Off the Needles: Monika Hat

April 24, 2013 in Elsebeth Lavold, Hats

I finished my Monika hat just in time for the warm weather to arrive.

Taunting Spring by continuing to knit winter projects finally worked!

Why yes, that is a Color Affection I’m wearing.

The Monika hat is from the Elsebeth Lavold book “The Small Things Matter Collection“.

In the book the hat is knit using shades of blue and purple, but I decided it mix it up and use autumnal colors.

Monika set from Elsebeth Lavold The Small Things Matter Collection

The pattern calls for original Silky Wool yarn held doubled, but I was able to get gauge with Silky Wool XL.

I used colors #17 – Dark Chocolate, #18 – Sap Green, #20 – Toffee, #11 – Purple, and #16 – Tomato Red.

Short rows makes this side taller.

This was a fun and relatively quick knit. When I started it I was rotating it with other projects (as you do) but then I reached a point where I focused on it and it just flew along.

I posted a picture of it on Facebook and people were saying they’d made similar striped hats, but they couldn’t see the interesting shaping involved.

This hat is worked flat. Most knitters cringe at the thought of hats worked flat. It’s much easier to work it in the round and be done when you’re done rather than needing to seam it at the end.

As I was facing the prospect of seaming the hat I was considering how to convert it to knitting in the round. However, I realized the seam is a design element that shouldn’t be skipped.

On the side away from the seam (photo above) there are short rows to give that side of the hat height.

When you sew the seam you pull it tight to gather that side and make it shorter.

The seam gathers this side to make it shorter.

My short side can be shorter. When I was seaming the hat I thought I would be clever and use the tails from the colors changes to sew it shut, but that meant I couldn’t gather it as tightly as I probably should have.

I’m vaguely considering undoing it and sewing a new seam with a single strand of yarn so I can pull it snug.

The hat should probably also be blocked to smooth it out.

This is a good example of why you should read a pattern through completely before you start making changes. If I had converted it to working in the round then read the finishing directions I would have been pretty annoyed to realize what I’d done!

There might be a second, modified Monika hat in my future.

After I had seamed it, but before I attached the side band, my husband found it on the dining room table and started wearing it around the house. It fit him nicely and looked pretty good.

But it’s safely on my side of the coat rack now. We both agreed the side band makes it too feminine for him to borrow it!

In case you’re wondering…that is my Color Affection scarf I’m wearing. I used Ella Rae Lace Merino yarn. You can read more about it in this blog post.

Tags: finished objects, hats
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Monika Hat Progress

April 1, 2013 in Elsebeth Lavold, Hats

You might be wondering how I decided to resolve my Monika hat color dilemma from over the weekend.

Shall I switch the orange stripe for the blue yarn?

To recap:
This is the Monika hat from the Elsebeth Lavold Book “The Small Things Matter Collection.”

I am using Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool XL yarn.

I had been happily chugging along, but decided that the orange yarn at the top was too close to the red-orange yarn below the purple. The blue was a contender to use instead.

A lot of good feed back was provided in the comments on the other blog post and on our Facebook page. There was a lot of support for my concern that the orange and red-orange are too similar.

Blue and orange were both cut from the team. The top is a dark green.

Many people liked the idea of adding the blue because the more colors the better!

Other people said to skip the blue because it was a cool color and the other colors are warm.

As a designer with training in color theory, I say stick with your warm colors. The color scheme you have running right now is Analogic. If you throw in Blue, it will become an off-kilter Triadic scheme, and you’ll have to get rid of all the orange.
This is science! Listen to science.–Nicole D

Some people started making wild suggestions about ripping the hat back further and placing the blue closer to the start. Those suggestions made me LOL.

But what made up my mind was a clever move by our Facebook fan Henrys Wigglebus.

A fan edited the picture to show the blue instead of orange.

They used a photo editing software to approximate what the blue yarn would look like in the hat.

Personally I didn’t like it.

Just need to seam it!

After considering all the advice, I decided to stick with the colors I already had that were working well together.

I ditched the orange and the blue and repeated the green, purple, and red instead. The pattern calls for five colors with colors three and four repeating at the top.

Since the hat is worked flat and seamed, there is a band that is knit separately and attached to hide the seam. I’m going to knit that band in the tan color so it has a second appearance.

I think this has been a good exercise in remembering that just because a pattern is shown in certain colors in the book doesn’t mean you can’t change them around!

