Contents of a Coat Pocket

Clockwise from top left-hand corner: Candy wrappers, contact number for ukulele class, book, hair twister for tying hair up in a bun, sunnies

I have always wanted to do a post on "What's in my bag?" But I think I am too embarrassed to show the world what really is in my bag. On the other hand, doing a post on the things in my coat pockets doesn't seem too terrifying. So here it is. Here are the things that were in my pocket when I wore my coat to uni last week. It does seem that I stuff an awful lot of things in my coat pockets, doesn't it? 

The coat.. and a hat that matches. Yes, I have a coat that matches a hat. Life does not get better than this.

I like reading whenever I am waiting for the bus or the train. I especially love having a book with me when the CityRail train gets stuck in the middle of nowhere. It may be hard to believe, but I really did stuff this book into my coat pocket. I carry a backpack to uni and I am too lazy to bring my bag to my front just so I can take my book out. And I like my hands free.

The 'Stories of Suspense' is a collection of several short stories of... well, suspense. It is one of the many things that I found during my thrifting trips in Albury. I can't find any other ways of saying this, but honestly, every story was a page-turner. It was precisely the reason why I could not put it down and why I simply had to stuff it in my coat jacket. My favourite short story from this book is 'Contents of a Dead Man's Pocket' by Jack Finney. (Oh hey, is that my inspiration for the title of this post? How unoriginal.)

Taken in July when I wore the hat and coat together. Notice the absence of lightened hair.

Anyway, I think everyone should read 'Contents of a Dead Man's Pocket'. I think you may be able to find it online. Go forth. Search. Make use of the Internet. Then come back and let me know what you think of the story. Hmmm... I should check out books by Jack Finney... 
xx

Gone thriftin'

The  op-shop

I went to Padstow today to buy a pair of Rock and Roll dance shoes and chanced upon the most lovely op-shop ever. There was something endearing about the dimly-lit shop and the organised mess. It's the kind of shop that whispers, "come, discover treasures." And so, once I got in, I put my stuff down, reached my hands in and dug. 

I went a little overboard with the jumpers. But I have no regrets. Besides, they were on sale for half the price! Behold, the most lovely jumper in the world.

Front and back of landscape jumper

And here are two other jumpers and a couple of other things I bought from the shop. 

Neon orange jumper without a tag and probably handmade

Tiffany blue jumper with amazing cable design

Pin

White shoulder bag

Last but not least, this was the look of the day. I am honestly starting to fall in love with my red lipstick. It might have something to do with how it looks with my hair...

Ciao! x

FO: Just a yellow beanie

This is the second project that I've knitted using DPNs. It is also the first project that I knitted using my new bamboo DPNs that I bought off eBay. The problem with knitting cable (or really, knitting anything at all) using bamboo needles is the fear of breaking them. Perhaps it's a self-fulfilling prophecy, but I really broke one of my needles. Damn. 

I was really excited to see how this beanie would turn out as I was knitting because I really love the cable patterns and the overall slouchy look of the original hat knitted by the writer of the pattern. To be honest, I am actually quite disappointed at the way the hat turned out. It was not slouchy at all. And then, to my horror, I realised that it was all my own fault because I forgot to change to bigger needles after knitting the ribbed edge. Whatever.

Close-up

So here's the story of the imperfect beanie. At least it helps to keep me warm and adds a dash a colour to dreary winter days. I wanted to knit a pair of matching fingerless mittens initially but right now I don't know if I still have the drive to do it. Perhaps I should do it after all, since I still have a bit of that yellow yarn left. 


Original pattern of the beanie


xx

Oh lord, what have I done?

The semester is drawing to an end and everything has been going fine (as in ok and only just ok) so far. So, last Saturday, I thought to myself, "what better way to celebrate the survival of another semester than spending money to fulfill my materialistic desires?" Behold, a picture featuring the full glory of my finds. Perhaps I have gone a tad too far.

Burnt orange wool hat with brim, Dotti, $9.95
Olive green wool bowler hat, Dotti, $5.95
Leopard print beret (with a furry texture *squeals*), Dotti, $.9.95
Black bag with gold bow detail, Dotti, $9.95
A set of 3 headbands, Factorie, $1
A set of bracelets in ethnic-inspired colours, Factorie, $4.95
Striped cotton jersey dress, Factorie, $4.95
Floral dress, Cotton On, $10
Faux fur coat, Cotton On, $20
Sunglasses for a DIY project, Cotton On, $2
Buckle bracelets in black and beige, Cotton On, $2 each
Faux leather brown laptop sleeve, Cotton On, $2
Burgundy Hi-top sneakers (*without* hidden heels, unfortunately), Rubi/Cotton On, $10

When I become an old spinster, I shall be known as the Hat Lady.

