anna knits - regina hat

Process pics:

First attempt Regina Hat:

This post is WAY overdue as I finished these hats in February/March, but better late than never, ya? Anyway, a few months ago I saw this hat made by @littlellama on Instagram and fell in love with the pattern. Inspired to knit my own hat, I went on Ravelry, and, by a stroke of luck, stumbled upon the exact pattern @littlellama had used. It is called Regina by Carina Spencer and it is a free download.

I decided to make the hat with some yarn I already had, Bernat Softee Baby in Flannel with size US4 and US6 needles (see first attempt Regina Hat pictures). I loved the flexibility of the pattern, since you create the crown based on the number of stitches you use to make the band as opposed to using a set number of crown stitches. But while I enjoyed knitting the hat immensely, I was not totally happy with the result. In the end, I was not a fan of the way the back of the hat slouched (you can see this better in the picture from the pattern), and I felt that the yarn I had chosen was not right for the pattern. I wanted the hat in a more substantial yarn.

With these criticisms in mind, I embarked on the pattern for a second time. This go-around I treated myself with a skein of Purl Soho Worsted Twist in Toasted Charcoal, and used size US6 and US8 needles. I kept the band pretty tight, because I knew I wanted the hat to be snug rather than slouchy. (You can measure the band on yourself as you go.) While knitting, the fan part may seem a little weird at first, but if you trust the directions you will be fine. Blocking is essential as you want the fan to lay right. I wet blocked mine, and used pins to hold the fan in place (see picture).

I was very happy with the result, and ended up giving away the hat as a present. I have another skein of the Worsted Twist and think I might knit up another Regina hat with it. I would definitely recommend this pattern to anyone who has mastered a basic hat and is looking for something a little a little more challenging. Leave a comment or email me with questions!

anna socializes

I've been working on a big-ish knitting project, which has occupied most of my summer. That combined with travel most weekends has led me to post less often than I'd like. While I hope (and plan!) to finish my current knitting project soon, you can always catch me on these other mode of socialization:

facebook

twitter

pinterest

bloglovin

instagram

ravelry

xx anna

anna knits - fair isle cowl update 1

For my trip to Iceland last week, I brought along a new knitting project: a fair isle cowl. (Read about how I pack for air-travel knitting here.) A few months ago I made fingerless gloves with the baby alpaca yarn from Block Island's North Light Fibers that I got for Christmas. I have been wanting to make the matching cowl for a while now, and since I prefer travelling with projects on circular needles - you can start and stop much easier than with regular knitting - I decided to start the cowl for my trip.

Knitting outside:

The matching gloves I made a few months ago:

The pattern is Adelia Cowl by Tanis Lavallée, and you can download it via Ravelry.

It is going to be harder to finishing knitting the cowl now that I am back in warm Boston, but hopefully I can finish it soon!

knitting, etc. - beehive knitting

I love this beehive tea cosy I saw on Etsy:

I found a free pattern for a similar tea cosy on Ravelry here. The bees really make the cosy though.

While I haven't knit anything in a beehive pattern yet, it's something I'd like to try. This hat in a beehive shape - though it is called wurm! - is also fun:

Writing this post is making me want honey... time for some tea!

anna knits - hope hat update 1

My hope hat is coming along:

I am trying a red version inspired by this one by mrspeterson, which I first saw on Ravelry:

You can find the pattern for the hat here. 

On an Obama related note, my Obama cup cosy is now for sale in my Etsy store! Check it out here. 

anna knits - boot topper update 2

I finished my boot topper project today:

I used Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky Yarn in Deep Charcoal which I ordered from Jimmy Beans Wool. It took 1 skein exactly. 

I would model them with boots, but I don't have any that work with boot toppers - I am going to give these away as a gift. You can get an idea of how they will look from this picture via the pattern's creator Addiesma Designs.

I am happy with how they turned out - I hadn't knit cables in years so that was fun - but if I knit this project again I will use a yarn that is a little crisper so the cables are easier to see.

knitting, etc. - octopus tea cosy

I stumbled across this octopus tea cosy while perusing ravelry for projects using Cascade 220 yarn (I love that you can search for projects by yarn!).

