Knitting | AuburnChick's Adventures

Baby Bear Hat

Posted on August 4, 2013 by auburnchick

Do you remember the baby hats and capris I recently made for a sweet friend of Chicky’s? She’s got her own little photography business going, and she texted me last week to ask if I could make another hat for her. She’s getting good at finding patterns.

I sent her out to the store to find the yarn she wanted, and she dropped it off in the wee hours of Friday morning.

I just got around to casting on after spending a couple of days recuperating from my trip to Lakeland.

The pattern is called Baby Bear Hat, and it is free! You can find it here.

First, the yarn…

Lion Brand Heartland – Sequoia colorway

The picture does not do the yarn justice. It is a deep brown with flecks of lighter brown. It’s beautiful and very soft, although as is typical of acrylic yarn, it did not slide that easily through my fingers. Still, it wasn’t bad to knit with. The project only required a scant 20 grams of yarn!

I made the newborn size on size 9 needles, despite everyone else who’s knit this using a size 10.5. My knitting is loose, and the yarn label recommended size 9 needles. I’d talked to Amber, and she had mentioned that my other hats could have been a tad smaller. She wasn’t criticizing; I had asked her for honest feedback. I figured with smaller needles and, thus, a tighter gauge, the size would be better.

I followed the pattern until the decreases. I always read others’ project notes and had decided, since I do not like to seam, to knit the ears directly onto the hat. I marked the first stitch on the first decrease round, knit the next eighteen stitches (decreasing according to the pattern), and marked the next stitch. Then, I finished the round.

I finished knitting the hat according to the instructions and bound off.

To make the ears, I picked up six stitches beginning with the stitch below the one I had marked. I’d run out of stitches to pick up the first time I tried by starting at the marked stitch and started picking up all over again.

I completed the ears as instructed except for the first decrease on row 4. I did as someone suggested and knit a SSK, which made that side lean the right way (if you’re a knitting or crocheter, you understand how important this is when shaping).

The result is an adorable little hat! I cannot wait to see it on Amber’s client!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: baby, baby bear hat, Knitting, Lion Brand Heartland | 1 Comment »

Little Labyrinth Dishcloth

Posted on July 13, 2013 by auburnchick

Here’s one more dishcloth for you!

This is my Little Labyrinth Dishcloth. It is a free pattern available here.

Forgive me for the poor quality of the photograph.

I knit this cloth for a Harry Potter Knit/Crochet assignment (the forum is here if you’re interested in joining).

The yarn is Peaches & Creme…Happy Go Lucky (colorway), and the needle size is 6. I used 52 yards of yarn.

Although I am used to knitting lace and, in fact, love the challenge of it, I did not enjoy knitting this pattern.

I am a gal who likes order. I like symmetry.

This pattern is not symmetrical. It can’t be because it’s a labyrinth.

My head knew this, but my fingers did not, and I had to tink back frequently.

Grrrr.

I was happy to bind off.

I like the look of the pattern when the cloth is held up the light. It also makes a good dishcloth; I have used it quite a few times already.

Now, it’s time to get back to the socks I started knitting in June!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: dishcloth, Knitting, Little Labyrinth | Leave a comment »

Double Bump Dishcloth

Posted on July 11, 2013 by auburnchick

I finished another project a few days ago. This is my Double Bump Dishcloth. It is a free Ravelry download available here.

I used size 6 needles…smaller than what the pattern called for because my tension is loose.

I used Peaches n Creme yarn. You probably recognize the color. Last Christmas, I bought a cone of this yarn. I’ve knit a few cloths from it already. The color is Happy Go Lucky. I used 51 yards of yarn for this project.

The pattern is a four-line repeat that is so easy to memorize. I love the texture!!!

I’ve already added this to my dishcloth drawer and, in fact, have used it! This pattern only took two or three hours to knit up. I know I’ll be using more in the future!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: cotton, Double Bump Dishcloth, Knitting | 1 Comment »

Perdita – Bluebell – A Knitted Bracelet

Posted on July 9, 2013 by auburnchick

Last week, I officially joined the Harry Potter Knitting & Crochet House Cup on Ravelry.

