Godwin Cloche

Over the last few months I’ve been working a lot on my knitting and my pattern designing. I’ve been making my own patterns for years but have not written them down. I have a history of taking someone elses pattern and using the idea behind it and then completely changing it to fit me and what I want. So now it’s time to change that. When I have an idea in my head of what I want to knit, I search around and see if it exists. Lately, I’ve found that my ideas aren’t out there, but that’s ok. I’m creative. One thing I have discovered is that I’m a much better knitter and designer than I am a photographer. This seems to be important when I’m preparing to put patterns out there for sale. Up until now all of my patterns (all 2 of them) have been available for free, but I’d like that to change. I have a couple of patterns in the works that I will need some wonderful photography of the objects in order to help sell the pattern. Thankfully, I have a friend Jackie Godwin, who has a side photography business. Because having a full-time job and working her way through nursing school isn’t enough to keep her busy, haha. Here is her Facebook page. So, I’ve propositioned her to help me out. I know her time and talent are worth a lot, but I’ve been out of work for almost 3 months now and funds are incredibly tight. I asked her if I could knit for her as payment and I’m so glad that she was happy to trade skills. Now, what to knit for her. I thought I’d like to make her a hat. I’m completely obsessed with making felted hats lately. A felted hat is knit with 100%wool much, much larger than it’s intended size. Then you wash it vigorously with extremely hot water until it shrinks down and all the fibers of the wool blend together to form a strong dense fabric that is very warm and sturdy. I love hand felting in my sink with the washboard. It is a little more work than machine felting, but I love the control that I have over the shrinking and shaping process. Yes, imagine that, me wanting to have control over everything. But what kind of hat would she like, there are so many different styles I could try to do. So I started searching around google for different style hat pictures and sent a bunch to her. She really liked the cloche style hats. Cloche hats, named after the French word for “bell”, were very popular in the 1920‘s and in to the early 30‘s, it literally is a fitted bell-shaped hat. I’ve made a few over the years and have never been truly happy with the way they have turned out. They are either too small, too big, the brim is too floppy, or there’s no brim at all. So, this sounds like a great opportunity to create my own pattern...... And so it began. I found the right yarn, one of my favorite yarns for felting “Patons, classic wool, worsted”, grabbed my knitting needles, my little blue pad of paper and a pencils then got to work. I’m not going to post the pattern here, as I have it published on Ravelry.com feel free to check it out. I welcome all comments and input anybody has.

So here it is. First, before felting. It’s huge, it fits completely over my head and the styrofoam head. Remember, I said you have to make it much bigger than intended so that it can shrink down.

And here is the finished “Godwin Cloche” named after the lovely lady it was designed for. See, I told you it would shrink! So far, she says she loves it. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to design and knit for a friend and publish yet another pattern. This is becoming quite the adventure.

Victory in Knitting

Over the last few months I've been in a group on Ravelry Knit for Victory and we've all been working hard on finishing our 1940's inspired knits. This was not my first sweater by any means, but it was my first sweater of this sort. Every sweater that I've made so far has been of a completely different construction type. Up to this point all the sweaters, cardigans, boleros, and tops I've done have been working form the top down, in one piece with raglan sleeves. This was the first time I had to work a top in pieces. First the back, then the front, then each sleeve. I've never seemed my knitting before, well not with any success anyways. I vaguely remember in the beginning of my knitting life doing a baby sweater with seaming that looked so horrible that I didn't even frog it, it just went strait into the trash. I was scared at first, well, and the whole way through, but it came out really well. Doing the set in sleeves was the scariest but after watching a half dozen tutorials on youtube I dove in head first. I firmly believe that if it weren't for youtube, I'd still be making garter stitch scarves. I'm a self taught knitter, or rather a youtube taught knitter, haha. Anyways, this was also the first "Vintage inspired" pattern that I've followed and true to vintage pattern form it was very vague. I'm used to having stitch counts when I have increases to make. I'm used to having row counts until there is a change in the pattern. I'm used to patterns that do the math for you when increasing or decreasing (Knit 8, inc 1, rep) not "increase 7 stitches evenly over next row" then I've got to figure out where to do them in the row. After completing the pattern, I'm not complaining. But I sure was complaining while doing it. In the end, it all worked out great. I was able to trust my knitting skills and now I know that I can to a sweater that is constructed in pieces. It's a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. The pattern is The Quick Knit 1940's style sweater , I altered the pattern on the front, I like a little deeper neck line, I also did some plain ribbing around the bottom of the body. I absolutely love the easy cable rib pattern and would have no problem making this sweater again. I think, if I do make another one, I'll make it just a bit longer and maybe put some plain ribbing on the end of the sleeves so that it matches the body.

