Hats, Hats, Hats!

I am continuing my hat making kick.

 I should have chosen subtle yarn so the design would show up better.

 Mohair and yarn knitted together.

My granddaughters and I have matching hats.

Thanks for viewing!  Dawnie

H A T S

Not long ago I purchased a hat kit from Jimmy Beans Wool.  It was

https://www.jimmybeanswool.com/knitting/yarn/JimmyBeansWool/BoobieBeanieHatKit.asp?showLarge=true&specPCVID=88023

This got me in the mood to make more.  I gave 4 away, so far.   Then I switched to knitting and made the rest of the hats in a version of the watch cap.  This pattern has been around for 100 or so years.  When switching from the ribbing to the stockinette or stocking stitch, I go up one or two needle sizes.  Ribbing stitching is always larger than the body of the hat.

https://seamenschurch.org/sites/default/files/sci-watch-cap-itr.pdf

I like to watch the podcast Chelsea Pearls.  They discussed making hats using a carrier yarn of lace weight mohair and silk blend.  I don't know who started the fad, but it carried on and many different wool dyers have laceweight mohair.  This is a link to a recent podcast.  Ahe has a beautiful yarn store, but it is a little far for me to drive to.  (Redbank, New Jersey)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_2fEot3b9E

I made a hat very similar to the watch cap and used a multi-colored wool and a lace weight mohair as a carrier yarn.  On the top part, every 5th row, I only used the mohair.  This gave the hat a little-striped effect, however, it is not easily noticed.  On the next hat, I used the same mohair, but the wool was worsted weight from Plymouth and it was in the color name lipstick.  I picked this out for my grand-daughter who loves to wear lipstick and her favorite color is pink.  When these two yarns were knitted together, it made the yarn a little more of a cherry red.  I crocheted the edge in the mohair yarn and put I an embellishment on the top of the hat.

The hat I am making at this time is the Cookiegate colorway from Chelsea Yarns.  Luxe Superwash DK Merino and Luxe Mohair with 72 % mohair and 28 % silk.   Mohair without the silk added is too scratchie for me to wear close to my skin.  The hat is very, very soft.  The Merino is brighter than the Mohair blend.  The Mohair blend reminds me of antique lavender and mauve colors.  Anyway, when you use gray in a blend, it makes the color duller.  I think I could use a gray pompom for the top, or maybe a natural fox.  There is a small amount of a cherry red popping out here and there.  I may be able to even use a cherry red pompom.

What are you working on?  After the last blast of cold, I decided my close friends and family needed to have a warm hat.  Years ago I made hats for all of my friends and family every year for Christmas.  It has been at least 10 years since I made hats.  I guess it is time for me to start again.  I hope they wear them proudly.

Do you notice the stripes on the top of the hat on the right?  The kit is the one in the very center with the mauve colored pompom.

Grandbaby's hat

                     

Thank you for viewing!  I hope you all have a warm and blessed holiday season!  Dawnie

Many Colors and Energized Twist

Am I the only one that likes to change colors and fibers after just a short time while spinning wool?  I like some variety every now and again.  I just crocheted a trivet with yarn made with many colors and kinds of wool.  This does include kid mohair, which is a goat fiber and not a sheep fiber. It is only one ply (strands put together) and it is what they call (in the spinning world) an energized single. The twists are the energy and can be a little harder to work with. When yarn is spun and taken off of the bobbin, it has extra twist and over twists on itself. It has what I think of as a bird's next effect. When wet or steamed in a stretched (not over-stretched) state such as on a niddy-noddy (tool to place spun yarn on when taking it off the wheel) or while hanging dry, the over twisting disappears and the twist is set.  

Thanks for viewing!  Dawnie

PS  The font will not stay in one size.  It is kind of like I did it on purpose to show how a varied font would get more attention and interest .  LOL

Every Which Way but Loose.

Anyone that has been spinning for some time has accumulated a stash of wool.   On the project I made, it doesn't matter if the wool is processed by a mill or at home.   I made a very interesting yarn and used up some of my wool and made a table runner and mat.  Directions for how I did it are as fallows.

