Pattern #52 Cabled Scarf Hat

Hey Everybody!
It's Em! I'm in Minnesota right now with the family...Brittany is on vacation with her family in Virginia.  Nevertheless both of us are knitting!!!

While I was at Barnes and Noble with my friend Donna, I am proud to say, I finally finished my scarf hat!!! (Pattern #52)

 I am so excited.  This one has been a long time waiting.

I had some issues with this project.  First of all, the pattern calls for size 8 needles for the scarf and then size 6 for the hat.  At first I tried using these suggestions.  However, after I got about a third into the hat I realized that my gauge was going to be too small if I kept on using this needle.  Therefore, I switched to a size 7 needle instead.  I was very pleased with the results.

I have some anxiety about knitting a hat where they tell you how many rounds you have to make.  This pattern called for 39 rounds before you had another 15 decrease rounds.  It is hard to believe that within that many rounds I can make a hat.  My biggest complaint is the pattern gives you too few rounds to make the hat (and you have to follow it because you are doing a specific pattern) but yet the hat ends up being way too short.  (You will hear me complain about this in a future blog about the Textured Tam.)

I liked how they suggested to do the tassels.  According to the book, one should cut several 8 inch strands.  Take three of them to make a tassel.  I feel that it is too easy to make too large of tassels (or too little of them) on a hat.  This size was perfect.  I also made a nice big tassel on the top of the hat, instead of the pom-pom that is! (Pom-poms and Em do not go together very well!)

If anybody is interested in making this hat, remember these two things:
1) Make the scarf part longer.  I couldn't get the scarf around my neck because it was too short.  Instead of doing 3 repeats, I did 4.  It made it long enough so I could actually benefit from using the scarf and hat combo.

2) Whatever size you use for the scarf, go down ONE size for the hat. Using the same size for the hat will not work.  It will be too big for your head. (I tried this too, and that's why part of it sticks out funny in the photo.) Going down one size will take less time, plus it won't look so strange between the scarf and the hat.  Also, as I said before, it will fit better.

From my research on Ravelry.  It seems that most people enjoyed this scarf.  If I could have used better yarn (I used Bernet, not my favorite) I probably would have enjoyed this pattern more too.

Also, for the decreased rounds.  They have you take a darning needle into 25 stitches.  I felt that was too many stitches to tie together with.  Therefore, I repeated the last round (p1, ssk) for another 3 rounds so I ended up with only 9(?) stitches.  It worked so much better because it gave a few extra mm's to the hat.  It also was easier to bind off the project.

Happy Knitting,
Em

Pattern #51 Cabled Cuff Mittens

The Case of Thumbs on a Mitten

Hey Everybody, it is Em!!!

I'm so excited to present you with the finished...Cabled Cuff Mittens!

I wanted to show you photos of my other finished project, the Reverse Stockinette Mittens, however my camera is currently MIA. Therefore, I cannot post anything about my new mittens until it is found. Either way I am very proud of these mittens. They are truly a quick knit.  Now, these mittens are at their new home, with my friend Sarah.  They are nice and long and fit very nicely on Sarah.  They have enough room to stuff an extra layer of mittens or even part of a coat.

I want to restate how I really enjoyed this pattern.  I didn't find any errors.  I read, on Raverly, that it is advised to knit a 2-4 rows of st st, before you start the cabling pattern.  That way it is easier to graft.   I personally didn't find this something important to do.  However, if you prefer to have a little bit of material before you start, it is not a bad idea to knit a row or two.

I also saw an amazing spin on this pattern.  AnnetteTR on Ravelry made her cabled mittens white with blue cabling.  It was the coolest version of the mittens ever.  I asked AnnetteTR how she did this.  Her description was simple. Since I do not know her personally, I do not feel comfortable posting her tips nor her photos on our site.  However, please PLEASE look her up and click "love" on her mittens.  They are to die for!

I wanted to also talk about the art of making thumbs.

