StarKnits is holding a Sock Wars 4 contest!

I love people who give stuff away. I've never won anything, but just the possibility that I *could* win fills me with glee.

Until the inevitable disappointment. But by then, there's a new contest somewhere, so it's all good.

StarKnits is giving away Sock Wars bags! Here's a link to her blog and the contest!

If your knitterly inclined, you should also check out her Etsy store. Aren't those socks darling??

Did I mention Sock Wars 4 is starting again soon? I'm so excited. I've signed up, got my yarn, knitted up the practice pair, and have taken a week off work so I'll be able to knit my brains out. Whee!

But what's her Ravelry name?

The earthquake in Italy was a terrible tragedy in which hundreds of people lost their lives and homes. There will be other places on the net to detail that.

My interest is in Maria D’Antuono, who, at 98, spent the 30 hours she was trapped under her bed... knitting. (Or possibly crocheting. It's not clear.)

This from Timesonline.co.uk:"I worked, I knitted," said Mrs D'Antuono, from the village of Tempera, close to L'Aquila. The redoubtable nonagenarian told rescuers that she was in good health when she was found this morning, according to Sky TG24.

From www.gaurdian.co.uk:

The 98-year-old villager, from Tempera, near L'Aquila, yesterday became one of the latest survivors to be dragged from the rubble left by Monday's devastating earthquake in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. For 30 interminable hours, she lay below the ruins of her house, a few miles from the epicentre.

So what did she do to while away the time, not knowing whether she would live or die as rescue workers dug towards her? The answer, it seems, was "crochet".

According to the Ansa news agency, D'Antuono was pulled from the rubble to cheers from the crowd and briefly answered questions from a reporter for Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset television network before she was taken to hospital. Asked how she had passed the time since her house had collapsed on her, she reportedly said she had been busy with her hook and wool.

She was given a packet of biscuits, but had a request that left onlookers even more astonished than before - and gave an entire new dimension to the concept of bella figura (which roughly translates as keeping up appearances). Before leaving for hospital, she said, she wanted a comb.

This is heartwarming. It's amusement amidst horror. It's a human-interest story showing the unbelievable pluck of an elderly lady. But knitters, crocheters, and fiber-fanatics around the world are noticing some glaring omissions in the story:

What was she working on, how much did she get done, and will somebody please post pictures of her project?

You know you knit too much when...

He looked cold and tired, so I brought him inside.


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Four hours later....
*cue montage music*

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Don't judge me. I need help.

Abstract Camouflage Beanie

Abstract Camouflage Beanie Hat

Technique: Knitting

Level: Intermediate (decreases, ribbing)






The stitch pattern used is “Abstract Mosaic” found at http://www.knittingonthenet.com/stitches/mosaicabstract.htm.

This hat pattern is, to the best of my knowledge, my own design, and as such is free for personal use or charitable donations. Please do not sell this pattern.

Needles:
US 8 / 5.0 mm circs
US 10 / 6.0 mm circs & dpns
Yarn:
Bernat Camouflage Ombres
10483 Renegade
29481 Outback
Gauge:
4.5 st/in, 5 rows/in in pattern. Final dimensions: 7.75” x 19”

Notes:
Stitches used: knit (k), purl (p), knit 2 together (k2tog), slip purlwise (sl)
Used Renegade as color A, Outback as color B.
Pattern within double parenthesis ((!)) should be repeated until 2 st from end on each round.

Cast on 84 on smaller needles, with rib cable cast on (aka alternate cable cast on). Join being careful, etc.
Rib with k1, p1 for 1 inch with color A. Place stitch marker. (84 st total)
Switch to larger needles, also 16” circs.

Pattern:
Round 1(color A): k2 tog, ((k2, sl 3, k3)), rep, end with k2. (83 st total)
Round 2 and all even rows(continue with color from previous round): K all knit st, slip all sl st.
Round 3 (color B): k1, ((k1, sl 1, k5, sl)) rep, end with k2.
Round 5 (A): k1, ((sl 1, k3, sl 1, k3)) rep, end sl 1, k1.
Round 7 (B): k1, ((k3, sl 1, k1, sl 1, k2)) rep, end k2.
Round 9(A): k1, ((sl 1, k5, sl 2)) rep, end sl 1, k1.
Round 11(B): k1, ((k1, sl 1, k1, sl 1, k4)) rep, end k2.
Round 13(A): k1, ((k2, sl 1, k3, sl 1, k1)) rep, end k2.
Round 15(B):k1, ((k5, sl 1, k1, sl 1)) rep, end k2.

