$2 Habitat

Name: $2 Habitat
Pattern: Habitat by Jared Flood
Craft: Knitting
Made for me :o)
Size: Med/Lg
Start date: September 13, 2009
Completed date: September 17, 2009
Needle size: US 8 / 5.0 mm and US 10 / 6.0 mm
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Solid
How much?1 skeins = 170.0 yards (155.4m)
Colour: 99 Linen
See it on Ravelry!

Modifications: To accommodate for my big head, I decided to use aran weight yarn instead of worsted. Used bigger needles to accommodate the increase in yarn. I didn’t bother blocking the hat when it was done. I was very happy with the size and shape, so blocking was not necessary.

Pattern: Huge fan of Jared Flood, so I have been looking forward to making this pattern for awhile. I wanted to make this hat for Jim last year, but he doesn’t like the cables. I didn’t make it for myself at first because normally hats like this don’t look so great on me. Usually the hats are too tight around my big head and it just looks awkward. I have a similar style hat from Abercrombie and it it fits me pretty well because the hat is huge. So I decided to give this hat a try with a thicker wool and bigger needles to see how it goes, and I’m really pleased with the final product. It’s nice to knit with a pattern that doesn’t have any mistakes in it. I hate being one of the first knitters and discovering errata all throughout the pattern.

Yarn: I bought this at Michaels using their 50% off coupon and got a skein for $2! What a steal! It took less than a skein to complete the hat. I was really pleased with Vanna’s Choice; it is extremely soft for acrylic. I recently knitted with an acrylic yarn and it was awful! It was very plastic feeling and stiff. This yarn did not feel like plastic at all and it was very soft to work with. I absolutely love this colour as well, very elegant and very understated. Just my kind of colour!

Snapdragon Tam

Name: Snapdragon Tam
Pattern: Snapdragon Tam by Ysolda Teague
Craft: Knitting
Made for me :o)
Size: Medium
Start date: September 10, 2009
Completed date: September 12, 2009
Needle size: US 6 / 4.0 mm
Yarn: Red Heart Ltd. Comfort Sport
How much? 60 grams = 0.17 skeins = 194.5 yards (177.8m)
Colour: 4312
See it on Ravelry!

Pattern: When I saw this hat on ysolda’s website, I knew I had to knit it. As soon as the pattern was available, I instantly bought the pattern and cast on right away. Again, another flawless pattern from her. Easy to follow and not a single mistake anywhere. There’s a chart version and there’s row by row instruction, so you can use whatever is more convenient for you.

Yarn: I bought the yarn because I liked the vibrant raspberry colour (the pictures doesn’t do it justice). I used this yarn because I was sick and decided to knit from my stash instead of going out to get more yarn. I don’t think store owners would be very pleased with me coughing and sneezing while I grabbed and fondled their yarn to decide which one I wanted to buy. I wasn’t very pleased with this yarn and don’t think I will ever knit anything with it again. It was very stiff and felt like plastic. I know it’s acrylic, and I have nothing against acrylic! In fact, I often love it because of the cost. However, this has to be the worse acrylic yarn out there. Never again!

Gretel

Name: Gretel
Pattern: Gretel by Ysolda Teague
Craft: Knitting
Made for me :o)
Size: Middle size (blocked to 10.5 inch diameter)
Start date: August 27, 2009
Completed date: August 30, 2009
Needle size: US 3 / 3.25 mm and US 7 / 4.5 mm
Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Heathers
How much? 1 skein = 220 yars (201.2m)
Colorway: 8401 Silver Grey
See it on Ravelry!

Made this with the leftover from my Almeara gloves. Beautiful hat, I love all the cable-y goodness! I have been wanting to knit this for awhile and the finished product is everything I had hoped for. Can't wait for the weather to get cooler so I can start wearing this!

Grove Mittens

Name: Grove Mittens

Pattern: Grove Mittens by Jared Flood
Made for me :)
Size: One size
Start date: August 19, 2009
Completed date: August 25, 2009
Needle size: US 6 / 4.0 mm
Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Wool
How much? 1 skein = 220.0 yards (201.2m)
Colour: 9484 Stratosphere
See it on Ravelry!

