Snazzy yoga bag

I was asked by a coworker to knit her a new yoga bag.  She wanted one just like mine.  I knit a lace yoga bag a few years ago using a cotton yarn.  I used the yoga mat bag pattern  from Interweave Knit magazine Summer 2007.   I told my coworker if she bought the yarn and I would knit it.  She brought me two skeins of Red Heart Soft in teal and purple.   The yarn is lovely for an acrylic.   It's soft and shiny and easy to knit.  She wanted a striped bag.  I tried following the pattern but the lace didn't good striped so I improvised.   I gave her what she wanted a striped bag with a lace element.   I modified the tube and knit it in the round and followed a simple pattern.  Knit 3 rows in color A, knit 1 in color B, the lace eyelet row is a simple K2 YO to end, Knit 1 row in color 2.  The rest of the pattern follows exactly.   I like the results,  it reminds me of an 80s sweater and my coworker loved it.

Project details
Pattern:  Lacy Yoga Bags Interweave Summer 2007 by Alison Green here is my project on Ravelry.
Yarn: Red Heart Soft in Teal and Grape
Needles: 6,7,9
Modications: knit in the round,  changed body pattern

Slip stitch watch cap (hat 5 of 100)

Slip sitches are wonderful things.  A few years ago slipped stitch wash clothes were all the rage and it's no wonder.  Slip stitches create ba wonderful dense fabric good for keeping you warm or sturdy for cleaning.  This pattern which comes from 60 Quick Knits from Cascade Yarns is called the Tweed watch cap.  It combines slip stitches with a right twist column used as a mock cable.  The pattern is designed ny Lynn M. Wilson.  It's a fun pattern but it's hard on the hands.  Something about twists really kills me.  The brim is my favorite part of the pattern. Mine flared out slightly like a bell, I like the way it cupped around almost like a cloche.  The hat is thick, somewhat rigid and very warm.

My hat is made of good old Red Heart Supersaver from the stash. I used a varigated for one color to add a splash.   It's called Fall.  I picked up a small ball it leftover from a baby blanket my mom crocheted.   I had a small issue with my twist column lining upbut by the time I noticed I decided not to frog the hat is for me so I didn't mind.

Overall the pattern is well written, easy to follow,  and varied enough to keep a seasoned knitter happy.  I would reknit this pattern.  If you knit this one watch your twist the fist couple of rounds and try it with bold contrasting colors it's a fun hat, the color possibilities are endles.

Project details:
Pattern: Tweed watch cap from the book 60 Quick Knits (ravelry)
Needles: 7s circulars and double points
Yarn: Red Heart Supersaver from the stash in Fall, Coffee,  and Buff
What I liked: interesting pattern , slip stitches are fun, density of the fabric,  the brim pattern, color choices.
Keep in mind the twists need to be watched closely during set up.
My project on Ravelry

The Imzir Hat (4 of 100)

The Imzir hat is done!  This interesting pattern was designed by Shana
Schasteen who blogs as Needyl.  The pattern is a free pattern that can be found on her blog. The Hat looks simple but the construction is what makes it unique. This hat is a top-down beanie knitted in fingering weight yarn with a purl ridge band that is sewn to create what looks like a butterfly to me. This with my first time trying a top-down hat and despite the difficulties I had starting out with a small number of stitches on double points and the difficulty and doing M1s I think the Hat turned out beautifully.
I have to say even though I like the hat I don't like down construction for hats. I can't tell if it is the fact that I hate to do M1s on double points or I just don't like the way they look in the crown.   I prefer to do my hats bottom up. I think that this hat could been made that way but I followed the pattern.  Top down just isn't fun. I really like the yarn I used it was a was a custom dyed Merino fingering weight yarn that I got in a swap a few years ago. If I remember correctly I think it is Knitpicks natural that was dyed a deep Sapphire blue which has slight variations in it.
After blocking that looks a little larger but it doesn't affect the fit of the hat.  I would recommend this pattern to someone wanted to try to top down construction and was confident in their M1s.  Overall the pattern is well written and the results are beautiful.

