In surfing the blog ring yesterday, I came across this entry at the Knit Happens blog, where Kristine is talking about a charity project to knit hats for the children of Safe Shores.
The same day I posted my quick and easy hat pattern.
The internet moves in mysterious ways sometimes.
I’m thinking my hat pattern can be easily sized down for a child. I’ll use worsted weight yarn and size 8 needles, and maybe make it a tad shorter. It’s done in a deep rib pattern so it’s very stretchy. I’m going to dig around in my stash for yarn for a hat and make one for this worthy cause.
Are you in the Washington DC area? Do you have a free evening or two? Consider making a hat yourself, using my or any other quick hat pattern — there’s a bunch of free ones out there. Kristine links to a good one in her Knit Happens blog entry.
I’m sure that there are organizations like this across the country. So if you’re not in DC, please consider knitting a hat for a child in need and donating it to your local charity.
I had a question in the comments about how to rework my hat pattern to use Silk Garden instead of Transitions. For an adult hat I’d add 6 stitches to the total number of stitches, and knit it on size 8 or 9 needles. That should do it!
And a question about my multidirectional scarf:
Anne asked:
I have a question for you about the multidirectional scarf. When I tried it with Noro Big Kureyon it was coming out very mishapen. The whole thing got wider, and the triangles turned out more like half moons. If I do it again will I be able to block it into shape? What do you do at the corners of the triangles?
Your set looks great!
Thank you! Actually, I didn’t block my scarf, but Transitions is a much softer yarn than Big Kureyon, so it’s much more forgiving. I didn’t do anything different at the corners of the triangles.
I think if you steam press your Big Kureyon scarf, it’ll block out nicely. If need be, wash it gently in warm water with a little hair conditioner added. That’ll soften it up, if you’d like it a bit softer.
Spinning Update
Roi asked in the comments yesterday how many more spindles before I cave and buy a wheel. The answer is: at least one! I have a new spindle. Yep, another one! Meet Sonia, my Golding spindle.
Isn’t she gorgeous? And she spins like a dream!
But I’m still using Anya (and Betty the Bosworth, for that matter). Anya is right now spinning some silk cap. (Well, no, not by herself. With my supervision.) It’s the lovely stuff that L-B gave me at the retreat.
I’m pleased to report that my spinning is getting faster and more even. I started out laboriously predrafting everything. I’m doing less and less of that. Drafting is getting easier (duh, practice helps!) and more fun.
Liz asked:
Did you learn your plying from the web? What kind(s) do you do?
I have plied from a Lazy Kate, I have plied from both ends of a center pull ball, and I have done Andean plying, my favorite. That I learned from pictures I found on the internet, these pictures, to be specific.
I think I like the Andean plying best, because it’s so danged portable. You can do it anywhere. On my lunch break today I spun up some wool and Andean plied it. One of our contractors stuck his head in my office to ask a question while I was in the midsts of plying and looked mildly alarmed. Frightening the contractors. It’s a good thing.
And in answer to Ida, who asked:
You say you are spinning lefthanded, do you also spin the “opposite” way – that is to the right, making what is called S-spin?
Nope, I’m spinning my singles with a Z-twist, and plying them together with an S-twist.
Ingrid Update
I’m now this close to finishing. The second sleeve is all but done.
What remains is to machine stitch the steeks, cut open the neck, knit the neckband, and set in the sleeves. The end is in sight!
Though I’m not sure I’ll get to it this week. I have a couple of long days at work ahead of me, so my knitting time will be curtailed a bit. Oh well, more rest for the wrist.
As I mentioned yesterday, my wrist is feeling much better. This is a recurring problem that flares up occasionally and I think it’s on the downswing. I hope so anyway!