Participants are sorted into houses, and monthly assignments are posted. Participants are only required to complete one “class” per month but can complete more. Points are awarded, and the house with the most points wins.

There is a lot of socializing as well as a lot of inspiration as projects are oohed and ahhed over.

I’ve jumped right on in, excited to have finally found a forum comprised of nice people. Many welcomed me immediately, and I felt loved.

Anyhoo…enough about the mushy stuff.

I wanted to share one of the four projects I’ve completed in the last week. Yes, vacation has been so good to me. Sleep in, do a few household chores, nap, eat dinner, and knit. I’ll enjoy this while I can!

Here’s the project.

It’s called Perdita. This pattern, free on Knitty, actually consists of three patterns for three different bracelets.

I made Bluebell.

I used Artiste DMC Cotton Pearl. The colorway is #790196. It’s a light blue…very pretty.

I used size 0 needles and made the XS size. I should have made the small though, which only adds one more repeat.

I bought the beads at Hobby Lobby. It’s the Chocolate/Blue mixture. I used a .75mm crochet hook to string the beads as I knit. I did not string them all beforehand. This link explains how to add beads to a project.

The pattern was super-easy. I easily knit it in one evening…during a movie that Chicky and I sat down to watch together.

I’m so happy that I’ve been practicing my crocheting skills, because I was able to SC around one end and chain the button loops. I wound up adding an extra button because there was a large gap between the two I originally put on. The extra repeat would have prevented this gap. Hindsight. All worked out in the end.

The buttons are actually brown, not orange.

I absolutely love this little bracelet and will probably make more in different colors!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: beads, bracelet, Knitting, Perdita | 1 Comment »

Knitted Baby Capris, Kitten Hat, and Bonnet

Posted on June 23, 2013 by auburnchick

Now, before you start wondering why I’m knitting baby items, let me just tell you that Chicky has a friend from high school who recently started her own photography business. She asked me to knit up a few baby items to photograph her clients in. She showed me a picture of something she wanted to use in her studio, and together we selected a couple of patterns that fit the bill.

We met at Hobby Lobby, and I gave her a crash course on yarns…especially their weight.

She purchased a few skeins, and off I went.

Here’s what I made. Specific pattern notes can be found on my Ravelry project pages.

First off is a pair of newborn capris and kitten hat to match.

The pattern can be purchased here.

This is the kitten hat that I made. The pattern was included with the one for the capris (which also had instructions for making shorts, capris, long pants, and longer pants)…

Amber, my daughter’s friend, wanted a second pair of capris from a different skein of yarn.

I purled the last row of the legs and bound off purlwise as suggested in the pattern (I didn’t do this with the first pair). I like the results much better!

I bought the designer’s pattern for a newborn baby bonnet. Amber wanted tassels, and this pattern had them.

Both brands of yarn were FABULOUS to work with!

The pattern designer was also a gem and got back with me quickly when I sent her a question.

These were super fast knits, with the patterns so easy to follow! I highly recommend this designer!

It was fun to knit up these small items, and I can’t wait to see pictures of Amber’s clients all dressed up in the finery that came off of my needles!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: baby, Bernat Denimstyle, bonnet, capris, hobby lobby, I Love This Cotton, Knitting | 2 Comments »

My BFF

Posted on June 19, 2013 by auburnchick

Alert the media.

I have finished another knitting project!!!

This probably won’t surprise you, but I went for my favorite type of pattern…SOCKS!

This pattern is BFF, by Cookie A. Yes, I am predictable, am I not?

The pattern can be found in her book Knit. Sock. Love.

For this pattern, I selected a skein of yarn I purchased in Seattle during my cruise to Alaska two years ago (props to the in-laws for funding that trip!).

