sweater, and it was incredibly quick and easy to knit up. The pattern is called "Child's Classic Raglan Pullover" and it's available in sizes 2 to 10. (There's also a ladies version, and I swear there's a men's version but I can't find it now.) It's almost completely in stockinette stitch and knit in the round, which means you barely have to pay attention while you're knitting. Check it with your measuring tape every now and again until you hit your mark and you're golden. I actually read a book on my Nook while I was knitting this because it was so easy to do. ("What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty if anyone is curious -- good book!)

The only problem I had with the pattern at all was that the sizing seems to be off. I read through a lot of peoples comments on the pattern on Ravelry, but I figured it'd be ok since my son (18 months) has a little room to grow in 2T's anyways. I should have heeded their advice though and knit the next size up. The 2 is tight in the arms and I had to rework the collar three times before I could finally pull it over his head -- and it's still a very tight fit. There's no chance this will fit him when the weather (103*F here today! Send some "rain" vibes my way!) finally cools down again. Which means I have to start again ... ho hum ...

Ballard Slouch Hat (Review)

This is the second time I've tried the Ballard Slouch Hat by Felicia Lo, and this is the second time it has come out  very non-slouchy. I even added the extra set of 12 rows this time, and it still wasn't slouchy enough for an adult. I don't know what it is about this pattern, but I just can't get it to be slouchy enough. I think if I ever attempt it again I'm going to add an extra three sets to try to get it to have the slouch a slouchy hat should have.

I do really like the design the pattern makes. And I love the way Knit Picks Chroma Worsted yarn looks in a slouchy hat. I'll just have to keep looking to find the "perfect" slouchy hat ...

In the meantime I guess it'll work for my 3 (almost 4 -- wah!!!) year old this fall and winter. Not what I was going for, but she loves accessories so she's pleased as punch!

Does anyone have any favorite slouch hat patterns (knit or crochet -- I'm not picky) that they recommend? I'd love tried-and-true suggestions!

Sorry I'm a Sucky Blogger!

I'm sure you've noticed by now that I'm not the world's best blogger. Sorry! I get distracted for a while by "real life" and slack a little on here. I'll try to get better about it.

Lately I've been working mostly on newborn gifts (a set I did for twin girls is shown below) and bow and flower clippes and ponytail holders. That's been taking up most of my knitting and crocheting time so far this summer. But my goal for the summer is to get a few sweaters done before the cold weather hits. I am moderately obsessed with little knit baby and children sweaters. I think they're just so cute when they're well done. I've wanted to make some for my kids ever since my daughter was born almost four years ago (Eek! My first baby is going to be four this month! How did that happen?!), but I've just never gotten around to it. I always put it off to do other projects thinking that eventually I'll get around to making the sweaters I want to make. Starting yesterday, it's my mission to be working on one sweater at any given time between now and when I start getting cold-weather orders again. Hopefully I'll be able to show you all some cute ones soon!

That's Better!

My last post was about a pattern called "Bunny Blanket Buddy" by Lion Brand Yarn, and how I wasn't 100% in love with the end product. Well, I took another stab at it -- with some alterations.

I lengthened the ears like I talked about. I added 10 stitches onto their pattern. Ten so that it'd be easy to do the additions in my head. When it says to cast on 17, I cast on 27. When it says to purl 14 stitches, I purled 24. When it says to bind of 18, I bind of 28. Piece of cake and looks much more "bunny".

I also shortened the head just a touch, by .5". You can't tell at all in the picture, but the subtle difference looks much more appealing to me in person.

The last change I made was embroidering the face in lighter colors. The black was too bold for me -- it didn't read "baby", so I went for a rose color for the nose and grey for everything else to soften it up.

Now it's definitely my new go-to baby gift. I'm much happier with it. What do you think?

Lion Brand Yarn "Bunny Blanket Buddy" (Knit Version)

This pattern has been in my binder for a while now. Like ... years. I just have never gotten around to making it. It's called "Bunny Blanket Buddy" and you can find it on Lion Brand Yarn's website. It's a free pattern that has both a knit (here) and crochet (here) version.

I used Baby Bee Dreamy Baby Chenille in "Boo Pink" and I think it's just the perfect yarn for this project. Super soft and cuddly, which is exactly how a lovey should be.

I started out with the crochet version, hoping to save myself some time since crocheting is quicker than knitting. I got a few rows into it and frogged it. It just doesn't look as good crocheted. It was ok, but I knew I'd much prefer the knit version, so that's what I went with.

