Another Musselburgh Hat, Sort Of

I decided to make another Musselburgh hat, but this time I decided to make it out of two different yarns held together.  It would be a little thicker than my fingering weight Musselburghs, but hey, winter is coming.  I used Hedgehog Fibres Oh So Fine in Sea Glass (which is a fingering weight non-superwash yarn that is super soft), and I paired it with Moondrake Co Yarns Fuwa Fuwa in Frozen (which is a brushed cashmere and wool blend yarn - 70% cashmere!).  The Fuwa Fuwa is similar to a Kid Silk Haze type of yarn, but because cashmere has a shorter staple length than kid mohair, there's a little less fuzz - it's more floof than fuzz.  

I started out knitting the Musselburgh pattern as written, holding the two yarns together, using US 5's (3.75mm).  Once I had gone far enough to have something I could measure I got my gauge and figured out which set of numbers to use for my size, and I was off!  As I was approaching the halfway point, I realized that while the fabric I was getting was both floofy and soft, if I knit the hat doubled as it's supposed to be, this hat will be too warm for Texas.  Let's face it, we do get some cold weather, but if it's cold enough for what this hat could have become, I'm not going to be outside very long.  I decided to finish the hat a little differently - with a hem.

When I got to the halfway point I worked one round in purl for a turning round (still holding the two yarns together).  Then I dropped the Oh So Fine and changed to a set of US 3's (3.25mm). (It's important to drop needle size for a hem so that the hem has a slightly smaller circumference -look at me using the maths- than the main part of the garment and lies flat on the inside.)  Then I knit the hem for about 1-1/2 inches and stitched the live stitches down into the hat to finish it off.

Voila!  Not quite a Mussleburgh, but mostly, sort of!

We now return to our normally scheduled programming of socks.  (The fourth pattern in this year's Handmade Sock Society drops today!)

Two! Finished Projects!

Yes, you read that right!  I've actually finished two things!  (Insert Happy Dance here!!!)

First of all, I finished the Musselburgh hat I showed you last week.  This is such a great pattern because you don't have a huge cast on, you don't have to check your gauge, you just start knitting with a yarn and needles that work well together.  Then you fold the hat in half, stuffing one half into the other half (instant lining) and it's done.  It means knitting a fingering weight hat that is actually warm.  

See?  Here's what it looks like when the knitting is done.  Crazy, right?

I also finished a sewing project.  This is the Brumby Skirt, and I don't think this will be my last one.  I made it in a navy cotton with slubs running both ways in the weave.  If you zoom into the photo, you can see the lighter crosshatch in the fabric.

Also, did you see the pockets in this thing?  I think you could put kittens in these!  I made the medium length version with the pockets (the pattern has mini, knee, and midi length skirts).  I also used an invisible zipper instead of the exposed zip the pattern calls for.  I can definitely see doing this again, but I also think it would be cute with gathered tiers for a maxi skirt (still with the pockets of course)!

Not A Sock

I found something else I can knit with Obi - the Musselburgh hat!  I knit a couple of these last summer, and once you get past the first few rows, it's very easy to pick up and put down.  By the time you get past the increases and switch to a circular needle you're home free.  Perfect puppy knitting!

This is knit in Blue Barn Fiber Arts on the I Knead This base in the Black Magic colorway.  At first glance it looks like a black hat, but when you look at it in the light, you can see the colors under the black.  I'm knitting this for myself, for winter dog walking, but I'm prepared to give it up if Caleb sees it and wants it. 

Earlier this week I made some cookies for Obi.  They were these Peanut Butter Pumpkin ones and they were super fast.  Obi likes them and Mickael and I tried one too (for science) - they taste like a bland peanut butter cookie.  The smallest cookie cutter I have is a 1 inch heart, but they're probably still a little big for Obi right now.  Once he's full sized, I think they'll be the right size.  For now he'll just have to break them up a bit and clean up his crumbs.  He doesn't seem to mind.

Have a great weekend!

One More Thing to Keep Caleb Warm

When Caleb was home at Thanksgiving I was working to finish my Vanguard Cardigan, and at that point I knew I would have some yarn leftover.  It's hard to photograph accurately, but Hazel Knits Cadence in Giddy Up is the exact shade of maroon Texas A&M uses on its website, so I asked him if he'd like a maroon hat.  He did, so as soon as I finished knitting his sweater I started a hat.  I chose the Dragobrat hat, which is a ribbed beanie with a cable motif on one side.  (I Googled and apparently Dragobrat is a mountain in the Ukrainian part of the Carpathian mountain range.  The designer is Ukrainian.)