Tags: hats, WIPs
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Monika Hat Dilemma

March 30, 2013 in Elsebeth Lavold, Hats, Sweaters

I’ve been quietly knitting the Monika Hat from Elsebeth Lavold’s book The Small Things Matter Collection. Add it to your Ravelry queue here.

Monika Set from The Small Things Matter Collection.

I’m not sure why I haven’t been showing you pictures. I guess because I’ve only been working on it occasionally so haven’t make a lot of progress.

That is what it will look like when it’s done. It’s knit flat an seamed. There are short rows to give it the height on one side and the band is knit separately. I think it’s going to be really cute when it’s done.

My dilemma is the colors I selected.

Monika hat progress

This is my progress so far. You can see I sent with an autumnal theme. I’m using a dark brown as my main color between the welts. I was really pleased with how it was turning out until I hit that orange stripe at the top.

I admit the orange yarn has been giving me pause all along. I think there just isn’t enough difference between it and the red/orange yarn below the purple.

The pattern calls for colors three (red/orange) and four (purple) to repeat again in reverse order.

Since it’s too late to put the orange in a different spot (the hat is working up quickly, but I still don’t want to loose all that work), I’m thinking of changing it out.

Shall I switch the orange stripe for the blue yarn?

This steel blue is the leading candidate. Really the only way I’ll know for sure is to rip the orange out and knit the welt with the blue. It’s just 6 little rows so it shouldn’t be too bad.

What do you think?

Silky Wool XL

The pattern for the Monika Hat and Bag actually calls for the original Silky Wool yarn held doubled. However, when I had that little bout of “startitis” at the beginning of March I swatched using Silky Wool XL and was able to get gauge.

Silky Wool XL is an 80% Wool, 20% Silk blend that is available in 28 colors. Each 50 gram ball has approximately 104 yards. It will work on needles ranging from US7 to US10 with suggested gauges of 3.75 to 4.5 sts per inch.

Silky Wool XL is lovely to knit and crochet with because of the nice crunchy feel the silk content gives the yarn. The lovely colors are made more interesting from the tweedy bits in the yarn. It is a complex yarn!

While I’m making a hat, this yarn is wonderful for sweaters and other larger garments.

Florence from The Past Into The Present Collection.

The Florence hooded cape is from the book The Past Into The Present Collection. Add it to your Ravelry queue here.

It makes my heart go pitter-patter. The lovely cable detail combined with the cropped length and the practical hood make this garment a stand out in my book.

Harare from The City(e)scapes Collection.

For something a little more mainstream, consider the Harare cardigan from The City(e)scapes Collection. Add it to your Ravelry queue here.

This will be a great transition piece as we move into spring, and will also make a great cover up when the summer nights turn cool.

The like the wide collar and the simple cable on this cardigan.

Melbourne from The City(e)scapes Collection.

For the man in your life, check out the Melbourne cardigan from the same book. Add it to your Ravelry queue here.

Look at all the wonderful details on this cardigan! A fun cable pattern to knit, generous pockets, and an eye catching shawl collar. This cardigan will be a great addition to his wardrobe…or maybe your own.

Oda from The Come Closer Collection.

For something a little heartier consider the Oda jacket from The Come Close Collection. Add it to your Ravelry queue here.

That wonderfully generous collar will help keep you warm. And the rib and cable pattern will help ensure a comfortable fit. Add some fabulous buttons and you’re ready to go.

I’ve highlighted just a few projects using Silky Wool XL. You can see more on the left hand side of the Silky Wool XL page on our main website.

Check for the yarn and the books at your local yarn store.

What have you made using this yummy yarn?

Tags: WIPs
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On and Off the Needles: Indulgence Beanie

March 2, 2013 in Free, Hats, Knitting Fever Inc

Just because a yarn is called “sock yarn” doesn’t mean you have to restrict yourself to knitting socks with it.

Did you already know that or is it a light bulb statement?

So called sock yarn can be used to knit shawls, scarves, hats, gloves and mittens, and even sweaters.

The two things to remember about sock yarn is that it will usually be a fingering weight (so it will fit in your shoes nicely) and it usually has a touch of nylon included for durability. (Think of the friction of rubbing against the back of your heel as you walk.)