Repeat pattern 2x, then do one more round 1 and 2. (Or until piece measures approximately 5.5 inches.)

Decrease rounds are worked more or less in pattern with a k2tog after 8 stitches. Note that the following pattern is approximate. Some stitches listed as slipped must be knit, then the following knit stitch should be slipped, to keep slipped stitches from extending more than 2 rows.

R1: ((k5, sl1, k1, sl1, k2tog, place marker,)) rep to last 3, k2tog, sl1.
R2 and all even rounds: Work in pattern according to decrease: knit each knit and slip sl stitches. Transfer to dpns when appropriate.
R3: ((k1, sl, k3, sl1, k1, k2tog, place marker)) rep to last 2, k2tog.
R5: ((sl1, k1, sl1, k3, k2tog, place marker)) rep to last st. To get rid of remaining st, slip and k2tog with first st of next round:
R7: k2tog, sl1, k3, k2tog, place marker, ((k1, sl1, k3, k2tog, place marker)) rep to end.
R9: ((k3, sl1, k2tog, place marker)) rep to end.
R11: ((sl1, k1, sl1, k2tog, place marker)) rep to end.
R13: ((k1, sl1, k2tog, place marker)) rep to end.
R15: ((sl, k2tog, place marker)) rep to end.
R17: ((k2tog)) rep to end. Do not continue to round 18.
Break yarn, use tapestry needle to pull yarn through remaining 8 stitches. Secure.

I added a stylish oak leaf from Simple Crochet for Cherished Babies, attached by a safety pin because I know perfectly well the recipient won’t care for it- he wants to go hunting and it would catch on twigs and the like. Thing is, he said he wanted a “Mossy Oak” pattern hat… and I’m just not good enough to do that sort of thing! So an oak leaf is my way of teasing him about it.

Prtty, Pretty Princess

The story of this is, when my friend Amy had her second baby, I made a little cloak and cape for her then-18 month daughter, so she wouldn’t feel left out when everybody was buying things for the new baby. Apparently, Allex LOVES her cape and crown, but now, with a third baby on the way and a ripe old age of 3, the cape is WAY too small (8” long? Seriously?) So I asked what color she’d like her new cape in, and the answer was a resounding, “PINK!”

Funny thing. I always wondered why people crocheted and knitted perfectly lovely patterns in odd colors. A camo hat in pink? Thinks I… well, now I know why.

Ok, then, if the girl wants pink, the girl gets pink. The border “fur” was sort of challenging, until I remembered a long-forgotten stash of pink eyelash yarn that had come with a kid’s knitting machine I picked up at a sale at Michael’s yea these many moons ago. At the time, I thought to myself, “Hot pink eyelash yarn with silver sparkles? No way am I ever going to need that. When hell freezes over, maybe. And I’m not too sure about then, either.”

Lo and behold, my friends. Apparently the devil needs snowshoes. One hot-pink, sparkly fur border, coming up.

At a whopping 24” long, it should be big enough to last awhile, and the crown is darn-near adult sized, so I’m hoping that will take a bit to grow out of, too. I don’t think I could take much more pink crocheting, and I’m not sure her mother could, either. I admire the woman’s stoicism in the face of such an enemy.

Couple of notes on changes: Had to modify the sizes, which was a bit more challenging than most patterns since the designer didn’t see fit to include gauge or hook size for the original in the first place. Nice, huh? After several attempts, including one cape which fit me rather cunningly, I think I finally got it.

Also, I added some little shiny plastic sequins as jewels for the crown with a daub of pink fabric paint.

Keiyla's Basic Beanie

So I've been making hats for a while, and I've almost always used someone else's pattern. But there was always something not quite "right" with them. Oh, they're good patterns, but...

