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 knits - cable slouch hat update 2

I waited a little while to post this one because it was a gift, but it is all good now!

I started this hat on Super Bowl Sunday and was able to finish it on an unexpected snow day the Wednesday after. The pattern is called Quick Cable Slouch Hat, and it is available for free from Azure Knits. I used Bernat Alpaca yarn in stone, which I picked up a Michaels, with size US8 and US11 needles. The pattern was easy to follow, and - as the author notes - would make a great project for first time cablers. Just to note though, it is definitely more of a slouch hat than a beret, despite the look of my picture on the right!

diy, etc. - valentine's day quick gifts

Looking for something to make for Valentine's Day, but just realized you only have two days left!?! I've got you covered with three lovely knit/crochet gifts that can be made in one sitting:

1. Heart Bookmark: With crazy winter weather hitting much of the nation this year, there has never been a better time to stay inside with a favorite book. And this bookmark is a novel's best accessory. They are so quick and easy to knit up, you can make one for all your besties.

2. Crochet Cup Cozy: Keep your hottie's coffee hot with this super easy crochet cup cozy. You can customize it to reflect your man's favorite sport's team logo, college colors, or show your love with a classic heart embellishment. See some of the different designs I made last winter here. Plus you'll be helping the environment by saying no to disposable cup sleeves.  

3. Knit Hearts: I did not write this pattern - it is from the site Mochimochi Land - but they are so cute I had to include it. I'm thinking of incorporating one of these guys into a handmade card!

anna knits - cable slouch hat update 1

I am not the biggest sports fan, but I do enjoy watching sports on TV while I knit. Anything amazing is going to be replayed many times, so you don't have to worry about keeping your head down for a minute to focus on a complicated cable or color change. For yesterday's Super Bowl, I decided to take a break from making knit headbands, and cast on a cable slouch hat I found on Ravelry from Azure Knits. It is a really fun and quick pattern, and only takes one ball of yarn (yay for using those impulse buys). I hope to finish it up this week!

Did you knit during the Super Bowl this year?

knits, etc. - chunky scarves

It is frigid outside here in Boston. When I left for work this morning it was seven degrees out. SEVEN!! Ok, maybe I seem a bit dramatic to my readers further north, but for Boston seven degrees fahrenheit is seriously cold.

The one redeeming thing about uber cold weather though, is the ability to wear super chunky scarves and not look foolish. I love this crochet infinity scarf in oatmeal from the Etsy shop deroucheau. It reminds me of the K2 P2 chunky scarf I knit last year (free pattern here).

What's your favorite type of winter knitwear?

top braided headband pattern

I have spent my holiday vacation making a bunch of new knit headbands. They are fun, quick, and a great way to practice cabling. As an end of the year treat, I am sharing my pattern for a top braid headband. The wide band in the back keeps your ears nice and warm, while the cute braid in the front pulls the band out of your eyes. I use a super bulky 50% wool, 50% acrylic yarn. (All wool would be too scratchy.)

If you don't feel like knitting your own, you can purchase one knit by yours truly from my Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/annaknitsetc!

See pictures of me sporting this headband in spearmint here, here, and here. See me in DC wearing a charcoal version here.

~Top Braided Headband Pattern ~

Yarn: Super Bulky, I used Loops & Threads Cozy Wool
Needles: US15
K=knit
P=purl

Cast on 12 stitches
Rounds 1-16: Knit stockinette stitch (knit one row, purl the next, repeat) starting with a knit row and ending with a purl row (or until you reach about 5 1/2 inches).
Round 17 (or however many rows you needed to reach 5 1/2 inches): Slip 4 stitches to cable needle or double pointed needle and hold in the back, K4 from the left hand needle, K4 from the cable needle or double pointed needle, K4.
Round 18: P
Round 19: K
Round 20: P
Round 21: K4, Slip 4 stitches to cable needle or double pointed needle and hold in the front, K4 from the left hand needle, K4 from the cable needle or double pointed needle.
Round 22: P
Round 23: K
Round 24: P
Repeat rounds 17-24. 32 rounds complete.
Repeat rounds 17-21. 37 rounds complete. 
Rounds 38-end: Knit stockinette stitch (knit one row, purl the next, repeat) starting with a purl row until the headband fits tightly around your head (about 14 rows). Remember, the headband will stretch slightly when blocked.
Bind off leaving a tail long enough to sew the back seam.  

Block using your preferred method.

Using mattress stitch, or your preferred method, attach the two ends of the headband together.

Go outside and test your Top Braided Headband! 

See the Ravelry posting here. 

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 - braided knit headband

Last week a reader reached out to me to commission a braided knit headband (thanks Jessica!). I made a few braided headbands last winter, but this was my first of this season. I used two strands of Ella Rae Classic in Silver Heather (104) held together on size US15 needles with this pattern from the blog LuluKnits. I completed ten rounds of the pattern to get the right length - including the 1/2 inch that came when I blocked the headband. Blocking really helped to flatten it as well. 