Not all sock yarns need to be knit on itty bitty needles at a fine gauge. Our Indulgence 6 Ply yarn, for instance, has a suggested gauge of 21 sts to 4″ (5.25 sts/1″) on needles ranging from a US 3 to US 6. It is a 75% Extrafine Merino Wool, 25% Polyamide blend.

That is considered more of a sport weight gauge and is much more reasonable for projects beyond socks.

Indulgence also comes in some awesome self-patterning colors.

Socks and photo by Wool Becomes Ewe.

These happy lime/blue/purple socks are being knit by Wool Becomes Ewe, a local yarn store in Virginia. (There is a sock pattern on the Indulgence ball band.)

That picture, combined with this one from Metaphor Yarns, a local yarn store in Massachusetts, reminded me that I was hording some Indulgence of my own.

Photo by Metaphor Yarns

Aren’t those colors luscious?

I’ve made myself socks using the color at the top right. And I used the color in the middle to make socks for my brother.

The one in the bottom right is the one that caught my eye this week.

Hello, handsome.

I don’t know about you, but a lot of my younger relatives are suddenly having babies. There are three new babies in the past four months and another one due in April!

It occurred to me that since Indulgence is silky soft AND machine washable it would be great for baby garments.

I settled on the Amity Print Beanie pattern from Ella Rae, which is free on our website (look for the “download pattern” link under the big picture on the left), and got to knitting. I cast on Wednesday evening and finished it up Friday night.

No baby handy, so my hand had to model.

How adorable is this hat?!

The colors came up so nicely and it’s such a clean, simple design that I want to make one for myself.

Considering it didn’t take much yarn at all, there is probably enough left in the ball for me to do that. Each ball is 426 yards, after all. In fact, based on past experience, and my little feet, I’m pretty sure there is enough yarn left for me to make myself a pair of socks, because I just love this color.

I like the gathered effect on the top.

Now, I did make some modifications to the pattern.

First off, the pattern is written to be worked flat and seamed. I don’t have the patience for that so I just followed the stitch count, but worked it in the round. Of course, when you get to the crown shaping you have to change the purls to knits in that case.

Second, I dropped the top knot.

Third, and this is probably a big one, in the fine knitting tradition of “It will fit someone” I didn’t bother trying to get gauge. I used US6 needles and got 6 sts per inch, which is nowhere near the 4.5 sts/inch called for in the pattern. But, for a baby hat, I think it will be just fine.

When you are weaving in your ends remember that because of the rolled brim you should weave the cast on tail onto the “public” side of the work. If you weave it to the “private” side the end might show when the brim rolls up.

With so much yarn still available I’m debating making little socks to match.

Or maybe fingerless mitts for myself!

Tags: baby, hats
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Startitis

February 17, 2013 in Cowls, Elsebeth Lavold, Hats, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Mirasol, miscellaneous, shawl

I had a small case of “startitis” over the weekend.

You’ve had the feeling even if you haven’t heard the name before. It’s that overwhelming urge to cast on or start as many projects as you can.

I was busy swatching over the weekend.

It can be caused by a desire to start a new project without know what you want to make. Trips to a local yarn store or fiber festival can also trigger from the sight of all the pretty yarn.

Finishing (or getting close to the end of) a long term or complicated project can be a cause. And cabin fever (Knitting Fever? hahaha) brought on by cold winters days can contribute.

As you can see, startitis is a wide ranging ailment.

I find it’s often best to give into it, especially the cause is not being sure what project to start. If you do a bunch of swatching one project is bound to rise to the top.

Something Small?

My bout of startitis was brought on by finishing a complicated cowl and needing a new project.

Asta set from Elsebeth Lavold The Small Things Matter Collection

Originally I thought maybe I wanted a small and quick project for some instant gratification after my big project.

The lovely magenta yarn at the 6 or 7 o’clock position in the first picture is a cake of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool.

You just need one hank to make all three pieces of the Asta set from The Small Things Matter Collection.

But I just finished a cowl, did I want to make another one?

Hats!

The cowl abandoned (although the cuffs were still in play), I decided to focus on my need for a new hat.

As a knitter, I obviously can’t just go to the store to buy one. Instead I spent time thumbing through my pattern books and poking around on Ravelry looking for ideas. (Both those activities can also trigger startitis.)

Monika set from Elsebeth Lavold The Small Things Matter Collection

Right there an another page of The Small Things Matter Collection is the Monika hat and bag.