Overall I like the way it turned out. There are a couple things I would change though. Next time I will definitely lengthen the ears. Maybe even twice the length they are in the original pattern. One of my friends commented that it looks a bit like a dog the way the ears are now, and I agree. I think they need to be quite a bit longer to give it a much more obvious "bunny" look. I also think I will make the head a little shorter next time, but only by a few rows (maybe 3" instead of 3.5").

One thing I absolutely loved with this pattern was the way the head was knit. It's a technique I've never seen before (Has anyone else? Have I been living under a rock or is this as awesome as I think it is?) and I wish I had a million more projects to do with it! At first I was confused and thought the head was coming out as a flat rectangle ... which I wasn't very happy with. Then at the very end it suddenly pops open with a little hole for stuffing, and what I thought was a flat rectangle was actually a little pocket! It blew my mind! (Totally not exaggerating -- ask my husband. I was so excited about this!)

Overall I thought this knit up pretty cute, and I think I'll love it once I make those alterations I talked about. It may end up being my new go-to baby gift!

Easy Rolled Brim Hat (Knit Pattern)

This is a very simple rolled brim hat knit on double-pointed needles. It has quite a bit of stretch to it to accommodate growth, and the rolled brim allows parents to roll the brim up or down to fit their baby perfectly. It's the perfect hat!

Download the PDF version here!!

Never used DPNs? Don't be scared! Once you figure it out you'll wonder why you never tried it before! Here and here are two Youtube videos that might help you learn. You can either cast on all your stitches to one straight needle and then divide them between your 3 dpns, or you can cast on directly to your dpns while making sure to divide your stitches evenly (this is my preferred method). Feel free to ask me questions if you get confused!

NOTE: Make sure to measure your gauge and adjust appropriately! As I've mentioned before, I tend to have a tighter gauge than the average knitter.
 

Materials:

• Worsted Weight Yarn (I used Knit Picks Chroma Worsted Yarn in "Lollipop")
• Size 7 DPN's
• Tapestry Needle for weaving in ends
   

Abbreviations:

• DPNs: Double-Pointed Needles
• k: Knit
• k2tog: Knit Two Together
   

Gauge:

2"x2" = 10 stitches x 15 rows (stockinette stitch)

Size:

0-6 months (6-12 months, toddler)

Pattern:

Cast on 70 (80, 90) stitches, distributed evenly between your three DPN's.
Knit every row until your hat measures approx. 4.5 (5.25, 6) inches from the cast-on edge.

Begin Shaping Top:

Round 1: *k8, k2tog* (repeat around)
Round 2 and every alternating round: knit
Round 3: *k7, k2tog* (repeat around)
Round 5: *k6, k2tog* (repeat around)
Round 7: *k5, k2tog* (repeat around)
Round 9: *k4, k2tog* (repeat around)
Round 11: *k3, k2tog* (repeat around)
Round 13: *k2, k2tog* (repeat around)
Round 15: *k1, k2tog* (repeat around)
Round 17: *k2tog * (repeat around)

Finishing Option 1:

Continue knitting in the round on your 7 remaining active stitches (make sure to keep your stitches as tight as possible so your needles don't slip out -- the less stitches, the harder it is to keep them on there) until your "tube" measures approx. 3 inches. Cut your yarn, leaving about a 10 inch tail, and thread it through your active stitches using your tapestry needle. Pull the end through the top of the hat (this is why we left the tail so long -- so it can make it through the whole "tube") so it's on the inside (wrong side) of your hat, then pull tight to close the hole. Loop you "tube" around in a knot, getting the knot as close to the top of the hat as possible, and pull tight. Cut the tail left on the inside of your hat, and weave in any ends you may have.

Finishing Option 2:

Cut your yarn, leaving about a 6 inch tail, and thread it through your active stitches using your tapestry needle. Pull the end through the top of the hat so it's on the inside (wrong side) of your hat, then pull tight to close the hole and weave in your ends. Leave the top smooth or add a pom-pom.

Intertwining Diamonds Cabled Headband/Ear-Warmer (Knit Pattern)

Download the PDF version here!

This pattern is worked back and forth on two straight needles, NOT in the round.
The ends are joined at the end of the project to create the loop.

