I Need a Hat - The Cross Stitch, version 2

In my previous post, I showed the method I've been using for the 1-over-2 left cross from my first "I Need a Hat" post. (I think I'm going to call this hat "Moss & Cross".) It's a cabling-without-a-cable-needle method that is quick and easy, but does involve leaving a stitch "hanging out", completely unsecured while you work 2 other stitches.

The following is an alternate method for cabling-without-a-needle.

Here we are at round 5 again. (The first stitch on the left needle has been slipped in each of the previous 2 rounds.)

Begin by slipping the next 3 stitches from the left needle to the right needle. One ...

Two ...

Three ...

I Need a Hat - The Cross Stitch

In working the "cross" portion of the pattern stitch I'm using for this hat (described in my first "I Need a Hat" post), I've been doing the cross without a cable needle. So, I thought I'd take some photos of the technique I'm using.

Here we are in round 5 of the pattern. (Having worked slip 1, knit 2 in rounds 3 and 4.)

The first stitch on the left needle is the slip stitch - the stitch that will be crossed over the next 2 stitches on the left needle. What I do is drop the slip stitch off the needle, then knit the next 2 stitches, then pick up the dropped stitch and knit it.

Yep, I just leave that first stitch hanging out in front of the work, completely unsecured by a needle. Since it was slipped in the previous 2 rounds, it isn't directly connected to the other stitches in this round and therefore, it's much less likely to work it's way out while you're working the other stitches. It helps that in this pattern, the stitch only has to "hang out" while you work 2 stitches and then it's picked up and all secure again. Finally, the yarn itself is a little "sticky" and that helps as well.

So, here we go.

I usually just slip the stitch off the needle, but if you want to give yourself a bit of extra insurance you can use the right needle to give the stitch a little tug.

Must finish this - Update 4

Another 2 weeks have gone by and where am I? Well, I have made reasonable progress.

Nevertheless, I need to be realistic here. It's the holidays! There is no way I'm going to put time into this project during the coming weeks.

So, I'm going to set it aside and come back to it in January.

I Need a Hat

A couple weeks ago, I gave away the last of my hand-knit hats, which - of course - means it's time for me to get started knitting a new one.

First though, I should mention that I have a "thing" about itchy hats. In my quest to overcome itchiness, I've tried a variety of different fibers (merino wool, superwash wool, alpaca, angora) and techniques (standard knitting, fulling, etc.) and have finally come to the conclusion that I simply need to line any part of the hat that will come in close enough contact with my skin to cause itchiness. (Reference Bill's hat.)

Because (for anyone who isn't familiar with this) ... an itchy hat is just awful!! It's nice and soft and warm and then all of a sudden it's ITCHY ... and to alleviate the itchiness, it MUST be removed IMMEDIATELY ... at which point all its nice, soft, warm qualities are absolutely worthless!!

OK, back to this hat. I went to my stash and picked a yarn I've used before - Valley Yarns Deerfield (alpaca & silk).

This is a lovely, soft, fairly non-itchy yarn. However, from past experience, I know it will eventually get itchy at my forehead and around my face. So, I will plan to line that section at a minimum.

Because I hadn't figured out the exact details of this hat, I decided to start at the top. (After having knit and blocked a gauge swatch.)

(These photos are over exposed and don't show the color correctly.)

The pattern is a 9 stitch/6 row repeat of a 3-stitch cross stitch with moss/seed stitch between. The 3-stitch cross pattern is:

• R1 & 2: k3
• R3 & 4: slip 1, k2
• R5: 1/2Lcross (1 over 2 left cross)
• R6: k3

And here's where I am as of today.

If all goes well, I should have a new hat within the next couple days ... and hopefully, some better photos!!

Hat for Bill - part 2

Having knit the hat one time in it's entirety and then ripped it all out (see my previous post), I started up again. This time, I went with the 1-1½-inch negative ease, I knit the entire lining in stockinette stitch ... and I remembered to take a couple "in progress" photos.

I modified the process just a little by leaving the provisional yarn at the bottom of the lining and picking up the main yarn there. So the revised process was:

1. Provisional cast on using lining yarn and work about an inch. 
2. Pick up stitches at provisional cast on. Using main main yarn, work a couple rounds, then work a turning round and work back up to even with lining "fabric".
3. Join the main "fabric" and the lining "fabric" together.
4. Work the rest of the lining and the rest of the main hat separately.
5. Tack the pieces together at the top.

Hat for Bill - part 1

This is the hat to go with the "Gloves (and then a Hat) for Bill" that I posted almost 2 months ago now. It took a while to work this out (obviously) ... and the 2 (or was it 3) re-knits definitely slowed me down.

The first issue was the yarn. It is way too itchy to work on its own and Bill wanted a simple close fitting hat, so I knew I'd need to line the entire hat. As an old hand at sewing, I knew I could sew in a lining, but this is knitting and it seems to me that a knit hat should have a knit lining. So (he-he) I picked up some Ella Rae Bamboo Silk yarn (70% bamboo, 30% silk) in Pumpkin.

The color really is a pumpkin orange and not as bright as it appears in these photos. Nevertheless, it isn't a "match" for the Classic Elite Desert yarn ...

but the yarn and the color work great for Bill and after all that's what really matters!

Must finish this - Update 3

So, I've been back from Kauai for 2 weeks and it's time for another status report.

I've done a tiny bit of work on the back, which looks like this on the right side ...

And this on the wrong side ...