I haven’t blogged my knitting in quit a while, but I have been knitting a lot. I seem to always have at least two and sometimes three projects on the needles at any given time. Perhaps I get bored easily? Yes, that, and sometimes I have a complex project going and need something a little more “brainless” to work on.

I’ve completed a number of items since my last post. Here are the photos in order of completion.

This pattern was written for straight needles as well as circular. I actually completed it on straight originally. But when I tried to sew up the seam – ARGH! – it looked awful. So I ripped out the whole thing and re-did it on circulars after I got them. It was worth the wait as this turned out SO much better. I used Red Heart Soft Yarn in Really Red on size 8 circular needles.

This is called Ribbons of Hope Hat. It’s my first attempt at cables since I’ve started knitting again. I think a few expletives escaped my mouth as I was doing the first ones, but I caught on and it turned out just fine. I used Caron Simply Soft Light in Pansy on size 6 circular needles.

This one is called The Inside Out Knit Chemo Cap. I LOVE this one and will do more like it. It is very stretchy when done and would fit just about anyone. It’s super light weight, too. I used Caron Simply Soft Light in Hawaiian Sky on size 8 & 10 circular needles.

This is the Eyelet Rolled Brim Hat. As I was working on this one, I learned that my niece was diagnosed with breast cancer, so I thought of her quite a lot while working on it. She has had a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery and is doing well – they feel they got all the cancer out. It is not yet determined if she’ll need chemo – I hope not. Our knitting group went to a yarn shop where I found this great yarn. It’s Plymouth Yarn Dreambaby DK in Salmon (135). I used size 6 circular needles and the ladies small instructions.

My next hat is the Button-Tab Knit Hat. For me, the fun part with this hat is the finishing. I learned some new things in doing it. Plus, those buttons were sent to me about a year ago by my SIL, who is a cancer survivor herself. It just added to the whole project. I used size 7 circular needles and Red Heart Soft Yarn in Seafoam.

I bought this yarn with something completely different in mind. When I realized it wasn’t going to work for that project, I decided to use it on this pattern which I’ve wanted to do for a while. It’s called Art Deco. This is the most complex pattern I’ve done to date. Every row was different (it seemed) and I had to learn how to M1. Once I got the hang of it, making a stitch is actually pretty simple. I used Caron Simply Soft in Vanilla on size 8 circular needles.

This is the last of my completed caps/hats. It’s called Hurricane Hat and was a lot of fun to make – very simple, too. It came out fairly small. I don’t know if that was my knitting to tightly or what. It fit me (barely) and I have a pretty small head. If I make it again, I’ll use larger needles and/or add on a repetition of the pattern. For this one, I used Red Heart Soft Yarn in Navy on size 7 circular needles.

I have another cap on the needles, along with two scarves I’m working on. All of it will have to wait a while, though. I’ve apparently over done it and have “knitters elbow”. OUCH! I’m hoping a few days of no knitting and some ibuprophen will get me back on track. I miss it!

Until next time: Happy crafting!

I’ve come to the realization that just knitting scarves is getting old and boring. I like a little variety in my crafting and started looking further into places needing hand-made goods. One of the places I found is Halos of Hope. Their mission is:

We are a not-for-profit organization committed to providing in-need chemo patients with crafted hats donated by caring volunteers.

I started looking at their patterns and found one that I knew I just HAD to make. It’s called “Foaming Waves” and was designed by Maureen Keenan. Here’s a photo of my completed cap.

I used Caron Simply Soft Light in Pansy. I used size 6 needles (instead of 5’s) as I seem to knit a little on the tight side. I also followed the directions for the medium size cap. It’s a little big on me, but I have a pretty small head. I have confidence that it will fit someone.

I faced a few challenges along the way. I’m not an accomplished knitter, by any means. It may have been the size of the yarn, or just my inexperience with some new stitch combinations. I had trouble keeping the number of stitches right, even though I used markers for each pattern rep. I hope it will just take practice to have those issues eliminated.

The bottom row (the cast on) wants to curl up pretty badly. I attribute that to my “tight” knitting. I think if I do this pattern again, I will cast on to needles one size larger, just to get that row a little looser, then switch back to my size 6’s. Any suggestions?

I have a couple other things on the needles. I can’t seem to do just one thing at a time. I promise to share more photos as items get completed.

Till then, happy crafting!

As I mentioned in previous posts, I got a little tired of the same red and blue yarn required by the Special Olympics Scarf Project. I did ten in all and shipped them off last week.

So I found another group who needs hand-knit scarves. It’s called Christmas at Sea run by The Seamen’s Church Institute. They collect items all year long for distribution to mariners at Christmastime.

I’ve completed my first scarf for this project.

This is the Seafarer’s Scarf pattern supplied by the organization. Mine looks a little different from theirs, but it does meet the dimension requirements. I used Loops & Threads Impeccable Big Yarn in Earth and size 6 US needles.

I’ve started a second scarf in the same yarn. The first scarf did not use nearly all of what I bought. This next scarf is a fairly simple 6x6 basket weave pattern (Mariner’s Scarf) also supplied at the Christmas At Sea web site.

Happy crafting!

I’ve had this scarf off the needles for quite some time. This week, I finally found the time to sit down and weave in the ends. Here’s the completed scarf done in alternating colors in seven sections.

I found the pattern for this scarf through Knitting Pattern Central. I enjoyed working this pattern as it was done on size 10 1/2 needles and it went pretty fast. I was really happy with how it turned out, too.

This is probably the last scarf I’ll do for the Scarves for Special Olympics Project this year. As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m a bit tired of these colors. I’m currently working on another scarf for another charity using a brown variegated yarn. But you’ll just have to wait to see what that one is about.

