It's July???

Whoops it's suddenly July! I guess I should do a wrap up of anything that came off my needles in the past few months! I haven't worked much on that blue cowl (surprise surprise, because it's for ME).

OK this one is actually from April?!? I made a cowl as a birthday gift for my friend Natalie. I used some yarn I had reclaimed from an old navy sweater and it's really nice... has some wool and I think even a touch of angora? Anyway I had fun modeling it for my project photos :) I really want one for myself now!

Pattern: Columbia Cowl

I also made some preemie and baby hats, and a ballband dishcloth (which pulled me out of a knitting funk where I was not in the mood to do anything! Scary!!!)

Then after finding out the sex of my cousin's baby-to-be, (Boy!) I got to working on a few things:

Pattern: Baby Sophisticate

Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Encore

I liked the pattern but I made the 6-12 month size and it came out newborn.... yikes. So keep that in mind if you want to make it. The arms were long enough for a 6 month old but it would barely button around my friend's 2.5 month old kid.... sooooo thats why it is going to my cousin (was originally making it for a baby who is already born, oops).

I also threw together this "Phoenix Suns" hat - I hope the basketball button makes them realize it is in team colors! hehe!

Whew - Still more to share!!! Hope you guys aren't getting tired :)

My friend from college (she's the one who made those cool knitting cookies!) is pregnant again... with TWINS! She found out they were going to have 2 girls (woot!), so along with passing on some of Norah's old clothes I made these hats:

Pattern: my own, notes here

Yarn: Leftover Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride bulky (they knit up so fast!)

And last but not least, mom's birthday present:

Pattern: Ilene Bag

Yarn: Sugar & Cream kitchen cotton

I followed another user's mods to make it slightly smaller than written, I think it turned out nicely. I think if I make it again I might make the strap a few stitches narrower, but it is comfortable on the shoulder. Anyway I think mom liked it! Happy birthday! :-)

Preemie hats

One of my good friends just started a new job working in the NICU at one of our local hospitals. She knew I was a knitter, and I jumped on the chance and asked if they needed any knitted preemie hats/etc. She said YES and that the hats they did have were a bit "ugly" looking. I think I knew what she meant (pastel red heart yarn, anyone?) and immediately set out to whip up some cute more modern hats. Of course I asked my designated knitter Cynthia to join, and she even got one of HER friends to knit up some as well!!! I just delivered the first batch of about 8 hats (i think) to my nurse friend!!!! Of course I forgot to get pics. Jeez.

I am still making more though, so here are a few of my "round 2" batch of hats!

Lots of knitting!

Whew, my needles have been busy lately. I keep getting distracted by small quick projects and procrastinating on my sweaters! Sheesh :)

First, I had a commissioned project for my friend Larissa. She had a mess of knitting gifts to get finished by a set date, and wasn't sure that she was going to make it, so I jumped in and knit up this "batman" mask on her behalf! She paid me for the yarn, and it knit up in 2 days!

Pattern: Zsa Mask  (Rav link)

My friend Candace said her and her mom were knitting preemie hats for charity, and I wanted to help out. I just finished knocking out 4 teeny tiny hats to contribute!

Those are from my own pattern:  Baby Cables Preemie Hats

These are modified versions of this hat: Pixie Hat.  I CO 46 stitches to make it more of a preemie size!

I also got in the mood to make a little something for Norah. Well actually Greg saw the tiny pixie hats I was making and said Norah needed one too :) So here's the "big girl" version for her! (CO 66 sts)

I added an applied i-cord tie to keep it on her head. I also had to make matching mittens to go with the hat!!!

So cute :) I improvised the pattern, just some 1x1 ribbing, then some stockinette, then decreases like at the top of a hat.

Next post: I finally knit something for MYSELF!!!!!

Mad Hatter

There seem to be lots of random knitted hats scattered around my house these days! Let's see what we have....

Just finished this simple brown beanie (kind of a small adult size or child) to donate along with an unused scarf I knitted awhile ago to my friend's church. They will hopefully be given to someone who needs them!


This is a warm wool kiddo hat, might be going to a lucky nephew of mine! I am pretty happy with how it came out, I was just making it up as I went along. I knew I wanted a warm thick brim though! (and stripes of course)


Preemie hats! Besides the original blue one I knitted while creating my cabled preemie hat pattern (link), I knitted an additional one in pink, and then 2 more hats using a different pattern, then a light blue hat using my own random pattern. Add those to the cute white preemie hat that Cynthia donated, I have 6 hats so far to give to charity!!!! I hope to have at least 10 before I mail them to the lady in Indy, and I think Jess is knitting me one, so doing pretty good! The more the merrier really.

November????

Wait, its November??? Where did the year go! Wow!!!

Well my Baby Cables Preemie hat (my first official written pattern) is up on Ravelry (linked here) and is in 5 people's (strangers!) queues so far!!!! Jessica has it cast on in her projects (thanks Jess!) too. A good start for me! Anyone reading this, feel free to knit one up and mail it to me (leave a comment with your email and I'll email you my snail mail address). Why do I want preemie hats? Charity! I am collecting them for a person in Indianapolis who puts together kits for families who have premature babies in the NICU. Isn't that awesome? So please feel free to use my pattern or any other preemie hat pattern (head sizes for preemies are like 12-14 inches I think!). It's for a good cause, uses up tiny balls of yarn you have lying around, and knits up super fast! I love instant gratification!

Baby Cables Preemie Hat

This pattern is a tiny cabled preemie hat knit from the bottom up with a ribbed brim. I designed this pattern in the fall of 2009 as part of a personal project to knit a dozen preemie hats for charity.

(This pattern is the property of Lauren Estes and may not be reproduced except for personal use. Please do not otherwise print or distribute this pattern without Lauren Estes’ express written permission. Thanks!)

Size: Preemie (12” head circumference)
Gauge: 5 sts/inch
Needles: 4 US 6 double-pointed needles
Yarn: less than one skein of Caron Simply Brites (Or any soft worsted/aran weight washable yarn)

C4F Cable stitch:
Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle and hold to front. Knit the next two stitches, then knit the 2 stitches off the cable needle.

Pattern:
CO 60 stitches, divide evenly on 3 needles. Join to begin working the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Rows 1-3: (K1,P1) repeat till end.
Rows 4-6: (K4,P2) repeat till end.
Row 7, Cable row: (C4F, P2) repeat till end.
Repeat rows 4-7 (3) more times.
Repeat row 4.

Decreases:

(K2tog, K2, P2) repeat till end.
(K2tog, K1, P2) repeat till end.
(K2tog, P2) repeat till end.
(K2tog, P1) repeat till end.
(K2tog) all the way around.

Bind off and weave in all ends.

Finished dimension: 4" long from cast on to cast off.

Note: If your hat is too short, you can repeat the cable (rows 4-7) an additional time or as many times as needed until hat is correct length.


© Lauren Estes, 2009