The pattern is written for sport weight yarn and Cadence is worsted, but the pattern also has sizing from tiny child all the way through adult sizes.  After doing some math, with a side of pure guesswork, I settled on the second to smallest size knit on US 6's (4.0mm).  I knit to the adult measurements and the only thing that didn't quite work is that I needed to start the crown decreases before the last cable crossing on the chart.  As you can see from the picture, it still works out just fine though.  

Now Caleb will be nice and cozy while he's away at school.  It's going to be 80 degrees down there today.  Glad he's got all this new wooly knitwear!

A Finished Hat!

My concern for Keeping Caleb Warm when he's away from home continues.  Never mind that College Station, Texas isn't really known for Arctic temperatures and February of 2021 was a freakish occurrence in Texas history, I'm going to do everything I can to keep him warm.  Fortunately, he likes blankets and is always appreciative of handknits, so he's at least indulgent of my crazy, and who doesn't love a good blanket fort?

So I knit him a Musselburgh hat.  I used Dream in Color Smooshy With Cashmere in Bermuda Teal which is a color that Caleb wears well.  I also figure it will work with his black, gray, and navy jackets and coats. This pattern is a fun one.  You start at the top crown and just start knitting.  Once you have enough stitches to check your gauge you can look at the pattern and get the rest of the directions.  The pattern is written to knit a lining, but you could easily just work a single layer hat as well.  This one is lined since I knit it in fingering weight yarn.

Have a great weekend!

A Hat

I finished knitting my Musselburgh hat, and I love it!  This is the large size, but the medium length because I prefer it without the brim folded up.  I knit it in Western Sky Knits Magnolia Sock in the Icon colorway.  I used size US 3 needles (3.25 mm).

The way this pattern is written, you start knitting at the crown and don't even think about gauge until you've knit enough to measure your work.  The hat is its own gauge swatch!!  It's also self lined so knitting it in a fingering weight yarn, you still get a decently warm hat.  I'll probably be making more of these because they're perfect for autopilot knitting, and they use almost a full skein of sock yarn.  It looks very much like a commercially produced beanie, so I think it could be a good gift/gateway drug for someone who's new to hand knits.

A Road Trip And Some Knitting

Yesterday we took a quick trip down to Aggieland!  We wanted to take a look at Caleb's apartment for next year and see the campus.  We figured it will make move in easier when there are about 70,000 other Aggies and their families trying to move in also.  It gave us a chance to check out the driving route (although in August we'll just be following all the other cars with A&M stickers) and we got some measurements and figured out what he needs in his space.

We wandered around campus and found the Oceanography building.  It was a perfect day to wander since the temperature was in the mid 70's and breezy.  It's not often that that happens at the end of May in Texas!  (This was a good thing because Siri doesn't do as well with walking directions as she does with driving directions, at least on this campus.)

We also saw Kyle Field, the home of Aggie football!  

I did a little knitting in the car too.  This is a Musselburgh hat, knit in Western Sky Knits Magnolia Sock in Icon.  It's a great hat pattern - you just start knitting and then figure gauge and sizing once you've gotten it started.

Overall it was a great day!  Caleb is very happy with his apartment, he likes the campus, and is looking forward to this fall.  We're very excited for him!

A Hat for Caleb

After finishing the mitts for Caleb a couple of weeks ago, I made him a matching hat!  This is the same yarn as the mitts (Hazel Knits Blueprint in Carbon Fiber) and when I picked the pattern, I purposely went looking for a 2x2 ribbed hat pattern in fingering weight so I could make him a perfectly coordinated set.  The pattern I used was Ribbed For His Pleasure, but it's not available on Ravelry anymore.  I had it in my library so I was still able to use it.

It was a very straightforward project, just lots of ribbing.  I did fall into a knitting black hole though as I was working on it because I knit and knit and knit and only added about 1/4 inch to the length.  Then I knit and knit for two more evenings and it was still the same measurement!  Finally, after the next evening of knitting I was able to get out of the black hole and all of a sudden had worked several inches.  I have no idea how or why that happens with some projects and I know it's not just psychological because I was measuring with a ruler, not just eyeballing it.  

I'm going to make him a matching pair of socks from this same yarn also, but that's it for this set.  I haven't decided if I'll make them the usual shorty socks that he likes so much or if I'll make longer socks, you know, to keep him extra warm!

Tent update:  we still love the tent!  Mr. Noodle is trying to climb the tent now because he can see the spinning wheel inside it and he's decided that the spinning wheel is his One True Love and he must get to it!  Fortunately, he can't get any kind of traction on the exterior of the tent with his claws.