When I first started making mittens, I always struggled at making the thumbs look convincing. If anything, they looked strange and tacky. I pondered on HOW could I make better thumbs? I didn't really learn the secret of making thumbs look awesome until I started taking some risks.

Here is what I discovered about making the thumb look normal. I wished somebody told me this when I was learning about thumbs!

1) Don't fret about holes that are between your thumb and the rest of the mitten. You can always sew them shut.

I didn't understand that it was an option to sew something shut. I always spent so much energy trying to pick up stitches that my thumbs looked mutated. Now, I pick up just one or two and sew those shut later.  I cut a long tail and use that strand of yarn to weave in ends, as well as, close up the seam.

2) Pick up the correct number of stitches...plus one more.

I always pick up one extra stitch than what the pattern calls for. Then I knit those two together. This helps make that picked up stitch stronger.

3) The more you do it, the easier it becomes.

In time...your thumbs won't look strange. Mine don't anymore.

I hope that helped!!!!  If not, I hope you enjoyed the photos of my newly made mittens! Again, I cannot rave on how awesome this pattern was!!!

Have a great week!

Em

Pattern #42 Ribbed Pillbox

Hello everyone, this is Brittany. I am finally posting after a couple months of not posting. I have been rather busy with teaching, but it is finally summer! That means that I have time for knitting again. I also have some time to blog again, too!

Today, I am going to talk about the Ribbed Pillbox. This pattern, like a few of the others, I was not quite sure about when I first saw it. I liked the color used in the book, but was not sure how it would actually look on me. The picture in the book did not necessarily do it justice. However, I saw many other Ribbed Pillbox hats that others in Ravelry made. A few that I was especially inspired by include: PinkKnitter, stitchingnut, and chitknit. There are also some other great versions, but those are just a few that I really like.

This pattern was quite simple and knit up rather quickly. I did not notice any errors in the pattern and was happy with the final result.



Yarn Information: Cascade 220 - #8887 (Dark Lavendar)

To see more pictures of this project and my other projects check out my Flickr Account.
Thanks for reading!
Brittany

June 5 Progress Update

Hey everyone, this is Brittany with the latest progress entry. I know it has been quite some time since I have posted anything, but I promise I will next week. This is the last week of school for me, which means lots of long days and cleaning projects. This leaves little time for knitting. I am looking forward to getting back to my knitting needles VERY soon.

As normal you will see an update of how many projects we have completed, started, or are still waiting to be started. If a project is still waiting it may have a name next to it. Some may not because a few of them we are going to decide on later. As in previous update posts if the project name is colored pink it is in progress by Brittany and if colored green it is in progress by Em. If the project name is colored and crossed out that means it is completed. We will also have Pattern Entries linked next to each project as we update the blog with our evaluations and input on each pattern.

As of June 4, 2011:
25/60 Projects - Completed
13/60 Projects - Works In Progess
22/60 Projects - Waiting to be Started

Pattern #1 Chain-Link Scarf (Brittany)

Pattern #2 Cable Brim Tam (Brittany)

Pattern #3 Waffle Mittens - Project Entry

Pattern #4 Puppy Mittens

Pattern #5 Tweed Watch Cap - Project Entry

Pattern #6 Tied Rectangle Wrap

Pattern #7 Embroidered Mittens

Pattern #8 Lion Scarf

Pattern #9 Monkey Hat (Em)

Pattern #10 Diagonal Stripes Hat

Pattern #11 Wave Scarf - Project Entry

Pattern #12 Cables & Wraps Scarf

Pattern #13 Ribbed Wristers - In Progress Project Entry

Pattern #14 Zigzag Scarf (Em)

Pattern #15 Striped Bobbled Hat (Brittany)

Pattern #16 Ribbed Bonnet (Em)

