Ruffled Baby Girl Hat

 

Oh my, I just don't know where the time has gone lately. 

This is a little baby hat I made out of the left over yarn from the basket weave blanket. I used this pattern, and then added the little I-cord piece at the top of the hat.

Adding a hat to a baby blanket makes a very nice and useful gift.  I love to knit booties, and I do give them as gifts, but I'm not really sure that they are used all that much.  I see babies wearing hats and using blankets all the time so I know my gift will be useful.  

Of course as I write this, I think of my own children.  My daughter loves yarn, and has always had a knitted or crocheted blanket.  When I wash her blanket, she goes and gets one of our living room throws.  She will tell me that she loves the smell of yarn.  My son, on the other hand, won't have anything to do with hand knitted and crocheted blankets.  He likes those really fine gauge machine knit cotton blankets.  His blankets have to be super smooth and soft while she likes the texture of a hand knitted blanket.  So I guess I try to give something functional and beautiful with the understanding that I can't always suit the tastes of the receiver, but no matter what I make, they know that my love and care (and sometimes my blood, sweat, and tears) went into the gift.  Perhaps that is all that is important.

Basketweave Baby Blanket

I knit this cute blanket with Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash in Fruit Smoothie. The yarn was very easy to work with and Superwash wool is great for baby projects. Superwash can be washed although I usually don't put it in the dryer. Also, wool is naturally flame retardant which is a great feature.


I looked at several basketweave patterns and then decided to make my own using the features that I preferred.


Any worsted weight, smooth yarn would work for this pattern.  I'm in the process of knitting this same  blanket using Caron Simply Soft. Size 7 needles produced the fabric that I wanted, but I didn't measure it before I gave it away so I'm not sure of the gauge or size of the end product.  In general, I go down a needle size or two as I tend to knit on the loose side.


Cast on 139 stitches using the long-tail method.


Row 1-6: Knit 1 TBL, Knit 1,Purl 1 across row until 2 st remain then K1, YF, Slip 1 Purlwise
These 6 rows are a seed stitch border.


Row 7: K1tbl, (K1,P1) 3 times; PM, (K5,P5) across row, ending with K5 followed by PM, then (P1,K1)3 times, YF, Sl1P
* The first and last 6 stitched are form the seed stitch border.*
Row 8: K1tbl, (K1,P1) 3 times; (P5,K5) across row, ending with P5 followed by (P1,K1)3 times, YF, Sl1P
Row 9: Repeat Row 7.
Row 10: Repeat Row 8.
Row 11: Repeat Row 7.


Repeat Rows 7-11 until blanket is about an inch shorter than you would like.


Repeat Rows 1-6 and bind off loosely.

Shell Baby Blanket - Crocheted Shells

Yarn: Bernat Baby Boucle in Dust of Pink and Violet Blossom

Pattern: Crochet Shell -- I improvised this pattern. I alternated single crochet with 5 double crochets in one stitch.

This boucle yarn is soft and nubby. It is easy to work with although it is difficult to pull out if you make a mistake, and if you pull too hard, it will break.

This is a fairly mindless pattern repeat. It was a great project while watching tv.

Baby Blanket Blues

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft, various shades of White and Blue

Pattern: Moderne Baby Blanket found in Mason Dixon Knitting

I made this blanket for a dear friend and her baby. It was fun to make, and it just looks so beautiful. I'm very happy with the way it looks. Towards the end of the blanket, I did get a little tired of knitting row after row.

The edging is called arch and it is from Crocheting on the Edge by Nicky Epstein. It was simple, but I liked the way it completed the blanket. Since this blanket is for a boy, I didn't want the edging to be too feminine. Also, I don't like baby blankets to have too many holes where tiny fingers can get caught.


Also, I've been knitting through a bit of stash that consisted of Caron Simply Soft. I do like Caron Simply Soft because it is soft, washable, and inexpensive. It is sturdy and makes a blanket that can be used!


On the other hand, I have some beautiful yarns that I have waiting for me to make some lovely sweaters for myself. I've started to get a bit antsy to start knitting that yarn. I'm so looking forward to making myself something after months of knitting for everyone else. I love making things for the people I love, especially the ones who appreciate it. Since the cold weather has descended, I just don't have enough sweaters to keep me warm. The Malabrigo is calling my name.

Easy Baby Gift Idea

I literally crocheted these cuties in an afternoon. The pattern is called: Baby Beret and Mary Jane Booties and I bought it from here. It was a very quick baby gift.

In Between Knitting

Sometimes I just don't have the brain power to figure out a knitting math problem, or maybe I need a break from the current project. So I start a new project. Well, I have 6 projects in progress. Lately, I have been struggling with migraines, and I don't really want to work on any of these projects, but I still want to knit. I want to feel the smooth needles and hear their calming clicking. I have lots of yarn to knit up, but what to do when I need to just knit and knit and not have to think. Sometimes I make a dishcloth, but in the last 2 days I have made 2 newborn baby hats. I knit a 2x2 rib in a circle for about 5-6 inches, and then I decrease and finish up the hat. I give these hats to a local hospital. I get my knitting fix, producing something, and doing a good turn all in one swoop. Next week, I will be able to tackle my projects. (My migraines are hormonal.)

Starting from the Center

I've started a new baby blanket for my future nephew. It is a crochet pattern of a star (Click here for the pattern). It starts in the center and goes round and round. Whenever I start a new pattern from the center, it takes me 2 or 3 tries to make sure the center is just the way I want it. I think the start of every project is important to get right, and it is worth the effort because this is the foundation upon which you are building your entire project. It is even more important when you are starting from the center because your eye will always be on the center while your eye doesn't always go to the bottom of a sweater. Also I prefer to crochet blankets, especially bigger blankets. The reason for this is simple: when you knit a project the entire weight of the project is on your needles while with crochet, only one stitch is on your needle so your lap carries the bulk of the weight.

Back to the Star Blanket, it is going well, and I think it will turn out really cute. This particular project didn't start with a center circle that you are crocheting into. When you make a hat from the crown down or a granny square, you often make a chain, join the chain ends together to form a circle and then crochet into the center. I recently found a great way to start this which makes the neatest, tight center circle. The answer is an adjustable circle. Click here to find out how to make it.