anna knits - brooklyn beanie

I was gifted some beautiful North Light Fibers Fingerling 80% Baby Alpaca, 20% Bamboo 2 ply yarn a few months ago. I was not sure what to make with it at first, but since I was not in the mood to knit on tiny needles, I decided to hold two strands of the fingerling yarn together and knit a hat with size US6 circular needles. I love the color combination of the gray and blue yarns, so I included a thin contrast stripe at the bottom. This is an easy unisex project that would make a great holiday gift. I included the pattern I used below. 

You can see a different style hat I made with the same yarn here. 

~Brooklyn Beanie Pattern ~

Yarn: I used 2 strands of North Light Fibers Fingerling 80% Baby Alpaca, 20% Bamboo 2 ply held together in main color (MC) Stone Wall, and 2 stands of North Light Fibers Fingerling 80% Baby Alpaca, 20% Bamboo 2 ply held together in contrast color (CC) Cerulean Sea Glass. A thick sport or light worsened weight will get the same result.  

Needles: US6 circular and double pointed

Gauge: 25 stitches = 4", 30 rows = 4" in ribbed (K2, P2) stitch.

Finished hat size: fits 20" - 23" head circumference

K = knit

P = purl

K2tog = knit 2 stitches together

P2tog = purl 2 stitches together

Cast on 100 stitches in MC to circular needles

Round 1: Join work, place marker, and work K2, P2 around

Rounds 2-7: (K2, P2) around

Round 8: Switch to CC and K2, P2 around

Rounds 9-11: (K2, P2) around

Round 12: Switch to MC and K2, P2 around

Continue with K2, P2 until hat measures 7" - 7.5" from Round 1

Crown Shaping (switch to double pointed needles when needed):

Round 1: (K2tog, P2) around (75 stitches)

Round 2: (K2, P1) around

Round 3: (K1, P2tog) around (50 stitches)

Rounds 4-6: (K1, P1) around

Round 7: K2tog, (K2tog, P2tog) around (25 stitches)

Round 8: K1, (P1, K1) around

Round 9: P1, (K1, P1) around

Round 10: K1, (P1, K1) around

Round 11: K1 (K2tog, K1) around (17 stitches)

Cut yarn and weave through remaining stitches. Draw firm and fasten on inside. Weave in loose ends.  

Block using your preferred method.

See the Ravelry posting here. 

anna knits - preemie santa hats

A few weeks ago a friend asked if I would help out with an effort to knit santa hats for preemie babies at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH). I myself was born at BWH, so I was particularly excited by this appeal, and volunteered to knit five hats by November 1.

For my hats I used Cascade 220 Superwash Sport in Really Red (809) and White (871). It took two skeins of red yarn and one skein of white to knit five hats. We used this free pattern by Sandy Davis, which I found easy to follow.

If you are interested in knitting for charity, especially as the cold weather and holiday season begins, Lion Bran Yarn has compiled a list of organizations seeking knitted donations for those in need. Browse the list here.

anna knits - penguin jumper

Process pics:

As you may have surmised from my lack of posts, the last few weeks have been very busy for me. More to come on that soon, but first I wanted to share that I have in fact finished the penguin jumper I started a few months ago. It is a very quick project -- I am just slow with the posting :).

As I blogged a few months ago, in order to care for penguins caught in oil spills, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre at Phillip Island Nature Parks dresses penguins in knit jumpers so that they do not ingest deadly chemicals when attempting to clean themselves. They have a worldwide call out for knitters to send jumpers to the Centre. You can read more about the penguins and their knitted jumpers here.

You can find the pattern to knit a penguin jumper, as well as where to send the garment, here.

After a recent call went out, there was some controversy surrounding the Centre and its jumpers. You can read more about that here. 

