Hey all,

I am really bad about keeping this blog updated. Sorry! I have been busy creating new items for my etsy site.

I have also been creating new patterns. That has to be the most exciting that I have been doing. Eventually I will post some of my patterns (I after I write them down). So keep posted for some awesome slouchy hat patterns :)

Hello everyone,

I just posted the first few items I created and posted on Etsy.

I hope you like them and will post some more designs soon.

Welcome 2011

The new year is here and as usual some some resolutions. I did some knitting ones last year that were an epic fail. I wanted to finish every project I started, fail. I want to complete a pair of socks, half fail (I did one and never finished). I wanted to get more people involved in the Knitting Club, we dissolved the club this past semester so fail. But because it is tradition I am going to make some knitting resolutions again, and see if I can actually stick to them this year ;)

Knitting Resolutions 2011:

1) Finish a pair of socks (try to get finish some from the past year)

2) Post and sell items on Etsy

3) Be successful in selling items on Etsy

4) Write more of my own patterns

5) Knit more complicated and interesting patterns

6) continue knitting even after I go out into the real world

These are my resolutions (well knitting ones at least) for 2011. I will try to stick to them and keep posting about my progress. Happy 2011 everyone!

Late night knitting

In order to avoid studying for finals, I have been knitting into the wee hours of the morning. Tonight I have finished a bracelet and started a wallet. Yesterday I finished two snowmen ornaments and a coffee cup sleeve. These are cute little gift that can be done last minute with scrap yarn. All of the projects I have done can be found at knitting pattern central. I love this website, it quite literally has everything you can think of. The patterns are free and will satisfy any knitting desire you may have. Well it is time for me to go to bed, farewell until tomorrow.

Four hats in month...I love Christmas

As Christmas approaches, the amount of knitting that I do multiples. Being the poor college student that I am I have decided to make the majority of my gifts this year. Here are the ones that I am most proud of and the ones that are done:



Here are each of the patterns individually, I basically finished one a week as well as being a full time student and working. I sometimes knit when I should be doing homework...oops!



This was the first one I did in November, for my secret Santa at school. I liked this pattern but I increased the number of stitched because 72 for an adult didn't sound right to me and I am glad I did. Also the crocheting on the bottom was difficult to at first but there are some great videos online to help. I also did not like the flower so I looked online for other flower patterns. Here is the flower I did but you can do any flower and just sew it one the hat.


This one was the easiest but the one that took me the longest to do. It is a simple knitted cap pattern that was based off this website:http://www.conniehester.com/free-pattern.htm. But instead of doing two colors I stayed with the solid dark blue. And used 100 stitches on size 6 needles.




The next one I am quite proud of because I basically came up with the pattern myself. I have been looking for a long time for a good hat for my niece. She is six and love, I mean LOVES dinosaurs. But I could not find a good pattern for one. So I took the dinosaur patterns from this flicker page
Cast on 72
do a 2x2 rib for 1"
I did the long neck and the t-rex (as well as some foot prints to fill space)
Remember to carry over because the space between one color and the other is big.
Then when done with two patterns decrease: *k10, k2tog* till end of row, *k9, k2tog* till end of row and so one until you have about 4-6 stitches and pull yarn through remaining stitches. Add pom-pom on top. One thing that was helpful was that I did out the two dinosaurs on pieces of graph paper so I could see the continuation from one pattern to the other.



This one was my first ear-flap and I kind of love it. I did mess up that pattern a little. I had 99 stitches instead on 90 (I made this for my dad) and I did not connect one pattern from another to make it continuous. But I think it still turned out well. Here is the link to the pattern.http://people.uleth.ca/~hodd/Knitting/ChulloPattern.htm If this one does work, or you don't like the patterns, here is where I found the pattern they have a good variety of ear-flap hats http://www.chemknits.com/2009/01/search-for-perfect-ear-flap-hat.html

With only 14 days left till Christmas I am not quite done with all my knitting (I am attempting to knit a blanket for my friend) but I will keep posting any cool pattern I find and tweak for you guys. Enjoy!

Its been a loooooonnnnnnggggg time!

So I know its been a long time since the last time I posted anything. In my defense, a lot has happened since the last time I posted. I finished my junior year of college, worked at a summer camp (had the BEST summer of my life) and started my senior year. A lot has been going on. Also I knitted my first stuff animal, a dinosaur for my niece. I made my first fair isle hat for a camp friend. I experienced the new doctor, and lived. And now it is approaching the holiday season and the knitting storm that is Christmas has begun. I have my list of gifts to make and it is getting longer and longer as the days go by. I figure it will be cheaper to make my gifts this year, but it will not be less stressful. I promise to write more often, and post any patterns that excite me.

Getting back into the swing of things

First I want to apologize for the long intermission between posts, though some days I feel as though I am truly only talking to myself. Secondly I would like to make an observation, I have begun every post with so, SO I will try to work on that and try to come up with more creative beginnings.

Anyways, I am currently working on my first beret for a friend. I love this pattern, it has a simple lace pattern that looks pretty cool. My only problem is that it has to be 8 inches before I can start decreasing (and for those non knitters out there decreasing on a hat is when you start shaping the crown or top of the hat). Generally when I am doing hats I start decreasing after 6 or 7 inches so this one is taking me a little longer to knit. But I still love the pattern and might even make one for myself (which I NEVER do).

Here is the link to the pattern if anyone wants to try it: http://www.stitchnationyarn.com/Patterns/free-pattern-all-day-beret.html.

One fun thing I discovered recently is that youtube has a lot of great teaching videos. I know this is not new but I think it is great. Here are some videos I think are helpful for this pattern.

SSK (Slip Slip Knit): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGwcYW3GG3M
yo (yarn over): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qq__ttEMUo&feature=related
k2tog (knit 2 together): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBpbLmgwHFA&feature=related

All of these videos should be able to help when knitting this pattern. Again I love this one and I hope you enjoy.