I'm super excited about today's giveaway - one lucky reader will win this Otterburn PQ small knitting bag! I've got three of these bag (two small ones like the photo, and one large bag) and I use them for my current hats in progress.
The small one is the perfect size for one skein of yarn, which is all I need for my hat projects. I toss my current hat in progress into the bag yarn-first, and then I can knit along on my hat while we play trains, head out to grandma's house (when I'm not driving), and just about anywhere else! The bags keep my yarn on-hand while also keeping it out of the way, so I don't have to worry about the yarn being dragged around the house for spider web making (true story).
Thanks to Jesabelle, one lucky reader can win a small striped Otterburn PQ bag of their very own! Simply comment to this post, sharing what project might find its way into your bag first, and I'll pick a winner next Friday!
I may be a bit late for Valentine's Day this year with this pattern, but it's just too cute not to share anyhow! Perfect for those new to color work, you'll only work the contrasting color for a few rows, giving you just enough practice with two strands before you start to get so frustrated you just want to quit!
Now that you've got all your stitches cast on, you're ready to join for working in the round and get to work on your hat! One of the reasons the Simple Slouch hat is so popular is its beginner-friendly nature. All you need to know to make the bulk of this hat you'll be learning today - the knit stitch!
Just as a reminder, this is how your stitches should look on the needles. All the bumps should be facing into the circle your needles make, so you know your stitches aren't twisted.
I'm in love with the Tot Toppers pattern list. It's packed full of patterns of all varieties - sweaters, blankets, and more - but it's their hats that have me totally smitten.
Top Left: The Luka Slouch features all-over cables, is sized for the whole family, and is topped with my favorite hat accessory - a huge pom!
Top Right: I love the mini ear flaps on the Favorite Cap, and already have plans to make this worsted weight hat for several of my favorite charities, both with and without the rainbow look.
Bottom Left: I've got a soft spot for chevrons, and the Charlie Brown-esque Ollie Hat definitely makes me super happy! That there's a matching sweater to go along with makes my heart beat such a happy tune!
Bottom Right: The Squiggles Hat is the perfect hat for the knitter who hates double points and decreasing. Not only are rectangular hats adorable on kids, they're fun to make and mean you can just work without the worry of shaping!
This is just a super small selection of the hat patterns - not to mention all the patterns - Tot Toppers has to offer. I got lost in their pattern pages for a good hour, so be warned!
Who's excited to start casting on for their Simple Slouch hat today!?
This post is very picture-heavy, as I'll be sharing how to both make a slip knot, as well as perform the long-tail cast-on.I tried to get as much detail of each technique as possible, so if you're new to any of this, you should be able to follow along with ease! You should end up with stitches on your needle similar to the photo above, when you're done with these steps!
I've shared this on Instagram before, and regularly cycle it to the top of my Pinterest boards, but I wanted to share my favorite hat sizing chart here as well. Tot Toppers, where the chart originates, features "original patterns for tots & a modern line for those who are not". The patterns spread much farther than just hat patterns, but I've found many of my favorite hat patterns for kids on their site!
My most used parts of this chart are the first few lines, which feature head circumference and length. I will simply subtract 2" from the head circumference to know which size hat to make when using someone else's pattern, and aim for these sizes when writing my own.
The best way to start any knitting project is by gathering together all the supplies you'll need, and keep them all in one place. In the case of the Simple Slouch Hat, there's just the smallest number of supplies, but it's good to get into the habit of making sure all your supplies are gathered before you start knitting. You don't want to get halfway through a project and realize you don't have the next set of needles you need, or that your cable needle has suddenly disappeared.
For this project you'll need the following:
A copy of the Simple Slouch Hat pattern! This free pattern has the instructions shared on the linked page that you can print (thanks to the "print" button at the bottom right side of the post), but you can also download it using the DOWNLOAD NOW link at the top of the instructions, if you prefer to save it as a PDF to your computer.
One size 9 / 5.5mm 16" circular needle. Mine is bamboo,
and I got it from a big box craft store, which is where I get all my
needles. One skein of worsted weight yarn. I'm
using Lion Brand Heartland yarn, but you can substitute any worsted
weight yarn you'd like. Some great substitutes include Vanna's Choice,
Bernat Super Saver, and Loops & Threads Impeccable yarn.