For example, Ellen's basic hat has two inches of 2x2 ribbing. Too much ribbing, I think, for it to lie flat, but if the ribbing is flipped up, the purls above and underneath like to come along for the ride and peep through.

If I rib the entire hat, not only does it take forever, but the decreases always look a little off, to me. Of course, if I don't rib at all, the brim curls.

My solution: Keiyla's Basic Beanie. An inch of ribbing, not intended to fold up. The ribbing is 1x1, so it's not as pronounced as the 2x2, and to a casual observer may not even look like ribbing.

I used Noro for this one. This is the first time I've used Noro, and I love the gradual color shifts, but was surprised and disappointed in the purple that popped up in this colorway- guys tend to get a little weirded out by purple and I dunno what the recipient is going to think.

Gauge: 4 st/in and 6.5 rows/in
US Size 8, 16" circs and size 8 dpns.

Stitches used: knit, purl, k2tog.

Final dimensions: 19" circumference x 8 .75"

Cast on 80 with rib cable cast on.

K1, p1 for one inch.

Knit around until beanie measures 6-7 inches from edge.

Place stitch marker.

Begin decrease rounds:

1. *knit 8, k2tog* repeat, around.

2. (and every even row) knit around.

3. *knit 7, k2tog* repeat around.

5. *knit 6, k2tog* repeat around.

7. *knit 5, k2tog* repeat around.

9. *knit 4, k2tog* repeat around.

11. *knit 3, k2tog* repeat around.

13. *knit 2, k2tog* repeat around.

15. *knit 1, k2tog* repeat around.

17. *k2tog* around.

Break yarn, thread end into tapestry needle, weave needle through remaining 8 stitches. Push needle through to underside of hat, weave through a few more times to secure and fasten off.

Cunning Jayne Cobb hat, revisted

It's been over two years (wow!) since my first Jayne Cobb hat (hereintoforeafter referred to as "The Cunning Hat"). Like any good book, movie, or TV show, this hat has offered me additional insights every time I've created a new one, read other people's patterns and thoughts, or re-watched the episode, and I've been wanting to update both my musings and the first pattern I wrote. I don't want to completely obliterate my initial reactions, though, so I'm "revisiting" the Cunning Hat with this new post, instead. This is still under construction, and I welcome comments!

* Cast on technique: I believe the cast-on is Twisted German, or Estonia, due to the small but distinctive bars that cross the bottoms of the knit stitches near the cast-on edge. In addition, I think the row was joined with the yarn-ball side needle to the right, then, after some ribbing, I think the needles got flipped inside out. At that point, the unintentional "short row" thus created would account for the shorter orange stripe in the front (discussed below), as well as the visible texture of the Twisted German edge, which looks different depending on whether you're looking at the the right or wrong side.

* Stitches per round: First, having counted the rows and columns of stitches from the middle of Jayne's forehead to the middle of the earflap (Why yes, I do have OCD and a widescreen HD TV, why do you ask?), I conclude there are approximately 50 stitches in each round. To check this, I counted the stitches in the ear flaps (12) and the stitches at the visible front of his head (12-14). Two ear flaps make 24 st, the front and back add another 24 to 28, bringing the total to 48 to 52. In order for a hat to be around 21" in circumference with 50 stitches, gauge would be about 2.5 st/in.

* Stitches per row: There are about 8 rows of orange above the ribbing, for the FRONT of the hat (this distinction is important). The size of the stitches indicates that the 1x1 ribbing is, at BEST, two rows tall, or one row of ribbing on top of a visible cast-on edge.

My face is 5" from eyebrows to chin (stay with me, I'm going somewhere with this, I promise), which, after extensive study (don't ask), I have concluded is about average. Making Jayne's face exactly 5" from eyebrows to chin via the magic of zoom, the "front" orange stripe is 2" tall. 10 rows in 2' gives us 5 rows per inch. However, the same view shows 6 stitches across in 2 inches, albeit a slightly stretched 6 stitches. This means either my estimate of 2.5 st/in is wrong, or my level of zoom is. I had believed the hat was just stretched, but various views, plus watching Jayne easily put the hat on, makes me think it's my zoom.