Thanks for looking in on what I’ve been up to. Happy crafting!

Today, I finished two more scarves for the Special Olympics Scarf Project. 

Here’s the first of the two. It’s actually the 8th scarf I’ve completed.

I did the scarf in half red and half blue. I used the Tweedy Eyelet Scarf pattern I found on Ravelry. It’s four rows of knit stitch and then one row with yarn-overs to create the “eyelet” pattern. I took me quite a while to figure out how to tell where I was without ticking off my rows on a piece of paper. Once I did figure that out, however, the knitting started to go much faster. I really enjoyed doing this one.

This is the other newly completed scarf, my ninth for the Project.

It’s a standard basket weave pattern which I’d wanted to do for a while. I added a selvedge stitch on each side. It’s done in in four alternating sections of color (red & blue), mostly just to do something a little different.  Then I added the tassels on each end.

I have my tenth scarf on the needles right now, size 10 1/2 to be precise. So it’s going to go pretty fast. I’ll be back here to show it off once it’s all finished.

Thanks for stopping by. Happy crafting!

I know it’s been a very long time since I’ve updated this blog with all the knitting I’ve done. In spite of not sharing, I have been quite busy knitting for the 2012 Special Olympics Scarf Project. I’ve completed seven scarves and have two more on the needles.

I’ll start back at the beginning. This is the first scarf I completed.

I used a pattern from the 2009 Scarf Project. It’s a simple knit 2, purl 2 done on size 10 needles. Since it was my first scarf, I opted not to change colors as often as the knitted pattern stated.

My second scarf was also based on a 2009 pattern. I’m afraid I wasn’t happy with how it was working, so I made a change and it caused the finished scarf to wrap in on itself more that it might have otherwise. I blocked it, but it still looks like a tube. I’ve learned a valuable lesson.

I didn’t get a photo of the completed scarf, but here it is when it was getting started, using size 9 needles.

I made it half red and half blue, the two colors required for the 2012 Project.

You may have seen my third scarf in a previous post, at least the beginnings of it. Again, I made the scarf half and half in color. This time I decided to add some fringe. That was partly because the scarf was done on size 8 needles and took quite a while to do. So, I could shorten the knitting time by adding 3” fringe. I found this pattern on Ravelry. I’m considering doing another from this pattern. I really liked doing it.

My fourth scarf hasn’t been posted here (nor have the succeeding ones). I think I discovered this pattern through Ravelry, but it came from the Bernat site. This one tried to curl some on me too, but not nearly as bad as my second scarf. I gave it a little steam and it wasn’t so bad. Again, I did it in half red and half blue.

This next one I made (number five) taught me some new things. The pattern (also found through Ravelry) called for an extra stitch on each end “for a selvage”. I’m not well versed in knitting and had to look up what to do with a selvage. I chose the “slip-stitch selvage” as described at Beyond the Basics. It made a very nice edging on the scarf.

This scarf was done on size 9 needles. I liked it so much that I did another one as you’ll see in a bit. I liked how the fringe came out on the previous scarf, so decided to do it again on this one, also done in half and half on the colors.

My sixth scarf is a repeat of the pattern used on my first scarf. Since that was was mostly blue with a little red, I decided to make this one mostly red with a little blue. I really like this pattern, too. It’s a simple knit 2, purl 2. It’s really scrunchy and soft. I hope the recipient likes it, too.

My seventh scarf is made from the same pattern as the fifth. This time I divided the scarf into five equal lengths of color. I could tell I was getting short on yarn, so had to be cautious as I went. I had more blue than red and this is the finished scarf.

When I started this project in May, I purchased four skeins each of the two colors. After completing these seven scarves, this is what was left of all that yarn.

I have since used the red to start my eighth scarf. Red Heart yarn was on sale at Michael’s where I found more blue. I used 40%-off coupons for two skeins of red at JoAnn Fabrics. Nothing like reduced prices to feed my habits!

Here is the start of my eighth scarf. I found this pattern on Ravelry as well.

I’m using size 10 needles (unlike the pattern) and cast on 26 stitches. It will be a half-and-half scarf. I got a little carried away with knitting it and didn’t stop to change colors. It took me a while to learn how to tell when the eyelet row came up, so I did a lot of counting at first. Now I can see when to do it and it’s going a lot faster.

I can’t ever seem to just do one at a time, so number nine is also on needles. I had found this basket weave pattern some time ago, and even started working it. But I didn’t like how it was going. I think I chose the wrong size needles  or something. So I ripped it out and did something else. Now I’m back to it, using size 9 needles and I added the slip-stitch selvage to it. It’s going very well, now, and the edges look great.

I haven’t completely decided on the color scheme yet. But I am planning to put tassels on it. I think it will help the bottom edges lay flatter. Plus it adds a little interest to the scarf.

I’m so glad that my sister gave me the inspiration to work on this project. It was a great way to pass the time this summer, not only while traveling, but also on those quiet afternoons when nothing else was more pressing. I’m enjoying it even more than I expected.

Thanks for stopping by. Happy crafting!

I have just completed my third scarf for the Scarves for Special Olympics project.

The scarf itself is half red and half blue, then I added two strands of blue and two of red to each tassel. I used this pattern from Ravelry. It was fairly simple to do, but it took quite a while as it was done on size 8 needles. It’s tight and heavy and should be very warm for a Special Olympian next winter.

Its dimensions didn’t come out perfect, so I hope they won’t mind that it’s a little bit longer and a little bit skinnier than the recommendations. I’m very happy with it, in any case.

Thanks for stopping by. Happy crafting!