Materials:

• Worsted weight yarn (I used Hobby Lobby "I Love This Yarn" in Royal)
• Size 8 Needles
• Cable Needle (or 1 Double-Pointed Needle)
   

Abbreviations:

• Cable 4 Back: Slip next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold in back, K2 from left-hand needle, then knit the 2 sts from cable needle
• Cable 3 Left: Slip next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold in front, P1 from left-hand needle, then knit the 2 sts from cable needle
• Cable 3 Right: Slip next st onto cable needle and hold in back, K2 from left-hand needle, then purl the st from cable needle
   

Gauge:

I didn’t measure my gauge for this (sorry!). If you tend to knit loosely you might want to go down a needle size. I knit on the tighter side.

Size:

Adult

Note:

The "Knit 3" at the beginning and end of each row creates the ribbing necessary for your headband/ear-warmer to fit properly.

Pattern:

Cast on 24 stitches.
Row 1: Knit 3, Purl 1, Knit 2, Purl 4, Knit 4, Purl 4, Knit 2, Purl 1, Knit 3
Row 2: K3, work each stitch in the manner it presents, K3
Row 3: K3, P1, K2, P4, Cable 4 Back, P4, K2, P1, K3
Row 4: K3, work each stitch in the manner it presents, K3
Row 5: K3, P1, Cable 3 Left, P2, Cable 3 Right, Cable 3 Left, P2, Cable 3 Right, P1, K3
Row 6: K3, work each stitch in the manner it presents, K3
Row 7: K3, P2, Cable 3 Left, Cable 3 Right, P2, Cable 3 Left, Cable 3 Right, P2, K3
Row 8: K3, work each stitch in the manner it presents, K3
Row 9: K3, P3, Cable 4 Back, P4, Cable 4 Back, P3, K3
Row 10: K3, work each stitch in the manner it presents, K3
Row 11: K3, P3, K4, P4, K4, P3, K3
Row 12: K3, work each stitch in the manner it presents, K3
Row 13: Repeat Row 9
Row 14: K3, work each stitch in the manner it presents, K3
Row 15: K3, P2, Cable 3 Right, Cable 3 Left, P2, Cable 3 Right, Cable 3 Left, P2, K3
Row 16: K3, work each stitch in the manner it presents, K3
Row 17: K3, P1, Cable 3 right, P2, Cable 3 Left, Cable 3 Right, P2, Cable 3 Left, P1, K3
Row 18: K3, work each stitch in the manner it presents, K3
Row 19: K3, P1, K2, P4, Cable 4 Back, P4, K2, P1, K3
Row 20: K3, work each stitch in the manner it presents, K3

Repeat these 20 rows until headband/ear-warmer measures roughly 20-21" in length. Bind off and sew beginning and ending rows together, making sure not to twist headband/ear-warmer. Weave in ends.

A Simple Headband/Ear-Warmer (Knit Pattern)

Find the flat knitting version here.

Download the PDF version here!

Materials:

• Worsted Weight Yarn (I used Hobby Lobby's "I Love This Yarn" in Red)
• Size 8 16" Circular Knitting Needle
• Stitch Marker

Abbreviations:

• K: knit
• P: purl
• Sts: stitches
   

Gauge:

4 sts = 1 inch in stockinette stitch

Size:

Child or Adult

Notes:

The flower is crocheted, but apparently the pattern I used is no longer available, so here is one that is very close you can try instead. Any knit or crocheted flower, or practically any other embellishment, would look just as good. And if you're not so into embellishments I think it looks pretty good just on it's own as well!

(Sorry about the slightly blurry picture!)

For a child:

Cast on 84 sts. Place stitch marker.
Rows 1-5: K2, P2
Rows 6-10: Knit all sts
Row 11: Purl all sts
Row 12: Knit all sts
Row 13: Purl all sts
Rows 14-18: Knit all sts
Rows 19-23: K2, P2
**Bind off loosely. (If you bind off tightly your headband/ear-warmer will not stretch.)
Weave in ends.
 

For an Adult:

Cast on 92 sts. Place stitch marker.
Rows 1-6: K2, P2
Rows 7-12: Knit all sts
Row 13: Purl all sts
Row 14: Knit all sts
Row 15: Purl all sts
Rows 16-21: Knit all sts
Rows 22-27: K2, P2
**Bind off loosely. (If you bind off tightly your headband/ear-warmer will not stretch.)
Weave in ends.
 

Note about binding off:

I flip my headband/ear-warmer inside out and bind off in the opposite direction than I've been knitting because I think it looks better, with a more "finished" look, this way.