. . . florally . . .

And this is the last pattern from 2018: florally: a beanie with stranded colorwork, knit bottom up and seamlessly in the round.

It starts with some corrugated ribbing in 2/1.

From wherever you look at it, it is never the same.

There are no repeats, in fact it is one large chart covering the whole circumference of the hat.

There is only one size due to the complexity of the colorwork, but it is easy to alter the stitch gauge to obtain other sizes. See the note about changing gauge and size below.

I made two of them in a different color range. The first on above in a very contrasting black and white, and the second one in more harmonising colors. So much harder to photograph.

The colorwork is charted only. Tips to successfully knit stranded colorwork are included.

One size
to fit head circumference: 54 – 58 cm / 21¼ – 22¾“
finished measurement at the brim: ± 51 cm / 20”
brim slightly stretched: ± 54.5 cm / 21½”
finished height: ± 21 cm / 8¼”

A note on gauge and size
• For a larger head circumference you will need larger needles and DK weight at a gauge of 25 sts and 30 rows.
The finished measurement at the brim is 54 cm / 21½” and fits a head of 57 to 61 cm / 22½” to 24”
• For a smaller head circumference you will need smaller needles and fingering weight at a gauge of 28.5 sts and 34 rows.
The finished measurement at the brim will be 48 cm / 19” and fits a head of 50 to 54 cm / 19½” to 21¼”

What you’ll need
sport / 5 ply
MC (main color): dark blue ± 100 m / 110 yards
CC contrasting color: (violet in first sample and white in second sample) ± 80 m / 90 yards
2.5 mm (US 1½) circular needle
3 mm (US 2½) circular needle
4 markers
tapestry needle

Gauge
27 sts and 32 rows in stranded colorwork with the larger needle = 10 x 10 cm (4 x 4”)

Check it out here

I added a few curls on the black/white beanie from this post.

and a crocheted pompom from the same post on the purple/black one.

This was 2018 … Up to 2019 in next posts …

. . . cablino . . .

Next one is a hat with lots of cables: Cablino.

This one was lots of fun to sketch and watch those cables go smaller to shape the crown. It is often different from what you had in mind. But that makes it interesting.

It looks like some kind of flower, doesn’t it ?

It is worked bottom up and seamlessly in the round.

There is only one size due to the complexity of the cable design. But it is easy to alter the stitch gauge and thus obtain other sizes. Notes about changing gauge and size are included.
The cables are charted and written.
It can be worked as a beanie or blocked to a beret.

one size see below for other sizes
to fit head circumference: 54 – 58 cm / 21¼ – 22¾ “
finished measurement at the brim (slightly stretched): 52 cm / 20½”
crown circumference (blocked on a plate): 78 cm / 30¾” (diameter 25 cm / 9¾”)
Blocking aggressively will get a larger diameter.
Without blocking it is a beanie.

Top left is the unblocked beanie, the two other photos are the hat blocked to a beret.

What you’ll need
worsted / 10 ply
or you can use a fingering / 4 ply weight doubled
Yardage for the hat
± 210 m / 230 yards
(if you use fingering held double, you should double the yardage)
4 mm (US 6) circular needle
3 mm (US 2½) circular needle
cable needle
marker
tapestry needle

Gauge
23.5 sts and 32 rows of repeats of rows 1 to 24 of the cable stitch pattern, with the larger needle and blocked = 10 x 10 cm (4 x 4”)

a note on gauge and size
For a larger head circumference you will need a larger needle and aran weight at a gauge of 22 sts and 30 rows.
The finished measurement at the brim is 55 cm / 21½” and fits a head of 57 to 61 cm / 22½” to 24”

For a smaller head circumference you will need a smaller needle and DK weight at a gauge of 25.5 sts and 35 rows.
The finished measurement at the brim will be 48 cm / 19” and fits a head of 50 to 54 cm / 19½” to 21¼”

Check it out here

. . . from braided leaves (bis) . . .

Ahah, and there is a matching hat: braided leaves hat.

It features the same stranded colorwork with delicate outlined leaves, perfect to work up some little rests.

Worked bottom up, it starts with Jenny’s magic cast on as a provisional cast on. A doubled brim with – at the bottom – a small chart of ‘tilted’ lines refers to the pullovers ‘twisted / tilted details’.

It comes in three sizes: kids, medium and large. Instructions for a beanie or a more slouchy hat are included.
The samples are medium size: slouchy fit and beanie.

slouchy fit

beanie

The colorwork is charted only.

