Behind the scenes
I am a firm believer in easy. And one of the things I do to keep things easy is find a handy, neutral background somewhere with good light and take most of my blog photos there. You're here to look at the stitches, not the scenery, so there's not much point in tromping off to somewhere picturesque to show you 'look, six more rounds of this hat/sock/whatever.' In the Cleveland house, it was the top of the porch railing. You can see a bit of it here, and it was the background in pretty much every close up shot while [...]
A Whole Year (plus giveaway)
(Psst, the giveaway is over, but the discount code is still good until April 25. You can use the code HUNTERSENTME on any of the things here for 10% off!) So you know how there are books full of lovely patterns? And then there are books packed with lots of great techniques? Well how about a book that has both? A Year of Techniques takes twelve knitting tools (one for each month of the year), teaches you how to use them, then gives you a pattern for each. I absolutely love this idea. I'm a tiny bit jealous I didn't think of it [...]
Growing
As expected, the hours put in on the ribbing were absolutely worth it. The hat proper is so lovely (and so much fun to do). And having put in all that ribbing means I'll actually wear the hat (skimpy brim is the quickest way to make sure a hat languishes at the bottom of the hat bin, no matter how pretty it is). The yarn is Mrs Crosby's Satchel in Graystone. And the stitch is totally one of those things where I find myself wanting to work just a few more rows...just to get to the end of the repeat so [...]
Goldilocks and the ever-increasing number of pompoms
So you might remember a while ago I went and got Very Excited About Pompoms. As often happens when I get excited about something, I got some tools (I'm a very firm believer in having good tools). I found myself in possession of both the large and small pompom makers from Clover (as always, amazon links are affiliate links). They work great...they totally make tidy pompoms with relatively little swearing. But here's the thing...the pompoms that the large set makes are, well...large. Rather larger than I can sport on the top of my hat and still consider myself a proper [...]
Ecliptic (plus giveaway)
I'm having way way way too much fun with hats. That lovely blue one you've been asking for is out, it's called Ecliptic, and you can grab now. Every now and then I get to feeling a tiny bit guilty about all the hats I knit. Because really...they're easy, they're quick, and they don't even take that much yarn. Shouldn't I be doing something epic like a blanket or complicated like a jacket? Isn't that what it takes to be a proper knitter? But then I think no. I actually sort of like that they're easy and quick (because really...I [...]
Payoff
Someone linked to this on pinterest, and lots of folks are coming over (hi, welcome!). The is out now, it's called Ephemeris, and you can get it on ravelry. If you want an email when other patterns are released, you can make that happen right here. All that ribbing...that ribbing diligently done, despite my natural laziness...well it's paid off. Now I get to do the pretty bits. And while yes, there is still a ribbed background behind the pretty bits, somehow it's not nearly as interminable now that I've got some fancy bits going on every few rows to distract myself. [...]
Gray…so much gray
Step 1, yarn. Step 2, cast on. Step 3, knit and knit and knit. Step 4, no really, keep knitting. Step 5, DO NOT FALL PREY TO THE TEMPTATION TO QUIT, this is NOT five and a half inches of ribbing, and you will be sad if you stop now. But it is almost five and a half inches, so in a little bit you can stop that and do something more amusing any moment now. And then you'll be glad you kept going. But now it's totally appropriate to mutter under your breath and wonder about the chance of getting [...]
And done!
The blue hat? The one I suspect I'm not alone in finding unreasonably amusing? Yeah, it's all done. Now clearly I need to block it. And I need to get it a proper photo shoot. (Can we talk about the snow? And how the snow is sort of messing with my plans in that regard? Could one of you maybe do something about that? Think spring. Think melt. You can do it!) But the knitting bit is done (and pretty...I really really like this one). And, happily enough, the pattern making bit is done too. And that means it will [...]
Just knits and purls (plus giveaway)
You know that thing we tell new knitters when we're trying to be reassuring? That thing about how knitting is just knits and purls (and that really those are just the two sides of the same stitch)? And that's true. Of course it is. But there's also that thing that happens when there aren't any skittish looking new knitters around to scare. That thing where you say you just spent 45 minutes trying to figure out which of six subtly different decreases you like best. Or you tried three different cast ons to see which was prettiest with your ribbing. [...]
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