Category Archives: Knitting

Knitting, Patterns, Tutorials

Left-handed hat video tutorial

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My husband’s mom, I recently discovered, knits left-handed like I do. She knows how to make scarves and blankets, but she wanted to learn something new. Since I don’t spend much time up in Fairbanks, AK (I like things to be above -33 degrees), I decided to make a video tutorial. iMovie rocks!

Knit & Crochet, Knitting, Patterns

My Heart Goes out to Fairbanks Hat

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This is one of my loveliest hats to date. It’s based closely on the From Norway With Love pattern from www.pickles.no.

I first followed Pickles’ pattern exactly, but I must have bought too thin of yarn because it turned out baby.
It is a very very cute baby hat, but I wanted one for me! So I went with my gut, which I should have done in the first place, and tweaked the pattern to fit my own hat patterns. The biggest problem I had with Pickles’ pattern was the heart chart. When I thought less about the chart, the hearts turned out perfectly. I used the chart as a guide for where to place the hearts and how many stitches they were made of, but I stopped counting row by row and it worked out better. Somehow her chart didn’t seem quite right.
The hat is made in sets of 10 stitches. The base of the heart (one stitch) occurs every 10 stitches, so when you start the first row of hearts, start the pattern by knitting 4 in the main color, k1 in the heart color, k9 in the main color, k1 in the heart color, k9 in the main color, k1 in the heart color and so on. When you get all the way around you’ll see your first heart color stitch. With the heart color, k1 before that stitch, k1 on top of that stitch, and k1 after that stitch. Row by row you add one heart color stitch on either end of the heart till there are 7 stitches (so, 1, 3, 5, 7). Knit two rows of 7 heart stitches and then the rest of the heart chart will make sense.
Once you’ve finished the first row of hearts, you immediately start the second row by knitting 9 in the main color, K1 in the 2nd heart color, 9 in the main color and so on. Basically the heart pattern alternates every 5 stitches so they fit in between each other.
This pattern is a great introduction to Fair Isle patterns because you carry the unused colors along with you as you knit. In other words, if you knit 4 stitches in the main color and then switch to the heart color, you carry the heart color on the inside of the work. Here’s what the hat looks like inside out:
The most difficult thing about knitting hats like this is making sure to keep the unused yarn loose in the back of the work. If you carry over the yarn too tightly, your hat will be super scrunched up and won’t fit over your head. My solution to this is when I’m carrying yarn over more than three stitches, I place my finger under the yarn so it leaves a gap and knit a couple of stitches with my finger in place behind the work. It might look really loose, but it will tighten up when you wear it. If you’re carrying the yarn over 1-3 stitches, just try not to knit very tightly. It just takes practice, so you might end up knitting a beautiful baby hat for someone.
Whew! At long last, here is the pattern
My Heart Goes Out to Fairbanks Hat
Ingredients:
Size 7 circular needle, 16″ long
2-5 colors of Lamb’s Pride worsted yarn, one skein each
one set of size 7 double points
darning needle
Important Abbreviations:
MC = Main Color
HC1 = Heart Color 1
HC2 = Heart Color 2
K2tog = knit two stitches together
Heart Chart:
Note: I honestly believe the tan heart in this pattern is not correct. The second row from the top, on the far right, that should be a white square, not tan
Directions:
With MC, cast on 100 stitches. Place a marker and connect the round without twisting the yarn. K2, P2 for two inches, or till brim is a width of your liking.
K 2 rows
Next row: With MC, K4 stitches. *With HC1, K1 stitch. With MC, K9 stitches.* Repeat * till you get back to the place marker.
Next row: With MC, knit to two stitches before the first HC1 stitch. *With HC1, K3 stitches. With MC, K7 stitches.* Repeat * to end of row. (NOTE — this is a very visual project. It’s hard to write out the directions. Just keep in mind that once you see the first stitch of the heart, that you’ll be expanding the size of the heart in the following row. My written instructions may not be exactly correct.)
Next row: With MC, knit to two stitches before the previous row’s first HC1 stitch. *With HC1, K5 stitches. With MC, K5 stitches.* Repeat * till end of round.
Next row: With MC, knit to two stitches before the previous row’s first HC1 stitch. *With HC1, K7 stitches. With MC, K3 stitches.* Repeat * till end of round.
Next row: With MC, knit to the stitch before the previous row’s first HC1 stitch.  *With HC1, K7 stitches. With MC, K3 stitches.* Repeat * till end of round. (This row you aren’t expanding the heart. You are knitting the same heart stitches as the previous row.)
Next row: With MC, knit to one stitch before the previous row’s first HC1 stitch. *With HC1, K3. With MC, K1. With HC1, K3. With MC, K3.* Repeat * till end of round.
Next row (top of heart): With MC, knit to one stitch before the previous row’s HC1. *With MC, K1. With HC1, K1. With MC, K3. With HC1, K1. With MC, K5.* Repeat * till end of round. Cut HC1 leaving an 8-inch tail.
Immediately the next round: *With MC, K9. With HC2, K1.* Repeat * till end of round. Follow the same instructions above for creating the HC2 hearts. Refer to the chart, keeping in mind it’s flawed in the second to the last row from the top of the heart.
Create 4 sets of heart patterns. Make 5 sets if you want a tall sort of floppy hat.
K 2 rows using the MC yarn.
Decrease pattern:
First, you need to change your hat to be in multiples of 8, so in the next row, K2tog four times somewhat evenly through the row. Every 20 stitches or so I K2tog. You won’t be able to notice this row in the end. You should end up with 96 stitches.
Next row: *K2tog, K6.* Repeat * till end of row.
Next row: K one round
Next row: *K2tog, K5.* Repeat * till end of row.
Next row: K one round
Next row: *K2tog, K4.* Repeat * till end of row.
Next row: K one round
Next row: *K2tog, K3.* Repeat * till end of row.
Next row: K one round and transfer to double points while knitting this row.
Next row: *K2tog, K2.* Repeat * till end of row.
Next row: K one round
Next row: *K2tog, K1.* Repeat * till end of row.
Next row: K one round
Next row: *K2tog.* Repeat * till end of row.
You should have 12 stitches. If you have 24, repeat the last round again.
Cut yarn leaving a 12-inch tail and loop through the remaining stitches. Cinch it up and weave in the ends. I tied the heart color ends together and snipped them instead of taking all the time to weave them in.

