. . . mosaiX hats . . .

It is slowly getting colder, it is almost hat time…

A new pattern release this month: mosaiX hats, one hat, four different stitch patterns.

This is mosaiX hat #1,

 

mosaiX hat #2,

 

mosaiX hat #3,

 

and #4

MosaiX hats are worked bottom up starting with a clever tubular cast on.

They are worked in mosaic knitting: only 1 color is worked per round: the stitches in the working color are knit (or purled) and the stitches in the other color are slipped.Very easy colorwork 😉

Pretty, well thought decreases shape the crown and form some surprising line drawings on top of the hat.

You don’t need to print all the pages, just the one you want to make and the instructions you prefer: chart, or written instructions. Both are provided.

one size
to fit head circumference: 54 – 60 cm / 21¼ – 23½ “
finished measurement at the brim: 50 to 52 cm / 19¾” to 20½”
finished height: ± 19 cm / 7½”

What you’ll need
DK weight
L (light color): ± 90 m / 100 yards
D (dark color): ± 90 m / 100 yards
3.5 mm (US 4) circular needle or double pointed needles
3 mm (US 2½) circular needle or double pointed needles and straight needles (optional)
4 mm (US 6) straight needle for the tubular cast on
crochet hook
3 to 6 markers
tapestry needle

Gauge
The mosaic stitch pattern is variable in width and height due to the slipped stitches. It has a lot of stretch in both directions making it fit most head circumferences. Garter stitch
24 sts and 46 rows (23 ridges) = 10 x 10 cm (4” x 4”)
with the medium needle (3.5 mm / US 4)

Read more and see more examples from the testknitters here

Next up will be the mosaiX scarf, stay tuned …

. . . et entretemps . . .

A lot of swatches … small ones, large ones …

Textures, colors, constructions …

An idea popped up …

What if ? … A well known knitting technique combined with some kind of texture … lightbulb moment …

This is not very common. I did a search on Ravelry and nothing much came up. Got something to play with …

A kind of waves, don’t you think ?

Or sailing boats ?

I like the neutral colors with these textures.

Entretemps is a collection of a hat, scarf and a large, reversible, L- or V-shaped shawl, worked in entrelac with textured squares.

The entretemps shawl or wrap is made out of squares that have the same easily memorized stitch pattern. The use of increases, decreases and the joins of the squares give the shawl a dynamic third dimension with playful, organic shapes and interesting textures.

The stitch pattern is charted and written.

Size
at the given gauge, wing length (in the center of the wing from the center to the tip) = ± 105 cm / 41½”
width per wing: ± 45 cm / 17¾”

What you’ll need
worsted / 10 ply
Yardage will depend on size of the shawl.
As pictured:
± 1200 m / 1320 yards
5 mm (US 8) needles
two 5 mm (US 8) double pointed needles to work the final I-cord
tapestry needle
4 markers if you wish to place them between the squares (optional)

Gauge
worsted / 10 ply
The gauge is not crucial but will affect the size of your shawl.
gauge of the sample (unblocked)
18 sts and 16 ridges (or 32 rows) in garter stitch = 10 x 10 cm (4”x4”)

More info here

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What is this ? A cauliflower, a seed pod, definitely something organic, a fungus ?

Ooh, it’s just a hat …

Entretemps hat is worked with the same squares as the shawl, only a bit smaller.

Just as the shawl, the use of increases, decreases and the joins of the squares give the hat that dynamic third dimension and swirly shape.

The stitch pattern is both charted and written.

What you’ll need
sport weight / 5 ply
± 230 to 300 m / 250 to 330 yards

3.5 mm (US 4) circular needle
3 mm (US 2½) circular needle
crochet hook for the cast on
tapestry needle
1 distinctive marker to mark the end of rounds (BOR) and 7 markers to place between repeats if you wish to do so

One size for other sizes see ‘a note on gauge and size’ below
to fit head circumference: 54 – 58 cm / 21¼ – 22¾ “
finished measurement at the brim (slightly stretched): 50 cm / 19½”

Gauge
unblocked garter stitch
22.5 sts and 21 ridges (or 42 rows)
= 10 x 10 cm (4”x4”)

A note on gauge and size
For a larger head circumference you will need a larger needle and DK weight at a gauge of 21 sts and 19 ridges (38 rows).
The finished measurement at the brim is 54 cm / 21¼” and fits a head of 57 to 63 cm / 22½” to 24¾”

For a smaller head circumference you will need a smaller needle and fingering weight at a gauge of 24 sts and 22 ridges (44 rows).
The finished measurement at the brim will be 47 cm / 18½” and fits a head of 50 to 54 cm / 19½” to 21¼”

More info here

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What if ? … Always the most interesting question, don’t you think ? ^^

The same construction but different elements …

Entretemps scarf is made out of squares with a seed stitch motif on a purled background. The design looks very intricate, but it is easy peasy.

