anna knits - top braided headband

I hope everyone is having a nice holiday week! I was lucky enough to have a few days off of work, and have been busy experimenting with different knit headbands - and hanging out with my parents' pug, Mae. So far, this top braided headband is my favorite. The cable on the front adds a little flair, while the band in the back is wide enough to keep my ears warm in Boston cold wind. I have knit a few up in different colors, which I will share soon. I'm currently having a blocking party to get them all ready!

anna knits - fair isle cowl update 2

On my bus trip to New York last Friday I finished my fair isle cowl. I used red and gray baby alpaca yarn from Block Island's North Light Fibers on size US3 circular needles (I love circular needles for travel knitting). The pattern is Adelia Cowl by Tanis Lavallée, which comes with a pattern for a matching set of gloves. I knit the Adelia fingerless gloves a few months ago, and have been really happy with them. You can check them out here.

Read about my purple nail polish here!

The bottom is folded over and sewn back to create an super thick edge:

 

Who wore it best?  

 

See my progress here and here, plus more behind the scenes photos by LIKING anna knits, etc on Facebook.

anna crochets - thank you!

I was so surprised and honored to have my crochet rose post mentioned on the blog Love of Knitting's "What We've Been Reading" list, as well as a top story on the e-newspaper Crochet Patterns Today. Thank you both!

If you haven't already, you should definitely visit these sites. I have found cute patterns on both.

For example, check out this adorable hat - suitable for both humans and pugs - which I first saw on Crochet Patterns Today. The pattern, with illustrated directions, is available on the blog A Beautiful Mess.

anna knits - pug ornament update 1

I started on my pug ornament today. I have no idea how it is going to turn out but I am optimistic!

My plan is to blend the patterns I used for my knit pug and my pig ornament. I am not sure exactly what I want to do, but I decided to just start knitting and see how it goes. Hopefully I will get some knitting done while travelling this weekend. Wish me luck!

knitting, etc. - knit sphere

After finishing my knit pug, I started to brainstorm an easier way. I decided on knitting a sphere that I can color like a pug. I found this free pattern for a knit sphere from the blog I Like Lemons.

I'm hoping to make one with faun and black, and add a smooched nose and curly tail.

I think they could make cute christmas ornaments!

anna knits - knit pug update 4

Here are 3 things I learned from assembling my knit pug from the book Knit Your Own Dog. I found the pattern to be pretty easy to follow, but there were still some things that were ambiguous. These are my tips:

1. Nose: Don't freak out about the nose. All you have to do is pinch the face together and fold it up to create the signature pug nose. Here is a video that demonstrates this technique.

2. Stuffing: I actually wish I had stuffed my pug a bit more, especially in the chest. The legs can also be liberally stuffed, since they are what keeps the pug standing. I used Fairfield Poly-Fil Premium Polyester Fiber stuffing. 

3. Seams: The seams were a challenge for me. I had never done mattress stitch before. I used this video to learn how to do the stitch, and then just went off pictures. I want to work more on this aspect if I make another pug. 

My next knit pug will definitely be a black pug, like this guy by hiro25neko.

anna knits - knit pug update 3

I finished my knit pug from the book Knit Your Own Dog.

Thanks to all the people on Ravelry who shared pictures of their knit pugs. It really helped with assembly, which was definitely the hardest part. I'll post some of my tips for assembly in my next post. Here's an idea of my process:

It is a little hard to get my knit pug to stand, so I'm thinking of turning him into a christmas ornament!

anna knits - knit pug update 2

Excuse me while I tie together some loose ends...

That's better...

This knit pug is taking a little longer than I had hoped, but I am in the final stretch. I hope to finish in the next day or two. Check back soon!

anna knits - knit pug update 1

A few weeks ago I shared a book called Knit Your Own Dog that I had gotten as a gift. I finally got around to starting my knit pug project - since my union jack tea cosy is on hold while I wait for more yarn to arrive - and wanted to share my progress.

I am using super small size 2US needles, but this yarn is very easy to work with. Here you see Rowan Yarn Cashsoft 4 Ply from Jimmy Beans Wool in Elite 451 and Black 422.

I have never knitted a toy before, and I am a little worried about putting it all together, but it is a fun project so far. I am even thinking about turning it into a little pug christmas ornament!

Next time I'll have to make an all black one like my parents' pug Maeby! She's a cute one.