Cable and Brimmed Hat

4225809442_b2d7657b0e_zKnit in the round, with an I-cord and garter stitch brim and easy cable pattern, suitable for an adventurous beginning knitter, with a good grasp of the basics. Sample was knit in a cotton/acrylic blend for a summer basic.

Alternate Beanie Pattern included, knit in wool for a winter basic!

Materials:  Sample was knit with Aviso, a cotton aran, but you could also use an aran weight wool.  Alternate Beanie Sample was knit with Briggs and Little Heritage Wool.  You will need approx 140m – 170m aran weight yarn, 4mm US #6 dpn’s and 4mm US #6, 16 inch circulars, for the brim and 5mm US #8 16 inch circulars and dpn’s for the rest of the hat.4373145714_422b0ea4d4_z

Gauge:  Gauge in stockinet 18 st to 4in with the 5mm needles, gauge in garter with the 4mm needles is 16 st to 4in.

Sizes:  Small – 18.5in, Medium – 20in, Large – 21.5in.  Brimmed sample shown is small, alternate sample is a medium.

Burka Leaf Cap

4466500987_1ff9966254_zFrom the gracefully curving ribs to the lace leaves, this “Juliette” styled cap is beautiful without the beads. But add the beads and it shines out as something special.

You need to be an intermediate knitter as the pattern is knit in the round and charted with of YO’s between purl and knit stitches.

Full explanation and photo tutorial of crochet hook bead placement also included.

Sizes: Child (2 – 4 years) 16in, Small 18in, Medium 20in, Large 22in.4466499577_aba4c414c3_z

Materials:  130m, 145yds to 160m, 175yds 4-ply yarn, 3.0mm US #2.5 16in circ and dpn’s, 250 to 350 8/0 beads and 0.6mm crochet hook.  Approx. 2/3 of the beads are pre-strung and the rest are placed with a 0.6mm steel crochet hook.

Gauge:  29 st to 4in on a 3mm needle in stockinet.

 

Big Sparkle Slouchy

Soft and sparkly yarn makes this a little something special.

Knit in the round with an easy broken rib pattern.

Materials: Approx. 110 meters bulky weight wool, anything that knits 12 stitches in a 4 inch gauge swatch. Also a 7mm, US #103/4 16 in circ for the ribbing, and a 8mm US #11 16 in circ for the body of the hat, as well as 8mm dpn’s for the crown of the hat.

Gauge: 11st to 4 inches on 8mm in pattern.

Dimensions: 24 inchs around and 10 inchesdeep.

Sample: The sample hat is in one size and was knit with “Luxair”, a blend of Alpaca, Merino and Sparkle yarn.

Big Bulky

4589794793_9f49babf18_zBulky hat knit in the round with optional ear flaps. Great for most 100gr skeins of bulky wool.

Materials:  Approx. 85 meters bulky weight wool.  An 8mm US #11 circular needle 16 inches long for the body of the hat and ear flaps, as well as 8mm US #11 dp’s for the crown.

Gauge:  12st to 4inches in stockinet.

Sizes:  Small and Medium.  Designed to fit loosely and sit fairly low on the brow.

Sample:  The sample hat is in the medium size and was knit with “Los Andes”, a 100% wool slubby yarn.  Big Baby yarn or Meritwist would also work.

Beginners Cabled Fingerless Mittens

3906386859_923509d708_zA teaching pattern to take a knitter from learning about cables and knitting to reading graphs while cabling. Knit flat and seamed with thumb hole left in seam.  Two different cabling patterns to choose from, Mirrored Cables or Braided Cables.

Written and graphed instructions.

Short mittens are shown but with extra yardage longer mittens are an easy design option.

Size:  One Size with options for lengthening the mitten.  Ribbed palms allow for a very forgiving fit.

Materials:  Approx 85m of Aran weight yarn, sample was Miski by Mirasol, 5mm US #8 needles and cable hook.

Beaded Pulse Warmers

4014657427_42b059e783_zTraditional Norwegian pulse warmers with modern twist. Plan on 800 size 8/0 glass beads. Beads are pre-strung and placed between purl stitches – a very easy beading technique.