Tips on colorwork and fair isle to successfully knit the leaves are included.

Find out more here.

Get both patterns: braided leaves and braided leaves hat together.

. . . wild roses . . .

At this moment, my new design: wild rose cardigan is being testknit here

It features delicate branches with some spring flowers on the sleeves. It is not that easy because as you can see there are three colors per round in the colorwork. There are several techniques to solve that problem and they will be explained in the pattern.

But then, I made a swatch with the same flowers in only two colors to show the effect to my testers…

I don’t like swatching, it feels like a waste of time. The best swatch one can make is a hat, isn’t it ? Never enough hats.

I used three different rests of green yarn from my stash… From a dark bottle green to a fresh yellowish green. And to make the gradient between the two colors I alternated the them in every round … Oh, I love the colors of that hat. The main color is the softest yarn ever. It is Misty Mina form the Natural Collection: 70% Alpaca, 20% Silk, 10% Cashmere goat…

And then I got kinda carried away, haha …

A hat, a pair of fingerless mitts and a doubled cowl: wild roses collection

Added a crocheted pompom on the hat like this

The four patterns will be collected in an e-book: wild roses. The cardigan will be added when the testknit is finished at the end of the month. Included are  tips on colorwork and fair isle, a tutorial on how to use Jenny’s cast on as a provisional cast on and on how to graft in a separate pdf: **Wild rose tips**.

The e-book is already available now at a discounted price.

Read more about them here, here and here.

. . . dove stone . . .

A new hat called Dove stone.

Well, not so new. It took me a year to write the pattern, haha.

But it is pattern 

**Dove stone** is a hat worked bottom up and seamlessly in the round. It starts with a clever and neat way to make a tubular cast on in a contrasting color. It has a cable stitch pattern that gradually decreases to shape the crown. It can be made as a ‘light’ slouchy hat or blocked on a plate for a beret shape.

**Sizes**
available for size: S, M and L
head circumference: 52-56 cm / 55-59 cm / 58-63 cm (20½-22” / 21½-23¼” / 23-25”)

**What you’ll need**
DK / 8 ply
Yardage for the hat
± 150 m / 165 yards
small leftovers in a contrasting color for the cast on and the pompom.
4 mm (US 6) circular needle
3 mm (US 2½) circular needle
crochet hook for the provisional cast on
cardboard and scissors to make a pompom or tassels (optional)
marker
tapestry needle

**Stitches**
twisted ribbing 1/1 (in the round): (k1 tbl, p1)
stitch pattern

**Gauge**
25 sts and 30 rows in stitch pattern, slightly stretched: = 10 x 10 cm (4”x4”) with the larger needle

**Techniques used**: tubular cast on
pompom, tassels or something different

Check it out here

. . . pythagoras . . .

a² + b² = c²

Remember that formula ?

Three new patterns have been published based on that idea:

pythagoras’ pullover

a cozy, slightly oversized pullover with a turtle neck and (nearly) invisible sleeve inset.

It is worked top down seamlessly in one piece. The stitch pattern is easy, it consists of purl and knit stitches only that form a mix of triangles (pythagoras !). Special increases are placed in clever spots following the stitch pattern to make them invisible.

Sizes
Intended to be worn with positive ease (10 to 25 cm / 4 to 10”). Take the measurement at your high bust just under the armpits.
The sample is size M worn with 15 cm / 6” of positive ease.

There are only four sizes available due to the kind of the increases and their placement. But it is easy to alter the stitch gauge and thus obtain the best size. (instructions are provided)
S, M, L, XL: finished measurements: 35” / 40½” / 46” / 52“ (89 / 103 / 118 / 132 cm)

These photos are of the unblocked pullover

What you’ll need
DK weight
Total yardage: ± 1150, 1290, 1470, 1670 m (1250, 1400, 1600, 1820 yards)

4 mm (US 6) circular needle or size to obtain gauge
3.5 mm (US 4) circular needle
5 markers

Gauge
22 sts and 34 rows in stitch pattern (see page 3) with the larger needle and after blocking = 10 x 10 cm (4”x 4”)

 

Find out more here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then there is his hat …

This is the first hat I made … But what if I used 2 colors ?

Or the whole hat in 2 colors ? Maybe in a lighter yarn weight too ??

