Pure Fun

This is an afghan I have started for William. I don't think he's figured out that what I am working on is for him. We are remodeling his room and I thought a new afghan, just for him, would be a nice addition to the decor. The pattern is from Bernat's Pattern Library and is called 'Worsted Afghan, or Afghan #3663.' I think they could have come up with a better name for the pattern. There are 24 projects for this item on Ravelry and many people are calling it 'honeycomb,' and a few others 'diamond.' It resembles a knitted slip stitch pattern, to me. I am basically working it with scraps of Red Heart Super Saver, so now it looks like stained glass.
It is really nice to have a project like this that is easy to memorize and I can enjoy working on from time to time. It is a nice break from the brain work and number crunching of design.
The jury is still out on the kind of designer I am. I think 'organic' and 'analytical' both have a place in my process. Ellen Gormley has an great piece about this on her blog, along with another article about mistakes designers say they will never make again. I really appreciate her concern for those of us who are trying to find our way into the design world. Thank you, Ellen:)

For Me

Thanks, Mom! Hope ya'll have a safe and fun Memorial Day!

Blocked

I was reading the Artist's Way this morning and something Julia Cameron wrote hit me like a ton of bricks. She asked this question: "What would I do if I didn't have to do it perfectly? Answer: A great deal more than I am." Wow. My forehead has a bullseye because I am truely a perfectionist when it comes to my knitting and crocheting. I have written quite a bit here about my creative process and beginning to take my work seriously by keeping a design notebook and beginning to submit my ideas. I believe that the reason I don't sometimes is due to my internal critic and my perfectionist leanings. My perfectionist says things like, "No one will pay money for that (pattern), it's too simple." or "That idea was so easy to come up with, it will never sell?" or "You can't submit this pattern to a publisher, you can't work out these decreases and you don't have a chart ready." It isn't perfect, it isn't perfect, it isn't as perfect as you can make it. It isn't good enough. Wow.

So, what would I try if I didn't have to do it perfectly?



pottery

stained glass

painting

soccer

dancing

canning

entarsia

soap making

sewing

hairpin lace

delta lace

more faire isle knitting

learn to shoot video

figure skating

decorating

spinning with a wheel



Where would I go with my knitting/crochet if I didn't have to do it perfectly? Hmmm....I'd submit many of my ideas for designs. Finished or not. Sketches, swatches and a summary are often all that are required. I'd blog a lot more. I'd write much more.

What would you do, if you didn't have to do it perfectly?

Lavender, Roses and Filet

This is my first filet crochet project, a bookmark for Emma. I really enjoyed doing this. I used this tutorial from Kim Guzman. Kim makes everything easy to understand:) She also had a free alphabet set, capital and lower-case letters included. In the end, my piece was not wide enough to use her letters, so I improvised and free-handed, using them as a guide. I think it looks pretty nice, and Emma loves it. That's all I care about, really. I feel the need to refine my work, as some of the stitches don't seem to be as neat as I would like, but maybe this will come with experience. The edging for this is a simple but effective one. I learned this from a Doris Chan scarf and I have seen it in other projects as well. I started by turning at the end of the last row, ch 4, treble crochet in same stitch, skip next dc, slip st in next dc, rep., around. Worked perfectly! Now, to plan my next filet project!

Seriously?

Yes! Seriously. This is how I am moving forward as a designer and a blogger. Taking my work seriously and going in the direction that I really want to go. I have been reading Julia Cameron's 'The Artists Way,' recently. Week 3 in the book, recovering a sense of power, has taught me two things. The one practice of not taking your design ideas seriously and therefore, seeing your ideas come to fruition through the work of someone else in the future is an absolute possibility. It happens all the time. "Stop procrastinating...ideas don't get opening nights...finished plays do. Start writing. " In my case, an idea for a hat pattern won't get published. I written pattern submission to a publisher, might.
I just published my most popular pattern, to date, to this blog. It's my Gingerbread Hat pattern. I want to be sure it is accessable. I am going to be phasing out my Typepad blog and will be doing all my blogging here, at blogger.com. Typepad has become too expensive for me. For us, with my ability to work outside the home very limited, and Hal's disability, every little penny counts.
So my notebook is more important than ever. My designs are coming together, slowly but surely. My shawl should be ready soon. Next, Ornamental socks will be ready to publish. After that, I have a few other designs that need work and submission. Let's see how it goes.