Look at those stripes! I won’t even have to settle on one color.

The pattern calls for holding Silky Wool doubled, but I had a sneaky suspicion that Silky Wool XL might be the correct gauge by itself.

Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool XL for the Monika hat.

It took a couple tries, but I achieved gauge on US 6 needles. Victory is mine! I started by using the suggested needle size for the pattern (US7) and swatched with regular Silky Wool held doubled as the pattern required and a single strand of Silky Wool XL side by side.

That allowed me to see that the fabric with the XL would be the same (or very similar) to the fabric at the same gauge as the regular Silky Wool. We’ll see what happens since I’ve been too clever for my own good in the past.

Maybe a shawl?

Of course, I couldn’t stop there. Having finished one big project maybe another large project was the way to go.

Gable Wrap Pattern is free on our website.

That purple ball of Juniper Moon Farm Findley (#4 – Renaissance) in the middle of the picture has been taunting me for a while now. That ball and it’s twin want to be the Gable Wrap, which is a free pattern on our website.

I still need to swatch for this one. It is knit using the “Indian Cross-Stitch,” which I’ve never knit before. Swatching will allow me to both check my gauge and become familiar with the stitch before starting the shawl.

The only problem is the suggested needle is US5 and I’m not sure where mine is (we will ignore the implications of one or two active projects that these missing needles imply). I might not end up using US 5 needles to knit this shawl, but I always like to start with the suggested needles when I start swatching. One day I’ll get lucky!

WIPs to fall back on

Fortunately, when I got tired of all the swatching and actually wanted to knit something I had a, ahem, few works in progress to fall back on.

Progress on my Loreto Cowl from Mirasol book #23.

Lately I’ve been trying to pay attention to my Loreto Cowl from Mirasol Book #23.

I love the cables on this cowl. It looks complicated, but once you get the rhythm of the cables it’s pretty straight forward.

I’m using three shades of Kutama, a 50% Alpaca, 50% Highland Wool blend, hoping to achieve a shaded look.

This is a great pattern that is fun to knit, but sometimes I need a break from all those cables!

Blown Away

I took a break from all my swatching and planning to take my yarn outside for pictures. I thought the natural light would show the colors better, but it was late in the afternoon and getting a bit dark.

And then a gust of wind started blowing my yarn off the table and down the hill!

Good thing Samson was there to catch them.

Which seemed like a sign that it was time to collect my toys and go back inside.

I hope your weekend knitting and crocheting was a little more productive.

Tags: WIPs
2 Comments »

Newborn Baby Hat

December 24, 2012 in Elsebeth Lavold, Free, Hats

A few days ago my friends sent me a picture of their new baby wearing the hat I had knit for their first baby three years ago.

Three years! They’d kept my hat safe for future use.

I was so flattered and excited that I had to knit them another one right away. They are in a New England state so they’ll need winter wear for him. Isn’t it great when our gifts are used and appreciated?

Personally, when I knit or crochet a gift I want to see it used. None of this “It’s too special and will wear out” nonsense for me! If you wear it out I can make you another one.

A little hat for a little head

This little hat took 14 grams of Elsebeth Lavold Favorite Wool yarn. Really, I weighed it. Since Favorite Wool comes in 50 gram balls you’ll be able to make a couple hats, or maybe matching socks or mittens, from one ball.

Newborn Baby Hat

Size: About 14″ circumference. About 3 3/4″ tall

Materials:

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Favorite Wool (100% Peruvian Wool), less than one ball

Needles: US8 Double pointed needles or size needed to obtain gauge

Gauge: 4 sts x 4 rows = 1″ in garter stitch in the round.

Abbreviations:

CO-Cast on
Dec-Decrease
K-Knit
K2tog-Knit two stitches together
P-Purl
P2tog-purl two stitches together
St(s)-Stitch(es)

NOTE: This hat is worked in Garter Stitch in the round. You have to alternate knit and purl rounds.

The Pattern:

CO 48 sts.

Join to work in the round being careful not to twist stitches. Place marker for beginning of round. Distribute sts evenly on four needles (12 sts each needle).

Beginning with a knit round, work in garter stitch in the round (knit one round, purl one round) for 16 rounds or about 2″ from cast on edge.

Decrease round: *K2tog, k4. Repeat from * around

Work 4 rounds even in garter stitch

Decrease round: *P2tog, P3. Repeat from * around

Work 3 rounds even in garter stitch.