I'm working on 2 new patterns right now. One is a Capelet with a staggering cable pattern, the other is a Herringbone stitch key-hole scarflet. I look forward to sharing them with you soon.

#knitforvictory

Bandana Bow Tie

I've been involved with a knit-along, Knit for Victory on Ravelry.com and it has really inspired and motivated me. Not only have I been working on a 1940's inspired sweater (photo's and details at a later date), but I also created a new pattern for a head wrap inspired by the bandanas and turbans worn by the women of WWII as they were entering the factories and had to cover their hair so that it didn't get caught in the heavy machinery. This is my first time sharing a personal pattern. I hope you enjoy it.

Bandana Bow Tie

This cute little headband has a retro feel that knits up very quickly. Wear it with a high ponytail or use it to cover your pin-curls. You can alter the bow to be as big or little as you like and make one in any and every color to match your cutest poodle skirt or tightest peddle pushers.

Yarn - I used Dream in Color’s Bermuda Teal for the one in the pictures, but any worsted weight yarn will do.

Needle - Size 7

Abbreviations
RLI - Right Lifted Increase, Knit into the back of the stitch (in the “purl bump") in the row directly below the stitch on the left needle
LLI - Left Lifted Increase, Insert left needle into back of the stitch below stitch just knitted. Knit this stitch.
SSK - Slip, Slip, Knit
K2tog - Knit 2 stitches together
Psso - Pass slipped stitch over.

Co 7 stitches (From here and throughout pattern you will slip the first stitch of every row. On the odd rows, slip knitwise, on the even rows, slip purlwise.)

1) Sl 1st, P2, K1, P2, K1
2) Sl 1st, K2, P1, K2, P1
3) Sl 1st, P2, RLI, K1, LLI, P2, K1
4) and all even rows, work in pattern (knit the knit stitches, purl the purl stitches. Remember to slip the first stitch.
5) Sl1, P2 RLI, K3, LLI, P2, K1
7) Sl1, P2, RLI, K5, LLI, P2, K1
9) Sl1, P2, RLI, K7, LLI, P2, K1
11) Sl1, P2, RLI, K9, LLI, P2, K1
13) Sl1, P2, RLI, K11, LLI, P2, K1
15) Sl1, P2, RLI, K13, LLI, P2, K1

Continue in pattern without increasing (K the knits, P the Purls) until piece measures approx 17 in from CO edge. Or about 2 inches shorter than you want the final length to be, keep in mind you want it to stretch to fit your head. Starting on RS,

1)Sl1, P2, SSK, K11, K2tog, P2, K1
3)Sl1, P2, SSK, K9, K2tog, P2, K1
5) Sl1, P2, SSK, K7, K2tog, P2, K1
7) Sl1, P2, SSK, K5, K2tog, P2, K1
9) Sl1, P2, SSK, K3, K2tog, P2, K1
11) Sl1, P2, SSK, K1, K2tog, P2, K1
13) Sl1, P2, Sl1, K2tog, Psso, P2, K1

Bind off leaving a long tail. Sew ends of headband together still leaving end long. You will use this to attach the bow.

BOW

Co 8 st
1)Sl1, knit to end
2) Sl1, Purl to end.
Repeat these 2 rows till piece measures 8-9 inches, depending on the size of bow you want.

Bind off leaving a long tail to weave the ends together creating a loop. You should have both loose ends on one side. Tie them in a knot. Wrap ends in opposite directions around piece, a few times each to create the bow. Tie ends in a knot. Place bow on top of headband. Wrap the left over long ends around bow to secure in place. Tie another knot and weave in all ends.

Normally, I’m not one for blocking such small items, but this headband doesn’t like to lay flat so I recommend blocking this one.

She's back!!

To say that it's been awhile since my last post would be more than an understatement. In the last 3 years I've continued to work as a CNA (Certified Nurse Aid) in a long-term care facility, until recently when I herniated 2 discs in my back and had to have surgery. After being out of work for 2 months now and having spent the majority of that time knitting and crafting, I'm now reactivating my blog. I have also, in the last 3 years, finally beaten the "Boyfriend Sock Curse" he's been wearing hand knit socks for over a year now, and I don't think he's going anywhere any time soon. Together, we have become the proud parents of a lovely chihuahua named Cupcake. She is named after another hobby of mine. I love baking cupcakes, not cakes, not pies, not breads, just cupcakes. To me they are the perfect dessert, It's like having a whole cake all to yourself. I never was good at sharing......anyways. Here's to my new crafting and baking adventures.