Project details:
Pattern: Imzir found here and on Ravelry
Needles:  6 double points and 16 inch circulars
Yarn: Knitpicks bare merino and silk dyed blue
What I learned: Top down construction on double points is not for me.
My project: Imzir Hat

The Vermont hats (hats 3 of 100)

My latest finished project is the Vermont hat by Shannon M. Simonelli who blogs at Welcome to the Knitosphere.  This is a free pattern available free on her blog and as a ravelry download.   The pattern is so easy.  It's a color work hat that has full written directions, no charts. I can see this as a beginner pattern for first timers.  Its a good introduction to two color stranding.   It works up fast, has a good fit and uses worsted weight yarn so you can stash dive.

I knit two hats in a few days thanks to a snowy weekend here in Philadelphia.   Both used stashed Red Heart Supersaver.  The first is a blue and white scheme the second which is my favorite is a tan and teal color way.  The hats have a small rib band which I did on 7s and then switched to 9s for the hat body.  The top is a simple K2 decrease.  The hat fits snug with a small slouch.  This hat is cute and fun to knit.  It's a quick knit for advanced knitters  and good fo beginners wanting to try color work.

Project details:
Pattern: Vermont Hat or here on Ravelry
Yarn: Red Heart Supersaver
Needles: Size 7 and 9 (16 inch circulars)
What I liked about this pattern: Easy to follow pattern, fast knit, good hat fit, color work kept my interest.  I didn't miss a chart at all.
Here is my project on Ravelry

The Inge Hat (hat 2 of 100)

Can I be in love with a hat?  I think so and it's this one. I love everything about this hat.  The pattern, the color, the fit, and the yarn.  It is just perfect.  I have to say that there is something about wool that I love, I honestly think it is the blocking magic that you only get from wool.  It transforms the project.  From a bumpy wet lump to a smooth shiny hat that cups you head in a way that acrylic can't.   Don't worry RHSS I still love you.

The Inge hat is a free pattern from Théonie Poilderat that I found on Ravelry.   The pattern is in French but don't let that stop you its pretty simple to translate and if you want you can do what I did.  I made a simple folded brim using the main color. I just cast on 112 stitches in the main color and knit 6 rows I then did 1 row of purls.  After that I just followed the chart.

When I was finished I just washed and blocked the hat until it was nearly dry. I folded the brim at the purl row and sewed it using matching yarn.  When it was done i soft blocked it until it was fully dry. I like to sew my brims when it is still damp so I can smooth out the brim and let it dry completely. That way I never get a bell-shaped brim.

Project details
Pattern: Inge hat only on Ravelry but its free
Yarn: Wool of the Andes and Paton classic wool
Needles: size 6 circulars and double points
What I love is easy style, chart, fit, easy of knit.
Check out my project page on Ravelry.

Let's begin again

Happy new year everyone.  It's cold here in Philadelphia and everything looks worked over but its a new beginning,  a fresh slate, so let's alk do our best to be our best.

The first hat for the new year is the Belugah Slouch hat designed by Kelly McClure of Bohoknits.  This is the hat pattern I fell in love with in December and I ended up making four of them.  Let me tell you but I like about this pattern. It's well written easy to follow instructions,  it knits up super fast and it uses worsted weight yarn.  Basically the hat consists of a band of ribbing on smaller needles followed bu a two line repeat pattern done in the round on larger needles.  The pattern isa knit and purl repeat that creates a vertical stripe pattern.  The pattern comes in a slouch or beanie variation.  I made all of mine with the pom pom because face it pom poms are just cute and fun.

My hat the one I kept is made from some vintage wool I had in the stash but the other three were my trusty RHSS.

Project details:
Needles: sized 6 and 9
Yarn: Worsted weight
Pattern: ravelry, Bohoknits
What I liked: fast, good instructions,  modern trendy styling, good tv watching knit.