*Yarn weight: If any of my estimates are anywhere close to being accurate, 2.5 st/in and 5 rows/in puts the yarn squarely in the bulky category. My own attempts at using bulky yarn and US size 10 needles are still giving me a smaller gauge than I'd like, which means I may need to run out and buy bigger needles.

* Orange stripe height: While the stripe in front may be slightly more than 2" high (the zoom being inaccurate as just proven,) the width of the orange stripe seems to increase over at least one earflap. In some shots, at least, the orange stripe is exactly about 11 rows tall over the ribbing, and the ribbing has increased to be at least 3 rows tall. I *think* the hat is even on one side, but has about 3 extra rows on the other and 3 rows ribbing in back.

Observations: The hat is symmetrical (ish), but we can eliminate the possibility of the front being occassionally worn in back by observing 2 details: the ear flap points and the front of the hat. The right ear flap point nearly always points forward, and there is an observable decrease (where the color change occurs?) just below the first yellow row, just right of center in the orange stripe.

There do not seem to be any other signs of shaping: no jogs of color from orange to yellow, no visible decreases, of any sort, anywhere on the hat body including the top, so any increases to row height must have been added after the orange left the needles. It is possible that the extra height is illusion caused by stretching, but it's a remarkably consistant illusion.

There being distinctly fewer rows of ribbing at the "front," Ma Cobb may have added a row or two of ribbing to the sides and back after finishing the tube portion of the hat, but I suspect she simply didn't mark her rows. If she cast on, hid the tail by knitting the two together, and just knitted a bunch of ribbing, she might not have realized where she started, and instead accidentally knit say, 2 and 3/4 rows of ribbing instead of 3, especially if the piece got flipped accidentally. This would acount for the extra ribbing on the sides and back that is not seen in the front. In addition, an accidentally flipped work-in-progress (easy to do in the beginning stages of a ribbed work for an inexperienced knitter...) would create a short row when the work was resumed and got knit in the opposite direction. (Go ahead, ask me how I know!) If she continued then to knit around, and still did not see where she started, she may have joined with yellow before the last round was complete, which would make the stripe slightly shorter on the incomplete side- the front.

* Top decrease: The hat does not lie smoothly on top of Jayne's head. There being many folds but no decreases on the top, Ma Cobb was probably not a decrease kind of gal. I believe she knit the entire hat as a tube, wove a strand through the open stitches at the top and pulled the whole thing closed. She then cunningly hid the closure with a pompom.

Ear flap width: The ear flaps are tricky to see, at best. They appear to be 12 stitches wide at the top, and they then curl inwards as stockinette does if you do not add garter edge. The bottoms are problematic. (The stitch count was done, for those interested, both directly, by extreme close ups and counting blobs, and re-checked by counting the ribbing above each flap.)

Ear flap length and shaping: After much studying and disregarding my favorite "no decreases for Ma Cobb" theory, I believe the flaps are knit for 4 inches, then decreased from 12 stitches to 1, maybe 3. The abrupt decreases then make that bottom triangle curl up. The remaining end is knotted together with two other strands (one of which might be the end where the color was picked up, but I'm not sure where the other one came from) three times, and all three are cut approximately 3 inches long.

Observation: Because the flaps are stockinette, the rolled edges give the illusion of curves. It appears as through she may have run the yarn through the bottom edge and gave a little pull to tighten the bottom and corners. Furthermore, she did not weave in the ends, but cunningly left the ends to dangle should the wearer wish to use the lengths to tie the flaps down under the chin.

All of these, ah, interpretations of a hat design lead me to conclude that this was Ma Cobb's first hat. Not only was it her first hat, but she designed it herself. I deduce this because, if she used a pattern, the pattern designer probably would not have incorporated the...choices...Ma Cobb made. The hat would have had even ribbing, at least in front and back as opposed to the sides, and would have had a garter stitch (knitting a few stitches every row, as previously described) edge to the ear flaps, but may or may not have had a gather and pompom. Therefore, it is my contention that Ma Cobb designed and knit her very first hat- to mail across the galaxy to her boy Jayne.