I hope it helps to keep Jessica warm this winter!

If you have an idea for a custom order, don't hesitate to email me: annaknitsetc@gmail.com

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 knits - braided headband 2

After knitting my frist braided headband, I ordered some super bulky wool from Jimmy Beans Wool. I went with the Rowan Big Wool Yarn in black. This pure merino wool is so soft, and super easy to knit.

I used the same pattern from LuluKnits that I used the first time, but this time I used size 15 needles with my super bulky yarn. It only took me a few hours to knit up yesterday -- which I had due to Nemo!

I have enough yarn left over from the 100g skein that I think I can knit up another headband. Or 'll try a different project... perhaps an infinity scarf?

For real time updates on my knitting projects, follow me on instagram @annaknitsetc!

anna knits - spiral top tea cosy (large)

If there is one thing Nemo the storm is good for, it is knitting. I finished this spiral top tea cosy today. It is a large (6 cup) tea cosy. You can get the free pattern for the small (2 cup) size here -- I plan to update the pattern for medium and large pots this weekend!

This is made with Cascade 220 yarn from Jimmy Beans Wool.

anna knits - braided headband update 2

I finished my braided headband!

Used this pattern, knitting the headband until it fit around my head tightly and then joining it with mattress stitch. 

Next time I'd like to make one that is really bulky. It is so cold her in Boston, I'll need it!

anna knits - braided headband update 1

I started the braided headband pattern from LuluKnits I blogged about last night.

I'm using Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky yarn in wild oak, because it is what I had on hand. I'm not sure about the color, but I love the braided cable. I'd like to try it with an even bulkier yarn next time. 

It knits up pretty fast, so hopefully I can finish this before the weekend!  

anna knits - fingerless gloves update 3

I finally finished my fingerless gloves!

(photo credit: Sara G.)

I am so happy with how they turned out. I used baby alpaca yarn from Block Island's North Light Fibers in a light pink and gray. I used the pattern Adelia mitts, which I downloaded from Ravelry. It was easy to follow.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the gloves came out a little bit long for my hands. But since I opted to make the top border shorter than the 1inch called for in the patter, I think they are okay. 

You can see my progress, here and here, and get the pattern here. 

anna knits - fingerless gloves update 2

I finished one fingerless glove today:

My only complaint is that it is a bit long. I could tell they were getting too long while knitting, but decided to finish the pattern anyway. I did cut the top ribbing short though instead of knitting a full inch as the pattern stipulated.

I particularly like the thumb:

You can see my progress, and get a link to the pattern here. 

knitting, etc. - knit headband

I think my next project - after these fingerless gloves - will be a knit headband. I love this cabled one from The Sweat Shop of Love on Etsy. (Pattern available here for $2.)

I don't have the yarn needed to make this exact headband right now, but I might try to make one with smaller needles to match the gloves I'm making. Perhaps focusing on the heart motif...

Valentine's Day is coming up!

anna knits - fingerless gloves update 1

This weekend I started a project with the baby alpaca yarn I got for christmas. I decided to make a pair of fingerless gloves.

The pattern is Adelia mitts by Tanis Lavallée, available on Ravelry.

anna knits - knit ornament 4

A few days before Christmas I finished a red and white knit ornament from the book 55 Christmas Balls to Knit. These guys are so addictive! I used Dale of Norway BABY ULL Soft Merino Yarn. It is super soft.

You can see the navy and white ornaments I made this season here. 

anna crochets - paperclip ice skate ornament

Still need presents for the holidays? Make a few of these paperclip ice skate ornaments! They are fun, easy, and oh so cute.

I saw a picture of crochet ice skate ornament on instagram (via sheepishknitcrochet), and thought it was a neat idea. I searched for a pattern on Ravelry, and found this one by Suzetta Williams, which I've tweaked to my liking. Here is my pattern - enjoy:

~ Crochet Paperclip Ice Skate Ornament ~

Materials:

Worsted weight yarn (I used Cascade 220) in a Main Color (MC) and White 

G crochet hook
Two jumbo paper clips

Step 1: With the long edge of the paperclip at the bottom, and the smaller loop facing right, put a slip knot onto the paperclip as shown using your MC.

Step 2: Double crochet (DC) 1 stitch around the paperclip into the smaller loop, and then DC 6 stitches into the larger loop as shown. Remember to crochet over the yarn tail!

Step 3: Chain 2. DC 4 stitches. This is the end of the MC for this skate. Bind off leaving a 1 inch tail.

Step 4: Starting from the opposite side as where you ended (in other words at the back of the skate), single crochet (SC) 4 stitches with white.

Step 5: Chain 1. SC into 4 stitches, and then chain 30 stitches.

Repeat steps 1-3 to form another skate.

Step 6: pull the existing white chain through the new skate and use that to crochet steps 4 + 5 (without chaining 30 stitches at the end).

Step 7: Bind off and sew in any loose ends.

Merry Christmas to all!