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Another Slouched Tuva Hat!

Posted on March 23, 2010 by auburnchick

Oh my, but I really love this pattern!

You might remember that I recently knit a Slouched Tuva Hat for Chicky’s soccer teammate.

Well, I wasn’t completely happy with the result, thinking it turned out a little larger than I wanted.

I considered my options:  cast on fewer stitches (and endure the torture of doing math) or use a smaller needle.

My mathless brain won out, so I used a smaller needle, dropping down to a 6 from the 8 I originally used.

First, take a look at the difference…

The hat on the bottom is the new one.  You can see that it is not as wide as the other one.

I was concerned about losing some of the lacy look, but I really didn’t.  The hat feels a bit denser than the larger one, but it still slouches nicely, and it looks great (in my humble opinion).

See for yourself…

I’ll be taking both hats to this weekend’s games to let Chicky’s teammate select the one that is the best fit.  If she chooses the smaller one, I’ll frog the bigger size and re-knit it for me.

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

It’s Ok To Be a Slouch

Posted on March 10, 2010 by auburnchick

Wow, I really seem to be cranking out the projects lately!

Last weekend, while out soccering, my daughter’s teammate asked me if I’d knit her the hat she asked for during a New Year’s tournament.

I sort-of forgot.

So, I did some hunting and found a somewhat easy, yet what I think is a classy, pattern. Chicky’s teammate will be playing soccer in college, so I did my homework and found out that one of the school colors is red.

This is the Slouched Tuva Hat, a free pattern available here.

I used 138 yards of Caron Simply Soft in Autumn Red. I knit this on size US 8 needles.

The pattern was simple, simple, simple! I cast on last night and finished this afternoon. Seriously, I could have finished it completely in a few hours’ time, but a little thing called “earning a teensy paycheck” got in the way.

The decreases were done in the pattern established, so you don’t really get the spiral look.

I will probably make this again. I have enough yarn leftover to make myself one.

But, here’s what I think I would do over. I would cast on fewer stitches, but my brain can’t handle the math and the adjustments. I’ll probably just go down in needle size, resorting to a US 6 or US 5. The hat seems a wee bit big, but it does stay on my head, so it could be that I’m finally “stylish” while wearing it. Who knows.

Anyhoo, it’s a fun pattern that I highly recommend!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

A Circle of Kindness

Posted on February 26, 2010 by auburnchick

It is amazing what three people can do when they put their heads together.

Cue up my latest finished project…

The pattern is Lacy Shawl, from the Prayer Shawl Companion book.

I made this for my friend, Figaro’s, neighbor, who tragically lost a young son before Thanksgiving.

Our friend, Rabbitrescuer, sent me a couple of skeins of Caron Simply Soft (Grey Heather).  I bought one more because I suspected that I would need it.  The project used 674 yards (a little over two skeins).

This was a super-easy pattern. I completed seven sections and added the fringe on the bottom.

I love the lacy pattern. I used size 10 1/2 needles. It almost looks like a crocheted item (to my non-crochet knowledgeable eyes).

The Caron Simply Soft drapes soooo nicely!!

I will be putting this in the mail tomorrow.  I cannot wait for this gift to reach its unsuspecting recipient, and I am thankful to be a part of a circle of friends who, joined together, can extend arms of warmth to this grieving mother.

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Knitting the Time Away

Posted on July 29, 2008 by auburnchick

28 hours in the car. That’s how long I spent in the car this past weekend. 14 hours each way. Three soccer games…one each day. Lots of knitting time.

I took six projects with me and finished (sort of) three. Not bad, eh?

As the organizer for the West Coast Oddball Baby Blanket project, I wanted to get a few blankets started. Here’s Grand Canyon Sunset. I used Caron Simply Soft. The color is Mango (9502), and the pattern is called Purl Triangles from the book, knit & purl.

The second blanket I cast on is Purple Mountains Majesty. I used Caron Simply Soft, and the color is Violet (9908). The pattern is called Reverse Stockinette Stitch Chevrons (from the same book).

I also managed to finish knitting A Little Slip of a Thing. I used Lamb’s Pride Wool yarn, Spruce and Dynamite Blue.

While making this bag, I had to learn a few new things. One was color work. To do this, I took an online class through the Fuzzy Lamb. The classes are free right now.

What is interesting about this pattern is that you don’t cut the yarn until the end, even though you’re working with two colors. You drop one and work with the other, knitting slip stitches as you go around. Very neat, if you ask me. I took a picture of the inside of the bag, but I haven’t uploaded it yet. I’ll post it with a picture of the finished product.

When I got to the top, I had to do an I-cord bind off. Eh? Thank goodness I have a broadband card and a laptop, because I was in the car when I hit this brick wall. I quickly googled this and found clear instructions here on how to proceed. It was awkward, but I got the hang of it in no time flat.

