CGOA National Crochet Month

A very warm welcome to Angelarae Knits! I'm Angela and have been crocheting for 16 years now and knitting for about 12.  I love to design and teach the needle arts! I am currently a crochet instructor at the uber-fabulous Downtown Knits in Apex, NC.  If you live in the Raleigh area, you must come by! You won't be sorry:0)

As a member of CGOA, I am thrilled to participate in this years NatCroMo Blog Tour, hosted by Crochetville. You can find all the blog links for this year's tour, here.  In honor of National Crochet Month, please consider donating to our sponsored charity, Project Night Night. This wonderful organization exists to provide bedtime care packages to homeless children across the country. They accept crocheted and knitted blankets as donations, so get stitching!

I would also like to offer a free pattern which I have designed especially for this event.  If you have read my blog before, you know I love to spin on a drop spindle.  Usually, I spin fine to super fine singles with wool or mohair and ply using the Andean method. In honor of CGOA and National Crochet Month, I spun up some soft wool top in a beautiful ocean green for my offering today, Handspun Baby Socks.

Fiber: Merino Top from Unplanned Peacock
Spindle: Top Whorl
Spun: Z
Plied: Andean method - S
WPI: 20 (sport)
Hook: D-3 3.25mm
Gauge: 6 sc and 6 rows = 1 inch
Size: 0-3 Months

*Commercial sport weight or baby yarn should be fine for this pattern.




Please use this link to download your free pdf as my 'Thank You' for stopping by.  I hope you enjoy these!  As with any of my patterns, feel free to contact me with questions or issues (or, just to say 'Hi')  I am available to you in the following ways.
Twitter: @yarnmaniac
Facebook: Angela Whisnant
Ravelry: Angelarae63
Email: arwhisnant@gmail.com

By the way, if you haven't stopped by Andrea's, LeAnna's, or Donna's, head on over. Next up, Andrea and Renee!

Sweet Baby Noah

One of my daughter's closest friends from High School is expecting a baby boy soon. I have worked up a little cable hat for the cherub. I wanted something that Mom, Jess, could use at anytime that would also be soft and keep baby Noah warm. So I used a soft, chunky yarn in a neutral color. The little hat worked up in no time, too. It is worked on two needles and is seamed at the back.

Noah's Hat

Yarn: Bernat Chunky, approx. 65 yards.

Gauge: 3.5sts, 5 rows = 1 inch

Needle: US Size 9, Straight Needles

Size: Newborn/Infant

Stitches:

C4F: (cable 4 front) Slip two sts to cable needle and hold in front, knit next two sts., knit two stitches from cable needle. (left cross)

k1tbl: knit 1 stitch through back loop

p1tbl: purl 1 stitch through back loop

Sl1K2togPsso: slip one stitch as if to purl, knit 2 stitches together, pass slipped stitch over the two stitches that were just knit together. (Double Decrease)

Note: This hat has a 4-stitch cable set off with 2 purl stitches and a twisted stitch. The twisted stitch detail is achieved by knitting the stitch through the back loop on the right side and purling the same stitch through the back loop on the wrong side. You can find a video for ptbl here, and ktbl here.

CO 54 sts using a long tail cast-on.

Begin knitting Rib: (RS)P2, *K2, P2; repeat from * across, ending K2.

Repeat row 1 for 8 rows, ending with ws row.

Begin Cable rows as follows:

Row 1 and 3:P2, *K4, P2, K1tbl, P2; rep from *, across, ending with K1tbl.

Row 2 and 4: P1tbl, *K2, P4, K2, p1tbl; rep from * across, ending with K2.

Row 5: P2, *C4F, P2, K1tbl, P2; rep from *, across, ending K1tbl.

Rep rows 1-5 once more.

Begin Decreases:

Row 1: *p2tog, (k1,Sl1K2togPsso), p2tog, k1tbl; rep from * across. End k1tbl. (40 sts)

Row 2: P1, *k1, p2, k1, p1tbl; rep from * across. End k1.

Row 3: *p1, k2tog, p1, k1tbl; rep from * across. End k1tbl. (36 sts.)

Cut yarn leaving a long tail. Thread tail through darning needle and run it through all the stitches left on the needle. Cinch tightly, turn inside out and seam edges together with whip stitch. Weave in ends.

This is quick and dirty. As with any of my patterns, if you spot an error or have questions, don't hesitate to email me, leave a comment here, or you can pm me on Ravelry. I also hang out at Twitter.

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