One stitch marker, so you'll know when one round has ended and the
next one begins.
You'll also need scissors, a darning needle, and a measuring tape. These are good things to have in any knitter's kit, and by adding in stitch markers (like the one shown earlier), you're seeing everything that's in my notions bag!
On Monday we'll begin with casting on, so be sure to ask any
questions you may have in the comments, and don't forget to hashtag your
projects #simpleslouchKAL on Instagram!
It's no secret I love using Ewe Ewe Yarns for my hat projects. It's incredibly luxurious, but you can still get a kid sized hat out of just one skein, which means I'm not having to weave in more ends than necessary (something I'm not a fan of).
I'm also a huge fan of the fact that Ewe Ewe's hat patterns are charity knitting friendly. By this I mean, once I buy the pattern, I know I'll use it more than once for charity hat projects. Because of my big charity knitting goals, I'm not a big fan of hat patterns that cost more than a few dollars if they're also ones I'll only want to use once or twice. In the case of Ewe Ewe's patterns, every one I've got I've used on repeat!
Top Left:Copper Mountain. I'm in love with the little bitty chevron stripes!
Top Right:Family Of Hats. I'm a sucker for stripes, and this pattern comes with sizes for everyone you know, making it the perfect charity hat pattern purchase.
Bottom Left:Downhill Diva. I've actually got one of these hats on the needles right now for Lou, and I love the cabled look!
Bottom Right:Hat Season is a hat made using Ewe Ewe yarn, and it's a great charity hat pattern. The stripes will help you use up leftover bits of yarn you may have from other patterns, and give this hat the perfect look for men or women.
One of the best parts of Ewe Ewe's pattern section? It's always growing! Heather, the owner of Ewe Ewe, is always writing new patterns for her yarn, and she's begun working with a wide variety of designers to add to the Ewe Ewe pattern collection as well!
During my time as a hat knitter, I've had regular requests from folks just starting out with knitting, or just starting out with knitting hats, to explain specific techniques to them. Either they've never knit in the round, they don't know what a "long tail cast on" is, they're not sure how to switch to double pointed needles, and a wide variety of other questions.
I've always wanted to start a series where I explain the hat knitting techniques I use regularly (both in my personal hat knitting and in my patterns), but have hesitated for one simple reason: videos. While I can take photos of the knitting stitches, it's always super helpful to also have videos of what's going on, and for a wide variety of reasons, I'm not making knitting videos right now. And so I've always said "someday" and put it off.
And then, last week I realized something. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of knitting videos on You Tube! Why don't I just take advantage of those, rather than re-inventing the wheel, and start helping folks knit more hats and give them away in a fun new way?!
One of my most popular knitting patterns is the Simple Slouch Hat, and
with good reason. With sizes from baby through adult, this hat is the
perfect starter hat for those new to hat knitting. You only need to know
the minimum of knitting techniques to make this hat, which means even
if you've never picked up knitting needles before you can make this hat
quickly and easily! In fact, this is the hat pattern I use when I teach
my "learn to knit" classes!
Over the next few weeks I'll be combining the Simple Slouch hat pattern with the idea of sharing my photos and other folks videos in a fun new series - for those who are interested, we're going to knit the Simple Slouch hat together! This is the perfect chance for those of you who don't know how to knit in the round to learn; it's the perfect time for a first-time knitter to make their first hat; and it's definitely just the right time for the seasoned knitter to make a simple hat (or two!) for charity!
I'll be sharing everything from how to cast on (using the long tail method), to the knit stitch and how to decrease, all the way to binding off a hat and weaving in the ends. The instructions will be divided up amongst a few posts over the next few weeks, so those of you who are new to any of these techniques will have plenty of time to practice!
On Wednesday we'll begin gathering our supplies, so be sure to ask any
questions you may have in the comments, and don't forget to hashtag your
projects #simpleslouchKAL on Instagram!
My needles have been clicking away, making hats to donate to a local hospital hospice ward. This bag, shared on Instagram yesterday, should be full of enough yarn to make at least 15 hats to donate, and I've been working on them in between taking care of sick babes and husbands. And since it's been since January since I've shared the amazing things I've been enjoying around the internet, this super long list should help make up for it while I get back to knitting and rocking and medicine-giving!