Pattern #17 Plaid Mittens

Pattern #18 Striped Graduated Scarf

Pattern #19 Twisted Toque

Pattern #20 Textured Triple-Stripe Scarf

Pattern #21 Birdcage Mittens

Pattern #22 Bobbles & Cables Cap - Project Entry

Pattern #23 Smocked Fingerless Mitts - Project Entry

Pattern #24 Mittered Scarf

Pattern #25 Ribbed Keyhole Scarf

Pattern #26 Basketweave Scarf - Project Entry

Pattern #27 Scalloped-Edge Beanie - Project Entry

Pattern #28 Reverse Stockinette Mittens

Pattern #29 Cupcake Hat (Brittany)

Pattern #30 Eyelet Scarf

Pattern #31 Garter-Ridged Hat

Pattern #32 Garter-Stitch Neck Wrap

Pattern #33 Pocket Cap (Em)

Pattern #34 Checkered Mittens - Project Entry

Pattern #35 Textured Tam (Em)

Pattern #36 Leaf Scarf (Em)

Pattern #37 Mock Cable Wristers - In Progress Project Entry Completed Project Entry

Pattern #38 Garter-Ridged Scarf

Pattern #39 Cables & Stripes Mittens - Project Entry

Pattern #40 Tweed Mittens - Project Entry

Pattern #41 Pocket Scarf

Pattern #42 Ribbed Pillbox

Pattern #43 Octopus Mittens (Brittany)

Pattern #44 Tasseled Topper (Em)

Pattern #45 Bunny Mittens - Project Entry

Pattern #46 Leaf-Lace Gauntlets (Em)

Pattern #47 Striped & Ruffled Wrap

Pattern #48 Starfish Hat - Project Entry

Pattern #49 Slip-Stitched Hat - Project Entry

Pattern #50 Ruffled Scarf (Brittany)

Pattern #51 Cabled-Cuff Mittens - In Progress Project Entry

Pattern #52 Cabled Scarf Hat - In Progress Project Entry

Pattern #53 Two-Color Slip-Stitched Hat - Project Entry

Pattern #54 Twisted-Rib Hat (Em)

Pattern #55 Triple-Cable Scarf

Pattern #56 Flip-Top Mittens

Pattern #57 Drop-Stitch Neck Wrap

Pattern #58 Spotted Fair Isle Mittens

Pattern #59 Hugs & Kisses Mittens - In Progress Project Entry Completed Project Entry

Pattern #60 Scandinavian Mittens

More information to come soon!

Pattern #51 Cabled-Cuff Mittens

Hey Everybody! It is Em! 

Today I will be talking about Pattern #51, the Cabled-Cuff Mittens.

Would you like to know a secret...  I have been dreading making these mittens.

I'm not a fan of the provisional cast-on.  I just really like to avoid crochet.  My better half, Brittany, is a crocheting expert.  Me? I am lucky if I am able to chain something.  I'm just not made to crochet.  Trust me.

So because of my fear of crocheting, I have avoided anything that requires a provisional cast on.  I'll sit and make excuses, but I will not touch that evil hook!!!  Well, my friend Sarah really wants some cabled-cuffed mittens. Since Sarah is such a great person, I decided to cave in and attempt to make these mittens.

To my surprise, the provisional cast on is actually...SIMPLE!!! Once I was able to figure out HOW to make a chain (which took the longest to master because I suck at crocheting) it took no time.  All I had to do was pick up stitches from this little chain.  My friend Viki showed me a trick on how to pick up stitches.  I found it to be a lot easier to do her way because the material was so tiny.

This is how you pick up, Viki's way:

1) Stick your needle into the crochet material
2) Wrap the yarn around
3) Pull it through with your fingers.

Yes, I know, pulling it through with your fingers may seem somewhat amateur to some, but let me tell you...It made a lot more sense to me.

Then comes the grafting. In all honesty, I hate this stitch.  My friend Zoe has taught it to me several times and I still epically fail at it.  I would YouTube this. You can find a great Kitchner's stitch tutorial if you click here!  Also, I really love Debbie Stoller's instructions that you can find in "Stitch n Bitch Superstar Knitting: Go Beyond the Basics." You can purchase it online here.