Gingerbread Hat

This pattern was derived from an Aran stitch pattern I saw and liked at Lionbrand.com. The pattern is called Gingerbread,' hence, Gingerbread Hat. I changed the pattern a little, from a 4 stitch cable to a 6-stitch cable, which I prefer. I initially made this hat for my daughter, Emma, so the smallest size will fit a child. The largest will fit up to a 23" circumference. Regarding the chart, it is a meager representation of my abilities with MS Word, but should get the job done, nonetheless, for those of you who prefer knitting from a chart. You can email me here with any questions or problems you may have. This pattern is posted at Ravelry.

I give limited permission to print this pattern and use it for personal purposes only. Please do not sell items from this pattern without my permission or copy and represent this pattern as your own. If you would like to make these for charity, please feel free to make copies, but, for the most part, please direct others to this blog or Ravelry to download the pattern for themselves.
Here's the pattern!

Gingerbread Hat

Size:small(med, lg) *The small size fits my 7 yr. old daughter*
Yarn: Any worsted/heavy worsted yarn. For this hat, I used Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool.
Needles: US8 16" circular needle, set of 4 US8 double point needles, cable needle of your choice, and a tapestry needle to weave in ends. You will also need one stitch marker.
Gauge: 6 rows/5 stitches to the inch
Stitches:
K2,P2 Rib: *K2, P2 - repeat to end of round
K2tog: Knit 2 sts. together(right leaning decrease)
SSK: slip, slip, knit: slip next two sts. individually knitwise and knit both these sts. together through the back loops (left leaning decrease)
P2tog: purl next two sts. together(decrease)
C6F: slip 3 sts. to cable needle and hold in front. K3, k3 from cable needle.
S2KP: Slip 2 sts. together, as if to knit onto right hand needle, Knit next stitch, pass 2 slipped sts. over knitted stitch. (one double decrease made)

Begin Hat:
-CO 84(96,108) sts. onto US8 16" circular needle. Place marker and join for knitting in the round, being careful not to twist. Knit in K2, P2 rib. Continue in ribbing for 8 rounds.
Begin Gingerbread Cable Pattern as follows:
Round 1: *K6, P1, K4, P1 - repeat from * around.
Round 2: *K6, P1, K1, P2, K1, P1- repeat from * around.
Round 3: *C6F,P1, K4, P1 - repeat from * around
Round 4: repeat round 2
Round 5: repeat round 1
Round 6: repeat round 2
Repeat cable pattern 5 (6, 7) times more. Begin Decrease rounds.
Decrease Hat : note-if you would like a more rounded decrease for this hat, add a knit row between each decrease row. Knitting this decrease as written yields a slightly gathered look at the top of the hat.
~*SSK, K2, K2tog, P1, K4, P1 Repeat from * around.
~*S2KP, K1, P1, K1, P2tog, K1, P1 Repeat from * around.
~*(K2tog)3 times, p1 Repeat from * around.
Switch to DPN's at this point, arranging stitches evenly around.
~Knit around
~ K2tog around
~ K2tog around
Break yarn and pull through remaining loops using tapestry needle. Pull tight, pull tail to inside of hat and weave in ends.


Gingerbread Stitch Pattern Chart

Knit this chart from bottom row to top. Bold indicates pattern repeat.

Link for the stitch pattern chart here.

Design - Keeping a Notebook

I have finally started a designs notebook, out of necessity, really. As a matter of fact, I am amazed that I hadn't done this before. Right now, for example, I have about 10 solid design ideas in my head. The best thing for me to do is to put them down on paper, while they are fresh. For example, there's a new slouch hat I cast on, a new crocheted shawl I've started crunching on and I actually have started crocheting it. There's a new idea I just got for another hat, with enough detail that there needs to be a sketch, but some other particulars may need to be fleshed out. I am not naive enough to believe that ideas will always flow this way. There are always dry periods where nothing will come. I will need this notebook full of ideas for times like that. Not that my sketching abilities are all that great. However, I don't think that will really matter. After all, they are for my purposes.
Now, regarding the shawl. I don't want to say too much, but it is inspired by one I saw in a movie and it uses one particular motif. Do you think there is anything to the fact that, since I saw this movie, I have seen the motif everywhere! I think it means I am supposed to make this shawl and will have no peace until I do. Wish me luck:)

