Tag Archive | baby hats

Yoda All the Time

This week has been all about Yoda. If you remember, I got my new batch of Yoda green yarn (aka Knit Picks in PeaPod) in the mail on Saturday. Sunday night I started knitting hats, and Monday afternoon I listed them on Etsy again, available in three different sizes. I sold one pretty quickly, soon got a custom order for a bigger size, and then got two more orders! I spent all day yesterday knitting, finishing and mailing three different orders…and I loved it! It made me feel like my little business is going in the right direction. I think it’s safe to say Yoda’s a pretty popular guy right now, so I’m going to keep making those hats until my yarn is gone again. If they don’t sell on Etsy, I’ve got two big craft shows coming up this fall and I’d love to feature Yoda.

Last night was a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra at Chipotle, so we met my sister and her kids there for dinner. Eat a yummy dinner AND benefit young musicians? No brainer! My nephew ran across the restaurant calling my name when he saw me, and that always makes a girl feel good. So yeah, the food was great, company was great, and then we came home. What do you know, the pillow exploded! Sigh. Apparently Grace needs a new toy or two, along with a fence in the backyard. She’s getting bored. She got another pair of the girl’s shoes the other day, and now the pillow. Super. I love my dog. I love my dog. I love my dog.

Cute Baby Hats

May15

I didn’t knit another thing yesterday after I finished Stupid Hat. I did some chores, read a bit, watched some TV without knitting (which meant I could actually see what was on the screen). I think I needed a break. So I have no progress to share on that front. Instead I’ll share the two wee baby hats I made for my brother’s new baby, which should arrive in about six weeks. … Nope, scratch that. I’ll share one of the hats I made. Apparently I didn’t take any photos of the other. This is the Baby Hat with Topknot but I did a ribbed brim instead of garter stitch. I used some supremely soft Plymouth Yarn Baby Bunny. It’s a delicious blend of cotton, rayon and angora. It made my Knitting SIL’s allergies flare up, so I bought it from her, and it’s a dream to knit with. I made a newborn size for this one. Nope, it won’t last long, but it’ll be cute while it does.

The other hat I made was with this same yarn, a simple striped beanie with this celery green and a soft baby blue. I aimed for a 3-6 month size, hoping it would fit him in the fall. Maybe someday I can share a photo of the baby wearing the hat. And I’m sure I’ll be making more baby things in the future too, but for cooler weather. Maybe a small car seat blanket? It’s my Crochet SIL having this baby, so I probably won’t be doing much crochet for the baby since he’ll get plenty from his mama.

With all the spring showers we’ve been getting, my rose bushes are blooming wildly. They’re lovely. Except Grace thinks they exist only as stick-makers for her chewing pleasure. Tell me again why I have two puppies?? I know, I know. They’re cute and loving and sweet and when I see them playing so happily with each other, or sleeping next to each other, it warms my heart. But still. Sigh. Someone suggested spraying them with my bitter spray, so that’ll be my next step. Anybody else have a good tip? Wish me luck!

What do you make for a Spring craft show?

Mar26

How often can I write about baby hats and you’ll keep reading? For that matter, how often can I knit baby hats and still like it? I guess we’ll find out, because I don’t see an end anytime soon. I’m prepping for a craft show at the end of April and all I want to make is baby hats. Because it’s spring, I don’t think people will be tempted by warm cowls, hats or scarves. But babies are always being born, and a handknit hat makes such a delightful gift, doesn’t it? Like this little cutie:
I love this style! I may have made the long tail a bit too long, but since this is a newborn size I’m not concerned about the baby being able to grab it or get it in his/her mouth. And I am loving the gray/white color combo, so cute for either a boy or a girl! See, here’s another one:This is probably a 6-9 month size. I’m so proud of how it turned out. The stitches are so neat and tight, and I wish I’d taken a picture of the join edge, because I have to say, it’s the best I’ve ever done. You can hardly tell it’s there. I carried the yarns up, twisting them around each other with each row, and it’s practically invisible! How about that?? I love it when I can see improvement in my knitting skills.