Ripstop Nylon - 1, Cat - 0

A Finished Project!

 

Yes, that's right, I have an actual finished knitting project!  I finished knitting the Sockhead Slouch for Caleb.  This is knit in hand spun (scroll down) that I did last year at the first part of the Tour de Fleece. I spun the singles on one bobbin and then chain plied it to keep the stripe pattern intact.  I had no idea it was going to knit up into such perfect stripes until I started knitting the hat (and I totally love the stripes!)

The other thing I really liked about this hat was the cast on - I used the Chinese Waitress Cast on for the first time.  It's a bit fiddly and it took a while, but the finished cast on edge looks amazing!  I will definitely be using again.  I'm going to put the hat away for now and I'll give it to Caleb later - no one really needs a hat in Texas in May, even if it is fingering weight!

Knitting With Handspun

Back in July I spun a Merino/Yak/Silk blend top from Greenwood Fiberworks in the Durango colorway.  I chain plied it to keep the colors intact and I've started knitting it up now!

This is the Sockhead Slouch pattern and I'm loving how the striping in the yarn is working up in the hat.  I'm making this for Caleb, and it's really flying off the needles because I'm so amused by the stripes!  Also, I used the Chinese Waitress Cast On for the first time and while it's fiddly and takes a while, it really looks good and I will definitely be using it again.  I'll get a better picture of the cast on next time.

In other news, I've finished plying the 3-ply skeins and only need to chain ply the tiny amount I have left now to finish the Fireworks singles.  I hope to get that done today and get them all washed.

I Knit Another Hat

 

This is the Tied Knots hat, knit in Hand Maiden's Lady Godiva in Jabobean Blue.  This yarn is amazing and I think it really shows off the cables in the hat.  There's not a whole lot to say about this project.  I knit it exactly as the pattern said.  This was a fast, fun project to knit!

I won't be back to the blog tomorrow and next week is Thanksgiving.  I may or may not blog next week, so just in case, I hope you all have a great weekend and if you're celebrating Thanksgiving next week, I hope you have a lovely holiday!

A Hat

Last Thursday ESK announced a flash challenge for knitting hats.  Fortunately, I had some yarn all picked out and wound and ready to go, so I cast on Thursday afternoon.  I finished the hat Saturday morning before lunch and here it is!

It's just a basic hat with some slouch to it.  I knit it in Malabrigo Mecha in Aniversario (love this color) and it was so much fun watching the colors show up and blend into the knitted fabric.  Honestly, I kind of want a sweater out of this!  I'm not sure how practical that is for Texas, even North Texas, but I think this would be a great oversized pullover paired with jeans!  Also, it would only take about ten minutes to knit a sweater in bulky yarn (OK, maybe 15 minutes).

Something Fast

 

This weekend I found myself wanting to knit a super quick project that would give me a sense of completion with minimal effort on my part.  (Ever have those kinds of days?)  I decided a worsted weight hat would be exactly what I needed so I grabbed the 10K gift skein from ESK and cast on!

This is Mrs. Crosby Steamer Trunk in A Sweet Race (ESK exclusive color) knit in the Rikke hat pattern.  In my experience, Lorna's Laces yarns tend to pool weirdly and since Mrs. Crosby is part of Lorna's Laces, I've just avoided it as well.  I was pleasantly surprised that at least in worsted weight and this hat pattern it didn't pool but came out really well!  It looks like a cupcake with sprinkles on top.  I've knit the Rikke pattern before and knew it worked up quickly and it did not fail me this time.  In about 24 hours from casting on I was weaving in ends and blocking my finished hat.

Now I feel like I'm actually getting somewhere and can get back to my longer, more involved projects!

The Hat I Can Neither Spell Nor Pronounce

 

I finished my hat!  It's a slouchy hat, so since the whole thing is held on only by the ribbed band, I had to be very careful blocking it.  I did get it blocked though and it does stay on properly, so now I have two hats.

The pattern is Pelagia Noctiluca from the Knitters Curiosity Cabinet, Volume 3.  Apparently the name is something from the octopus or squid families (I'm not looking at the book right now, but I seem to recall a picture of some sort of octopus looking character sitting by this pattern.)  Maybe using the Ink colorway was fitting?  The yarn is Madelinetosh Pashmina.  It was a well written pattern and the lace was easy to knit.  I worked four repeats of the main chart and I think I got just the right amount of slouch on my hat.

I hope you all have a great weekend! 