I am really really going to miss shopping in Sydney when I return to Singapore.


xx

Sewn: Polka Dot Rain Hat (inspired by Cath Kidston)

I am a big fan of Cath Kidston's designs and I've actually been eyeing the Cath Kidston Spot Rain Hat for several months, always 'umm-ing' and 'ah-ing' over whether I really should buy the hat. Firstly, I already have many hats. Secondly, I have a hat pattern in my pattern stash which I thrifted a while ago and I knew I could make a similar one if I had the right fabric. Then, the day came when I found a PVC polka dot fabric remnant in the remnant bin in Spotlight. It was just enough to make one hat! I can't even remember the cost. I think it was probably less than $2! Lucky~

Sewing pattern circa 1989

Work in progress

Close-up of stitches. I had fun making the exterior stitches. No, that was not sarcasm.

Pattern: Simplicity 9135 (Hat No. 2)
Fabric: Polka dot PVC and royal blue cotton



The Simplicity 9135 hat pattern is really quite easy to sew. But unfortunately, it's a tad too big for my head. I didn't bother to alter the pattern to make it smaller for this project. I think I can make do with a big hat - for now. Perhaps I will resize the pattern when I make another hat with the same pattern... 

On a similar note, the weather here in Sydney has been bizarre. It's the middle of summer but there's no clear blue skies or the warm sunshine. The sky has mostly been crowded with dark heavy clouds that seem like they would burst into tears any moment. 


But honestly, I don't really care because I spend most of my days hiding away from the world in a clinic for my uni placement. Also, if I do go out on the weekends, I have a rain hat to chase those grey clouds away. 


xx.


Image credits: PuglyPixels, Pretty Poodle, ASOS

FO: (Not just) another hat

So... I knitted another hat as a present for my friend's 21st birthday! I made it using the pattern from here. As usual, I followed the pattern for the first half of it and ditched the pattern after that. Moreover, the pattern didn't really give specific instructions for decreasing the stitches, so I simply did whatever I thought would look good. Also, instead of using the brick-stitch all the way to the top, I used only the pink yarn for the top bit so that it would give better contrast when I add the white pom pom. But I feel that the pom pom I made is just a little too small. 

The hat

Cute fabric label

I also added a cute fabric label to the inside of the hat. I bought a whole bunch of these in various sizes and designs off Etsy. I'm really excited about adding these labels to all my future handmade stuff! :)

Work in progress...

Some things that I will do differently if I were to knit the same hat in the future:
- Make a bigger pom pom
- Use needles that are one size smaller when knitting the ribbed edge at the beginning (I can't believe I totally forgot about that... :S)
- Use variegated yarn for the contrasting yarn.... I imagine that the effect would be rather awesome...


All right, that's all for now! I'm off to take a short nap because my medicine is making me really tired. Yes... I've been sick for a week... and I really hope that I will be better soon. T_T

DIY: Knitted Panda Hat

This is it. This is one of the most amazing things that I have knitted so far. Well, I started this about a month ago. Unfortunately, I started it on a whim after seeing soooo many knitted panda hats in shops like Sportsgirl and equip in Sydney, and also on ASOS.com. As a result, I didn't consider some things thoroughly. For example, I didn't think about choosing between intarsia and fair isle method. I didn't even think about what I would do for the ears when I started this. And if you follow my blog, you should know that one of my plastic DPNs broke while I was knitting the hat. Thankfully, things didn't get any worse than that and I was able to replace the broken DPN with another metal DPN (of unknown but possibly similar size >_<). Right, I should also add that the DPNs that I used were not of the same size... because I am a poor uni student who thrifts for DPNs and other knitting needles... Boo...

Although everything came out all right, I'm still a little peeved about how the inside of the hat looks.

This is every knitter's nightmare. But I've tidied it up.

And now it looks like this on the inside...

Enough ranting. Here comes the pattern!!! I'm really nervous about this because this is the first second time that I am writing a knitting pattern. I will try to be as descriptive wherever I can.

For more advanced knitters, you simply need the chart and insert the face into your favourite beanie pattern. But for knitters who've only just begun to learn how to knit, I've got the pattern written out for you :)

Please be kind to me. If you find any errors, just email me!

THE KNITTED PANDA HAT! 

(why buy one from the shops when you can knit one yourself?)


Note: A lot of people have been telling me that this panda is too big for them. Please try measuring your head and calculating the number of stitches to cast on!

Needles: 3.5mm DPNs

Yarn: 1 ball of 8 ply white acrylic yarn (MC), 1 ball of 8 ply black 100% wool yarn (CC)

Gauge: What? I don't have time to do swatches. I am an average knitter; I don't knit too tightly or loosely.

Size: 63 cm in circumference unstretched. It fits my head loosely, which measures about 52cm with the tape across the middle of my forehead. I like a loose beanie because my face/head looks weird in one that fits snugly.

Pattern:

MC: White

CC: Black (stitches that are to be knitted in CC are BOLDED)

CO 152 using MC

Place a stitch marker before you begin to indicate the beginning of a round!

