A Gray Knit Cowl

One of the things I've really enjoyed doing this winter is knit. I like how knitting forces me to slow down. I use the time to sit still and either watch a show, talk with my husband, or just think. All good things. Most often, I'm never still, whether it's playing/reading with my kids, driving them around, or making it to dance class, karate, etc. (and just in the nick of time, it always seams). I mean, face it. A knit project is seldom fast. Sewing, on the other side of the spectrum, gives me near-instant gratification. And I need that now and again! But the slow pace of knitting also gives me enormous pleasure, especially when the project's done and getting use. This cowl, for instance, has been wonderful. I wear it daily, back and forth from school, out in the cold as we trudge along through the snow. It's great because it covers a good portion of my face which makes such a difference on the coldest days!

And, as I said, knitting is not a fast craft. BUT, this cowl was probably one of the fastest things I've made. I used straight needles (the pattern has this option, though I think circulars would be easier) and I have two seems, but they're hardly noticeable. It's an interesting stitch pattern* and you actually knit with two strands of worsted weight yarn (so it knits up pretty fast, like super bulky yarns). I am thinking this cowl would also look good in an ice blue color and am debating whether to do another. (Though I have such a long mental list of knit projects I want to do right now!). Anyway, I highly recommend making this beautiful cowl. You can find the pattern HERE.

*If you look at the picture of the cowl on the blog with the pattern, you might notice that the finished project looks different from mine. Upon reading some of the comments from other readers and knitters (and looking at my own cowl), it appears that the straight-needle pattern option has different results than the circular option. It doesn't matter to me. I like this pattern just as much!

The Garter Scrap Cowl

I finally handmade something for my husband! And it was a total surprise for him too. He told me he didn't suspect at all that I'd be making anything for him (I often knit right next to him while we watch shows and they're almost always hats or something for the kids). So it was kinda cool to give him this post-Christmas gift last week.

Originally, I wanted it to be a scarf. But honestly, as I knitted, I realized this was not going to work as a scarf. It would've looked too cumbersome. So, about halfway in, I decided it would be a cowl and it was going to be layered and warm. In making him this gift, I used several of my leftover balls of yarn so that the finished product is kind of a trip down memory lane. There's that blue striped yarn that I used to make my son's very first knitted hat (buried in this photo here - one of my first blog posts!). And there's the dark and light greens that I used to make my first pair of wrist warmers (which I realized I never blogged about). And the orange - that was used to make a newborn baby hat for charity a few years ago. I like that this cowl holds a lot of good memories. 

It is a nice cowl because it's very warm and cozy. I used (mostly) all wool yarn. And because you cast on 56 stitches to start, the finished product is folded in half width-wise for extra warmth and also structure.

Do you want to make The Garter Scrap Cowl for the man in your life (or yourself)? Grab your Tupperware (in my case, anyway) of leftover balls of yarn and get to it! It's a relatively quick project because it's all in garter stitch and you'll be doing yourself a favor too by using up a whole bunch of yarn that might never have found another use. This is easy knitting, folks. What are you waiting for?

The Garter Scrap Cowl Pattern
U.S. Size 10 Knitting Needles
Worsted Weight Wool (or blend) yarn (leftovers of varying amounts)

Cast On 56 Stitches
Row 1: Knit
Repeat Row 1 until the cowl reaches 27" in length
Finishing
Cut the yarn, leaving a 20" tail. Sew the short ends of the cowl together to create a circle. Weave in the remaining end of the tail.
Fold in half width-wise.

Enjoy!

* Note, for the orange yarn in my cowl, I used two balls and knitted them together because it was a very thin yarn.

Interested in a new cowl for yourself that is quick and beautiful? Check out my latest project HERE: A Gray Knit Cowl.

Feather and Fan Dishcloth in Blues

With the colder weather, I've settled into some knitting in the evenings. I really like keeping my hands busy while watching TV or listening to movie. It makes me feel like I'm getting something done and not being a total slug. 

I saw a pattern for a dishcloth and thought it'd be fun to try something different. (Usually I do hats and scarves.) I have a bunch of yarn in my stash, so I dug around and found two balls of cotton, which is what the pattern calls for. The solid blue is an organic cotton that I got at AC Moore a long time ago. I made a couple of hats with this yarn. I like it and how it looks as a dishcloth! For this first one, I used bamboo wood needles, size US 6.  Note: the garter stitch bar toward the bottom is not a part of the pattern. It is the result of knitting while watching Homeland. And drinking wine. Yeah... Well, it turns out that I like this mistake and am wondering if I should have duplicated it in my second dishcloth?? To think I actually thought about ripping it out and starting over. (So not a perfectionist, so I didn't.)

For my second time with the Feather and Fan pattern, I used US 7 metal needles. The yarn definitely slid easier on these needles and I finished the dishcloth quicker. But, you know what? I like the first one better! The pattern is easier to see and the tighter stitches on smaller needles make it more eye-catching. You agree?

My friend who saw me knitting at ballet class said, "Are you really going to wash dishes with that?" Well, the answer is no. I imagine some glasses or silverware air-drying on these babies. Or maybe I will use them for my coffee mug. Or maybe I will just lay them out on the table and put a candle on top. I definitely can't imagine them getting dirty! What do you think? Would you use these to wash dishes? Do you prefer one over the other? I'd love to know!

[Original pattern found here. I altered the final "knit" step to a "k3, purl, k last 3" but kept the rest the same.]

Linking up at some of these fun parties.

Hair Bows

It's been busy, but I managed to squeeze in a little project over the last 24 hours. Hair bows!

