Friday, March 9, 2012

Snowy Night Earwarmer


I've seen these cute earwarmers all over this season, and I kept saying I was going to make one.

Well, I finally got my excuse. We're doing a production of "Almost, Maine" over at the Players Guild of Dearborn, and one of the characters needed a sweet white headband earwarmer for the heart-touching opening and finale.

So I dug up the Sweet Flower Headband pattern that I'd bookmarked on Ravelry some time ago.

Hook: 5.0 mm
Yarn: Worsted Weight Scraps
Pattern Modifications:
Increased until 10 sts wide only, and added a sc border around the edges + button hole for button closure. Flower is 6-petal single layer flower.

So glad I made this! I already called dibs on getting to keep it after the show :D

Monday, March 5, 2012

Copy-Cat Cloche

Inspiration Hat
Copy Cat Cloche













My friend Meredith came to me with a knit hat that she absolutely loved. She asked if I could make her a replica in a different color. As we worked on it, we changed things so that we "improved" on the original hat, so that the new piece is exactly what she wanted.

Now Available on Ravelry!

Yarn: 2 strands worked together, I used Red Heart yarn from my stash
Hook: 6.5mm for hat, 5.0mm for Flower (hook not important for flower)
Special Stitches: FPDC & Magic Ring (follow the link to learn the stitch)
Additional Supplies: Safety pins or stitch markers, yarn needle
HAT:
Note: careful of the sts which get hidden behind the fpdc sts. You’ll be increasing your sts as you would with any other hat, but instead of *2dc in same st* being your increase, you’ll dc in the top of the fpdc, and then fpdc around the post also. Also, I DO NOT count the ch 3 that starts a round as a st in this pattern, I just work over top of them. You may have to fudge it with this, but you can always put the joining point in the back of the hat.
Begin with Magic ring (or ch 3 and sl st to form ring).
Rnd 1: ch 3 and dc 6 sts into ring, sl st to top of ch 3 to join.
Rnd 2: ch 3, dc in same st as joining. *FPDC around post of st immediately below the one you just made. Dc in next st* repeat from * to * around. Sl st in top of ch 3 to join.
Rnd 3: Ch 3, *dc in next dc and in top of fpdc from prev rnd. FPDC around FPDC of prev rnd. (creates increase)* repeat from * to * around. Sl st in top of ch 3 to join.
Rnd 4: Ch 3, *dc in each of the next 2 sts AND in the top of the fpdc from prev rnd. FPDC around FPDC of prev rnd. * repeat from * to * around. Sl st in top of ch 3 to join.
Rnd 5: Ch 3, *dc in each of the next 3 sts AND in the top of the fpdc from prev rnd. FPDC around FPDC of prev rnd. * repeat from * to * around. Sl st in top of ch 3 to join.
Rnd 6: Rnd 4: Ch 3, *dc in each of the next 4 sts AND in the top of the fpdc from prev rnd. FPDC around FPDC of prev rnd. * repeat from * to * around. Sl st in top of ch 3 to join.
Rnd 7: OPTIONAL – use this rnd if you want the hat to be wider/floppier. It can also be used to size it to a larger person’s head.
Ch 3, *dc in each of the next 5 sts AND in the top of the fpdc from prev rnd. FPDC around FPDC of prev rnd. * repeat from * to * around. Sl st in top of ch 3 to join.
Rnd 8: [If you did rnd 7, X=4. if you didn’t do rnd 7, X=3]
Ch 3, *skip next dc. dc in each of the next X sts AND in the top of the fpdc from prev rnd. FPDC around FPDC of prev rnd. * repeat from * to * around. Sl st in top of ch 3 to join.
Rnd 9-11: Repeat Rnd 8. You may repeat rnd 8 until the hat is as deep as you want it. Very little depth will be added with the following rnd.
Rnd 12: ch 1. Sc in each st around. Sl st to join.
This should snug up the bottom of your hat so that it fits. You can also add in another rnd of sc sts (with increases or decreases as needed) to help make you hat fit snugly.
Fasten off (or draw your loop up really big).

Pick the bottom of a fpdc line to serve as the center front of the hat. Mark this st, and fold your hat flat so that the st you marked is on the fold. Now mark a st, about 1/3 of the brim AWAY from the center st. Since you hat is folded and laying flat, you’ve got 2 layers of brim. Mark the st that is parrellel to that sts on the bottom layer. Try on your hat and check to make sure the width of the brim is as you like it. When you are happy with it, remove the center st marker.

BRIM:

I managed to work without fastening off, but if you have fastened off, re-join your yarn at one of the sts you have marked.
Row 1: Ch 1, do NOT sc in the same st as joining. SC in each of the next 2 sts. Hdc in each st across until you are 3 sts away from your next marker. Sc in next 2 sts, sl st into marked st. TURN
Row 2: Ch 1, sl st in the first sc of prev rnd. Sc in each of the next 2 sts. Hdc in each st across until you are 4 sts away from your next marker. 2sc in next 2 sts, and sl st into last sc of prev rnd. TURN
Row 3: Ch 1, sl st in the first sc of prev rnd. Sc in each of the next 2 sts. Hdc in each st across until you are 5 sts away from your next marker. 2sc in next 2 sts, and sl st into last sc of prev rnd. DO NOT TURN

Finishing Rnd: At the end of the brim, continue on with a sc in each st around the hat. This helps to smooth the shape of the brim and finish it off. Sl st to join, and fasten off.

FLOWER:
Begin with center color and a Magic Ring (or ch 2 loosely and work rnd 1 into the 2nd ch from hook).
Rnd 1: Ch 1, 5sc into ring. Sl st to join.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, work 2 sc into each st of prev rnd. Using petal color, sl st to join.
Rnd 3: Using petal color, ch 1, *sc in next st, and 2 sc in following st* repeat from * to * around. Sl st to join.
Rnd 4. *Ch 4, skip next 2 sts. Sl st into following st* repeat from * to * around. Sl st to join.
Rnd 5: In each ch 4 space [ sc, ch 1, 3dc, ch 1, sc]. Fasten Off.
Use petal color and yarn needle to apply flower to hat where desired.