The I-cord handle was a breeze ever since I mastered this skill a few weeks ago. It didn’t take long to knit the nine feet the pattern recommends.

I’ll probably felt this tomorrow. I can’t wait!

After all of this knitting, I also managed to knit one pattern repeat of my scarf. At this point, I started feeling a little car sick and had to put the knitting away and take a brief snooze. I woke up to find myself almost home.

Home Sweet Home.

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Thank Goodness for Podcasts

Posted on April 20, 2008 by auburnchick

I traveled this weekend…which probably doesn’t surprise you by now. This is the busiest time of the season for us. With another round of state playoffs right around the corner, the team is taking every opportunity to practice. Living across state from most of the players has proven to be a challenge. The solution has been to practice in Jacksonville every other weekend. It’s a haul but well worth it.

So, it was my turn to take daughter to practice. I really don’t mind because I get in good knitting time without the responsibility of taking care of the house and pets.

I loaded up the yarn I bought for the the comfort throw along with the latest oddball baby blanket that I received in the mail on Thursday. I worked on it during daughter’s scrimmage. The name of the blanket is Rainbow Joy, with each knitter using the color, in order, in the rainbow. I used Caron Simply Soft, and the color is Limelight. Because it’s garter stitch, I was able to knit and watch the game without looking down much.

With this blanket done and ready to travel again, I felt like I could concentrate on the comfort throw for my friend. However, after completing the garter border and one row of the pattern, I discovered that the pattern has mistakes. Grrr…

So, I put the blanket away and planned to find a pattern online.

With that done, and two practice sessions still ahead of me, I decided to pull out my sock and continue working on it. I got two more rounds done. Pretty good!

After practice, we began our trip home. Thank goodness for podcasts! I had downloaded the latest editions of some that I had subscribed to, so I was all set. I have a power converter box with two outlets, so daughter and I could both plug in our laptops. My Macbook Pro came with a remote control that I’ve never used before. It’s the handiest little gadget!

I used it to get to my iTunes menu and play my podcasts! I caught up with Diva Knitting and Part 2 of her sock-along. She had some handy tips about short-row heels. Then, I listened to the KnitPicks podcast. Next was Ready, Set, Knit, which is the WEBS podcast. Guests were the Yarn Harlot and Melissa Morgan Oakes, the author of Two Socks at a Time! It was fabulous! I also listened to Knit Together, a wonderful Christian podcast in which practical knitting topics were addressed in this edition. Next was Stitch It. Meghan includes a lot of information about spinning.  Knitting Rose is always a must-listen. She’s such a doll! And last, but not least, was the weekend edition of Way of the Master.

I was in happy land! The hours flew by, and before I knew it, I was pulling into my driveway.

Well, I’m off to look for patterns for a simple, quick throw.

Filed under: Knitting, This-n-That | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

2-at-a-time Socks!

Posted on March 23, 2008 by auburnchick

Easter Sunday was a good day. Of course, I started the day by attending church with my family. I loved the sermon this morning. It went beyond the traditional Easter message and really challenged believers to heed Jesus’ call to serve Him. Very thought-provoking…

Here is a picture of the flowers I picked up yesterday while grocery shopping. They are so bright and cheery. They reminded me of Easter and God’s promise of new life in Him.

Since Lent was officially over, I treated myself to a small amount of chocolate and a caffeine-free Coke. Yum!

Sundays are, in our family, a day of rest. I try really hard not to make my children do chores and try to refrain from them myself. So, I spent most of the day knitting. I finally finished my 2-at-a-time, Magic Loop socks.

I used Trampoline Stretch yarn by Skacel. The colorway is #229. It is a wool/nylon blend. I chose the color because it reminded me of tigers. Since I’m an Auburn fan, I figured this was appropriate. They are a great fit!

I used the Varsity pattern from the 2-at-a-time socks book (author is Melissa Morgan-Oakes). The pattern is supposed to be for striped socks, but I used it because of the ribbing. It seemed simple for my first pair of magic loop socks. Turns out that AuburnChick can follow directions! It helps that this book has pictures!

The socks really did not take me too long to knit. I had several breaks in this project because I’ve been working on Oddball Baby Blankets with the group on Knitting Help. Here’s a picture of the last couple of blankets I’ve had the privilege of working on:

This is Angel Wings. I used Caron Simply Soft, colorway Baby Bright Ombre. The yarn was rough, which was surprising. I’ve used this brand before and found it a pleasure to work with. I will not knit with this colorway again, if I can help it. I sent it back to the organizer of the project. Since I was the last knitter, all she needs to do is add a border! Then it’s off to the gal who is taking all of our blankets to a certain hospital.

The next picture is the Neon Fun Oddball Blanket. I used Caron Simply Soft. The colorway is Mango. I love this yarn! It’s so soft, and the color is fabulous! I opted for a simple stitch…twisted stockinette.

My next project will be the Greenaway Fingerless Gloves! I am so excited!!!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

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