Decrease round: *P2tog, P2. Repeat from * around

Work 2 rounds even in garter stitch.

Decrease round: *K2tog, K1. Repeat from * around.

Work 1 row even in garter stitch.

Decrease round: K2tog around (8 sts remain)

Leave a reasonable tail (6″ or so) and cut yarn. Use a darning needle to draw tail through remaining sts. Remove knitting needles and pull tail tight to close top.

Weave in ends.

No babies were around to model for me.

Lacking a baby to use a a model, I put the hat on this canister of bread crumbs to try to give you an idea of the size. Almost all of us have breadcrumbs in the house, right? My use of this particular brand of breadcrumbs does not constitute an official endorsement (haha).

Of course babies have round tops.

Here’s a picture of the top. Of course, unlike bread crumbs, babies have round tops, which will be much more flattering to the hat!

I used Favorite Wool color #26-Prussian Blue because my friends have a new baby boy. I like primary and strong colors for babies. I think they are a nice change of pace from the usual pastels used for baby garments.

Just a few of the great colors available.

Favorite Wool is available in 34 colors, including some pastels, so you can be more traditional if you want.

I hope you enjoy making this little hat. If you do make one, share a picture on our Facebook wall. I’d love to see it.

Tags: baby, free pattern, hats
1 Comment »

Final Himalayan Hiking Hat

December 7, 2012 in Hats, Louisa Harding

Louisa Harding has released the seventh and final hat in her Himalayan Hiking Hat series.

Photo credit: Louisa Harding

You’ll remember that Louisa designed these hats to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, which provided assistance when her husband was undergoing treatment.

As part of her fundraising effort, last month Louisa did an 11 day hiking trip in Nepal.

The final hat, Silkes, was designed and knit while she was on the hike.

Talk about your travel knitting! Usually I take a pair of socks for on the plane.

Louisa’s goal was to raise £5,000 and she is excited to announce she has raised £7,500 to date. The group she hiked with raised a combined £180,000. Wow!

She thanks you for all your support!

The Silkes hat is knit using 2 hanks of Grace Hand Dyed. This beautiful 50% Merino Wool, 50% Silk yarn has 6 new colors this season.

Louisa knit her hat in four days, so there is probably time for you to whip one out for gift giving.

A fun thing about this final pattern is that it includes pictures and stories from the hike.

All the hats. With hikers Sophie, Di, Wendy, Jess, Estelle, Amy and Monya

Louisa’s fundraising pages are still active, so you can still contribute to her efforts.

If you would like to donate for this hat pattern you can at http://www.justgiving.com/Louisa-Harding-Jessup

The whole ‘Himalayan Hiking Hat’ pattern collection is available to download at http://www.louisaharding.co.uk/macmillan.

Tags: charity, Himalayan Hiking Hats
1 Comment »

Crochet Noro Book

October 31, 2012 in bag, crochet, Hats, Mitts, Noro, Scarves, Sweaters

Noro has always been good about including a mix of both knitting and crochet in their pattern books.

You can see examples in the new Noro Passion book by Jane Ellison, in the Volume #31 book, and in the premier issue of Noro Magazine.

Now, after a few hard cover books dedicated to knitting patterns, there is an entire book of crochet patterns!

The Shades of Blue Shawl graces the cover

Crochet Noro brings together many of today’s favorite crochet designers and one of the world’s best-loved yarns to create to create a collection of incomparable beauty and originality. From exquisite shawls to stylish cardigans to quick-to-crochet accessories to fabulous bags and totes, this stylish book contains 30 gorgeous projects to entice every crocheter.

Eisaku Noro has been creating his world-renowned yarns in Japan’s Aichi province for more than forty years. Spun from the finest natural materials with great respect for enviromental concerns, these spectacular yarns are dyed exclusively by hand in a dazzling array of colors. The patterns in this artful collection employ several popular Noro yarns, including Silk Garden, Silk Garden Lite, Silk Garden Sock, Taiyo, Taiyo Sock, Kureyon and Shiraito.

These exciting projects are as much fun to stitch as they are to wear. If you aren’t yet hooked on Noro, you will be.

With so many awesome patterns from which to choose, it’s hard to select favorites.

Fortunately, I find that I crochet faster than I knit, which means I could work through the book at a good pace.