For the jumper I made, I used Bernat Softee Baby yarn in Flannel with US5 needles, and a little bit of Kambgarn yarn in Rosebloom for the embellishment. Some people get really creative with their embellishments, but for an intermediate knitter looking for a meditative project, a monotone jumper like mine is the perfect pick!

knitting, etc. - penguin jumpers

 

A few friends shared this story with me, and it is so cute I had to repost. I have heard of knitters making penguin jumpers before, but this article from ABC Melbourne reminded me of the cause. Basically, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre at Phillip Island Nature Parks takes care of sick and injured penguins. When a penguin is caught in an oil spill, the Rehabilitation Centre dresses the penguin in a knit jumper so that the bird does not ingest the deadly chemicals when attempting to clean him/herself. You can read more about the penguins and their knitted jumpers here. 

The jumpers are for little penguins, which, as you can see from the pictures, are quite small. The pattern calls for D.K./Sport/Worsted yarn on US5 needles. While I have not yet made one, it looks like it would be pretty quick to knit. I might take materials with me this weekend, so that I can make one on my upcoming plane ride (I'm going to Hawaii - woot!)

You can find the pattern to knit a penguin jumper, as well as where to send the garment, here. 

olympics, etc. - slopestyle knitting

In case you missed it...

anna knits - cable knit headband pattern

I finished my cable knit headband a few weeks ago, and I am now getting around to posting the pattern. It is a quick knit, and a great way to practice cables. See my progress here and my inspiration here. Enjoy!

~ Cable Knit Headband Pattern ~

I used 2 strands of Rowan Pure Wool 4 ply yarn in Toffee (453) together on a size US8 needle, but you could also use a single stand of worsened weight yarn, or even a thicker yarn for a chunkier headband.

Cast on 18 stitches

Round 1: K6, P6, K6

Round 2: P6, K6, P6

Round 3: K6, P6, K6

Round 4: P6, K6, P6

Round 5: K6, P6, K6 

Round 6: P6, K6, P6

Round 7: K6, P6, K6

Round 8: P6, slip 3 stitches to cable needle or double pointed needle and hold in the back, K3 from the left hand needle, K3 held in back from the cable needle or double pointed needle, P6

Repeat rounds 1-8 until your headband is long enough - you can test it around your head, but know that it will stretch out after it is blocked. My headband took 13 rounds.

Blocking will help to flatten out your headband, although I like a little curl to the edges. 

After blocking, attach the ends with mattress stitch. 

See the Ravelry posting here.

anna knits - cable knit headband update 1

I have to admit I have been very busy this month - and it is only November 5th! - but I wanted to give a sneak peek into my current knitting project: a cable knit headband. It is based off of this french headband I originally saw on the blog you are my fave. I have not knit cables in a while, but it has been fun getting back into it. More to come!

PS: Do you like my doggy knitting needles? They were a gift!

anna knits - knit octopus 2 + grafting

Pre-assembly octopus:

Post-assembly octopus:

It's my second knit octopus! Like my first, this guy is also going on top of a sea inspired tea cozy for a custom order. 

If you look closely, you may notice that I attached the head to the body/legs a little differently this time. Instead of hastily sewing the two pieces together, I actually read the pattern's directions, and grafted the head to the body as to make the two seams invisible. In other words, I took the first stitch row (before the end row) of the head and attached it to the first stitch row (before the end row) of the body, allowing the end rows to fold inside. 

Ok, so it is a kind of hard to explain. For that, I posted a video on Instagram showing my process. Let me know if you have any further questions!

anna knits - knit octopus 2

I am in the midst of knitting another pink/green octopus. I hope to finish this weekend, and will follow up with more images.

In the meantime, check out this awesome video about octopus camouflage. I didn't know they were masters of disguise!

knitting, etc. - starting a new project

Starting a new project:

Since posting my Octopus Tea Cosy, I have gotten a few requests for similar tea cosies and little octopus toys. So I've decided to put off some of my fall knitting projects to make a few octopuses(?), octopi(?). I am planning to use the same Kambgarn sport / 5 ply yarn in Rosebloom and Glacier Green that I got in Iceland and used for my first Octopus Tea Cosy.

