FO: Just a pair of yellow mittens

So, I did it. I made a pair of yellow mittens to go with the yellow beanie that I haverecently knitted. To be honest, I’m surprised that I actually went ahead with making a pair of yellow mittens despite my dissatisfaction with my yellow beanie. Perhaps it’s partially due to the fact that the remainder of the yellow yarn and a few crochet hooks are the only craft-related items that I have with me in Albury at the moment. I miss my Elna.

I digress.

Behold, a pair of yellow mittens that are technically not a pair because there are slight differences between the mittens. Maybe you can spot them in the photos, maybe you can’t.

These mittens are based on the pattern found here. Mind you, my mittens are a modified version. I originally planned on knitting a pair of mittens with a cable pattern so that it matches the pattern of the beanie better. But I decided that crochet hooks are easier to transport and a much quicker way to churn out a pair of mittens. Regardless, I think the fact that mittens are made from the same yellow yarn makes them look like they belong to the beanie. So, the mittens and the beanie are a set in my opinion and here’s a family photo just to prove it. 

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

DIY: Turban Knot Headband

I made this red headband a while ago based on this item that I saw on ASOS. The ASOS website always provides me with endless inspirations for creating fashion-forward knitted projects. If I were crazy, I'd make one in every colour of yarn I have. 

DIY Inspiration: Very 70s 
(via)

***


Materials:
1 ball of 8ply yarn of your choice
A pair of 3.00mm knitting needles


Pattern:


Cast on 27 stitches
Row 1: k2, *p1, k1; rep from *, end k1
Row 2: k1, *k next st in the row below, k1; rep from *
Row 3: k1, *p1, k1; rep from *
Row 4: k2, *k next st in the row below; rep from *, end k1 



Repeat Rows 1 - 4 until the headband measures approximately 70cm long. 

Before casting off, tie a knot at the centre of the work and then wrap the headband around your head to check that it fits well. Once you're satisfied with the length, cast off.

Bind seams. 


***


Enjoy! 

DIY INSPIRATION: ASOS Hand Knit Stripe Collar

via

via

These pictures of the knitted striped collar from ASOS have been sitting on my Pinterest board for a while, and I still haven't quite decided if I want to make it. I like how this knitted collar can serve the purpose of jazzing up a simple outfit while keeping my neck warm during winter. However, for some reason, I have this feeling that I might not like it as much after making it. 


For now, this will probably stay right at the bottom of my to-knit list. But for people who want to cast on right away, you can make your own using the free pattern available on Martha Stewart's website here.

For people who want to learn to knit, check out this website. I learnt to knit by watching the videos there.

DIY: Knitted Sequined Collar

Right side

Wrong side

It's here, it's here!!! The pattern for my latest knitted creation is finally here:

THE KNITTED SEQUINED COLLAR 

Yarn: 1 ball of Moda Vera Ballroom yarn
Needles: 5.0mm
Gauge: I do not make swatches


Pattern:
(Please read the pattern very carefully before casting on! This is not a conventional written knitting pattern. If possible, try knitting the pattern using another yarn of a similar weight first. Believe me, frogging sequined yarn is a real pain in the arse.)

The picture above represents the knitted collar. 

The numbers represents the number of stitches and the lines represents where markers should be placed. For example, count 2 stitches from the beginning and place a marker.

The dots represents where a decrease should be made. For example, decreases should always be made AFTER the stitch marker on the left of the collar and BEFORE the stitch marker on the right of the collar. One dot represents 1 decrease and each decrease should be made as follows:

LEFT of the pattern: sl1, knit 1, psso
RIGHT of the pattern: knit, return, pass, return


Video examples of these decreases can be found here.

Summary: 
1 x Line = 1 x stitch marker

1 x Dot = 1 x decrease

1 x decrease on the left of the pattern = sl1, knit 1, psso

1 x decrease on the right of the pattern = knit, return, pass, return

Not all decreases occur at the same time, so read the pattern carefully! Ready? Here we go!
Cast on 180

Place stitch markers

Row 1 – 4: Knit

Row 5: Purl

Row 6: Knit all and decrease the RED dots.

Row 7: Purl

Repeat Rows 6 & 7 until the collar measures 5 cm from the beginning. End this repeat pattern with a purl row (i.e. Row 7)

Row 8: Knit all and decrease the RED & BLUE dots

Row 9: Purl

Repeat Rows 8 & 9 until the collar measures 6.5 cm from the beginning. End this repeat pattern with a purl row (i.e. Row 8)

Row 10: Knit all and decrease the RED, BLUE & GREEN dots

Row 11: Purl

Repeat Rows 10 & 11 until the collar fits your neck. I stopped when my collar measured 9cm from the beginning, but my neck is probably different from yours!

Cast off loosely. I used the cast off technique shown in this video. 

It is important that your cast off is loose! If not, the collar will fit very tightly around your neck!

Push all the sequins at the back to the front.

Block by pinning it in place and then hovering a steam iron over it for several minutes
Sew hooks.