The winner is Breenah A! Breenah, I've e-mailed you for your details!
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Today, I'm excited to share a bit about the wonderful Etsy shop Grizzlie, run by my friend (and blog sponsor) Tracy Brown!
My name is Tracey and I am the sole creator of the shop Grizzlie. I design, knit and crochet warm, cozy winter accessories for woman, children and babies. I live in Canada and boy do I know cold! My items are meant to keep you toasty warm while also looking trendy and stylish.
One of my favourite designs is my heart slouchy modeled by my little girl. It can be made in an adult or little girl’s size and comes in over 25 colours.
One lucky winner will get their very own heart slouchy for themselves or for a loved one. To enter this giveaway, please visit Grizzlie, and comment with your favorite design! Please remember, if you comment "anonymous" and don't leave your name and e-mail in your comment, I have no way to contact you, which means you can't win!
And Grizzlie is also running a shop-wide sale THROUGH VALENTINE'S DAY ONLY, so be sure to check out the amazing reduced prices on everything, and grab what you love before the prices go back up!
I've been knitting with my Invisible Children hat pattern for years now, and recently I decided I wanted to make one with a super bulky yarn. So I re-worked the pattern just a bit to accommodate chunkier yarn and needles, and re-named it Naomi (to keep things from being too confusing).
For those who love the look of a garter stitch brim, this slouchy hat is for you! The thick yarn helps the hat work up super fast, and will definitely keep you warm as the wind blows!
AND THE WINNER IS ... Katie Probert! I've messaged you on Google Plus, so please respond via e-mail!
Fellow Asymmetrical Press author Josh Wagner recently published Shapes the Sunlight Takes, and I got the chance to read it right as it was hitting the shelves.
Shapes is the story of Lexie, a 15 year old outcast who believes she can see the future. When she has a vision that her best friend's brother Derwin and her secret crush Mirielle are meant to have a love child together, Lexie fights to find the balance between delusion and reality, attempting to make sense of her past, present and supposed future.
I'm constantly amazed at the quality of writing from my fellow Asymmetrical writers, and this book is no different. While I was never a teenage lesbian, I was a teenage girl, and I'm impressed at just how well Josh hops into the mind of one. All the struggle of coming-of-age, pressed together with the supposed visions Lexie fights to control, help make Lexie one of my favorite teenage characters in some time.
I struggled to find the lines between Lexie's delusions and reality, reminding me of when I first read The Bell Jar. I spent half that book feeling almost twinned with the heroine, only to discover she was, in fact, completely crazy. Lexie is so genuine and honest, it's hard to remember that she may, in reality, not be completely sane and thus totally non-credible in her account of the events of the novel.
Lucky us, Asymmetrical Press is giving away a free copy of the book to one commenter today! Simply comment (be sure you log in with your name/e-mail - no one else will see it, but that way I can contact you!) with the book you're reading now, or one you recently finished. I'll pick a winner Sunday night, post back here to this space, and then e-mail the winner!
Top Left:Chunky Cable Knit Hat, by Lula Louise. (free pattern) Made with super bulky yarn, this hat works up fast on straight needles. The perfect introduction to cable knitting for new knitters, you can make this hat in two sizes.
Top Right:Men's Basic Hat Pattern, by Yarnspirations. (free download) This pattern includes both flat knit and circular knit instructions for the hat, and instructions for the scarf!
Bottom Left:Ribbed Watchman's Cap, by Channah Kopel. (free Ravelry download) I've linked to this hat in the past, and will probably do so again in the future. Channah collects hats for Israeli soldiers, and has since her son was enlisted. She's written this pattern both for flat knit and circular knit lovers, and encourages folks to donate from her pattern wherever they feel there's the most need.
Bottom Right:Knit Hat For Anyone, by Kathy North. (free pattern) I love that Kath's website says her patterns are "practical, wearable, charitable". The pattern gives both flat knit and circular knit instructions, although they're given at the same time, which might get confusing.