The first thing I like to do when starting a new knitting project is assemble my materials and pack my knitting bag. This way everything is in one place, and I can take my knitting on the go. It usually consists of the pattern, yarn, scissors, tapestry needle, pencil/pen, and needles.

Knitters - how do you prepare to start a new knitting project?

knitting, etc. - baby booties

I was talking to a friend of mine today about knitting baby blankets. They are a great gift for knitters to make for expectant mothers, but they can be time consuming projects (it is a blanket after all!). Our conversation got me thinking about other baby items that might be a little quicker to knit up. And that's when I thought of baby booties! Here are some of my favorite patterns:

Baby Mocs from the Purl Bee:

No Button Baby Booties by StitchLeft:

Fortune Cookie Baby Shoes by Sheila Zachariae

Also check out my knit octopus for handmade baby toy inspiration - but don't include the pipe cleaners!

anna knits - amigurumi octopus

The process:

Read about the knit pug here.

Last week I gave you a sneak peek of my amigurumi octopus. I had some time this weekend to put all the pieces together (it took longer than you'd think) and voila! Here he is.

I used this Octopus pattern by Hansi Singh via Ravelry. It is a great pattern, with detailed pictures to supplement the instructions. It is worth the $6. Instead of worsted weight yarn, I used sport / 5 ply yarn - specifically Kambgarn  in rosebloom and glacier green - with size US2 double pointed needles. This way, the octopus came out a little smaller and more delicate. The only downside was I was unable to double up the pipe-cleaners which fill the legs, making it less moveable.

I am planning to attach the octopus to a large tea cosy I am knitting; something I first saw on Ravelry. I'm not sure it will work out exactly as I envision it, but I'm optimistic!

anna knits - amigurumi sneak peek

Sneak peek of my latest amigurumi:

I just have to assemble all the pieces, and then I have a special surprise for this guy. Stay tuned!

Learn about the Icelandic yarn I used for the project here. 

knitting, etc. - my craftsy picks

Knitter friends: Have you ever had the idea for a knitting project and searched the internet for the perfect pattern just to end up with a million tabs open and no way to compare all your options? Introducing Craftsy: The latest way to browse thousands of patterns - including hundreds of free ones! - and easily save them to a custom wishlist. An account is free, and if you are a designer, you can easily upload your patterns and sell them with no fees. Plus, there are tons of great classes to sign up for, and other craft sections, like jewelry, crochet, quilting, and cake decoration.

To illustrate how Craftsy works, I pulled together some of my favorite knitted shawl patterns:

During New England summers, you never know if the temperature is going to drop. That's why I feel shawls are such a great summer knitting project. On my Craftsy page, I tried to pick designs that were (1) pretty, and (2) easy enough to knit up fast, but challenging enough not to be boring. Here are some details:

I hope you enjoy the page, and please let me know if you try any of these featured shawls! Once I'm done with my current tea cosy commission, I hope to start one of my own.

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.

knitting, etc. - summer knitting

The temperature has been steadily rising in Boston, which is finally making it fell like summer -- just in time for the official first day of summer, which happens to be today!

Do you knit in the summer? Check out these adorable seashell stitch makers from the shop Lavender Hill Knits on Etsy:

I can find it hard to knit in the summer, but with cotton yarns and perles it shouldn't be! I still have some wool projects I am working on (check out my fair isle cowl here), but I'm hoping to finish them up soon. Happy Friday!  

knitting, etc. - knit cacti

Last week I blogged about spring floral arrangements. While I love decorating with fresh flowers, it can get expensive. I saw these knit cacti on Etsy, and think they are a really cute way for knitters to decorate their home with a little "plant life" that won't deplete your bank account.

You can even crochet your own cacti. I love this pattern by June Gilbank and on Ravelry: