Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Cosby.

It's astonishing the amount of time that can be wasted looking at patterns on Ravelry and how few of them are actually something anyone would knit after the year 1987. 

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Kaa Hat

Remember The Jungle Book? And remember the python with the mesmerizing googly eyes, Kaa?



I wanted to make myself a hat with some nice cream colored yarn I bought about a year ago that's been languishing in the stash waiting for the perfect pattern. I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for, so I made one up, inspired by the "Eyes of Kaa." It's just what I wanted, and I used stash yarn to boot!

Total Yards: 16,710
Total Grams: 10,479
Number of Skeins: 123.6
Finished Objects from Stash: 2


Robyn’s Brimmed Kaa Hat.
Yarn: Worsted Weight (Berroco Lustra)
Needles:  16” circulars, size US 8 (5mm)

Instructions
Cast on 101 stitches.  Join in the round, knitting first and last stitch together to eliminate the jag. This leaves 100 stitches.
Brim
K2P2 around for 4 inches.  Increase for a larger “roll”.

Body
Make 1 stitch before you start body to allow patter to “swirl”.  (101 sts)
K9, P1 around.
Continue in this pattern for desired length of hat.  Approximately 5 inches is a medium-large size. (I stopped at about 4 because I have a smallish head, but could definitely have gone another round or two)

Decrease
To keep the swirl moving, decrease knit stitches by one (K2tog) every other round until 1 stitch remains for each pattern repeat.
Row 1: K7, K2tog, P1.
Row 2: K8, P1
Row 3: K6, K2tog, P1
Row 4: K7, P1
Row 5: K5, K2tog, P1.
Row 6: K6, P1
Row 7: K4, K2tog, P1
Row 8: K5, P1
Row 9: K3, K2tog, P1
Row 10: K4, P1
Row 11: K2, K2tog, P1
Row 12: K3, P1
Row 13: K1, K2tog, P1
Row 14: K2, P1
Row 15: K2tog, P1
Row 16: K2tog.
Break yarn and run through remaining stitches.  Pull tight and tie off. 

Friday, February 11, 2011

Drat.

I'm sitting in the Medford airport dreaming about finishing the hat in my bag. I'm so close, and would have been done three times over during the 3 hours I have been sitting here (with two left to go), but I made an amateur error in packing. I packed my project with more than enough yarn to finish, and yarn to start and finish a second project in case I was on a roll. And I packed stitch markers in case I needed them. And the Size 8 16inch circulars.

What did I forget? Size 8 DPN to finish the top of the hat when I just couldn't spread 12 stitches across 16 inches. AARRRRGGHHHHH!

I also forgot a tapestry needle to weave in the ends, but I'd say that's trivial at this point.

Frustrated in Oregon,

R.