I've been dying to try this tutorial for korker hair bows for a long time (I mean, I bought the dowels a couple years ago. Yeah.) I realized quickly after I got started how super EASY they are to do! I'm never going to buy another korker hair bow again. 

(Though I do really love the ones at Crazy 8, and they always go on sale...eh-hem)

For this flower clip, I bought a Gerber daisy at AC Moore (again, about 2 years ago), separated each layer, pulling out the stem and the center bits. Then I hot-glued the layers together, adding a felt flower and a jewel for the center. Easy.

Another corker bow, 

this one a little bigger. For Christmas, of course.

And then, once the korker bows were done, I tried something else...

Knitted hair bows.

They were quick, seriously. I knitted them last night during about a 45 min TV show. I followed this excellent tutorial that's been on my Little Girlie Hair Clips Pinterest board for a while. Then I attached them to clips with hot glue. So cute. 

I wish I had better pictures. It's sad to say that I haven't taken my fancy-schmancy camera off Auto yet... I'll get there. I know, pathetic, right? But I am reading the books to learn how to take better pics and that's a start.

 I bought the plastic barrettes here on etsy. 

 Ah...my creative cravings are satisfied for a little bit. BUT I really need to get to work on the Christmas presents. More on that hopefully soon! What do YOU make for a quick fix?

The Holey Cowl

I saw this pattern and immediately decided I needed to make one. For myself. I have been on a neck-warmer kick lately. And this is just one of several I have made for myself as well as the kids. Not all of them have turned out well, but this one's a keeper.

You can find the pattern for the Holey Cowl here.

The designer wears hers kind of like how mine is in the picture above. But I prefer it flipped the other way as in the picture below.

 

For my cowl, I just used a big skein of a worsted-weight yarn that I had in my stash (ie., not organic cotton). I also used straight needles and sewed the end up (as opposed to using circulars as suggested in the pattern).

Overall, I really like my new cowl and am happy to report it's already gotten at least three wears. (Though no comments yet from friends. Darn. I wonder if they know I knitted it? Or maybe they do and...eh-hem...don't like my style.) Anyhoo, I always feel accomplished when I get a project done. One that I think looks good enough to wear. Woo-hoo!

 Linking up here today:

Our Creative Spaces

The Pink Baron Scarf ~ Knitting Pattern

Mmmm...Seed stitch. It is simply the most beautiful stitch to knit, in my humble opinion.

I think it just exudes softness and beauty.

It has so much texture.

I think my daughter looks pretty cute in her scarf as it coincidentally matches all her winter apparel. Awesome.

Below is my son staring pensively at the ducks milling about the icy pond. I made this scarf for him about three years ago. 

He still wears it!

His seed stitch scarf was the first scarf/wearable item I ever made (knitting, sewing, gluing, you name it).

When he wears it, we call him The Red Baron.

So he gave his sister the moniker, The Pink Baron (though it's kinda purplish. But The Purplish Baron doesn't sound so good.).

If you'd like to make your very own Pink (or Red, or Purplish) Baron Scarf, this is what you do:

Tools:

US 7 knitting needles

1 skein of worsted weight yarn

Pattern:

Cast On 29 stitches.

Row 1: K1, *p1, k1; repeat from * until end of the row. Finish the row with a knit stitch.

Repeat Row 1 until you finish the skein, or until desired length.

Bind Off, weave in loose ends.

If you are making one for a toddler and would like the scarf to be less wide, CO 19 stitches instead.

Enjoy the Mmmmmm of seed stitch before the winter is through!

If you are interested in making a something for your husband or boyfriend (or even yourself), check out my newest creation: 

Early Spring Cabled Fingerless Mittens found

HERE.

and

The Garter Scrap Cowl 

found 

HERE.

Knit Baby Hat with Embroidery

My friend in Ohio had a baby earlier this week and I had this little green hat knitted up and ready to embellish once the baby's gender was announced. 

Well, it's a girl!

 Nora Jane was born Monday afternoon, so I got right to work embroidering a tiny label for the hat.

Yay! So glad Nora is finally here!
Linking up here!

Striped Organic Cotton Hat with Apple Applique

And another hat unearthed from the winter bins. This hat is made from organic cotton and I realized after I made it that it's...not very warm. So it's not often worn. 

But then I sewed a puffy apple on the side and my son wore it a lot (back in the fall). I started to think, Maybe he didn't wear it because it wasn't warm. Maybe he just didn't like it. Well, since adding the apple, he has liked it much more.

My son later requested a full-fledged apple hat which I knitted earlier this winter. You can see it here.

I was happy to see him wearing this hat again today. (And he never complained about being cold.) :)

This pattern came from the book, Easy Baby Knits: Clothes and Accessories for 0-3 Year-olds, by Claire Montgomerie.

I'm linking up at My Creative Space today!

Simple Knit Rectangle Hat with Pom Poms

Here in Boston, we are waiting (and waiting) for spring to arrive. Today, we had snow flurries! So, alas, it was time to bundle up (yet again) before heading out. I came across a hat we hadn't seen all winter... THIS ONE!

I made this hat back when my son was a toddler, but my daughter came across it today and I realized I hadn't posted anything about it.

It's a very simple hat to make!

I bought some multi-colored yarn to give the hat some interest and set to work with a garter stitch. I knitted a big, long rectangle, then folded it over and sewed up the seam. Then I knitted two very (very) long I-cords and sewed them on. Lastly, I made 4 pom-poms. Very easy!

Here's my daughter sportin' the hat today. I like how it droops on her head. :)

And here's my son who wanted to wear it out. It's obviously tighter on him now as I made it for him to wear when he was my daughter's age. But I still think it looks cute.

 He had fun swinging the pom-poms!