Begin by pulling out 10 or more different fibers to spin.  (more are better)  Just grab a handful of each.  Vary the type of fibers and the colors.  If you have mohair, silk, Angelina (sparkle), curly locks, soft wool, rug wool, or ugly wool, it is fine to use for this yarn.  I start spinning with one of the yarns and I spin from lace-weight to bulky varying the spinning style.  This is a project were you can try different spinning techniques.  Some of the fibers I pull the locks apart with my hands, some I have to card or flick card.  I like to obtain  as many curls as possible in the yarn.  This is a two ply yarn.  Both plies can be done this same way.  The way I prefer is to make one ply varied as described here and the second ply with one solid, bright-colored fiber spun neat and thin.  This ply yarn will tie all of the various types and colors of yarns together.  It can also brighten the yarn or make it duller depending on what you use.  Examples would be:  If you use an orange or yellow, it will brighten it.  If you use a duller wool color such as gray.  It is possible to use a thin crochet thread or other thread for plying.   Little bits of interesting wool placed here and there also add interest to this yarn.  

The above picture shows a skein of yarn made this way, along with other fiber.  In order to make the table runner, I cast on 39 stitches with number 10 knitting needles.  I knit the first 6 rows, after that, I knit the first 4 stitches and the last 4 stitches in every row.  Aside from the beginning and ending 4 stitches, I knit one row and then purled one row---stockinette stitch.   The last 6 rows I knit binding off on the sixth one.  I will probably go through and brush up some of the fibers and allow them to fluff up a bit more.  They do make a mohair brush for this, but I think most any brush would be fine as long as they don't get caught in the fiber.   

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Thank you for viewing!!!  Dawnie

3 Color Shawl

Sometimes it is so much easier to make knitted or crocheted items using one color of yarn or one which has multiple colors in the design of the yarn.  I hesitated to place an edging on the shawl I am making, but it added so much to the beauty with three colors.  First, I knitted a plain shawl with a mohair/cashmere/wool blend royal blue yarn.  Once that was completed, I crocheted around twice on two sides with a double crochet stitch.  On the first row I made three double crochet stitches in each stitch, so there would be a ruffle.  On the second row I only crocheted one stitch in each of the previous row's double crochet stitches.  I used a medium blue mohair and silk yarn for the third row and I double crocheted along the two sides.  Along the final row, I used a pale blue mohair and silk yarn and I single crocheted each stitch and followed it with three chain stitches, thus giving the edge tiny loops.   I am almost done with the shawl, but I wanted you to see the difference between the use of two edge colors and with the addition of the third edge color.  When the shawl is tied on, it gives the look of a flower.  What have you been working on?

Blessings to you and yours!  Dawnie

A New Kind of Scarf

Kristen is modeling the scarf for me.

When I was at a craft fair, a couple ladies told me about making a new type of scarf. You do not knit or crochet this scarf it, you just knot it. One of the ladies who informed of this new technique stated that she used yarn from the thrift store and combined several colors and types.  She did not use ribbon.  The scarf yarn should start out about 3 or so yards long and end up about 2 yards long.  These are approx.lengths, you may want longer, or shorter to suite you and your style.  I like to use hand spun yarn since I can make any kind and give it a lot of interest.  I used a 100% hand-spun, hand-dyed kid mohair yarn which was mostly purple in color.  I unwound the yarn and re-wound it around two chairs, making it the right length for me.  Then I strung around this yarn several ribbons in the same color family giving it different textures.  Once this was done, I cut the scarf in one place and knotted it a few inches from the center on one side and repeated a knot on the other side.  One knot in the back of the neck would not be real comfortable when wearing this scarf.  About a foot down on each side from the knots, place another knot and repeat once or twice.  I think I had 6 knots all together with my scarf.   You really can not go wrong with this.  Make sure to trim the ends up so the yarns are fairly even.  Sew on buttons or trinkets randomly or use school colors and make each scarf uniquely yours.  Enjoy making and wearing your scarf!!!