Category: Crafts

DIY Friday: Growing Rib Hat

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This year when we did Operation Christmas Child boxes I thought it would be nice to include some hand knit hats since I have a lot of yarn lying around. Since I was going to be making hats for boys and girls to go with three different age groups, I wanted to make a pattern that would work for anyone.I came up with this Growing Rib Hat (click to find on Ravelry) that has an increasing rib pattern for each size.

I made one for the oldest girl with a white body and blue trim, and the two younger girls got blue hats with white trim. The boys each got black hats, because that is probably the easiest color to give to the boys.

The pattern is written to use just the simple Red Heart yarn you can find at pretty much any store, but you can just as easily substitute any size 4 yarn. For the oldest girl’s hat I actually used a sport weight yarn doubled to get nearly the same gauge.

More info on each hat can be found on the Ravelry project pages:
Pre-teen Boy
Elementary-age Boy
Toddler Boy
Pre-teen Girl
Elementary-age Girl
Toddler Girl

DIY Friday: One-Day Armwarmers

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Remember my friend who really likes purple? Well, her birthday was at the end of October. I still had (have) a ridiculous amount of that yarn, so I worked up a quick pair of armwarmers that, as the title states, only took a day to make. In fact, it took less than a day because I stopped working on it to go shopping for a few hours.

I’m not going to post the whole pattern in the body of this post, but click here to download the pattern in PDF format.

The gloves have knit 2, purl 2 ribbing at the top and the bottom, with the body worked in stockinette with shaping so it isn’t as bulky at the wrist as if it were knit straight. There is a thumb gusset, and the instructions for opposite gussets are included. But you could just as easily make the two gloves with the gusset on the same side because there is no patterning on either side. But making the gussets on opposite sides of the gloves makes it easier to keep track of while working both at the same time. At least it worked that way for me.

If you make these, let me know. I would love to see pictures. You can find the info on this pattern here on Ravelry. Also, let me know if you have any trouble with downloading, or notice any errors in the pattern.

Sleep Deprived

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Or, the laziest DIY Friday to date. Because a button sewing tutorial wasn’t lazy enough.

I have been awake pretty much since yesterday morning. Because my brain likes to sabotage my sleep when I have to be awake early. I got a bit of sleep, but only in 30 minute spurts. I know because I woke up and checked the clock about every half hour last night.

I’ve also been slightly busy this week working on computer things in the afternoon and so I didn’t make the thing I’ve been somewhat planning to make this week.

I did make a coaster yesterday, but technically it is a swatch for a secret project so I can’t tell much about it. I can say I made it using Wool of the Andes Superwash that I got from KnitPicks when they were offering a free ball to try a few months back. The colorway is Noble Heather.

Here is the DIY portion of today’s ramble:

Basic Coaster:
Materials:
Worsted weight yarn
Size 7 (4.5mm) knitting needles
Scissors
Yarn Needle
Instructions:
Cast on 24 stitches.
Knit 4 rows.
W(rong) S(ide) row: K2, P20, K2
R(ight) S(ide) row: K24
Continue alternating WS and RS rows until piece measures 3.5 inches, ending with a WS row.
Knit 3 rows.
Bind off.
Cut yarn, weave in ends.

Very simple, no? I’ve decided I need to make a couple coasters to have around my room since I have a coffee maker next to the end of my bed. It makes it easy when I have to get up 30 minutes earlier than normal after having slept exactly none the night before.