 

Knitting, Patterns

Reknit Chunky Mitts

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In case you don’t know me, I’m somewhat of a thrift store guru. For instance, yesterday I found $378 Frye boots at the SPCA Thrift Shop for $70 and I talked them down to $20. In addition to that brilliant find, I also found a 50 cent scarf that I thought would look better as mittens.

I made up this pattern, but I would only use it for irregularly shaped yarn like the kind I used because otherwise the top of the mitten might come out with gaps (it’s not mathematically sound). But it sure knits up fast!

Scarf being unraveled

Chunky Mitts
Ingredients:
1 thrift store scarf, about five feet long, unraveled and wound into a ball
four size 10 double points
scrap yarn
darning needle

Useful Abbreviations:
M1FB — make one stitch in the front and one in the back of the same stitch, thus increasing your work by one stitch.
M1 — Make one stitch between two stitches
K2tog — knit 2 stitches together

Cast on 24 stitches (8 on each needle)

K1, P1 for 10 rows
Next round: knit the first needle, M1FB into the last stitch of the first needle. On second needle, knit 4 stitches and M1FB into the next stitch. M1FB into the last stitch of the second needle. On third needle, knit 4 stitches and M1FB into the next stitch. Knit to end of needle — 28 stitches.
Knit 3 rounds
Round 15: M1, K1, M1, knit to end of round
Round 16 and all even rounds: Knit to end of round
Round 17: M1, K3, M1, knit to end of round
Round 19: M1, K5, M1, knit to end or round
Round 21: M1, K7, M1, knit to end of round
Knit 3 rounds
Next round: Transfer the first 9 stitches onto some scrap yarn. Cast on one stitch and knit to end of round.
Knit until work reaches the top knuckle of your middle finger
Next round: *K2tog, K3* repeat * till end of round, where you will K1 stitch on the third needle.
Next round: Knit
Next round: *K2tog, K2* repeat * till end of round, ending with K2tog.
Next round: Knit
Next round: *K2tog*, repeat till end of round.
Cut work leaving an 8-inch tail. Weave in all ends.

Thumb:
Transfer the 9 stitches onto two needles. With third needle, pick up 4 stitches. Knit around and K2tog two times evenly throughout the work so as not to leave gaps in the crotch of the thumb. You should have 11 stitches. Knit around till just the tip of your thumb barely peeks out.
Next round: K2tog all around, ending with a K1. Cut yarn leaving a tail and weave in ends.

Repeat with second mitten.

Knitting, Patterns

Chunky Ascot Pattern

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As you may have gathered, I’m all about knitted ascots. I’m also extremely lazy and I have a hard time concentrating on a project I can’t finish in a few hours. I wanted to make an ascot on bigger needles. It would take less time and would probably have a different look (less grandma-ish).

I used inexpensive Lion’s Brand chunky tweed and it only took me a couple of hours.