Apparently I'm Knitting Hats This Year

 

I cast on for another hat over the weekend.  I have no explanation for this except that I had more leftover yarn and it was pretty.  The yarn is Madelinetosh Pashmina (mmmmmmm, I know) in Ink, probably leftover from my Dexter Cardigan.  The pattern is Pelagia Noctiluca Hat from The Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet, Volume III.  (Just in case you were curious, I absolutely had to look up how to spell that name for the blog post.)

I started with an almost full skein and two partial bits of skeins.  I will still have yarn left when I finish this, but hopefully this will put a dent in it.  I'm probably about halfway through at this point and I should get this finished before too much longer.

Tomorrow you can see why I haven't finished it yet!

A Hat Fell Off My Needles This Weekend

 

So this happened.  When this pattern was first released (Passerine Hat), I thought it was beautiful.  I also noticed that it would use small amounts of fingering weight yarn.  I happened to have leftovers of fingering weight yarn (funny how that happens), so I put a note with these leftovers so I could remember what I wanted to use them for.  This past weekend I was looking for something small to work on while my Eyre pullover blocked and when I needed a break from brioche.  This hat was the perfect little palate cleanser!

I cast on Saturday afternoon and finished up Sunday evening.  I blocked it yesterday and I just love it.  The yarn is Malabrigo Mechita in Natural and English Rose, leftover from a striped pullover I made a while back (2015?).  This yarn is super soft and I love all the colors of pinks in the English Rose.  It makes such pretty birds.

Gift Knitting

 

I've already started working on Christmas gifts this year.  Some of them will be on the blog, some won't.  Some of them will be blogged as gifts, some will just be blogged like a regular project.  I'm sneaky this way, depending on who the gift is for and whether they read the blog or not.

This is a cashmere hat.  I got the yarn and original pattern from Churchmouse Yarns and Teas, but resized the pattern a bit so it would fit the giftee.  The yarn is wonderful.  I mean it's 100% Italian Cashmere, how can you go wrong?  If blogs were tactile, I would pass this around so you could all feel it and give it a squoosh.  You'll just have to use your imagination.  It's glorious.  I used the Charcoal colorway so it will go with either black or navy coats.  Did I mention it's really amazing yarn?

Loopy Academy, Freshman Year, Semester One, Finished!

 

I finished my hat over the weekend, so I’ve completed Loopy Academy for the fall!  The idea of Loopy Academy is so fun, and a completely different (slower and easier) pace than Camp Loopy in the summer.  The fact that it’s ongoing is great too, because I think it would make a great challenge for a newer knitter.

Anyway, for this semester I’ve knit a cowl, mittens, and a hat.  The hat does fit, and it does stay on well even though it’s a slouchy style!  You’ll have to take my word for it because I don’t do selfies.  Next semester doesn’t start until February (we get January off), so I’ll be finishing up my socks and Hitchhiker and maybe doing a few other things in the meantime.

Blogging will probably be sporadic this week but I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving if you’re celebrating Thursday!

Loopy Academy - The Hat

 

The last project for Loopy Academy, Freshman Year, Semester One is the hat.  (Actually, that’s my last project, yours might be something different because we can do them in any order.)  It has to be knit in DK or Sport weight yarn and the pattern has to be from a new-to-you designer.  In order to hit the yardage requirement, I chose the slouchy, garter stitch design, Rikke, by Sarah Young.  I tried knitting a slouchy hat once before and it didn’t work at all.  It might have been too loose at the cast on and ribbing, but also my head is really round.  Mickael and Caleb have these ridges on the back of their heads where a slouchy hat can kind of sit and stay on correctly.  The back of my head is just rounded and smooth.  I did get the cast on and the first few rounds (worked on a smaller needle) tight enough this time, but I’ll only know if it stays on right once it’s done.  I think it’s a cute hat and I hope it works out.  Fortunately, hats are super fast, so I’ll know soon!

The yarn I’m using is Fable Fibers Biography in Ruby.  I love the color shading of the tonal reds on this yarn.  I think this would make a cute pullover with a pair of jeans too.  I might have been thinking about pullover patterns last night while I knit on the hat.  Here’s my Rav project page, if you’re interested!

Drive By Blogging!

I’ve got to get Caleb to the orthodontist this morning, but some commenters tracked down the hat pattern from Tuesday!  Here is a link, and it works (double checked it again this morning), so if you’d like a great, simple hat in worsted weight, download this pattern.  I’ve also updated the link on Tuesday’s post so you can get it there too!  Thanks for the detective work!

Happy Thursday!