Beanies

I don't make a whole lot of beanies these days, I'm more of a scarf/slipper/dishcloth kind of girl.  That is actually all the more reason for me to post my beanie pattern here, since it seems like there's always an opportunity to make a beanie or two, and sometimes it's hard to remember the specifics of how many stitches go where.  In light of that, where better to have it written out than here, where I know right where it is, huh?

So, with that in mind, this is my go-to beanie pattern, in Charlotte-ese (like most of my patterns)

 Basic Beanie 
 Size 0-6 months
 Hook size H
Caron Simply Soft Yarn

Chain 3 or 4, join in circle (or use magic circle)

next round should have six single crochets in it,

next round should have twelve

next round should have eighteen

continue until there are five singles in between each set of two.

Then, go around with no doubles until hat measures between 6 1/2” and 7” high.

Hat should measure between 13” and 15 1/2” around and between 6 1/2” and 7” high.

 * * *

Size 6-12 months

Hook size G

Caron Simply Soft Yarn

Chain 3 or 4, join in circle

next round should have six single crochets in it,

next round should have twelve

next round should have eighteen

continue until there are six singles in between each set of two. 

Then, go around with no doubles.

* * *

 Size 1-3 years
 Hook size H
Caron Simply Soft Yarn

Chain 3 or 4, join in circle

next round should have six single crochets in it,

next round should have twelve

next round should have eighteen

continue until there are six singles in between each set of two.

Then, go around with no doubles until hat measures around 8” high.

Hat should measure between 17 ½” and 18 ½ ” around and around 8” high.

Finished!

So, I recently made these three hats with the flowers to go with them.  The hats are infant size, and I sewed a button on the side of each one, so that the flowers could be changed out at random whim.



This collection is going to the daughter of a friend of a friend of mine (follow that?), but they turned out so cute that I'm tempted to make a few more for baby shower gifts.  We'll see.  (You've seen my WIP list.  Do I really want to add to that right now?)

As far as how to make the hats, I'm not all that excited about taking the time to write out a proper pattern, but here are the quick & dirty instructions:  Basically, I did a magic circle and then 6 sc in the circle.  The next row I did 12 sc, the next 18, the next 24, etc., etc., until I had 42 total stitched in a round (so, 6 sc between each set of two sc).  Then I stopped increasing, and just went round and round until it was of the length that I thought was good.  I finished it off with a very loose trinity stitch to make a brim.

The flowers are just a little ditty that I can't remember where I picked up.  You chain 4, into a circle.  Then chain 2, and do 2 dc, and chain 2 more.  Slip stitch that into your original circle and you've made your first petal.  Do this four more times, so you have five petals.  Then (and this is probably the most tricky part), move your yarn to the back of those petals, and slip stitch into the back part of on of your chains or dcs.  then chain 4.  Slip stitch again into the back part of the next petal.  Chain 4 again.  Do this all again three more times so you have 5 little chain four  sections.  Then, using the chains and your base, slip stitch into one of them, chain two, work dc, 3 trebles, another double, and a chain two all in the chain four space.  Slip stitch back into your original chain 4 space, and then slip stitch into the next one.  Repeat that four more times, and then you should have 5 big petals.  Then fasten off.

If you try these and want more detailed instructions or answers to specific questions, please feel free to e-mail me, or leave a comment here.  I'm happy to help as much as I can.

Wow. No wonder it was getting unwieldy!

I realized the other night that my "Work-In-Progress/Stuff I Want to Make/Stuff I've Started but not Finished/etc.etc.etc." collection was become very unwieldy.

So, I'm going to take the opportunity here and now to get a bunch of it written down and hopefully more organized.  Special thanks for Tami for helping me to have a little more motivation to do so!

With that in mind, here's my list:

Active Projects (work on one or more of these every day or close to that)

• Contract work for Beardbeanie.com.

• Finish up hat and flowers for Corinne, take photos? (Organize stash along with this.)(Make additional flowers for Etsy packaging along with this as well.)
• Hugs and Kisses baby blankets for Leah, Jocelyn, & Esplin niece, as well as 1 extra boy and 1 extra girl blanket to hold "in reserve" for possible future births. (See here for Jocelyn's preferred colors.)

Back Burner, but still on the stove

• Finish up Smoky Mountain Dishcloth Restock

• Go through everything in the clear tote, decide if I'm going to finish it or not.  If yes, put it on this list.  If no, donate it or toss it.
• Several camo hats to go with picture that Harmony took, list in shop.

• Restock Chunky Beige Scarf
• Restock Lacey Scarf

• Restock Slippers
• Restock/add to newsboy cap stock

• Restock fingerless gloves
• Make more peach fingerless gloves, then list with pics of Barbara's

• Make a scarf/cowl like the one Tonia asked about.
• Work on (finish?) garden of pink baby blanket, write up pattern.
• Make a hairband something along the lines of this.

Someday, (I hope!)

• Reclaim yarn from thrift store sweaters
• Make/Design Beret
• New Winter Cap for me, using that big button and 3 already made flowers.
• Design/Make Potholders (for wedding gifts)
• Design/experiment with long stocking caps (Robert)
• Afghan for M.E.C.
• Re-learn to tat.
• Use up scrap yarn--new living room afghan?  Grandma Long Afghan?
• Make those dishtowels that hang from the stove
• Make/Design leg warmers for H and other girls?
• Make/Design/Refine Convertible Mittens pattern
• Dodger hat for Doug
• Go through specialty yarn, imaginate (scarves?)

Well, there's the list.  It's a little daunting, but having it all written out like this feels amazing.  Whew!  A little bit of order!  All that out of my brain and out where I can see it and keep track of it.  Nice.

I'm not planning to participate in this kind of a WIP every week, but I can see myself doing this every month or two.  I guess I'll try it and see how helpful it is.

 

 

Trying New Things--a teaser

Once again, I'm participating in a Trying New Things Thursdays party over at Happy Quilting.  Yes, it's likely that I will be the only non-quilter participating today.  To that I say, Huzzah!  You quilters don't intimidate me!!!

(Well, actually they do a little bit.  Lets just keep that between us though, K?)

Here are some pictures of the baby blankets I've been working on.  Sometimes, having new nieces and nephews born at record rate (four since May, two more expected before April), can have some less-than-obvious benefits.

(Like the benefit of creating and mastering a brand new pattern!)

I have a few more to make, during which I'll be fine-tuning the pattern ('cuz I made it up out of my brain, with a whole lot of help from this tutorial).

When I've got the pattern so I'm reasonably sure it can be understood by people that aren't me, I'll post it here.




  

little pink feet

Like many American mothers/grandmothers, every year on Christmas Eve, my mom gives us (usually homemade) pajamas.

I do not like to sew, and my little girl (age 3) already has enough pajamas (and I knew my mom would come through for her with another pair), but I like this tradition, and decided I wanted to participate as well.

So, I crocheted these up for her:





Unfortunately, after working feverishly in order to get them done in time, I then promptly forgot about them when Christmas Eve came, and she ended up opening them on Christmas morning.  It all worked out though.

She loved them.



* * a few details* *

I used this pattern, adjusting the size to fit little feet.
I used Caron Simply Soft yarn.
I got the button from polymerclaybox.etsy.com

I'm hoping to make more, for other little feet.  Right now I'm in baby blanket mode though.  I've even made up my own pattern for a bobble stitch blanket.  It's not post-ready yet, but hopefully later this month.

(Don't hold your breath though--you never know about those patterns!)