A mother's love, my friends. In addition, Jayne immediately put on and wore the hat-- as jarring as it may have been to his tough-guy image-- which speaks volumes about Jayne's own love for his Mama (even without the letter that tells us Jayne sends money home for his sick sister). I find their love heartbreakingly sweet.

In my first blog about this hat, I proposed a few questions which arose from these musings: Did the Joss intend such implications? Who did make the hat? Was the hat designed to exact specifications, created precisely to convey the emotional impact I have proposed? Or was the hat just found somewhere, to be snapped up by an excited costume designer with a squealed, "Oooh! Perfect!"?

It turns out, I wasn't the only one with these questions. Joss gave a great crafting interview here: http://crochetme.com/blog/joss-whedon-crafts-and-craftiness-interview-transcript. I'd quote the relevant pieces, but I want Crochetme.com to get all the credit they deserve for this awesome interview!

I will update this post with the exact pattern I'm using now, as I do it. I will be commenting on my choices later. (Needle size, cast on choice, number of cast on stitches, etc. There are reasons. Have some faith, people!) Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Cunning Hat Pattern:

Materials-

Single ply, bulky yarn in three colors. I humbly present the colors I used for orange, yellow, and rust respectively:

• Lamb's Pride bulky, colorway "Orange You Glad"


• Lamb's Pride bulky, colorway "Wild Mustard"


• Mirasol Sulka, in the cunningly named shade, "208." (This is a single ply, bulky yarn, despite Ravelry's insitance that it's a 10-ply Aran.)

Circular size 10 US needles (No dpns required.)

Tapestry needle
Pompom maker or cardboard circles.

Gauge: 3.5 st/in; 4.5 rows/in.

(Note: Ideally, I would like to knit this over 54 st with size 10.5 or 11 circs, but I don't have the needles yet. Pattern may be updated later to reflect ideal hat.)

With orange, CO 60 with Twisted German.
Join, with yarn on right needle, being careful not to twist. Place stitch marker. Replace stitch marker with scrap yarn or coil-less safety pin on the next round.

Round 1: K1, p1 around (60 st).
Round 2: (K1, p1) 22 times (44 st). Place 2nd stitch marker (replace later as with first marker). This is the new beginning of the row.

Flip the hat inside out and turn the needles around. You will now be knitting over what you just knit, instead of proceding to stitches you haven't ribbed a second time. This adds height to the sides of the hat without adding it to the front, which is designated as being the short distance between your stitch markers. I suspect Ma Cobb put the hat down to rest her hands, and when she picked it up, she didn't know where she left off.

Round 3-11: Knit around (60 st). (Height should be approximately 2 1/2" in front, and 3" on sides.)

Round 12: Join yellow yarn and k2tog for first st. Knit around (59 st).
Round 13- 37: Knit around (59 st).

Cut yarn 12" long, thread onto tapestry needle, and weave through all loops. Pull closed to form gather. On WS of hat, run yarn around the gather a few more times and fasten securely. Leave end hanging inside WS of hat; do not weave in.

Earflaps:

Row 1:(RS) Pick up 15 stitches beginning with the stitches directly after your stitch marker. Join rust yarn, knit across. (15 st.)
Row 2: (WS) Knit across (15 st.)
Row 3: Knit across
Row 4: Purl across

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until flaps measure 5", then begin decrease rows:
Decrease row (RS): K1, ssk, knit to last 3, k2tog, k1.
Decrease row (WS): P1, p2tog, purl to last 3, p2tog, p1.

Repeat decrease rows until 3 st remain. Pull yarn through all three loops.
Add yarn to create three ends. I threaded a needle, stuck it in near the the existing end, left an end out, then wove the needle's yarn up and down the dreased edging, before pulling the yarn out next to the other two ends. Tie the thre ends together in a series of three knots.

Repeat ear flap for other side.

Create pompom for hat, using mostly rust with only some orange and a tiny bit of yellow. Thread the two ends from the pompom's tie, and insert needle into top of hat. Pull yarn through to WS. Weave the ends in on the WS, and securely fasten to the existing yellow end.

Wear hat.

How's it sit? Pretty cunning, don't ya think?