You know what I totally forgot about having short hair? I completely forgot just how cold my neck, and thus the rest of my body, gets when I don't have a thick curtain of hair keeping me warm! This is the first winter in like five years I haven't had hair that's at least shoulder length, and even though it's been extraordinarily warm most of the last few months, I've been extremely cold.And then, on Tuesday, it hit me why - no hair wrapping itself around my neck, keeping me warm!
What I needed was a scarf to keep me warm. Something simple that would use what I had on-hand, that I could whip up in a day or two at most. Otherwise I'd stall out, and would end up buying something from Target. Which defeats at least 75% of the purpose of being a knitter, doesn't it?!
To make this scarf, I grabbed several balls of leftover yarns - all of it ended up being Lion Brand Heartland yarn, which I absolutely love, although I didn't plan the scarf that way. I held a strand of dark grey heather throughout, and then alternated the colorful yarns one skein after another. When a ball of yarn ran out I simply tied on another one using the fisherman's knot technique.
I love this knot with a passion that's pretty unhealthy, but I swear to you it's totally changed my knitting game. I use it on wool and on acrylic (as I have in this scarf) and I have yet to see one of these knots come undone. IT'S GENIUS.
Anyhow.
I used two strands of worsted weight yarn held double, size 17 needles, and worked a 1x1 ribbing over 21 stitches. I worked the scarf until I could wrap it twice around my neck with plenty of leftovers (as you can see in the poorly taken photo above), but I will most often wear it wrapped just once around my neck. And I may decide to add fringe, because I love me some fringe.
The coloring goes from a cranberryish color, to a turquoise, to a pale yellow, and finishes with a bright purple. The grey totally ties it all together, and I love how much I love it, considering just how adverse I usually am to cobbled together things like this. Maybe as I reach middle age I'm embracing my inner Molly Weasley a bit more? Hmmm .....
At any rate, I cast on for this scarf on Tuesday when we got home from our standing trivia friend outing, and by this morning I was binding off. I knit on it only a tiny bit while the kids were awake, getting the bulk of it done in just 90 or so minutes last night after everyone else went to bed early and I had a date with our DVR.
Now I want to make like 50 more of these, using up all my scraps, and donating them to various charities. It's addictive, this scarf. I don't apologize if you cast one on and find you can't stop making them. It's that good.
January baby hats are done, in a box, and ready to be shipped! While I started this project a few days into January, and I definitely didn't make a baby hat every single day of the month, I'm super pleased with how the first month flushed out, and am super pumped for this project to carry me through the entire year.
Baby hats are the perfect speed for me right now. While I'd love to be at the speed I was at before having two kids, making an adult hat every other day or so, the reality is there's just not time for that! Rather than slow up on my knitting goals, baby hats help me keep up with how much I'd like to be donating, while making it seem manageable.
Plus, how cute are newborn hats?!
Most of these hats are made using my Benson Beanie pattern, which is my favorite and go-to baby hat pattern. I've simply been grabbing a skein at a time from my stash and knitting away until I can't make a full hat from whatever's left. And yes, I've been knocking out most of my pink stash - with Valentine's Day coming up, I just kept picturing little baby valentines and couldn't help myself!
These hats are going to the wife of one of Zach's co-workers, who works in labor and delivery at one of our local hospitals. They love to put handmade hats on the newborns, and I know these will be loved and appreciated!
I'm super excited to share a new step She Makes Hats is taking, beginning this month ... I'm now accepting sidebar sponsorships! I've gone back and forth with this for pretty much the entire time I've had a blog, and have decided it's such a fun and good thing I'm going to give it a try. I'm excited to share space with some amazing shops and sites, and to be trusted to promote these things is something I don't take lightly.
With that said, I'm charging for these spots, but just a little bit. The amount helps offset what I was earning when I was selling patterns. It's important to me to have my patterns freely available to all, but the truth is the income drop sort of sucked for our family. So I'm hoping sidebar ads and affiliate links will help make up some of that difference.
If you're interested in sponsorship, you can learn more here. Now, let's meet the inaugural batch of She Makes Hats sponsors!
Jesabelle B. sells amazing knitting bags you sling over your arm, leaving your hands free for knitting, keeping your yarn in one place as you knit!
Grizzlie is a gorgeous handknit scarves and accessories Etsy shop based out of Canada. If Tracey is sitting, she's knitting ... unless, that is, she's crocheting!
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