Dublin

Here's a fantastic picture of Emma in her new hat. I call it Dublin. I created this tam for Emma as a Christmas Gift. It came out so well, that I made another one for her BFF, Chloe, and one for my Sister, Becky, as Christmas Gifts. This one is crocheted in Patons Classic Tweed. The other two were done in Lion Brand Wool-Ease and Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool. What a great, classic piece it is, too...a staple for any wardrobe. I am sharing this as a free pattern. I hope you like it.

It features a tassel and a special brim stitch which mimicks a knit icord edging.

Should you prefer pdf files, you can get one for Dublin, here.

Dublin


Materials

• Worsted Weight Wool or Wool Blend
• I-9 and H-8 crochet hooks
• Tapestry needle
• stitch marker
• 4-5" piece of scrap cardboard (for tassel)
• scissors

Stitches:

ch - chain

hdc - half double crochet

sl st - slip stitch

bbsc - back bump single crochet - insert hook into horizontal bump on wrong side of next stitch and pull up a loop, yo and pull through two loops on hook.

hdc dec - half double crochet decrease - yo, insert hook in stitch, yo and pull up a loop, (3 loops on hook) insert hook in next stitch, yo and pull up a loop, yo and draw through all 4 loops on hook - one decrease made.

Note: I used a sliding loop to begin each version of this hat. The sliding loop beginning offers a perfectly closed beginning circle. However, if you aren't comfortable or don't know this technique, begin with a ch 3 and 11 hdc in 3rd ch from hook as your first round. You will simply have a small hole in the center of your hat which you can stitch closed later, if desired.

Some sliding loop tutorials: Crochet Me and You Tube.

Pattern is for Medium hat. For large hat, add another round of increases after round 12, (increase one stitch every 6 sts) and another round of crocheting one hdc in each stitch. That's a total stitch count of 96 sts for the large hat. Execute the decreases and brim as written below and you should have a hat about 3/4-1 inch in diameter larger than the medium version.

As always, if you notice any errors or have questions, please include them in comments, or message me here. Enjoy!

~1.Using a sliding loop, Ch2, and 11 hdc in ring. Cinch up the sliding loop to close the hole. Join to beginning ch2 with a slip stitch (12 sts)
~2.Ch 2, 2 hdc in each st around. Do not join. (24 sts) Remaining rounds will be continued in a spiral fashion. Be sure to move the marker up at the beginning of each round to keep track of the beginning stitch.
~3.*Hdc in first st, 2 hdc in next st, rep. from * around. (36 sts)
~4. Hdc in each stitch around (36 sts)
~5.*Hdc in next 2 sts, 2 hdc in next st, rep. from * around (48 sts)
~6. Hdc in each stitch around (48 sts)
~7.*Hdc in next 3 sts, 2 hdc in next st, rep. from * around (60 sts)
~8. Hdc in each stitch around (60 sts)
~9.*Hdc in next 4 sts, 2 hdc in next st, rep. from * around (72 sts)
~10. Hdc in each stitch around (72 sts)
~11.*Hdc in next 5 sts, 2 hdc in next st, rep. from * around (84 sts)
~12. Hdc in each stitch around ( 84 sts)
You should now have a circle approx 11.5 inches in diameter.

Begin Decreases:
1. *Hdc in next 3 sts. Hdc dec over next 2 stitches, rep. from * around. (68 sts)
2. *Hdc in next 6 sts. Hdc dec over next 2 stitches, rep. from * around. (60 sts)
3. *Hdc in next 12 sts. Hdc dec over next 2 stitches, rep. from * around. (56 sts)
4. Sc in each stitch around (56 sc)

Switch to size H-8 Hook

Begin brim:
Rounds 1-3: Bbsc in each stitch around (56 bbsc).
Finish off. Weave in ends.


Tassel:
You can make your tassel using a 4-5 inch piece of cardboard or a cd case. I used this tutorial. Stitch to center of hat.

If anyone can suggest a pictorial for this technique, please list it in the comments and I'll add it to the pattern.