This is the kind of stuff I want to make going forward, classic styles in good yarn with quality workmanship. And hats like this are a bit quicker, too, so I can build my inventory faster. I made the striped hat yesterday, all in one day. I did have to take a break in the middle because the tip of my middle finger went numb. It does that every once in a while, and I’m sure it has something to do with the nerves going from my wrist to my fingers. I should probably wear my wrist support when I knit for a long time. I won’t need to today, though, because today I have 50 million errands to run for my daughter. Okay, only three. And one for my mother. At least my son is still low-maintenance!

Cute little baby hats

Mar24

Oh good. It’s raining. Sighh. Gray skies, cold rain, muddy puppies. Can you tell I’m not a big fan of rainy days (and Mondays)? Seriously. I should be living somewhere with sunny days 90% of the time. But in lieu of that, I guess I’ll keep knitting. I finished the green and white long-tail hat. It’s toddler-sized and came out more Christmas-ish than I was expecting but I still liked it so much I started another one this morning, only this one will be a newborn size in gray and white. I’d bought some 12″ circular needles at the Yarn Barn and this is the perfect pattern to break them in.It’s weird! They’re so tiny! Such little bitty needles for a little bitty hat. It was a little awkward at first but I’m getting used to them quickly, and they’re still faster for me than DPNs. So let’s see if I can get it finished before I have to start the driving-around-for-other-people portion of my day.

Happy Blog-iversary!

Mar23

WordPress reminded me that a year ago today, I signed up for my blog and wrote my first post. Since then, I’ve written 179 posts and gained 154 fabulous followers. I’ve also found 115 blogs to follow, with so many delightful like-minded knitters and readers and nerds. I’m happy to be here, and I’m happy you’re all here too!

Now, on to the knitting. Alex and I spent the weekend in Lawrence and of course I had to go the Yarn Barn…twice. The first time, I just bought one lovely skein of Malabrigo worsted in blues and greens. Then we went to the bookstore and I found a book called Baby Beanies by Amanda Keeys. (This time I made sure the hats were knit in the round before I bought it.) With that, nothing would do but to go back to the Yarn Barn the next day and buy what I needed to make a hat. I came out with two skeins of soft acrylic/wool, Square circular needles and Square DPNs.I like the square needles but I’m not sure I notice I big difference. I do like the pointiness and the super-smooth finish. I also found these fun little socks and it was the last pair so of course I had to get them.They please me. It’s like I can have my secret superhero costume. That’s right, I am…Knitting Girl!

It wasn’t all knitting all weekend, of course. There’s also a great pet store, and we went in hoping to find something to prevent Grace from tearing the wood off the side of the house. Like any normal pet-owner, we found that and more. We got a bottle of bitter spray but we also bought a super Ruffhides chew toy. It’s made of really durable rubber and it has a tough Himalayan chew inside, but it’s designed so the dog can see and smell the chew but not chew on it! Hahaha! It drives them wild. My two puppies were going nuts trying to get to the chew…well, that and steal it from each other over and over. And guess what? They’ve been gnawing on it for hours and there’s no sign of any damage or wear. And these are dogs that can do this:I may never buy another brand of dog toy again.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go rest from my busy weekend and make some baby hats. Thanks for being part of my first blog year!

Making friends with a crochet celebrity

Jan30

Guys, the coolest thing happened yesterday! Who here is familiar with the Petals to Picots website? Yeah, like all of you, right? Well, yesterday I opened up Ravelry and found a message from Kara asking permission to use one of my photos on her pattern page. WHAAAT? Well, of course I said yes. I replied and thanked her, told her I was flattered because she rocks, and she replied to me and said “So do you!” Ha! How do you like them apples?? At least briefly, a yarny celebrity knew who I was. If you want to see it, look at her Santa Knit Gift Card holder pattern here. If she ever takes it off, I’ll be crushed.