Since many of the projects are accessories that require just one or two balls of yarn there is a lot of crochet gift potential in this book as well.

Here are a few patterns that caught my eye.

Hats

Swirly Tam in Silk Garden Sock

This Swirly Tam is very attractive. I like how the ridges add visual interest.

It takes just one ball of Silk Garden Sock. So if you love that yarn, but don’t like making socks, this could be the pattern you’ve been waiting for.

Engineer Cap in Kureyon

Add a little bit of rebel to your wardrobe with the Engineer Cap. It also gives you a chance to use some of the great buttons you’ve been collecting.

This hat takes two balls of Kureyon. With 8 new colorways for the fall no two hats will be the same.

There are two other hats in the book, as well.

Scarves

Strawberry Lace Scarf in Shiraito

There are several scarf, cowl, and shawl patterns in the book. (See, good gift ideas abound!)

I think my favorite is the Strawberry Lace Scarf. I like the large size of the motifs, which has always been one of my favorite crochet designs.

There is no doubt this scarf is unique!

Crocheted using two hanks of Shiraito, a 45% Cashmere, 45% Angora, 10% Wool blend, this scarf is destined to become a favorite because the yarn is so soft and luxurious.

Mitts

There are two pairs of mitts in the book. The elegant and textured Shell Stitch Wristers and the fun Bobbled Mitts below.

Bobbled Mitts in Silk Garden Lite

The Bobbled Mitts are crocheted using two hanks of Silk Garden Lite.

Maybe it’s because we’re still getting rain and clouds from Hurricane Sandy, but the bright, happy colors used in the sample pair make me smile.

Sweaters

Cap Sleeve Cardigan in Taiyo Sock Yarn

Just because I’ve highlighted small projects don’t think this book is all accessories. There are several sweaters as well and even a skirt.

I like the circular design of the Cap Sleeve Cardigan. It’s very visually appealing.

Crocheted using 3 to 4 balls of Taiyo Sock Yarn, a 50% Cotton, 17% Wool, 17% Nylon, 16% Silk blend, this cardigan will be a year round staple in your wardrobe.

It’s just the right size for chasing a chill in doors or wearing over a sun dress outside.

Purses and more!

Flower Blossom Purse in Kureyon

In addition to the projects you can wear, there are 3 purses, a set of bowls, and a throw blanket.

Of the purses, the Flower Blossom Purse makes me smile. Wouldn’t it be a great way to add a bit of color to a gloomy winter day? Or to use in the spring to encourage the flowers to bloom?

The pattern calls for four balls of Kureyon. While the sample in the book uses a bright happy color, you can always select one of the dark or neutral colorways depending on the season and your wardrobe.

This is just a sampling of the projects in this book. You can preview the rest on our website.

The book has started arriving at local yarn stores across the country. Head down to yours to get your copy and supplies!

Tags: bag, crochet, hats, mitts, Noro, scarves, sweater
3 Comments »

Himalayan Hiking Hats

October 4, 2012 in Free, Hats, Louisa Harding

In January 2011 Louisa Harding’s husband and photographer Stephen was diagnosed with Lymphoma, a type of cancer.

Since they live in the United Kingdom, they received treatment and support from an organization called Macmillan Cancer Support.

You know how here in the United States we do sponsored walks and runs to raise money for charities we support?

Parju hat--Photo by Stephen Jessup

Well, at the beginning of this year Louisa signed up for an 11 day hike through Nepal to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. You can read more about it on her fund raising page here.

She has set a goal of raising 5,000 pound sterling. At last count she was at 82% of her goal!

What does this have to do with knitting?

Hats! Beautiful hats!

Instead of just asking you do donate money to her challenge (which you are more than welcome to do, follow this link) she has designed a series of hats in exchange for your donation.

Tara hat--Photo by Stephen Jessup

It’s an honesty system. Download the PDF from her Macmillan fundraising page, then donate what you see fit on her Just Giving page. (Don’t worry, the system will convert your American dollars to British Pounds.)

There will be seven hat patterns all together. The first six have already been released. She’ll be knitting the seventh one during the course of the hike.

Lamakhet hat--Photo by Stephen Jessup

I’ve sprinkled the images of the three new hats through the post.

The first, striped hat is the Parju hat. It is knit using Louisa’s new Amitola yarn. Amitola is a 80% Wool 20% Silk with approximately 273 yards per 50g ball. It comes in 10 self-striping colors.