The yarn is Happy Feet (total of 80 grams), and it was a joy to knit, frog, and re-knit with.

😀

I cast on June 2nd and plugged along just wonderfully…

…Until I turned the heel and tried on the first sock.

Ugh.

Too big!

Rats. The sock was ridiculously big, so I frogged (ripped up the entire thing)…

I cast on again, going down to a size 0 needle. I also switched from the Small sock to the XS. There’s a cable in this pattern, and cables tend to stretch.

With those changes made, I began knitting again and knit the entire leg in one day. I was on a mission to get this pair finished!

You can see that the fit was much, much better the second time around!

It wasn’t long before I was working the foot.

I love the evenness of the stitches!

It wasn’t long before I was casting on Sock #2.

I got a big head, though, and had to frog this sock after I finished the leg section. Right before I began working on the heel flap, I discovered that I’d been doing the cable pattern on the wrong round! Ugh!!

I got back in the groove, paid very close attention to every detail in the pattern, put on a movie (Snow White and the Swordsman…great movie!!), and finished the sock around 2am Tuesday morning…

Here are the photos of the finished pair! Please forgive the lighting. I have discovered that the afternoon light is the best when photographing my knitted items. I got antsy and couldn’t wait!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: BFF, Cookie A, Happy Feet, Knitting | 3 Comments »

Love of Knitting eBook – A Review

Posted on June 13, 2013 by auburnchick

A couple of days ago, I received an email from my friend, Rebecca, asking if I was interested in reviewing an eBook for the Love of Knitting website.

I contacted Eric, the guy who had originally emailed her, and he responded quickly, attaching the eBook to his message. He also granted me permission to use any photographs from the book. Yay!

The title of the eBook is Learn to Knit Lace. You can find the free eBook here.

You know me and lace. We go together like peanut butter and chocolate in a Reese’s Cup.

The eBook contains pattern instructions for three projects.

The Cielo Shell is an adorable sleeveless knit top that has stockinette stitching across the top third and a beautiful diamond lace pattern across the bottom portion.

Although I’ve never knit a “real” sweater, the instructions seem clear. The schematics provide the measurements needed to fit this top properly.

The second project in this eBook is the Espalier Wrap…

This pattern combines cables and easy lacework to make what looks to be a warm wrap. The leaf edging is a beautiful touch. Surprisingly, this project is worked back and forth, knitting through three charts simultaneously. I’ve never seen a pattern worked this way before, but I’ve gotta say that it sure beats picking up stitches or grafting a border on at the end! I will DEFINITELY be making this!

The last project in the eBook is a Lace Linen Trim…

This is a simple lace pattern that would add a fancy touch to any room!

I’ve got to say that I am very impressed with this little eBook. The steps are written out as well as charted, so regardless of your preference, you have no excuse not to give these patterns a go. The pictures serve as great visual references if you’re not sure what a pattern is supposed to look like.

The website, LoveofKnitting.com, where this eBook is located has many, many free patterns and other eBooks as well. I’ve bookmarked it for future reference and look forward to perusing it frequently.

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: eBook, Knitting, lace, Love of Knitting | Leave a comment »

Omelet Shawl – Revealed!

Posted on June 4, 2013 by auburnchick

Alright.

Since I teased you a bit with my post of two days ago, it’s finally time for the great reveal.

What, exactly, was I blocking?

It was, in fact, the Omelet Shawl, a beautiful design created by Joyce Fassbender.

I used Malabrigo Lace yarn and size 3 (3.25mm) needles. I cast on June 10, 2012 and finished June 1, 2013. It should not have taken me nearly a year, but as you know, teaching consumes my life from August to May. Trying to complete my Reading Endorsement, Fred Jones, and other professional development series left me with very little time to knit. The winding down of school (and the prospect of a knitalong with my friend, Christina) were the final motivation I needed to finish strong.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the pictures. I took them myself…using the self-timer on my camera and my tripod. It was a really fun photo session!