Ingredients:
1 ball of chunky yarn
3 size 10 double point needles
darning needle
decorative button (optional)

Abbreviations:
M1FB — make 1 stitch in the front and 1 stitch in the back of the same stitch, thus increasing the piece by 1 stitch

Directions:
Cast on 2 stitches. M1FB of the first stitch, K the next stitch.
Continue to M1FB of the first stitch of every row till you have 16 stitches.
K 12 rows in garter stitch. I slip the first stitch of every row to keep the rows neat and even.
Next row: *Knit the first stitch, transfer the second stitch to the third double point needle.* Repeat * to end of row. You should have 8 stitches on each needle.
Starting with the needle that still has yarn attached to it, K1, P1 for 9 rows. Cut yarn, leaving a 6-inch tail.
With the other needle holding 8 stitches, leave a 6-inch tail and K1, P1 for 9 rows, but don’t cut the yarn when done.
Next row: *Knit the first stitch from both the front and back needles together, then knit one from the front and one from the back.* Repeat * till there is 1 stitch on each needle. Knit these two stitches together. You should now have 12 stitches on one needle.
Knit in garter stitch till the work is long enough to go around your neck and touch the loop you just created.
Next row: *K1, K2tog* Repeat * to end of row. You should now have 8 stitches again.
K1, P1 for 9 rows.
Next row: M1FB in each stitch. You should now have 16 stitches.
Knit in garter stitch for 12 rows.
Next row: Knit the first 2 stitches together, K to end of row
Repeat the last row till there are 2 stitches remaining.
Bind off. Weave in tails. Sew on decorative button to one side of the loop if you desire.

Knitting, Patterns

Chunky Fingerless Mitts

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These fingerless mitts are a Knit Nat original. They knit up quickly — perfect for the short attention span crafter.

Chunky Fingerless Mitts -- Free Pattern from Alaska Knit Nat

Ingredients:
Size 10 double point needles
One skein of Lion Brand Tweed Stripes in Caribbean.
Chunky scrap yarn
Darning Needle

Abbreviations:

  • M1FB – Make 1 stitch in the front and back of the next stitch, thus increasing the work by 1 stitch.
  • M1 – Make 1 stitch between two existing stitches.
  • K2tog – knit two stitches together

Directions:
Using 3 double pointed needles, cast on 26 stitches (8, 9, 9)
K1, P1 rib for 13 rows or until the cuff is as long as you desire
Round 14: K4, make 1 stitch in the front and back of next stitch (M1FB). Knit to last stitch on needle and M1FB again. K4 on the next needle and M1FB. Knit to end of needle. K4 on the third needle and M1FB. Knit to end of needle. You have increased the row by 4 stitches and should now have 30 stitches.
Knit 3 rounds
R18: M1, K1, M1, knit to end of round
All odd rounds: K one round
R20: M1, K3, M1, knit to end of round
R22: M1, K5, M1, knit to end of round
R24: M1, K7, M1, knit to end of round
R26: M1, K9, M1, knit to end of round
Knit 4 rounds
Transfer the first 11 stitches to a piece of scrap yarn.
Cast on one stitch. You should now have 30 stitches again.
Knit 6 rounds
K1, P1 rib for 4 rounds
Loosely bind off

Thumb:
Transfer the 11 stitches to two double pointed needles. With third needle, pick up and knit 4 stitches (make sure you leave at least a 6-inch tail of yarn). Knit one round. When you get back to the picked up stitches, K2tog twice, leaving you with 13 stitches total. Knit 5 rounds or till thumb is the length you prefer (you can try the mitt on at this point).
Bind off. Weave in tails. At the crotch of the thumb, use the extra tail to sew up any gaps.

Here is a pair I made with two kinds of worsted yarn knitted at the same time. They turned out really stiff and a little too big for my hands. They fit Stephen’s perfectly, but they weren’t his colors.
Knitting

The Grover Collection

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Merry Christmas to all! It was a relaxing day. I got sparkly Moon Boots and lots of yummy yarn. I am finally able to post some photos and patterns since they are no longer a surprise. Here is the collection I made for my sister with blue and teal yarn. The hat is a basic 72-stitch hat made on size 10 circulars. The ascot is the pattern I previously posted. The headband is a spin on Knitty.com’s Calorimetry pattern.The fingerless mittens are my own pattern, which I will post presently.

Now it’s time for Christmas goose and champagne!

Knitting

Ascot No. 3

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I knit this with baby yarn from Michaels. I can’t remember the brand, but it reminds me of Debbie Bliss, only much much cheaper. This was knit on 7’s but since the yarn is meant for 8’s it came out larger than my others. A girl in my knitting group gave me one of her grandmother’s vintage buttons. I just love how it came out.

One thing I did differently from the original pattern is I bound off when I got to 4 stitches instead of 3. That way it’s more rounded like the first point.