The second, light green hat is the Tara hat. It is a slouchy beanie knit using a combination of the lovely Grace Silk and Wool and Grace Hand Beaded yarns.

Grace Silk & Wool is a 50% Merino Wool 50% Silk with approximately 110 yards per 50g ball. It is available in a range of colors with three new ones for the fall.

Grace Hand Beaded is a 31% Silk, 31% Merino Wool, 8% Polyester, 30% Glass Beads with approximately 74 yards per 50g hank. There are eight new colors for the fall, bringing total colors to 16.

The third, dark green cabled hat is the Lamakhet hat. It is knit using the new Orielle yarn. Orielle is a 100% Baby Alpaca with approximately 120 yards per 50g hank. It is launching with 16 colors ranging from soft pastels to rich jewel tones.

(I think Lamakhet is my favorite of this group of hats, but I love cables!)

More beautiful hats!

The first three patterns were just as attractive. When the challenge first launched a knit along was started in the Louisa Harding Lovers group on Ravelry by Lisette, who has been working her way through the entire series.

She was nice enough to share her pictures with us. The models are the lovely young ladies from Lisette’s local yarn store Knitique.

Karuwa and Annapurna Hats--Photo by Lisette Davis

The two color hat with the flower on the left is the Karuwa hat. It was designed using Louisa’s Thistle yarn, which has been discontinued. But you probably have some in your stash. We were able to rustle up some here in the warehouse that we donated to Lisette to make up her hat kits for the event (not to toot our own horn, or anything. )

The hat on the right with the heart pattern is the Annapurna hat. It is knit using Grace Silk & Wool yarn.

left blue Karuwa and right pink hat is Sardi--Photo by Lisette Davis

Here is another view of the Karuwa hat. The pink hat on the left with the heart cable is the Sardi hat. Sardi was designed using Thistle.

You probably already guessed that Sardi is my favorite from this bunch. That heart cable is just to pretty to resist!

Fundraising Events

At the end of September a yarn store in the United Kingdom called Stash Fine Yarns held an event supporting Louisa’s efforts. They raised 400 pound sterling to contribute to her cause.

As I said at the beginning of the post, she’s reached 82% of her goal of raising 5,000 pounds. With just a month to go until she ties on her hiking boots a final push is in order.

Lisette has organized an event at Knitique for Friday, Oct. 5.

Louisa Harding Charity Event

Friday, October 5, 2012
6:00PM to 9:00PM

Knitique, A Yarn Boutique

8741 Elk Grove Blvd

Elk Grove, CA 95624

(916) 714-7719

There will be hat kits available for a donation, a class to help you get started, a raffle, and food.

Let’s all move to California real fast so we can attend!

They have also received a limited supply of book plates signed by Louisa. So if you call the store and order one of her books you can have the autograph added to it. (What’s a book plate? You’ve seen them in library books. They are the pretty stickers you can put on the inside front cover to identify ownership. You can see a picture of them on Lisette’s blog.)

All in all, it sounds like a fun evening for a good cause.

If, like me, you aren’t in California you can attend in spirit by donating to Louisa’s challenge and downloading your favorite Hymalayan Hiking Hat pattern.

Has your local yarn store organized a similar event for charity? Give them a shout out in the comments!

Tags: Himalayan Hiking Hats
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Hacho Hat Flat and Round

April 26, 2012 in Free, Hats, Mirasol

If you are a fan of Knitting Fever Inc. on Facebook then you saw my progress last week as I knit the blue chemo cap for my friend using Mirasol Hacho yarn.

Pretty colors.

This hat is a free pattern on our website. After you downloaded it you were probably rather surprised to find it was knit flat since I was obviously working mine in the round on double pointed needles.

Fear not! I wrote down what I did to convert it and am going to share it with you. However, I thought I’d offer a few general tips first.

Flat Version

People get excited to see hat patterns that are knit flat since they aren’t very common.

While it is very logical to knit a hat in the round, since that is the final shape you want, there are times when knitting flat is desirable. Beginners are often intimidated by working in the round. A complex pattern or color work might be better worked flat. You get the idea.

Worked flat the colors are more random.

To make this pattern, even the flat version, you should know how to knit and purl as well as be confident reading a pattern.