The project and photo are by sputnik of the blog Keeping in Touch. She describes it as "an octopus on a rock" - cute idea! 

The octopus itself, and picture, comes from this pattern by Hansi Singh. It looks so real! She has a bunch of knitted toys on her ravelry site. I will have to try some now that I have stuffing left over from my knit pug. 

anna knits - spiral top tea cosy

Done with another spiral top tea cosy! I mentioned in an earlier post that I was working on a neon yellow tea cosy for my Etsy store. Between then and now, a buyer asked for it specifically, so this neon yellow cosy is not for purchase. There is still another super cute, spiral top tea cosy available though. Get it while you can!

You can also download the pattern for this spiral top tea cosy for FREE here.

Here is how the neon yellow cosy turned out:

I wrap my tea cosies for gifting in a little tissue paper and yarn, and attach one of my business cards with a personalized note on the back. I made my business cards with Avery business cards from CVS.

All the pictures are taken with my iPhone using Instagram, and the collages are made using the iPhone app Pic Collage.

See my Ravelry entry on this tea cosy here. 

hearts, etc.

I saw a cute sweater with an embossed heart design while shopping at the Cambridge, MA boutique Mint Julep. 

The sweater is by the Danish clothes brand, nümph.

I love the way the knit stitches outline the purl stitches. Seeing this design made me do a search for other heart patterns online. Here are some of my favorites from Ravelry. Click on the picture for the pattern.

photo © 2009 Katie Chameleon

pattern by Hannah Fettig

photo by GmaX4

I haven't found a pattern to achieve the bordered pattern seen in the nümph sweater, but here is a simple heart pattern from the blog craft passion in case you want to try out your own embossed heart.

 

anna knits - cosies

I am in the process of knitting a neon yellow and pink tea cosy for my Etsy store. It should be up soon!

In the meantime, I stumbled upon these cup cozies from The Cozy Project on Etsy. 

  

Seems like a great way to be more eco friendly when ordering a cup of joe. I have also been thinking about getting back into crochet for some time now. I haven't done it since high school, but making a cup cozy would be the perfect project to get back into it. 

Here is a free pattern for a mug cozy by Lauren Frank, found on Ravelry:

 

I also love this knitted cup cozy by Kara L. Mayfield (pattern for purchase on Ravelry):

anna knits - spiral top tea cosy

~ FREE PATTERN ~

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite knitting patterns: Spiral Top Tea Cosy

The pattern fits a small, 2 cup tea pot. I am hoping to modify it soon for bigger pots. It is based off this pattern by Katya Frankel for a strawberry tea cosy, which is available as a free Ravlery download. 

If you love this pattern, but are not a knitter yourself, you can purchase a finished Spiral Top Tea Cosy at my etsy store here.

Email me with comments, questions, or corrections at annaknitsetc(at)gmail(dot)com. Find this pattern on Ravelry here. 

~enjoy~ 

SPIRAL TOP TEA COSY 

BY ANNA DEVINE

PDF available here. 

Size

Fits a small, 2 cup teapot.

Materials

Less than one ball of worsted weight yarn in three colors (I like Cascade 220).

Needles: US8 (5mm) regular and double pointed needles. Adjust needle size to get the correct gauge if necessary.

Stitch marker (I use a paperclip).

Gauge

18 sts and 26 rows per 4"/10cm in stockinette stitch

Abbreviations

CO – cast on 

Sts – stitches 

K – knit 

K2tog – knit 2 stitches together 

P – purl

Rnd(s) – round(s) 

St st – stockinette/stocking stitch 

RS/WS – right/wrong side St(s) – stitch(es)

Side (make two the same)

With Color1, CO 32 sts leaving at least a 3 inch tail, which will be used for seaming the sides together later.

Knit 3 rows. 

Work 5 rows in St. st., beginning with a WS row.

Next row (RS): (k7 Color1, k1 Color2) 3 times, k1 Color1. 

