Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Slouchy hat and fingerless gloves


I subscribed a new magazine called 101 ideaa (101 ideas). These patterns are from its spring issue. It only comes out twice a year. There are knitting and crocheting patterns, ideas for decoration and arts and crafts as well as stories about people who do things by hand. Other things too, but these are the most prominent ones. Apparently the Finnish magazine follows on the footsteps of its Swedish predecessor. Kotivinkki Magazine, which I also subsribe, is the "mother" under which the Finnish 101 ideaa is being published.

A co-worker of mine had also subscribed a fixed-term time of Kotivinkki and had apparently as a subscriber gift also received the newest 101 ideaa as well. She even got it before I did. At work she mentioned about a hat in the magazine that had reminded her of me. When I got my hands at the magazine, I had no trouble realizing which one she had meant. This indeed looks just like me. I loved it. I seem to crochet quite tightly, which sometimes can make the end product a little too tight, but with these I really like what I accomplished. The fingerless gloves are just snug enough and the hat lets barely any wind in. These will be much used!

In the magazine's version, they had used a light grey yarn from the same brand. I chose this color as it was more bright and cheerful. The yarn is called 7 veljestä by Novita and it's 75% wool and 25% nylon and its weight is Aran / 10 ply (8 wpi). Oh, and to be clear, I use the American crocheting slang in translating  these patterns.

* * * * *

Slouchy hat

Hats circumference: ca. 55 sm / 22 inches
Gauge: 16 single crochet stitches = 10 cm / 4 inches
Hook: 4.5-5 mm

The hat is worked top-down. Make a loop of the yarn around your finger and crochet into the loop.
Round 1. 8 single crochets (sc) in the loop. Work the rounds as spiral so the next round continues directly from the previous.
Round 2. 2 sc in every sc (=16 stiches)
Round 3. Crochet *1 sc, 2 sc to the second sc*, repeat *-* 7 more times. (24 stitches)
Round 4. Crochet *2 sc, 2 sc to the third sc*, repeat 7 times. (32 stitches)
Round 5. Crochet *3sc, 2 sc to the fourth sc*, repeat 7 times. (40 stitches)
Round 6. Crochet *4 sc, 2 sc to the fifth sc*, repeat 7 times. (48 stitches)
Round 7. Crochet *5 sc, 2 sc to the sixth sc*, repeat 7 times. (56 stitches)
Round 8. Crochet *6 sc, 2 sc to the seventh sc*, repeat 7 times. (64 stitches)
Round 9. Crochet *7 sc, 2 sc to the eighth sc*, repeat 7 times. (74 stitches)
Round 10. Crochet *8 sc, 2 sc to the ninth sc*, repeat 7 times. (80 stitches)
Round 11. Crochet *9 sc, 2 sc to the tenth sc*, repeat 7 times. (88 stitches)

Continue crocheting with the 88 stitches until the work measures to about 28 cm /11 inches.

The next round. Crochet loosely sc to every second stitch and close the round with a slip stitch. (44 stitches) Be careful of not making the round too tight. Then make the brim.
Brim, Round 1. 4 chain stitches * 1 double crochet to the next stitch, 1 chain stitch*, close the round with a slip stitch onto the third chain stitch.
Brim, Round 2. 1 chain stitch and sc to every chain stitch and double crochet (88 stitches). Close the round into the first stitch with a slip stitch.


* * * * *

Fingerless gloves


Circumference: ca. 19 cm /7.5 in
Length: 20 cm / 8 in
Gauge: 16 single crochet stitches = 10 cm / 4 inches
Hook: 4.5-5 mm

Left glove:
Use a thicker hook to hook 30 chain stitches (I used the same 4½ all the way through) and close the round with a slip stitch.
Round 1. Crochet a sc to every chain stitch (30 stitches)
Round 2. Option 1: Crochet 1 chain stitch,  sc to every stitch and close the round with a slip stitch (30 stitches).
OR
Option 2: I crocheted the gloves too as a spiral (30 stitches).

Repeat round 2 until the work measures to 15 cm / 6 in.

Next round: Crochet (1 chain stitch, if you're doing this according to option 1 and then) 8 cg, 6 chain stitches, jump over 6 sc stitches in the work and crochet sc the rest of the round's stitches (and close the round with a slip stitch, if working according to Option 1). Continue crocheting single crochet stitches according to Round 2. When the work measures to 20 cm / 8 in, cut the yarn. (Crochet sc stiches in the beginning rim with hook sized 4 mm.)

Right glove.
Work as a mirror image to the left glove. The thumb hole is done in the following way: Crochet (1 chain stitch, if you're doing this according to option 1 and then) 16 sc, 6 chain stitches, jump over 6 sc stitches in the work and crochet sc the rest of the round's stitches (and close the round with a slip stitch, if working according to Option 1)

OR make both gloves the same way, like I did.




Here's a handy site, where you can make a PDF file from any given web page. Just add the link of this post into the box and click!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Big Herringbone Cowl


This cowl is not picture perfect, but I'm well satisfied with it. Maybe because it's the first bigger knitting project in years that I have finished or even started. Unfortunately for me being a late-blooming knitter (in general too) this winter, I got around making it fairly late, which means that I finished it a little late and did only use it a couple of times before the weather became too warm for it. Well, I have more to look for to next fall, when the weather gets crisp and cold.


The instructions for this I took from a wonderful site called The Purl Bee. Granted, the cowl looks slightly better on her neck than on mine. But I'm a beginner! My change was to use a 100 % wool yarn, which probably made a difference in the texture too. My work isn't es even or flexible, but like I said, I'm happy with it and now I have a reason to make another one of these some day. I'm grateful for a reason, because I really do like the look of the stitch. 

Monday, April 11, 2011

Welcome!


I made this blog already a while ago. I wasn't sure, if I was going to actually start it, but still wanted to make sure that if I did, I would get this particular address for it. The title resembles of what I've become: in addition to my older passion in baking, this year I've started to get more and more interested in handiwork. These two things will most probably be the most covered topics in this blog. I give myself freedom to write about other things as well, maybe including such as decorating, travels and everyday life. If some day I'll have a garden (again) and a house of my own, I might write posts about growing things and renovation. I want to have an open mind about the things I can write about and so this is not only a blog about one topic, but will hopefully become a cheerful mix of things close to my heart.

I welcome you to this new adventure of mine! I hope you like the ride!