The hat is worked in a diagonal rib, so you’ll have to be able to keep track of that as you go along. Also, a word of caution, don’t think you can use these numbers to work a plain hat in stockinette stitch. Remember that ribbing pulls in and stockinette stitch doesn’t. If you drop the pattern stitch your hat could end up a weird size.

A few people have contacted us because they were confused about the part where the diagonal rib begins. The hat starts with a few rows of plain P2,K4 ribbing. Then there is a decrease row, then the diagonal rib starts. The rib pattern starts marching to the right. Just follow the directions and you’ll be fine.

Converting Flat to Round

There are a lot of exceptions and things to consider when converting a knitting pattern written flat to working in the round. Far too many for me to cover in this little post, so I’m just going to offer some quick rules of thumb. There are many excellent knitting reference books that go into more depth that you should seek out.

Barbara Walker has a good discussion of the topic in the introduction to her “A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns.”

The first thing to consider is that you won’t have to sew a seam when working in the round, which means you can probably safely eliminate at least 2 sts (on a sweater maybe 4 sts) that would have gone to the seam.

Second, think about how your ribbing will come together in the round. You don’t want a wide swath of either knit or purl stitches messing up your pattern.

Third, in general the very broad rule of thumb is that you’ll want to change purl stitches to knit stitches and vice versa. But before you do that willy-nilly you really need to stop and think about what the original pattern is trying to accomplish.

Keep in mind that the purl stitch is the back of the knit stitch. You know this deep down inside, but maybe hadn’t thought about it for very long. That is why ribbing is reversible. That is why when you work stockinette stitch in the round all you do is work the knit stitch.

If the pattern you are converting has ribbing or a lace stitch you’ll want to see where all the knits and purls fall and what will happen if you reverse them. It might be wise to knit a swatch flat following the pattern so you can get a feel for it before you convert it.

Fortunately, in this case, I’ve done that thinking for you. Ready to get started?

In the Round Version

Remember, I can’t claim this is an original pattern. I’m just converting the existing Tintiri Hat pattern. You’ll want to download it to get the specs and there is also a cute matching scarf pattern on there, too.

Worked in the round gives a swirl.

Yarn: One skein of Mirasol Hacho. (I had about 3 feet left after seaming the flat version and about 9 feet left after working the round version)

Needles: US 6 or size needed to obtain gauge. (For instance, I used a US 5)

Gauge: 22 sts & 30 rows in 4″ over stockinette stitch

Pattern:

Cast on 90 sts

P2, K4 around.

Continue in rib as established until hat measures 3/4 inches from cast on edge.

Begin diagonal rib:

Rounds 1-4: K4, P2 around

Rounds 5-8: K2, [P2, K4] around, ending K2

Rounds 9-12: P2, K4 around

These 12 rounds form the diagonal rib.

Repeat last 12 rounds until hat measures approx. 7″ from cast on edge

Shape Crown:

Round 1: *K2tog, K2, P2, repeat from * around (75 sts)

Round 2: K3, P2 around

Round 3: *K2tog, K1, P2, repeat from * around (60 sts)

Round 4: K2, P2 around

Round 5: *K2tog, P2, repeat from * around (45 sts)

Round 6: K1, P2 around

Round 7: *K1, P2tog, repeat from * around (30 sts)

Round 8: K1, P1 around

Round 9: K2tog around (15 sts)

Round 10: K around

Round 11: K2tog around to last 3 sts, S1, K2tog, PSSO (7 sts)

Draw tail through all sts on needles, pull tight to close hole, fasten off.

In case you’re wondering

what the differences are between the two versions:

1) Cast on fewer sts to make the initial ribbing work

2) Eliminated the decrease row since you already have 90 sts

3) Worked 2 extra rows at the top of the crown because I thought the 15 sts hole was too big.

You’ll notice the way the colors fall in the two versions of the hat are very different. That is the fun of hand painted yarns in action. You can meld the colors by alternating working 2 rows from both ends of the ball of yarn. (Of course you can also buy two balls of the same color and alternate 2 rows of each. Then you’ll have enough yarn for two hats.)

On a different note, I was reviewing the new free patterns we’ve posted on line and noticed that this Odin hat from Viking Design is also knit flat. It is a basic rib pattern, which makes it very good for beginners.

This hat is worked flat, too.

Tags: chemo cap, free pattern, hats, Mirasol
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