this moment...

this moment...

a friday ritual (inspired by soulemama). a single photo capturing a moment from the week. a simple, special, extraordinary moment. a moment to pause, savor and remember. if you're inspired to do the same, share a link to your 'moment' in the comments!

A Sun Hat

A Sun Hat

This hat was whipped up in one night when I needed something a bit more picture worthy for a trip to the zoo. My son’s head was small and I had nothing to fit him or protect him from the bright sun. Plus, I always have the need to put the poor kid in something handmade.

*This pattern was not tested by knitters. I only have worked on the two smaller sizes to decide on stitches and fabric density. I would LOVE to have your links, notes, or ideas to your hats so other knitters can have more inspiration. This pattern is very basic and would be really fun and easy to bling it up!

You need to be able to:
-knit in the round
-use double pointed needles
-perform a three needle bind-off
-weave in ends
-knit an icord/crochet chain Abbreviations:
* repeat until end/change in pattern
sts - stitch(es)dpn - double pointed needle M1F-make one front -with the left needle, lift the loop between the sts through the front; knit into the back of the loop
tog - together 
nb - newborn


Sizes will be listed as a circumference for a newborn (14”) , small (16”) , med (18”), large (20”). Please use judgment for positive ease with your measurements. Natural materials will tend to “grow” so you may need to work a few less sts. to get a good snug fit.

Materials:
US 5 16” needles
US 7 16” needles
US 5 or 7 dpn (either size will work for top of hat)
darning needle, place marker

Wool: up to 4 oz. skein worsted wool 120, (140, 160,180) yards **always plan for more
Worsted weight superwash wool is what this pattern is based off of. I personally would not do a heavier weight wool for summer time use. DK would work with a gauge change as would a double stranded sock yarn. Please keep in mind that knit is “porous” and would not protect 100% against the sun’s harmful rays.

Gauge: 5 sts per inch. on size US 7 needles.

Construction

Brim-

CO 85 (92, 99, 113) with US 7 16” circular needles using the long tail cast on. Do this a bit more loose than you normally do as you will use your edge for the three needle bind off.

Once you are ready to join the round, knit one sts and immediately cast it off and place your marker. You have now sealed your round and are ready to knit.

-Knit for 1 3/4”(2”, 2.5”, 2.5”) or whatever length you want the brim to be

-Knit one row of purl for turning

-Continue to knit the same amount of rows/inches 1 3/4”(2”, 2.5”, 2.5”) as you did the first half of your brim. It helps to make a tally as you go so you have the same number of rows on each side.

-To seal your brim, perform a three needle bind off (but keeping stitches live)
Looking at the cast on edge, you will see a row or sts that look like a chain; they run horizontally and are in the “middle” of the two loops. You will pick up each chain loop, one sts at a time using a dpn ( a size 4 works great). Holding that needle with the picked sts parallel and to the back of the live sts on the left circular needle, use the right circular needle to knit both the sts on the left circular needle and the picked up sts on the dpn together. Continue around until all the sts from the cast on edge are knitted together with the sts from the circular needle.
(This has been confusing in the past as I use the term Three Needle Bind Off.  After looking for more examples, it seems the community has different names for the same technique.  You are simply taking live stitches from two needles and knitting them together to form one new row of stitches on one needle)
For a pictorial demonstration, see my Flickr page or look on you-tube :)

Turning the hat: Switch to a size US5 needle
Row 1: decrease:
- nb knit 6, knit 2tog, *knit 5 knit 2tog* to the last 8 sts, knit 6 knit 2tog
- all other sizes *knit 5, knit 2tog*

-Row 2: Purl 2tog*

-Row 3: *knit 1, M1F*

-Row 4 to top of hat:
knit rib pattern *2 sts knit, 2 sts purl* until hat measures from “Row 3”
nb -2” of rib pattern
small -2.5” rib pattern
medium -3” rib pattern
large -3-3.5” rib pattern

-When you have reached your desired height work one row of purl. If you had to adjust your hat’s circumference, use the last row of ribbing to make your total number of sts divisible by 7. You are working your hat for 7 decreases evenly spaced across your row.