You’re done! (n_n)

♥

FO: Knitted Cowl

The cowl/shawl/scarf thing I knitted has finally reached my friend in Germany! Woah, I posted it on 31st Oct and it only just reached her this week. This is definitely wayyyy more than the 3 - 10 days that the post office staff said. Oh well, it doesn't matter now because it has reached her!


I made this cowl using the Noble Cowl pattern by Emily, which is available for free on Ravelry. It's a really really popular pattern amongst knitters on Ravelry, with a total of 1640 projects (and counting!)


Knitting this cowl was quite a joy because I have not knitted lace stitches for quite a while. The only thing that I was not pleased about was the loose stitches at the beginning of the round. It's my own fault, really. I think my tension were too loose at the beginning. 

Loose stitches at the beginning of the round :(

The right tension

Unblocked FO

This is how the cowl looked right after casting them off the needles. It's obvious that it needed blocking, so I blocked it using a steam iron. Steam iron worked in this cause because I used a wool-blend yarn. I like using a steam iron to block my knitting project because it makes the knitted FO really smooth and flat. More importantly, it's quick and immediate!! I love watching a bunched up knitting project transform into a real finished product after blocking.

Blocked! :) THIS IS WHY BLOCKING IS SO IMPORTANT!

All right, that's all for now! I have been doing some embroidery as Christmas presents. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish them up and show them to everyone soon! Has everyone started on making Christmas presents? 


P.S.: If you ask a question as Anonymous, please please leave an email so that I can contact you directly!

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

FO: Mushroom Pickings

Yes, so I've made another crochet item, for another friend of mine as a birthday present, once again. Three crochet FOs in a month! I don't think I'm going to crochet a while... and I think these birthdays are going to stop coming for a while... phew!

What do you guys think of this bag? I gave it to my friend at her birthday party today and I think she likes it! :D I was thinking of using a bright yellow for the bag initially, but then I thought my friend would prefer this colour. The pattern is from here. But if you compare my bag to the original version, it's slightly different because I used 8ply yarn instead of the prescribed 10ply. I also worked in rounds and didn't turn my work, except when I was almost finishing at the top. My handles are definitely different too because by the time I got to the handles, I was like, "pattern? schmattern!" and worked it out myself. 


Nevertheless, I really like how the bag turned out! It's really surprising to see that it turned out to be sooooo mori-esque! Mori is a japanese style of dressing that I am actually rather into. But I haven't really dressed in that manner... yet... Anyway, I named the bag "Mushroom Pickings" because I imagined that is a bag someone might carry when s/he goes into the forest to pick mushrooms. Heh.


Well, my rambling will stop here. Sorry that I have only have one pathetic picture of the bag to show you guys. It isn't even the actual end product because I haven't weaved the ends in yet when I took this picture. I do have a couple of other WIP pictures, but I decided that they were too awful... >_<

FO: The Pur-bo Bag and The Be-red

For the past 2 weeks, I have been working my crochet hook like MAD because 2 of my friends' birthday are coming up this week and I planned on making something for them as presents. Actually, one of them is celebrating her birthday tonight (Friday) and the other one is having a BBQ lunch tomorrow. I'm only going for the one tomorrow. 


Ok, you're probably not interested in that much details. Enough of all that jabber. Now, photos! 


First up, the purple hobo bag, aka The Pur-bo bag:

I made a few changes to the original pattern by Stephanie Gage because I was running out of the purple yarn and there was no way that I could get a ball of this yarn from the same colour lot, since I bought the yarn ages ago. So I made a few changes to the pattern in order to accommodate my yarn shortage: 

Close-up

• 18 rows of the dc instead of the 20 in the pattern 
• 4 rows of sc at the top of the bag instead of the 5 in the pattern 
• 1 strap with the width of 7 sc instead of the 2 straps made using 4 sc each as stated in the pattern 

I thought it would look ugly with all the changes I have made. But it did not! I even feel like making one for myself now! But I shall not and must not, lest I end up with too many knitted/crochet hobo bags.

WIP

Next up, the red beret aka The Be-red:

This is the first time that I made a crochet hat. All my previous hats were knitted. When I completed this pattern by creativeyarn, I thought, "what!? that's it!?" I was quite disappointed as the opening was really too big and the beret did not have the slouch that I expected from the photos. Am I missing something about crochet hats here? Nevertheless, I continued with 1 more round to make the opening smaller:

• Round 19: sc 1, sc2tog, rep to end

Unfortunately, that did not help and I ended up with something that is slightly tight. It's either too loose or too tight... I decided to go with the latter. I guess it's cuter to see a little hat perching on a head? I might be wrong... >_<


So, I'm really not quite sure what I feel about this crochet beret. I have a feeling that it might not fit my friend's head because the crochet ends are quite tight. Maybe it's better to knit hats to give them the ability to stretch rather than to crochet...


But that said, I might still make one for myself...Might...

WIP

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...