Knit short these are pulse warmers, knit a little longer with a thumb hole they become fingerless mittens.

Two versions of the pulse warmers are in this pattern, one very simple and one a little more complicated. Both use the same bead placement technique with quite different results.

Size – one size, but easily adaptable4014666219_44af9e5594_z

Gauge: Very tight, 36 st in 4 inches in garter st.

Materials:  170m 4-ply yarn.  Samples used Drops Alpaca.  2mm, US #0 needles, straight for the simple mitten or dp’s for the lace version, 600 to 800 beads per pair of pulse warmers or mittens.

Note:  Pre-string enough beads for each item before starting to knit.  As you are knitting slide the beads along your yarn until you need to pull a bead up to the knitting.

Beaded Lace Fingerless Mittens

3890370465_11001f0d23_zThese pretty lace mittens are written with a right and left hand.  The long cuff is beaded as is the lace pattern on the back of the hand.  The I-cord lacing for the wrist is finished with bead loops.  Beads are in the cast-on and pre-strung and placed in front of slipped stitches in the cuff.

Materials: 2.75mm dp’s, 2.5mm dp’s:  One 50gr ball of a 4-ply yarn, blue mitten is “Sisu”, pink mitten is Fleece Artist 100% Merino Sock, or one 25gr ball lace weight mohair/silk blend, white mitten is “Ovation”, will knit a pair of mittens, unless you widen or lengthen the cuff.  You will need approximately 400, size 8 beads for the small/medium mittens or 450 for the medium/large mittens.  The white mittens used 3mm Czech crystals.  You will also need a few small markers.3891165268_38ebfe64ba_z

Sizes:  Small/medium and Medium/Large

Gauge: 30st to 4inches with 2.75mm dpn’s in stockinet

Bead Ball Beret

harewood_dam_-_raspberry_beret_041_medium2Interesting Yarn to support a Great cause.

Pattern to use just one ball of this very interesting yarn. Any bulky novelty or chunky yarn could be substituted.

Size: One Size – ladies medium.

Gauge: 14 sts over 4 inches in stockinet.

Materials:  60yds Chunky Novelty yarn (sample used, Be Sweet’s African Bead Ball) and 40yds co-ordinating plain chunky yarn (sample used Alfa).  5mm 16in circs for ribbing and 7mm 16in circs and dpn’s for beret body.5631684398_dcba16ce72_z

Beret is knit in the round.

Basic 4-ply Gloves in Three Sizes

3886600143_cb854aa9b8_zThese gloves are designed to have a definite right and left hand. This gives the gloves a better fit.  Forchettes, small gussets between each finger, are there for the same reason. Forchettes also reduce the stress on the gloves where the fingers start. Gloves are knit in the round. The basic pattern uses only the plain ribbing, if you wish to make your ribbing more interesting check out the ribbing options in the design section, after the basic pattern.

There are three cuff options for the gloves as well as a ribbed fingerless mitten and a basic full mitten.

Gauge:  Tight 32sts in 4 inches, stockinet

Sizing: Ladies Small, Medium and Large (man’s Medium)2428840188_7f0e7abb93_z

Materials:  50grms of 4-ply yarn will make most fingerless gloves or mittens, for a pair of gloves with full fingers, plan on 75grms to 100grms of 4-ply yarn.  Recommended yarns include “Drops” alpaca, any 4-ply sock yarn, “Cotton Fine” 4-ply and many of the Handmaiden Yarns would also work.   You will also need 6 or 7 inch sets of 2.75mm and 2.5mm dp’s. A set of 2.5mm dp’s in the 5 inch length for the thumbs and fingers are highly recommended.  Small markers to mark side seams and your gusset shaping would also be useful.

Baby Flap Cap

A sweet little cap with pointed flaps, knit in the round. Choose a soft Chunky yarn and knit up a quick gift.

Pattern Notes:  Cap is knit circularly without any seams.

Sizes: Small and Medium.

Gauge: 14st to 4ins

Materials:  Cap requires approx. 65m chunky weight yarn. Sample was knit in Ysatis by Phildar.  You will also need 16in 6mm, US #10 circular needle and 6mm, US #10 dp’s to finish the crown.