Made this to go with my Laurel hat! It was an uphill battle, but I think I won in the end! I didn't check the gauge (which is a bad habit, but I never do) and the mittens were extremely tight when they were on the needle. They were also poorly shaped and weirdly long (they reminded me of hot dog buns for some reason). I wasn't very happy with them and kept thinking about how I could turn my frown upside down with these mittens. I even tried lining the mittens, but that didn't work out so well either. Thankfully blocking did miracles to these gloves, and now I actually like them!

Tip: The chart in the pattern is very tiny, so what I did was scanned the chart (you can also take a picture of it) and cropped it so it was just the left mitten or the right mitten chart by itself. I then printed each chart so that it was as large as a 8.5 by 11 page. It was so much easier to see and I just highlighted each row as I was done knitting it.

Modifications: Made the cuff a bit bigger than instructed in the pattern. I did k2tog instead of k2tog through the back loops. When I did them through the back loop the stitches were going in the opposite direction of where they needed to go. Used kitchener stitch to bind off instead of using the three needle method.

Errata: I think there should be a change in marker placement. Work to the end of row 49. Remove marker, slip one stitch to right needle with yarn in the back, and then put the marker back on the needle.

Blocking:The mittens turned out a bit small (and I have really small hands!). Oh well, nothing blocking and stretching can’t fix. We’ll see how blocking does. I might try knitting with 4.5mm needle next time (serves me right for not checking the gauge and relying on blocking to fix any problems). What I did was cut out one side of the mitten chart when I was done and traced it on a piece of cardboard (this piece was a bit bigger than my hands and definitely alot bigger than the finished knitting piece). Soaked the mitten, and then used a towel to get rid of excess water. Blocked it over the piece of cardboard, and the result is perfect pair of mittens! I should of used a piece of plastic to block the mittens instead of cardboard. I didnt have any plastic, so the cardboard was just fine! I would have thrown these mittens in the garbage can if it weren't for blocking. Blocking saved the day :)

Laurel

Name: Laurel

Pattern: Laurel by Jared Flood (from Made in Brooklyn by Jared Flood)
Craft: Knitting
Made for me :)
Size: 10.5 inch diameter
Start date: August 17, 2009
Completed date: August 19, 2009
Needle size: US3/3.25mm and US7/4.5mm
Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Wool
How much? 1 skein = 220.0 yards (201.2m)
Colour: 9484 Stratosphere
See it on Ravelry!

I am such a huge fan of Jared Flood! I love his work and the patterns he designs. I find them to be very intricate, yet the design and patterns are simple. When I found out that he was releasing a booklet with Classic Elite Yarn, I knew I had to get my hands on it asap! Before the released date, I was calling all the yarn stores near me to see which stores will be caring it. I was heartbroken when I was told by store after store that they will not be carrying his book. I was also shocked, it's not like I live in a little town so I don't have access to lots of stores...I live in Toronto and non of the stores I called were carrying it. So then I decided to search the internet for it. Again, more hurdles. Shipping to Canada was $15 for some of the sites. Why would I pay $15 for shipping for a tiny book (smaller than a magazine) that cost $18? Thankfully, I found it on Webs for $20 (including the shipping cost to Canada)!

I was so ecstatic when the book arrived. It was like an early Christmas for me! I knew that I had to cast on this hat instantly. I was obsessively knitting this hat for two days because I couldn't wait to see the finished product and I couldn't wait to cast on other projects in the book.

I have knitted lots of his designs, so I had very high standards for Jared. I was a bit disappointed when I was knitting this hat. Was there not an editor or a test knitter? Was I the first to knit this pattern? There were lots of little gaps and minor things that were overlooked in the pattern. I kept notes as I found them, and here they are:

1. Row 1: pattern states m1-l, but there’s no description about how to do this in the abbreviations, so I just did m1 (which is instructed in the abbreviations).
2. The cable on row 8, row 12, etc. There’s no description on how to do this in the glossary, but you can look at the picture and guess what to do (send me a msg if u can’t guess)
3. Marker placement will change at the end of:

• row 15 (not row 16)
• row 17 (not row 18)
• row 32 (not 33) should be worked as instructed for row 18 (not what is written in the pattern)
• row 34 (not row 35) should be worked as instructed for row 16 (not what is written in the pattern)
• row 46 (not row 47)
• row 53 is the last row (even though the pattern states there’s a row 54, it is the instruction for row 53)

Nonetheless, I was very happy in the end. This hat was a beautiful design. Probably one of my favourite Jared Flood designs. I used a 10.5 inch dinner plate to block this hat. I can't wait to wear this in the winter time!