Three hats made from the same pattern …

Pythagoras’ hat is worked bottom up. Instructions are given for a beanie (length = 20 cm / 7¾”) or a bit of slouch (length = 24 cm / 9½”) and for 2 different yarn weights. Two options are included: a close fitting brim (2 color sample) or a loose fitting brim (red sample).

Due to the stitch pattern and the placement of the decreases there are only two sizes: one with 96 stitches for a heavy yarn weight and one with 128 stitches for a light yarn weight. If you use larger or smaller needles and a heavier or lighter yarn weight, the gauge will be different and most head sizes can be covered.

The stitch pattern is very easy and uses only purl and knit stitches – a perfectly good excuse to start playing. Work one repeat in stranded color knitting (see 2-colored hat), or knit the whole hat in 2 colors (or more). Instructions to personalize your hat are included.

Gauge
Finished measurement circumference is ± 50 cm / 19½” to fit head 54 to 57 cm / 20½” to 22½”
worsted weight
19 sts in stockinette stitch = 10 cm / 4” with the larger needle
or fingering weight
26 sts in stockinette stitch = 10 cm / 4” with the larger needle

Using another yarn weight results in a different gauge and size (instructions and maths included)

What you’ll need
worsted weight
± 100 to 130 m / 110 to 145 yards
3.5 mm (US 4) circular needle
4 mm (US 6) circular needle

or fingering weight
± 180 to 220 m / 200 to 240 yards
2.5 mm (US 1½) circular needle
3 mm (US 2½) circular needle

tapestry needle

Find out more here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 And then there is his beret …

This one really is my favorite …

Pythagoras’ beret is worked bottom up starting with a Latvian braided two-color cast on aka Kihnu braided cast on.

Written instructions are included and a photo tutorial can be found in the separate pdf. It’s a lovely way to start colorwork, but you can use any cast on method you might prefer.

Due to the stitch pattern and the placement of the decreases there are only two sizes: one with 144 stitches and 6 repeats of the crown chart and one with 168 stitches and 7 repeats of the crown chart. Instructions are given for both sizes.

at the left is the small beret and at the right the large beret

Sizes
Finished measurement circumference at the brim is ± 56 cm / 19½” to fit head 55 to 58 cm / 20½” to 22¾”
Diameter small beret = ± 24 cm / 9½”
Diameter large beret = ± 27 cm / 10½”

What you’ll need
sport weight or light DK weight
± 160 to 200 m / 175 to 220 yards (half of each color)
3 mm (US 2½) circular needle
3.5 mm (US 4) circular needle
tapestry needle

Gauge
21 sts and 33 rows in stranded pattern with the larger needle and blocked = 10 x 10 cm / 4” x 4”

Check it out here

I have the feeling there will be more of these . . .

. . . greenhouse knits #5 . . .

#5 of the greenhouse knits collection: another hat but with a completely different construction.

The hat is first worked back and forth and sideways to form a headband with the leaf stitch pattern. Short rows are worked to form an arch that goes upwards to the crown. Stitches are picked up along the headband to work the crown in the round. Lastly, the two sides of the headband are closed by sewing them together at the inside.

one adaptable size
adaptable for head circumference of 53 to 60 cm / 21” to 23¾ “
Finished height = ± 20 cm (8”)

What you’ll need
worsted / 9 ply
± 140 m / 155 yards
4 mm (US 6) circular needle

tapestry needle
6 markers

Gauge
20 sts and 30 rows in stockinette stitch = 10 x 10 cm (4”x4”)

 

I made another hat based on this pattern but in two colors and with a few changes.

What I altered: worked the decreases from the left and right twists with CC (contrasting colors, also the 2 middle stitches of each leaf are done in CC.
I changed the background purl stitches in knit stitches.
I worked the crown in the round but that gives an extra problem with the leafs in CC. It is like working intarsia in the round. I think it is a better idea to continue to work flat and seam the crown as the headband.

Check it out here

. . . greenhouse knits . . .

The first spring green … This is the first pattern from the greenhouse knits e-book.

Variations on a theme and a color scheme: subtle, tender green leaves growing and climbing up or down … a sock, a hat, a cardigan …

The e-book will consist of at least 8 patterns, (probably 9) that will be released one after another during spring months with the last pattern in June. Two different hats, a pair of socks, long fingerless mitts, a cardigan, a tunic, a shawl and/or scarf and a pattern for small individual leaves to use as decoration or for knitwear embellishments.