Top of hat:
-Begin knitting the hat at even spaced decreases of 7. (i.e. knit 11, knit 2tog around)
-Knit one row around
Repeat these two rounds until there are 49 sts remaining on the needles. You will have changed to dpn sometime during this decrease.

-Continue working every round in the decrease row pattern until there are 7 sts left on your needles. Cut the yarn with a 12” tail. Use a darning needle and run the yarn through the remaining live sts and pull tight. Secure and weave in ends.

Drawstring: (optional)

Cast on 3 sts and knit an icord until you have reached the length you would like to use to attach the hat to the child. For example, 28” is sufficient for a newborn sized hat.
If you prefer to crochet a simple chain, I would recommend to double up the yarn or do a double chain icord.

Run the icord through the holes created in the MIF row.

Please use judgment when using strings to attach hats on small children.

Wash and block and you are done!

**you are more than welcome to knit for a profit using this pattern. Just be kind and recognize me as the author of it! Happy knitting! **

Additional Ideas:
do intarsia on the body of the hat (but decrease the size to make up for the ribbing)
embroider flowers or other shapes
add knitted 3D flowers or stars to hat brim
use decorative ribbon instead of the optional icord string
use scraps up!
textured stitches
knit through the back of the ribbing stitches to give it a new dimension

A zoo trip!

After a (for once) quiet weekend for our family, Monday started off with a bang for the week!

Reagan's preschool class had a field trip to the local zoo. It was fun. They don't have much there but there were plenty of places for the little ones to run and play. I think the animals were glad they were the ones in cages!

Very entertaining for Logan

Goat + log + hole = hilarious

Holding hands...will be fun to show when they are 16

Run Forrest Run! (get tired so you'll nap)

If only it was the Dinosaur Train

...the hat pictured on Logan is a new pattern of mine. Thanks for all the compliments and questions from Ravelry about it. I'm making another one and writing down (in actual words rather than my cryptic yarn-lingo) what I did so I can offer it for free. It will not be tested so I'll just use standard head sizing for the larger sizes.

this moment...

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

WIP Wednesday

This week I have been working on a pair of shorties from my last YYMN slot on Hyena Cart. I will finish them up today! The lovely client wanted box stitched cuffs outlined in reverse crab stitch crochet (the only crochet I know how to do lol)

The colorway is Mosaic Moon's Ceilidh on Cestari Fine Merino

Once those are finished and set to wash and block, I'm going to do some wool "editing". The Abalone has to be semi-frogged and re knit and I am going to shorten a pair of longies I knitted for Logan way back when. He is just such a peanut that almost everything, well everything, that I knit him before he was born is way too big.

ahh, newborns

I have to brag that my newborn is usually one easy going guy.  If you have met his precocious brothers, you would understand why.  But last night, he turned into something else.  Yikes.  Screams starting at 3, with real tears, for hours.  Hungry. Mad. Wet. All at the same time even though he was full, dry, and snuggled. 

Surprisingly, I found myself during the midst of our midnight-mid morning battle with the invisible monster, not that bothered by it.  It must be the third child syndrome.  As a new mother, when I experienced night after night after night after months of it - I felt psychotic.  But last night, I had the reassurance - after telling that said older child that all was fine with the baby, it was.  Babies cry.  Sometimes a lot.  I still have no idea why he had a night like that.  We both were hung over from it.

My older boys got to benefit from that with a movie (Cat In The Hat...at least is was a "book") at 8:00 a.m. after Logan finally was sleeping. 

I needed some quiet time for myself to decompress after a night like that.  Thank the heavens I knit and drink copious amounts of coffee.  And knit and drink I did.  With my needles working, I was able to find myself again during that hour movie and then be ready and able to battle the day, alone, with three little boys on three hours of sleep. 

I could feel the whackies coming on before supper so we had a simple meal of yummy sandwiches and apples and called it a day with a stroll to the rock pile at the end of our street.  Nothing beats a good pile of rocks to throw and then a hot bath with all three boys at once.  At least now everyone is asleep and clean, except for me.

look at that face.  Can you tell he is 'over' the day too!