Work 4 rows in St. st. with Color1. 

Next row (WS): P3 Color1 p1 Color2, (p7 Color1, p1 Color2) 3 times, p4 Color1.

Work 4 rows in St. st. with Color1. 

Next row (RS): (k7 Color1, k1 Color2) 3 times, k1 Color1. 

Work 4 rows in St. st. with Color1. 

Next row (WS): P3 Color1, p1 Color2, (p7 Color1, p1 Color2) 3 times, p4 Color1. 

Transfer stitches to 2 double pointed needles with 16 stitches per needle. 

Set piece aside and make second side.

Top

Join sides for working in the round. 

Place a marker at the beginning of the round. 

Rnds 1-2: Knit with Color1. 

Rnd 3: (K7 Color1, k1 Color2) around. Break Color2 off.

Rnd 4: Knit with Color1. 

Rnd 5: k4 Color1 (k1 Color3, k7 Color1) 7 times, k3 Color1. 

Rnd 6: (k2 Color1, k2tog Color1, k2 Color3, k2 Color1) around. 

Rnd 7: (k4 Color1, k3 Color3) around. 

Rnd 8: (k1 Color3, k1 Color1, k2tog Color1, k3 Color3) around. 

Rnd 9: (k2 Color3, k1 Color1, k3 Color3) around. 

Rnd 10: (k2tog Color3, k1 Color3, k1 Color1, k2 Color3) around. 

Break Color1 off and work with Color3 only.

Rnd 11: Knit. 

Rnd 12: (k3, k2tog) around. 

Rnd 13: Knit. 

Rnd 14: (k2, k2tog) around. 

Rnd 15: (k1, k2tog) around. 

Rnd 16: K2tog around. 

Rnd. 17: K2tog around – 4 sts. 

Work i-cord for three rows (or until desired length) and then bind off.

Finishing

Sew bottom together with the extra tails, leaving space for the spout and handle opening. Weave in ends.

Copyright © 2012 Anna Devine. All rights reserved. Please do not sell this pattern or finished object without permission.

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anna knits - small bag

I decided to give the needlepoint iphone case I made away as a gift, and since the person I am giving it to loves little knitted things, I decided to make a small bag to put the case inside instead of using wrapping paper.

The pattern is available for free here. It is meant to be a make-up bag, but I adjusted the pattern to make it fit an iphone snuggly by taking away the edges of the pattern, thereby decreasing the width by 6 rows. I used Noro Kureyon rainbow yarn, which my Aunt gave me, on size 7 needles. It took less than 1 skein. I made the handle using an icord. 

I fist saw the pattern on Ravlery, and you can see my Ravelry post about it here. I really love some of the other projects Ravelry users put up for the make-up bag. Here is one of my favorites:

photo by © marialaine

The knitter used a used a Fair Isle Knitting and size 3 needles. What a great idea! 

I hope to make a smaller version of this bag with a cotton based yarn to use as little gift bags. They would be great for putting a gift card inside. Here is an example of a Ravelry user's work with a cotton yarn. 

photo by © HelenKnitting

It is always a struggle to find knitting projects for the summer, but this is an easy (but not too easy) and fun one! Do you have any ideas for summer knitting? 

politics, etc.

With Rick Santorum out of the race, it looks like Mitt Romney is going to be the Republican nominee for President. The general election can now begin in earnest! I'm looking forward to making some politically-inspired knitwear. In 2008, I knit an Obama hat, which I wore to the inauguration.

(this picture is kinda making me want to rock some heavy bangs again!)

My friend Sara and I were waiting for the metro before the sun was up to make our way downtown, and it was COLD!

My brother has since co-opted the Obama hat. 

The pattern I used to knit this hat is available here from the blog Knit Circus. You can also find a bunch of Obama-inspired patterns here. 

I don't have the patience for this, but I am super impressed by this Obama sweater from 2008 (pattern is available as a free Ravelry download). 

Here is the chart:

Perhaps this year I will knit something with the 2012 logo. 

I have some time though, since I won't be wearing too much knitwear until the fall!