As soon as this was done, I had to cast on the Grove mittens. I'm done knitting the left mitten now, so stay tuned! But here is a little sneak peak...

Vine and Leaf Beret

Name: Vine and Leaf Beret
Pattern: #11 Vine and Leaf Beret by Angela Hahn (from Vogue Knitting Fall 2009)
Craft: Knitting
Made for Susan
Size: Small
Start date: August 11, 2009
Completed date: August 16, 2009
Needle size: US3/3.25mm
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
How much? 2 skeins-274.0 yards (250.5m)
Colour: 340100
See it on Ravelry!

When I saw the cover for Vogue Knitting Fall 2009, I knew I had to make the hat. I was out buying the yarn, and Susan was there. Susan is big fan of beret and she instantly fell in love with yarn. Seeing how much she loved it, I couldn't help but offer to knit her the hat. We bought a winter white colour for her, and a red for me.

The yarn was beautiful to work with. It is butter soft. It didn't split or pile. Just an absolute dream! The design was also very easy to follow and understand. After knitting, I soaked the hat in warm/cool water. Squeezed out the water by rolling the hat in a towel. Then, I used a 10.5 inch dinner plate to block the hot. Be careful not to stretch the brim when you are placing the hat over the plate. I love blocking with a dinner plate because it resulted in the perfect size and shape for the hat! Can't wait til the fall so we can start wearing our hats!

Baby Girasole

Name: Baby Girasole
Pattern: Girasole by Jared Flood
Craft: Knitting
Made for Alba
Size made: Baby blanket (42 inch diameter)
Start date: July 22, 2009
Completed date: August 11, 2009
Needle size: US6/4.0mm and US8/5.0mm
Yarn: Bernat Baby Sport
How much? 1 skeins = 350 grams= 1113.0 yards (1017.7m)
Colour: 21742 Caribbean Sea
Modifications: Used a bigger needle (US8/5.0mm) to cast off
See it on Ravelry!

People were not kidding when they said this is a fun knit. It was such a pleasure knitting up this baby blanket. The pattern was very easy to follow, easy to memorize, and lead to an amazing finished product (if I do say so myself)! I used the magic loop method, so I wouldn't have a couple of needles trying to poke me in the eyes. If you have never tried the magic loop method, I highly recommend it! I used to be afraid of knitting in rounds before this, but never again. Try searching Youtube for magic loop videos, that was how I learned the magic loop method.

The first couple of charts in this pattern were quick to knit, but as you get further out into the blanket, the knitting slowed down quite a bit. With the increase in stitches, at times it felt forever to finish a row or two. The border took forever; I think it was the part of the blanket that took the longest for me. I think there was a small mistake in the pattern. For the lace edging, I think row 6 should be: bind off 3 sts, K2 (instead of K3 like the pattern suggests), K2togE.I used 4.0mm needles knit my blanket. When I got to the border, I switched to a 5.0mm needles to cast off. I'm a tight knitter, and this prevented the cast off being too tight which would cause the blanket to bunch. The blanket is supposed to be light and airy, so the last thing I wanted was a stiff and tight border!

When knitting was complete, the next hurdle was to block the blanket. Luckily, I had made a circular blanket just a while back so I knew exactly how to block this. I laid out a few towels to soak up the water as the blanket was drying. What I didn't like about the blanket when I was done knitting was that the outer part of the blanket was "ruffle-y". I wanted a nice flat circular blanket, no ruffles please! Luckily blocking was able to correct that. What I did was find a area in my room large enough to block this on the floor. Place the blanket in the center of the towels and used a measuring tape to stretch the radius of the blanket so that it would be 21 inches all around. By stretching it out, I was able to get rid of the ruffles so that the blanket was a nice and flat. With blocking, I was able to create a perfect circle from my blanket and when it was completely dry it took on that shape!

I also loved working with Bernat Baby Sport. It's not the most luxurious yarn to knit with (no duh, it's acrylic), but it gets the job done! I also think it is very durable for a baby blanket- it doesn't fuzz whatsoever. The best part was, it was around $7 for a skein of this and one skein was able to make a whole blanket! And how amazing is the colour! Overall, this was an extremely fun knit and I highly recommend it (as I do for all of Jared Flood's patterns- that boy is a knitting genius)! I recently purchased Jared Flood's new book (Made in Brooklyn), so stay tuned...I will be knitting lots of patterns from this new book in the near future!