Okay, so back to actual yarn usage. I began and finished TWO projects yesterday! I needed some instant gratification, so I got out my crochet hook and made a simple little baby brown bear hat. And once it was done I realized I need to make one in black for mouse ears.In the afternoon, I cast on for a headband. I’ve got a little promotion deal I’m working out with another blogger. She’s a runner, and she’s going to test out my headband and if she likes it, maybe share some good things about it on her blog for other runners to see, plus do a giveaway contest! Pretty nifty, huh? So I’ve got those two made up and ready to ship off to her this morning. I’ll share more details when she’s ready to write her review. I need to get a listing for these on Etsy so I’ll be ready to accept orders when they come flooding in (haha). And I need to do it quick, because this afternoon I’m going to the Kansas City Royals Fanfest! I’ll get to see some of the players, but I don’t know that I’ll stand in any autograph lines. Just going will be cool enough, I think. What about you? Anybody else have cool plans for this weekend?

Craft Show Success & 3-Hat Sunday

Nov17

Wow! What a productive weekend I had! I’m tired but boy do I feel good. I had a craft show with my SIL on Saturday at a local church. We had a smaller space than usual, just enough room for one 6′ table, so we had to smoosh it all together. My daughter decided to join us, and it was lovely to have the extra help and the extra company.

SIL and daughter setting up the table

Behind the scenes

They were predicting 2-4 inches of snow so it was slow most of the morning. Like, really slow. Like, the only people there were the vendors and their families. My poor girl, who’s still recovering from a fall full of activities, fell asleep three times. I have a really cute picture of her sleeping but she’d probably kill me if I shared it. My sister visited with her two kids, so they entertained me for a while. And a good friend and former co-worker showed up, which was a delightful surprise. I’m always touched when people take the time to support me with their presence, and it’s even better when they buy something! Susan bought two of my favorite pieces, and I was happy to see them go to someone who appreciates them. Finally, after lunch, when it was clear the weathermen were crazy and no snow was coming, people finally started shopping. By the end of the show, I’d sold around a dozen pieces and made table and then some. I was thrilled to be going home with less than I came with! Although I went home with something new too.

Isn’t this cool? I love how it looks like a carpetbag! I can’t tell what the stitch is; it’s not linen or seed or stockinette. Sure, I could probably make something very similar myself, but hey, this is already done and ready to use. I like that.

So. Good craft fair. I worked on a hat order a little bit while I was there, then yesterday I buckled down and worked hard, and I finished THREE hat orders!! What a relief to cross these off my To-Do list! Yes, another Olaf. (I know, he needs eyeballs. I have to go buy buttons today.) I know I said I never wanted to make another one. Either the price was right, I’m crazy, or I really like the person who ordered it. Or all three. In any case, I made another one, and now I know I *really* don’t want to to do it again.Red crochet cloche made with Cascade Pacific. It’s a pretty simple pattern and I even learned something new making it. It’s not the best picture because I need to get some buttons today. It has a flap on the side so you can button it as snug as you need it, and I’ll take another picture once I get that part completed.Last is a simple garter stitch baby hat with pompom. I was making it for a big-headed baby and had different yarn and needles than the pattern called for, so you can read my Ravelry notes for the modifications.

Is that all? That might be all. Surely that’s enough for one weekend! Oh, one more thing I did: after the show, I updated my Items for Sale album on my Facebook page and marked a few things down in hopes of clearing out a bit more inventory. Fingers crossed!

Now I have no idea what to take with me today for my waiting room knitting! I’ve finished all my simple projects, I think. Do I cast on for something else or be brave and take something more complicated?

Newborn Owl Hats

Sep8

I can’t stop making these character hats! Can I just say how much I love the Repeat Crafter Me blog?? Sarah is the creator of the blog and it’s her basic owl pattern that I keep coming back to over and over. It’s just genius, how simply it’s designed and how she’s included variations for sizes from newborn to adult. I also love that she’s so generous to share the pattern with crafters like me. So here’s a big thank you to Sarah. She does a ton of fun, unusual projects, so be sure to check out her website.