 

If you want to avoid the graft, you can do a 3 needle bind off.   However, I do not advise using this for mittens.  You see, if one does a 3 needle bind off, there will be a nice seam.  For example, below is a yellow hat that I made using the 3 needle bind off.

As you can see there is a seam.  This seam is a nice one and, because it is a hat, one will not feel that seam.  However, when one grafts there is no seam, as seen below:

 

My ONE complaint about this pattern is the actual mitten is kinda roomy inside.  The cuff is nice and tight, but the space between the thumb and the end of the cabled part is a little baggy.

 

I ended up decreasing by 5 stitches.  Even though it didn't seem like a lot (the original pattern calls for 40 stitches) it sure is!


That's all for now...happy June!
Em

Pattern #59 Hugs and Kisses Mittens - Completed

Hey everybody it is Em (yet again!)

The Xo Xo Mittens...are...DONE!!

Now that they are completed, I am able to give a full review on how I feel about these mittens.  I really enjoyed making them.  This pattern teaches a person about mock cables and doing real cables.   The last time I made these mittens, I ended up making 2 left handed mittens.  However, this time I read the entire directions and made the correct mittens.

The hardest thing I discovered was making the thumbs.  Now I am no stranger to thumb making...but I must tell you, purling a bunch of stitches causes "ladders" in your knitting.  This means that the stitches at the end of your DPNS are not as tight as the other stitches.  This usually happens when one is just starting to use DPNS.  I did it a lot when I started.  The more you get used to the tension, the better your knitting gets.  And the less you see those ladders.  I had a hard time getting rid of my ladder stitches.  I had to pull and pull and pull.  My hands hurt so badly I had to take a break from knitting.

With my other thumb, I decided to turn my work inside out.  That way, I could just knit in the round, verses purling.  As I did this, I discovered I had no ladders running along my thumbs. 

I gave Alyssa her mittens this morning.  She fell in love with them.  That made me happy!  I hope to bump into her wearing them:)

That's all for now!
Em

Pattern #59 Hugs and Kisses Mittens

Hey It's Em!

Brittany and I are ready for summer!

In this photo we are giving each other "the look."  (Em is on the left, Brittany is on the right.) Why? Because neither of us wrote for our blog due to our busy schedules! Actually, today we hung out and enjoyed the sun until a tornado watch came into effect! Then Brittany dropped me off and I started a knitting project.

One of my co-workers, Alyssa really wants XoXo Mittens!  There is something magical about all my co-workers.  They just love knitting! I can't believe it! Last year they discovered if they asked me nicely I would make them something! I ended up making a lot of mittens and other cool stuff for them! (Including a pair of Waffle Mittens for Alyssa!)  Last year I made an XoXo mitten, but because I discovered the game of Cribbage, I did not finish the other one!

 Well, this year is a whole new group of people (except for Alyssa, me and another guy, Jose, all cool pepole!).  My first day, I walk in and I see my new co-workers all ready and excited to get guess what...mittens made by me!  So, I let them pick out what they wanted and they all selected projects from 60 Quick Knits that I need to make yet! How sweet of them!

I casted on Alyssa's mittens tonight and after watching several episodes of SVU, I have half of them done!  Alyssa wanted purple but "not too dark and not too light."  I searched in 4 different yarn shops and found the perfect Galway (sorry Cascade) yarn.  I used color 166.  This photo does not do the color justice... believe me.  It's more purple than this.  The photo makes it look blue.

They are a great simple project to make.  It is easy to see where you need to put the cabled stitches (in terms of putting them in the front or the back) because we all know what an O and an X look like! These mittens have one straight cabled pattern as well as some mock cables.  It is just so cool to see these things work up!

The one downside is, if you are not used to following things written out, you might have some issues.  They write instructions for Rnds 4, 5 and 6 out for the entire round.  Then, for the subsequent rounds they just write: repeat Rnd 4.  Then you have to go back and look up what that round looks like.


That is all for now!

We will be writing more frequently now that school is out for me (and almost out for Brittany!) We are hoping to write once a week...if not more!

Many blessings,
Em & Brittany