Greenhouse knits is already available at a discounted pre-release price. The price will go up with every released pattern until all patterns have been released. Than it will be at its full price of 22 euros.

Greenhouse knits #1: a hat worked bottom up with subtle leaves growing from the brim in twisted stitches. (no cabling). It starts with a rather clever and non-fiddly way to make a neat tubular cast on. The leaves are both charted and written out.

Sizes: available for size : S-M and L
head circumference: 52-57 cm / 58-63 cm (20½-22½” / 22¾-25”)

Gauge
22 sts and 32 rows in stockinette stitch = 10 x 10 cm (4”x4”) with the larger needle

What you’ll need
DK / 8 ply
± 140 m / 155 yards
3.5 mm (US 4) circular needle
4 mm (US 6) circular needle

crochet hook for the provisional cast on
tapestry needle
6 markers

Check it out here

how to … pompom and Co #3 …

I like the tassels on my new hat, but I want to try something else …
This is my hat without any pompom, tassel or anything …

In the large photo my hat is soaked in water and left to dry on a plate for a ‘beret’ look. The small photo on the right is ‘unblocked’.

And here with tassels (see previous post how to make them)

 

Maybe a pompom ?  (see here)

With other materials ? and a different look ?

Crochet chain might work … in a pop color. Let’s try.

I used some cheap acrylic yarn but with a terrific orange color to try it out. Crochet a chain of about 3 m / 3.30 yards (or longer), break the yarn and tie off.

Wind the chain around the thumb and pinky as shown. Cut another piece of yarn or use the 2 ends of your crochet chain to tie it firmly in the middle. That’s it.

 

Or ….

some curls ? knit ?

I used DK yarn  and 4 mm / US 6 needles

Curl 1:                                                 Curl 2:                                           Curl 3:
Cast on 24 sts                                     Cast on 20 sts                               Cast on 20 sts
row 1: purl all stitches.                      row 1: pfb*  every stitch              row 1: k1, yo, k1*
row 2: kfb*  every stitch.                   You now have 40 sts                              in every stitch.
You now have 48 sts                          Bind off all stitches                        You have 60 sts
row 3: purl all stitches.                                                                              Bind off all stitches
Bind off all stitches

• kfb: knit in the front and back leg of the same stitch
• pfb: purl in the front and back leg of the same stitch
• k1, yo, k1: knit 1 st , yarn over, knit 1 st in the same stitch

 

1, 2 or 3 ?

how to … pompom and Co #2 …

part two of pompom and Co: tassels and cords (see here for part 1: the real thing)

How to make tassels

Cut a piece of cardboard at the length of the tassel you want to make (the cardboard in the sample is 5.5 cm / 2“).

Wind the yarn all around           The more you wind the         Cut a piece of yarn (± 20 cm
the cardboard.                             fuller the tassel.                     / 8”), thread it in a tapestry
…                                                  Cut the yarn.                           needle. Slide the needle be-
…                                                                                                   tween the cardboard and
…                                                                                                   the yarn.                                            

Pull the needle through              At the opposite side cut          Remove the cardboard.
and tie a knot.                           through all the yarn wrapped          
…                                                around the cardboard.

    

Cut a 2nd piece of yarn
about 3 times the length of
the tassel, wind it at least
twice around the tassel to
form the head. Tie it very
firmly and cut the ends at
the same length as the tassel.

Ready … unless you want it to hang at the end of a cord …

…

…

…

How to make a cord

Decide how long and thick you want your cord to be. Each piece of yarn will be folded in half, twisted and folded on itself again, so using one strand results in a 4 strands thick cord. Using two strands will give you an eight strands thick cord (see below). Cut one (or more) piece(s) of yarn at four times the length of the cord you want to make.

Fold the strand(s) in half.             Hold the ends in your left      Stretch the yarn and place
.                                                      hand.                                        your right index finger in 
…                                                                                                     the loop at the folded side.
…                                                                                                    Start twisting.

Continue to twist in the             Remove your finger from           Tie all the ends firmly in a
same direction until the            the loop and fold the                  little knot and trim the 
yarn is completely twisted        twisted cord in half. Hold            ends but don’t cut too
and tightened up.                      the two ends together.                much because the knot
…                                                 The cord will twist on itself.        could be undone

Attach the tassels to the cord and hide any yarn ends in the tassel. As you can see in the next pic the cords are the finer ones made with only one strand.

And here they are on my new hat