Row 1: K1, P1 (repeat to end)
Row 1: K1, P2 (repeat to end)

Repeat Rounds 1 & 2 until you have a 1x1 ribbed edge of about 1 inch long.

Round 3: Knit all in MC

Round 4: Knit all in MC

Nose and curly smile:

Round 5: K20, K2, K6, K2, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 6: K19, K1, K2, K1, K4, K1, K2, K1, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 7: K18, K1, K4, K1, K2, K1, K4, K1, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 8: K24, K2, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 9: K23, K4, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 10: K22, K6, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 11: K21, K8, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 12: K20, K10, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 13: K19, K12, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 14: K19, K12, knit the remaining sts in MC

Eyes:

Round 15: K7, K7, K22, K7, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 16: K6, K9, K20, K9, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 17: K5, K11, K18, K11, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 18: K4, K13, K16, K13, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 19: K4, K14, K14, K14, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 20: K4, K14, K14, K14, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 21: K4, K15, K12, K15, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 22: K4, K15, K12, K15, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 23: K4, K8, K3, K4, K12, K4, K3, K8, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 24: K4, K8, K3, K4, K12, K4, K3, K8, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 25: K5, K7, K3, K4, K12, K4, K3, K7, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 26: K6, K13, K12, K13, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 27: K7, K11, K14, K11, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 28: K9, K8, K16, K8, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 29: K10, K6, K18, K6, knit the remaining sts in MC

Knit in MC for 8 rounds

Begin decrease:

Round 30: K17, K2tog (repeat to end)

Round 31: K16, K2tog (repeat to end)

Round 32: K15, K2tog (repeat to end)

... continue in a similar fashion until you have 8 stitches left on your needles.

Then, cut the yarn from the ball. Draw the remaining yarn through the 8 stitches and pull tight. 


Weave all ends in. 

Ears:

Make 2 black pom poms and use hot glue gun to glue them to the sides.

That's all for now. I'm going back to my cave. I'll emerge again... but my next blog post should NOT be a knitting post... 

And I shall try to figure out how to post my pattern on Ravelry... hmm...

Hat trick

Oversized knitted beret originally made for a friend. She rejected it and said I looked better in it, so I should wear it instead. This was my second time wearing it.

Oversized knitted beret made for me by the same abovementioned friend. She gave it to me before I went over to Sydney for my studies. This was my first time wearing it!

Knitted Panda Beanie. I still need to knit 2 ears for this.

The days are getting colder here in Sydney, but I have plenty of knitted hats to keep me warm. 


P.S.: I have more knitted head gear! >_<


question answered:
Sarah asked: "what pattern did you use for the first beret?"
I modified an original pattern by Claire Crompton from 'The Knitter's Bible'. More details in my Ravelry account here. 

WIP: Panda Hat

I started this on a whim and obviously did not think the pattern through. You can't see it but it's a real mess on the wrong side of the work because I didn't think about whether to use fair isle or intarsia knitting. This is also the very first time that I'm using double-pointed needles!!!


I started this last weekend and haven't been working on it since I took this picture. Uni work is consuming me at the moment! Hope to finish this soon so that I can write up the proper pattern and share it with everyone. *GASP yes, I came up with the pattern on my own! :D


That's all for now! I need to get back to uni work!

I almost bought this today

via

That 1/2 price tag made it really tempting. But I guess I could always knit one myself.


P.S.: Did I mention that it was also in kid's size?

Ooh La La Slouchy Beret!

I love to knit berets. They are chic, easy to knit and it requires only 1 ball of yarn!

I remember the very first beret that I knitted for myself to practise my increasing and decreasing. It certainly does feels kind of nostalgic talking about it. Well, I made it using cheap white acrylic yarn and it was a little tight. I didn't think I looked good with it so I shoved it all the way to the back of my shelf.

But I have never forgotten about that beret. I have been wanting to make a slouchier version of it. Slouchy hats are all the rage right now in the fashion scene, aren't they? So when Kelly passed me the one ball of yarn that she didn't like, I decided to make a beret out of it.

What she gave away...

Actually, I still don't understand why she didn't like the yarn. It's a soft 100% acrylic with beautiful colours. It's almost like a self-striping yarn!

It seems to be self-striping! (^_^)

So to make the slouchy beret, I used needles that are one size bigger (5.0mm from the original 4.0mm)  and I did 19 more repeat rows in stockinette stitch after the last increase. Meaning to say that After the last increase row I didn't increase anymore, but instead did 19 more rows of stockinette stitch before I move on to the decreasing rows.

The result was a jumbo sized beret. I think I should have started off with smaller needles (I used 4.0mm)  for the ribbings in the beginning. Fortunately, my beret was knitted flat, so I simply stitched up more of the seams again and again after I achieved the desired result. 

So much bigger than my hand! I didn't even have to block it...

I am definitely going to make one for myself. (I have 3 balls of this yarn at home!) 

(^_^)