Lovely Weekend

Our family, yet again, had a full weekend! This Saturday we got to enjoy the hard work of many dedicated and organized mothers at our son's preschool. The annual auction for the scholarship fund was held. It was lots of fun and we came home with things we didn't need! Hopefully, lots of money was raised in the process.

Also on Saturday my brother Brandon was home for a visit. We don't get to see him often as we are in IL and he is in NY so the time we had was short! My boys were so excited to see him. He is an animator (he also did the artwork for my site and logo) and is so super cool in their eyes. His first movie he worked on was Ice Age 3 and according to my almost 3 year old, he did all of the work on it..."Brandon's movie" as he calls it. We'll see him again this June.

(yes that is a sword. Not purchased by me. grr)

I also got to work on one of my goals for the year. Bread baker. I've yet to ever really make a loaf of beautiful bread from scratch. I followed the directions in the Tassajara Bread Book to the letter and I actually made it! I even kneaded it by hand. And yes, to the left of those lovely loafs are jars of jam. We had a plethora of strawberries so jam was in order! It was delicious dessert for us! Usually my house smells of processing wool on Sundays. Not a good smell. I wouldn't come over. But today, it smelled delicious!



I did get to work on some knitting for a custom. Pics of that WIP to come! I also found the perfect yarn for my Nana's next sweater. Pics of that to come too!

I will warn anyone of the upcoming blog posts ahead. My husband is going to be gone on business more than we are used to so I'm going to try and post my random thoughts and pictures daily (if I get a chance to sit down) so he can see why he again decided I was more than perfect for him (ha!).

this moment...

this moment...

a friday ritual. a single photo capturing a moment from the week. a simple, special, extraordinary moment. a moment to pause, savor and remember. if you're inspired to do the same, share a link to your 'moment' in the comments!

Deere to Frog

Our family had another eventful weekend. Mason got his first bike! I looked and looked for a great used bike but alas, was not successful. Luckily, Nathan stumbled upon a bike at the J.Deere dealership and it was perfect. He is very excited to finally have his own bike (and I'm happy that he has something that once was not Reagan's)! Plus, a major bonus, it matches daddy's mower.

In addition to the momentous occasion of a bicycle, Logan was baptized. I was thrilled to once again dress my precious baby in a family heirloom; my grandfather's baptismal gown from 1895. It is such a sewing masterpiece that I'll have to take a few pictures of just it and him later this week when I get a chance. It is hard to believe but I didn't have second to do it on the actual day. Something went wrong with my camera in the transfer of "photographers' and all my pics are very dark.

To round out our very busy weekend, my brother and sister-in-law were in town so we jetted off to see them. While I had entertainment for all of my boys, I knitted (of course). The older ones were whisked away to see "To Train A Dragon" (which Mason cried alligator tears when it was over as he didn't want it to end) I knitted in the peace and solitude of almost being alone with a delicious movie. Hello Mr. Darcy. Apparently, I didn't notice that I didn't add way more increases than the pattern suggests and my edging on the Abalone is too snug. Drat. I get to frog it off and redo it. I love icord edging, but crap, it takes for-freaking-ever to do.

this moment...

this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

Easter!

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend! Our family did! It was quiet and fun. We were blessed with excellent weather so the boys could get out and play and mommy and Logan could sneak off to a horse show. The Easter bunny made his visit with treats, trains, push toys, and sand. It was just right!


For the event, I really wanted to make Logan a Romper. Luckily, I frantically finished late on Easter eve leaving me with not much sleep due to the person who was to wear said Romper. Oh well, it was worth it. I love it! I hope to make a more warmer weathered one for an upcoming wedding.


In the shop this week, I will stock some yarn and a YYMN slot! I'll have some bulky gaia, worsted gaia, superwash, fiber, and BBR up in old (Fruity Pebbles) colorways and some new ones. So be on the look out if you are needing anything in particular! You can always shoot me a note if you are looking for something too! I'm looking forward to working on a project for someone over the next few weeks while my husband is gone on business and I'm alone with three little kids...yikes!!

this moment...

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. via Soulemama