Here's who wears the flower hat best

Taking a forced break

After a marathon knitting session while in self exile from remodeling work at my house, I have apparently messed up my ulnar nerve. Maybe I can start doing a few rows on each project daily. I will pay much more attention to ergonomics in the future.

Child's hat and scarf set

My new friend, Hattie, models a hat and scarf made from Bernat Blanket on US size 13 needles. I can get another set from a 300 g ball if I make the scarf slightly more narrow and shorter. This one is 4.5" x 46". I will make the next one 4" x whatever is left, hopefully about 40".

This is a prayer shawl group item, which the church will give to the Micah ministry.

The snowball hat

I finally finished this little pest. 

This is the one I've had to start over about four times. Here is the actual link to the pattern. http://www.allfreeknitting.com/Ribbed-Hats/Simple-Snowball-Beanie

So I finished it on Sunday, and despite some weird loose stitches in places, I wasn't too displeased with it. It's pretty simple, just a 2x2 rib for about an inch and a half, then slightly larger needles and a 7x3 rib for the body. Yes, after the decreases, you really do cinch together 40 stitches. They closed up pretty well.

I knew I never saw any 100% cotton hat patterns, but I never understood the reason why until I finished this. When I put it on, it was so loose it threatened to slide off the back of my head. Aha! Cotton stretches, but it doesn't spring back like wool or acrylic. Now I know.

I rescued the hat by stitching a plain old Goody elastic headband inside the brim. It's nice and snug now.

I am obsessed with this yarn!

These three hats came from one 300g ball of Bernat Blanket. I bought it on sale for about $7 at Michael's, and there will be several more brought home today, if they still have them. This is great for charitable knitting. I initially wanted to do chemo hats, but donation sites are inconvenient, and the prayer shawl group I'm joining also does hats for those in need--sick, poor, whatever.

The holey crocheted hat was featured in my previous post. It's done with a 9mm hook, and it's mine for bad/wet/dirty hair days. The pattern is at http://www.gleefulthings.com/blog/?p=3258 Others will be made.

The hat in the upper right of the picture is a medium sized slouchy stocking cap. I used 44 stitches, knit in the round on a 16" circular needle, US size 13 or 9mm. It fits me, but not Kent.

The hat in the lower right is a large sized hat from the same pattern as the medium. The only difference is I started it with 48 stitches and made it just a little bit shorter and less slouchy. It fits Kent.

The pattern for the two stocking caps is found here: http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L32214C.html?noImages=0

They're both going to be donated at the first group meeting I will be attending next month.

The little square was knit with the remaining yarn from the ball. I wanted to see how it would behave with US 11 or 8mm needles. It's downright luxurious to feel, and it would be very warm. Knitting a shawl with this tighter gauge would be very cozy.

This yarn is 100% polyester, machine washable and dryable at low heat and delicate settings, and categorized as Super Bulky, or 6. The closeup shows the size relative to a penny and highlights the chenille texture. It's like knitting with pipe cleaners, except the core is a strong thread instead of a metal wire.

The yarn comes in big balls of 300g, approx 258 yards. http://www.yarnspirations.com/blanket.html

On this site you will also find Bernat Baby Blanket. It's the same yarn, just in colors more suitable for baby items. The baby shades also come in 100g / 86 yard balls, and there is also a Holiday category that comes in the smaller balls.

Slouchey Hat

I decided the cotton hat I had crocheted was too small. I've cleaned up the finishes on it, and I plan to give it a bath and donate it to a cancer center for some lady or child with a smaller head.

This morning, as I was wrapping my wet hair in a scarf to leave for work, I thought it would be nice to have a hat that is loose, made of quick-drying synthetic fibers, and full of holes. If arranged properly, it might just enhance some curls as my hair dries. I found this free pattern, titled Waffle Cone Slouchy Hat at:

http://www.gleefulthings.com/blog/?p=3258

It's made with super bulky (category 6) yarn. The pattern suggests Lion Brand Hometown USA or Wool-Ease Thick and Quick. It requires about 80 yards. At the store, they had a few unpopular shades of Bernat Blanket on sale for $6.99 for about 280 yards. This yarn is sort of like a chenille, and it's 100% polyester. I find acrylic to be itchy. Now that I've made it once, I could knock out another in about three hours.

Here's a close-up of the hat without the model.

With what I have left, I'm going to knit a unisex hat to donate. I think this yarn would feel very soft and nice on a tender head. It will need to be tightly knit, so a person with hair loss won't have their skin showing through. There are a couple of patterns I'm considering. I'll keep you posted.

Crochet hat from www.crochethooksyou.com

I had this huge ball of yarn I bought when I first started knitting. It's a fairly rough cotton, suitable for dish cloths. I'd like to start knitting or crocheting hats for people undergoing cancer treatments, so I used the scratchy yarn and made one for sport.