Victoire cap

So this is the cap I came up with as a variation on the "Victoria Fingerless Mittens" from the Louisa Harding book, "Knitting Little Luxuries." It's a rather loose fitting cloche. I have a 22" head and it's very comfy on me. I will be expermenting on the weekend with version number two, as the friend whose birthday present this was intended to be is a good 4" shorter than me, not to mention smaller boned. I need to come up with something a bit more snug. Anyway, the how to for this version follows...

Materials

Worsted weight yarn. I used 1.5 skeins of Knit Picks Main Line, which is being discontinued. 82 yards per skein. 7 rows = 1 inch.

Knitting needles, #5 circular, and #5 DPNs.

Stitch markers, tapestry needle.

Picot cast on --- *co 5 sts using the cable method on circular needles, bo 2 sts, slip st on right needle back to left needle - 3 sts co; * repeat from * to co 113 stitches.

(N.B. Use stitch markers every 10 stitches as you finish your picots or you will make yourself crazy counting five and three then 113.)

Place marker and join, being careful not to twist stitches.
R1 - k all sts R2 - p all sts R3 - k all sts.

R4- k1* yo ssk; repeat from * to end.

R5 -k all sts R6 - p all sts R7 - k all sts.

Decrease row - k to last 2 sts, k2 tog.

k2 p2 ribbing for 10 rows.

Switch to stockinette stitch. K until 5" long, switch to DPN's, 28 sts on each needle.

Crown shaping

R1 - k9, k2 tog 10 times. 102 stitches. R2 - k

R3 - k8, k2 tog 10 times. 92 stitches. R4 - k

R5 - k7, k2 tog 10 times. 82 stitches. R6 - k

R7 - k6, k2 tog 10 times. 72 stitches. R 8 - k

R9 - k5, k2 tog 10 times. 62 stitches. R 10 - k

R11 - k4, k2 tog 10 times. 52 stitches. R 12 - k

R13 - k3, k2 tog 10 times. 42 stitches. R 14 - k

R15 - k2, k2 tog 10 times, k 1. 31 stitches. R 16 - k

R17 - k 1, k2 tog 10 times, k 1. 21 stitches. R 18 - k

R 19 - k 2 tog 10 times, k 1. 11 stitches.

R 20 - k 2 tog 4 times, k 1, 5 stitches.

Cut yarn off, leaving a 6" tail. Thread through tapestry needle, work through loops and pull tight; knot off. Weave in loose ends.

It went pretty fast, as most caps do. I had fun making it, will have some more fun coming up with the next variation. If you want to decrease, or increase, I would recommend doing so in increments of 4 stitches to ensure the ribbing alternates as it should. Enjoy.

Improvising

One of my friends decided that she liked the Victoria mittens I made from the Louisa Harding book, Knitting Little Luxuries. She asked me to make her a pair ages ago, and since her birthday is next month it's time to oblige. Thought it would be cheesy to just do the mittens, so I was going to make a cap I'd already made, then I thought I'd add the picot edge from the mitts, then add a cable to the mitts, and I though wait, why don't I start from scratch on a hat.

So I've spent the better part of today adapting the mittens pattern into a new hat. I've frogged it a few times because I didn't like the proportions, but I think I've got it going how I want it now. It's been an interesting process. I guess it's a lot easier coming up with a hat pattern than anything else - a sweater would have been overwhelming. I'm making notes as I'm making changes so that I can write up instructions to share once it's done to my satisfaction. I'm thinking that it's an 8-hour project, if that. Already planning on making more in other colors for other friends for Christmas.

Amazingly enough, I've had a miserable headache all day, and I've manged to be productive even with the headache. I wonder what I could accomplish, design-wise, if I didn't feel like I was dragging?

Decisions, decisions

Now that I've quit my day job, I need to get serious and start sewing for folks for money. Today I picked up some curtains from a friend so I can hem them for a smaller window on her back door. No big deal, I don't believe it will take me more than an hour. And she did offer to pay. So I've been checking out what the other ladies are charging out in cyber space, and for women who have the experience I have, they're saying don't accept less than $20 an hour. Between $20 and $30 an hour seems to be the thing for professional looking results, especially when it comes to RenFaire garb and bridal. So I'm pretty sure I need to charge at least $20 to pay myself what I'm worth. Sure I can knock a dress out in eight hours. Which would put my services in line with what someone would pay for a dress at Nordstrom or Macy's. But the dress would be fitted to my client and not need further alterations. And in all likelihood, it would be better made than something off the rack. So I shant feel too guilty. I'm thinking of banging out some waist cinchers and underbust corsets to sell on Etsy - forget eBay. I don't want anyone haggling with me over prices. I'm good with a sewing machine and hand needles. I deserve to earn a fair living, and I know that there are still folks around here who can afford me.