Now, on to the hats! I got an order for two newborn hats, one in pink and one in gray. After a quick trip to Joann for some super soft gray baby yarn, I made two owl hats in one day. And I cannot tell you how much I love them. Why is it that things are so much cuter when they’re little? Check them out:

And using the wine glass as a hat stand? Yeah, that was Repeat Crafter Me too. Genius, I’m telling you. If you’d like to see other things I’m making, or contact me about making something for you, you can find me on Facebook too.

Finally, here’s the guy who was trying to help me take pictures. He’s cute, but not terribly helpful.

Finally, Some Finished Objects

Jun5

I promise, I have been knitting. I haven’t had time to write about it, but it’s still happening. I’ve finished several projects recently that I’m tickled with, so I’m going to whiz through and show them off. Plus, it’s dark and stormy today and I don’t want to go anywhere.

The first is a big project I finished about three weeks ago. A friend commissioned an afghan for her newly-decorated living room. She gave me the colors and free reign on design, since she’d liked all the other blankets I’ve made. I had a pattern called Greenway in Comfort Knitting and Crochet: Afghans that I’d been wanting to make, so this seemed like a perfect fit. I’ve discovered I prefer crochet for blankets over knitting: crochet goes so much faster for me, and since I am not a fan of projects that take a long time, I need blankets to go as quickly as possible. I loved the pattern: it was simple but looks complex. And for a blanket, it did go quickly. But still, by the end I was cursing a bit each time I measured and it was too short. I was aiming for a 48″ square blanket, though of course it never ends up that way for me. It finished at 48″x55″, so not too bad. I used Bernat Super Value for the white and black, and Red Heart with Love for the red and orange. I’m not crazy about Red Heart in general but I needed something affordable and washable, and I really like the squishiness of the Red Heart with Love. My friend seemed delighted with the end result.

After that I got to switch gears completely, and I whipped up a wee baby hat. An old friend of mine is expecting a second baby, and I wanted a yarny gift for the baby shower. Again, I’d been wanting to make the Pointy Elf Hat from More Last Minute Knitted Gifts and this was the perfect excuse. She didn’t know the sex, so I picked out some super-soft washable acrylic, Bernat Satin Solids, in a gender-neutral camel. I held the yarn double to mimic a bulky weight. I discovered newborn hats fly off the needles; I can’t wait to make another.

Then it was time for some selfish knitting. I went to the nearest LYS and bought a skein of Berroco Ultra Alpaca just for this bear. The pieces knit up quickly and soon I had all the bits of a bear ready to assemble. That brought me to my least favorite part of toymaking: assembling. I don’t mind the stuffing, but the embroidery and sewing together is so awkward for me. I did watch all his videos as I did it, and they helped, but the bear still came out a bit…wonky. His mouth is off-center and the eyes don’t exactly match. The ears are too big and make him look like a mouse (or an elephant. Whatever.) As I was finishing him up, he told me his name was Perry. Don’t know why, though my son said it was because his head was pear-shaped. He is cute, and I like him. But I want to practice a bit more before I start making them for gifts!

I was craving simplicity after the bear, so I turned to hats. I made a simple slouchy beanie from my most favorite yarn ever: Cascade Yarns Baby Alpaca Chunky. You can find the pattern here, but I did make some modifications.

I love making hats. Love love love them. One wasn’t enough. I know it’s spring, I know it’s hot. I don’t care. My sister had said a while back that she needed a hat, and I know she likes forest green. I had one skein of dark green Cascade 128 Superwash in my stash. Then it was pattern-hunting time, so I got to browse Ravelry for a while until I found this Swirling Beanie. Love it! Want to make it again!

So those are the results of my last month’s worth of yarn time. I’ve also been working on my two bigger WIPs, a shawl and a cardigan. Okay, not really the cardigan, but I’ve thought about it. And now I’m getting ready for a two-week vacation that includes 4 days on a train, so I’m planning out the projects I need to take with me. I’ve got seven in mind; I hope that’s enough!