My Mountain

There is a great contest wrapping up right now put out by the folks at Schachenmayr Yarns.  The "My Mountain" design contest requested original hats knit up in their "My Mountain" line of yarns.  Here's my entry:

My mountain is finding a balance between being a mother, employee, and designer. It's impossible to do it all, so I'm learning to do what makes me and my family happy. Knitting, crocheting, and designing are some of the things that make me happy and I'm glad to be able to share my work in this contest.

Finalists for the contest will be chosen soon, then voting ensues.  Cross your fingers for me!

Check out some of the other entries on Facebook

Emily's Super Cute Hat

The hat she will never wear! I love it!

This is the Brr Babie Beanie by CraftyRahRah with a 5-Petal Flower by Julie Armstrong Holetz. Yummy!

Butterfly Baby Hat

A simple baby hat using a band of butterfly stitches as an accent. The pattern is written for three different sizes, newborn, 3 - 9 months, and 9 – 18 months.

Materials
DK weight yarn
Size 5 needles (the smallest hat will fit on sixteen inch circulars)

Gauge
22 stitches per 4 inches

Sizes
Small, newborn
Medium, 3 - 9 months
Large, 9 - 18 months

Pattern
Cast on 72 (80, 88) stitches and join in the round
Work in plain stockinette stitch for 6 rows

Purl next round

Continue in plain stockinette stitch for 2 (2.5, 3) inches
Begin first butterfly pattern

1. (move yarn to the front, slip 5 stitches purlwise, move yarn to the back, k3), repeat around
2. knit around
3. repeat round 1
4. repeat round 2
5. repeat round 1
6. repeat round 2
7. (k2, slip needle behind the 3 strands from bottom to top, knit into the next stitch, slip the three strands over top of the needle, k5), repeat around

Begin second butterfly pattern round

1. k 4, this is the now the location of the beginning of the round
2. Repeat rows 1 through 7 of the first butterfly pattern

Continue working in plain stockinette until the hat measures 5 (5.25, 5.5) inches

Decrease Rounds:
Size Large Only:

• (k2tog, k9) around
• knit

Size Medium and Large:

• (k2tog, k8) around
• knit

All sizes:

• (k2tog, k7) around
• knit
• (k2tog, k6) around
• knit
• (k2tog, k5) around
• (k2tog, k4) around
• (k2tog, k3) around
• (k2tog, k2) around
• (k2tog, k1) around
• k2tog around, break yarn and draw yarn through all 8 stitches. Pull tight and weave in.

Pattern & images © 2008 by Melisa Darnieder. Personal use ONLY. Commercial use, including selling items made from this pattern, is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Lull

I find myself in a weird lull in between large/rushed projects. I finished my sister's garter, finished my shrug to wear to Knitter's Connection, and finished the latest hat in the Great Hat Race. Sure, I'm working on a little baby hat and am finishing my felted entrelac tote, but there is no deadline for those and I feel very relaxed.

The hat I'm working on:

After all my purchases and free yarn from the Knitter's Connection, I have tons of options for my next big project. I should and probably will finish up my stragglers, but then I could work on:

1. Emily's next sweater
2. Husband's sweater
3. Sister's shrug
4. Mom's bag
5. Mother-in-law's bag
6. Stepmother-s bag
7. My wrap #1
8. My wrap #2
9. My scarf

I could also begin designing my next project, which I think will be a crochet shrug. I have lots of yarn left from the knit shrug I made, and it was such a hit that I want more. Or, I could work on my idea for a stranded tote...

Great Hat Race #2

The hat for the second round is now complete, and it was a quick one. It ended up being teeny-tiny and I think it would only fit a preemie. Very cute, though!

I'm glad it was quick because I have only a week to finish my sister's garter! Ahh!!!

Great Hat Race

I have entered the Great Hat Race on ravelry, to knit hats for charity while satisfying the competitive side of me. In two days, I have finished the first hat and will ship it off tomorrow to Texas. It's exciting - I'm already looking forward to the next hat to see how difficult it will be!

Matching Beanies

I love this hat pattern by MK Carroll. I made one for Emily and then Bill asked for a matching one. Happily, there was enough left of the blue/purple skein to make it.

I made it in Lion Brand Cotton Ease, with a size F hook. I followed the pattern, with the following changes:

• Follow the pattern but make the first 7 rounds blue


• Follow with a round of white


• Follow with blue again, but continue the increase pattern through round 11 (you'll have 88 stitches after this).


• Continue even, switching back to white for the 15th and final rounds