The Boyfriend Sock Curse?

So most knitters have heard of the boyfriend sweater curse, right? You know, knit your favorite guy a sweater and the relationship is doomed. Well, thankfully, I've discovered that my particular knitting curse is sock related. I'm way more likely to knit socks than a sweater. In fact, I've knit maybe a total of 15 pairs of socks and only 1 short-sleeved sweater, in my knitting life.

It has resently dawned on me that the last 3 guys I've made socks for are no longer in my life. Well, atleast, not in a positive way anyways. (The only man who I've knit socks for that I don't have negative feelings towards is my step-dad.) The first in this list of sock relationship sabotage actually got 2-3 pairs before it went to crap. The second, got 1 pair and wore them only once or twice before I kicked him to the curb. And now the third...... I had just finished turning the heel on the first sock. That's quite the agressive progression.

I figured that this last pair (or half sock, really) would end up in the bottom of the UFO pile. At least it wouldn't be lonely;) Although friends tell me to knit them anyways for someone else, I hesitate. They are themed for this particular person and although I love black and white stripes I don't have huge feet. I've decided that they will not end up in the UFO basket, but they will be my travel socks as it's a very mindless knit (HA, mindless, yep the pattern fit the [almost] recipient).

So, now that I know all this, I've decided to look at this not as a curse, but as a tool. I'm thinking that everytime I meet a guy that peaks my intrest I'll cast on a pair of socks and see what happens. If the relationship isn't gonna work out, given my track record, I may only get to the heel increases maybe just the toe. That seems like a fast way to figure out if the guys a good one. On the other hand, if I actually get the pair completely done I'll know that the boy in question might actually be worth my time. Maybe even a sweater......

On another knitting note, I can't seem to stop making hats. Think it's something to do with the weather getting colder. But I have 3 new hats of my own designs.

Hours knitting:8
Total hours: 128

Summer fun

Well, It seems that the summer is comming to an end. The Kiddo is back in school, the sun is actually setting at night, and I'm starting to knit for more than 10 minutes at a time. I've had all the best knitting intentions this summer.... I've taken my knitting needles and yarn camping, fishing, to the gravel pit, to softball games, to hotsprings and bon fires all with the best knitting intentions. Then, well, it's summer damn it and not more than 2-3 rows get knit at a time. I'm personally surprised that I've finished ANYTHING at all.


I did finish these "Catnip" socks (a free pattern on Ravelry). Also finished 2 stuffed animals for my daughter from the "Odd Bod" book, but she snapped them up so fast they didn't get there moment in front of the camera.

I can feel it in my creative bones, that the knitting winds are starting to change directions as the days are getting shorter. There will be more knitting.

Hours Knitting: 11
Total So Far: 120

Dyeing to knit...

I blame it on summer and all the kool-aid commercials. I love the bright colors!! Yes, I know mom, I don't actually wear bright colors (my closet consists mainly of all things black and red) but that doesn't mean that bright summer colors don't make my heart feel full of hope and joy. So, remembering that a million years ago I bought a bunch of dye-able yarn from knitpicks I dove into the darkest depths of my yarn stash to find it then headed to my local wall-mart to find as many different flavors (colors) of Kool-aid and Jello. When I got home, the party began..... And now I have some wonderfully summery colors of yarn that my daughter is begging me to turn into something for her. And my heart soars.......

Now I just wonder when I'll be able to knit it up. I have no doubt that I will cast on a hat or perhaps some wrist warmers (probably both) but I do wonder if it will ever be cast off. I've been dealing with a terrible case of cast-on-itis lately. Symptoms include having 3 different socks on the needles, 2 different animals from the Odd-Bod Bunch book by Donna Wilson also on needles, and 1 hat. And I want to cast on so much more. Ugh, need to focus. I've knit for hours and hours and hours over the last few weeks without a single finished object to show off. Unless you include 1 finished sock. I don't consider socks done until they are both done soooo. I did do my best to fight Second Sock Syndrome by immediately casting on the second one as soon as the first one was off the needles but that was over a week ago and I still haven't made it to the gusset increases. Oh well, at least I'm still knitting, and knitting, and knitting........

Hours knitting: 29
Total so far: 109