The stitch pattern is charted and written.

Size
at the given gauge, width: ± 29 cm / 11½”
length of the sample: ± 240 cm / 94½”
Can easily be altered by working more or less repeats.

What you’ll need
DK / 8 ply
Yardage will depend on length of the shawl
As pictured:
± 850 m / 930 yards
4.5 mm (US 7) needles
two 4.5 mm (US 7) double pointed needles to work the final I-cord
tapestry needle
4 markers if you wish to place them between the squares (optional)

Gauge
is not crucial but will affect the size of your shawl
gauge of the sample (unblocked)
20 sts and 30 rows in stockinette stitch = 10 x 10 cm (4”x4”)

More info here

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All three patterns are tech edited bue Sue-Cat

and they are bundled in one pdf: entretemps

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And what if (bis) ?

The stitch pattern from the scarf with the hat pattern ?

I sure have got something to play with now …

To be continued …

. . . summer . . .

Linen is the perfect yarn for summer clothes. It is a bit hard to the hands to knit it up, but it gets softer with every soak. And it has a lovely shine and drape – although drape is not really necessary in the second project, on the contrary …

1. Linne #2 See the blog post here and the pattern here
   I bought some lovely linen in 2 nice colors: aqua blue-green and a very, very dark  blue, nearly black.
   I will try to make a gradient of these 2 colors. And I will use ‘helix knitting’ to make it. If I can find out how…
   

   

   

   

   

   And I did 🙂 It is not difficult at all. It is surprisingly easy, just knitting in the round and picking up the other color at the start of each round, no twisting of yarns, no pulling on the yarn ! That is very important …
   
   I pulled a little too hard, even though I didn’t get the feeling I pulled at all. So it is really important to work very loosely when switching yarns.

   I started the ‘helix’ like this: slip half of the just worked stitches back to the left needle and knit them again with the 2nd color. When you come to the other color, just pick up that color (don’t twist both yarns) and knit a round. And so on, and so on … Super easy peasy. When my first color was nearly finished I ended in the same way. I knit half of the stitches with color 1, slipped them back to the left needle and knit them again with color 2. The bottom is worked in color 2 only.

   

   

   

   

   

   
   
   

   

   

    

2. And then there is #2: a linen hat
   It is inspired by a free pattern available  on Ravelry: windansea
   But I made it top down and I also wanted another shape.
   Starting with a cast on in the round of 8 sts: just turn the yarn twice around a finger and k1, p1 four times in the circle. After having knit the 8 sts in the first round, you can pull on the tail and close the round …
   
   I also wanted another shape like the one I was wearing with my second linne tee (see above). I love that shape, but it was not mine. Had to return it.
   I added short rows to shape the brim so that it is larger at the front.When it was finished I crocheted a wire at the edge and sewed a large elastic at the bottom of the crown to shape the hat.
   I found the perfect moulding form (an old basket)…
   
   and applied fabric stiffener and left it to dry …

   A ribbon and tada 🙂

   

   

   

   

   Happy summer

. . . spirale . . .

This was great fun to design …

Spirale is a hat worked back and forth at a very tight gauge. It starts at the top with only four stitches gradually getting wider and forming a strip.

The strip is spiraling down joining as you go with a special technique. It can be worn as is – a long hat – or the brim can be folded back and the top spirals pushed down.

It is a a very fun and addictive project.

I made four of them and some of the testers made several too. It has been known that finished hats often disappear…

Sizes
S, M and L: head circumference: 52-56 / 55-59 / 58-63 cm (20½-22” / 21½-23¼” / 23-25”)
finished measurements (brim): 50.5 / 52.5 / 55 cm (19¾” / 20½” / 22”)

What you’ll need
The heavier the yarn weight, the better it keeps its shape.
minimum aran weight / 10 ply (200 m / 220 yards per 100 gr)
to bulky weight (120 m / 130 yards per 100 gr)
± 165 to 230 m / 180 to 250 yards
3 mm (US 2½) circular needle (60 or 80 cm / 24 to 31½ “)
4 removable markers
tapestry needle
Don’t try to make this hat in a DK-weight yarn, unless you pair it with a fingering weight held together – sport or DK weight held double should also work. It really should be a very dense and stiff fabric to keep its shape.

Gauge
23 sts and 22 ridges (= 44 rows) in garter stitch, unblocked
= 10 x 10 cm (4”x4”)

Check it out here