Onward.

Catching up

The Immeritus SPEW knit along project was finished about the 9th. Happy to say that I can now do cables with very little trouble. I did like the hat pattern enough to consider it for gifts later this year.

Am back to the socks. Managed to make the flap and get the heel turned, but I don't think it's terribly pretty at this time. I am seriously considering frogging the silly thing for the sake of making a slightly smaller sock among other things. I also don't much care for the yarn now that it's working up - it's a 75%/25% wool/acrylic blend, but it's really itchy and I'm wondering how comfy this yarn could possibly be on the feet! I'm going to have to look at softer versions of some sort of wool or cotton blend. Cashmere would be divine, but I don't know if I could justify that sort of expense.

The Tilli Tomas beaded yarn project is going along alright. It really should have been done by now, but I'm finding the yarn rather annoying to work with, although it looks exceptionally beautiful in daylight, with the variations in the strands as well as the glimmer of the glass beads lending a different dimension to the texture.

Have some ideas for accessories to sell on Etsy. I don't think I can go back to my day job - I just don't. So I would have to be on the ball and sew at least six hours a day. We'll see - possible samples to come later ;)

Inching along

I have three projects that I am currently working on, none of which I am in any hurry to complete. One, a pair of socks in a German wool blend. Two, a darling little bag in the Tilli Tomas silk/beaded yarn. A little trying as the beads don't co-operate with my usual method of winding yarn around my fingers for tension. Third, cast on yesterday for the Immeritus Knit Along, Hermione's Hat, which I am making in the good ol' Lion Wool-Ease Worsted. Since I'm trying out cables, I figured I go with an inexpensive yarn so if things go south I won't tear my hair out over the expense. I feel more confident about my abilities to do the other two, therefore, I am not freaking out over cost...

I've just been carrying them along with my in my Getty tote bag - great for visiting friends, and just sitting and chatting. Of course, I can't do that with anything complicated like the lace scarf in hibernation... At least I am being somewhat productive. And I have a request for the lacy Louisa Harding gauntlets that I'd made for myself - a friend wants a pair in black as well, but I think I'll do mohair for her - she has little hands and it will look cute...

Retail therapy

I haven't paid a visit to our LYS in Brea for quite awhile. The drive alone was worth it, seeing how beautifully green the hills were after the recent rains, glowing emerald in the late afternoon sunlight. Twenty minutes and over $80.00 later, I have three more skeins of yarn - 2 skeins of Trendsetter Tonalita yarn (made in Italy), in a multiple grey colorway that should stripe. It's like a storm over the ocean, the same yarn featured in the L.A. Times slouch beret pattern. Looking forward to making that one. I also shot my (plastic) budget with one skein of Tilli Thomas Rock Star yarn, 100% silk with these incredible luminescent glass beads in the American Beauty colorway, a deep ruby/rose red. $42.00 for 100 grams. *gulp* It is just so delicious, so damn beautiful, I had to have it. The store had a little bag made up in this yarn with some matching silk dupioni - absolutely incredible. I think I'm going to use the Louisa Harding "Charlotte" purse pattern - it's rather small and plain, so the beading and the yarn will be the feature, not the stitches. I almost fainted when I saw the price tag, but my gosh, some things are to die for, and after all, rubies are my birthstone (that's my story and I'm sticking to it...)

I will take photos of the stash and post on Ravelry...

Next

I've done a lot of knitting since the weeks before the Holidays. I can see the difference in my stitches in projects I started a couple of years ago, and things started and finished recently. My tension is much more even, my stitches are more even. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. So now that I've made a cap and two pairs of gauntlets on dpn's, I believe I'm ready to tackle socks. Fingers crossed they come out o.k. I feel a lot more confident about my ability than I did a year ago. If anything stumps me, all I have to do is look at an online tutorial. My granny never had it so easy!