One More for Good Measure

Whew. I think that I may finally be done with the gnomes... for now. Here's number seven (possibly the cutest one yet!)


I think that it may be time to move on to other things. Now what was I knitting before all of this started?....

Introducing...

Gnome #5...

...and Gnome #6.

#7 is currently awaiting legs.

I can stop any time I want. Really!

One good gnome leads to another...

It all started with a ball of crazy fun fur yarn at the Dollar Store in mid-December.

I had wanted to try the Yuletide gnome pattern from Irresistible Gifts to Knit by Alan Dart, which I picked up last year in England. (As an aside, it's a fabulous collection of toy patterns. I want to knit the pirate next!) Though I have a large stash of odds and ends of yarn saved for small projects like this, I didn't have any suitable furry stuff for a gnome beard. Come to think of it, it's probably a good thing that I don't have such frightful stuff kicking around. It always kind of gives me the willies. But there, in the midst of the gift bags and tacky Christmas ornaments, was the most hideous pile of acrylic novelty yarns that I have ever seen. Made in China. Smelling vaguely chemical-y. And right on top, this single ball of white hairy stuff. I took it home to try it out. Hey, it was only a dollar.

The lead-up to Christmas in our household this year was nothing short of insane. Nick's business has been really getting off the ground, and he had a lot of catering jobs leading up to the 25th. 6 events in 7 days. This is definitely a good thing, but it really wore us both out. I was busy helping out when I was not at work, and he was even busier. We didn't finish decorating the tree on Christmas Eve until long after we should have been in bed waiting for Santa, and we didn't really get all the decorations up around the house until Boxing Day. Christmas Day was a bit of a blur, with several naps worked in amongst the festivities. But on Boxing Day, at yet another big family gathering, I sat down in a corner, finally well rested and relaxed, and started knitting a gnome. And all was right with the world.


It starts a the top of the head, and you knit down to his bottom (where I added a handful of dried beans to the stuffing to give a little "heft"). Then you add the little nose and arms and legs, and he gets progressively cuter with each addition. The beard is knitted separately and sewn on, but it really takes the addition of the hat to give the little guy his character. I was smitten. Those big blue eyes... wait a minute... you can't see them. No matter. He's as cute as a button.

By New Year's, a few friends had taken up residence on my mantle...


Is it wrong to take this much delight in simple knitted toys?

Today I finished the fifth, and started a sixth. I've already put the decorations away. My bag of stuffing is getting low, and my selection of red and green yarn scraps is getting pretty thin, but I think I may be able to squeeze out another couple before I get over the compulsive need to keep knitting gnomes. (I will get over it eventually, right?) Guess what my relatives are getting for Christmas next year?!

More Festiveness

While I haven't been blogging much lately, I have been frantically trying to finish up several homemade gifts. I haven't even got my Christmas tree up yet, but I did manage to finish this little guy last night.

The pattern, Knit Father Christmas, is a freebie at Knitting Daily. It was a great use of some leftover yarn, the pattern is well written, and it came together relatively quickly.

Back to the workshop - two more gifts to go. Do you think Santa could spare an elf or two to rent out?

A Christmas Treat

I'm crawling out from under a large pile of Christmas knitting to share a little pattern I whipped up recently. I made this hat for my nephew's birthday. He loves hats, and last Christmas he wore a cheap felt Santa hat indoors and out, and even to bed, until sometime in March. In need of a more sturdy replacement (the old one was toast), I made him this one, with a bit of extra padding to keep his ears warm outside, and in a washable wool-acrylic blend to please his mom. I've since had a request for an infant version, and I was happy to oblige. Both sizes are included here.

I hope to have a prettier pdf version available on Ravelry, eventually, and I may size it up for adults too. Although, you'll note that for a four-year-old my nephew has quite a large noggin, so the child size may fit adults with heads on the smaller end of the scale.

Enjoy!

Santa Hat

Finished hat, infant size.

Size: Infant: Finished circumference of unstretched ribbed band is approximately 12”.

Child: child. Finished circumference of unstretched ribbed band is approximately 16”.

Instructions are given for infant size, with necessary changes for child size given in parentheses.

Materials:

Yarn: Infant size: approximately 50 g each of red and white worsted weight yarn

Child size: 100 g each of red and white worsted weight yarn

(Samples shown were knit from Patons Décor)

Set of 5, 4 mm double pointed needles (infant size), or 4 mm 16” circular needle (child size), or needle size required to get gauge

Spare 3.5 mm or 4 mm circular needle, 16” or longer

Stitch marker.

Set of pom-pom maker rings

Gauge: 21 st and 14 rows = 4” (Row gauge is not essential.)

Finished hat, child size.

Directions:

Using a provisional crochet cast-on, CO 68 (92) st with white yarn on 4mm dpns or circular needle. Place a stitch marker to mark start of row, and begin working in the round.

Round 1: K 1 row.

Round 2: K2 P2 around.

Repeat Row 2 ribbing until work is 1.75” (2”) long.

Next round: Increase 7 (8) stitches evenly around. 75 (100) st. total.

Change to red.

Work even in stockinette st for 4” (4.5”). Work from beginning should measure 6” (6.5”).

Begin decreasing as follows:

For infant size:

[K23, K2tog] 3 times. 72 st.

Knit 6 rounds even.

[K7, K2tog] repeat 7 times. 64 st.

Knit 6 rounds even.

[K6, K2tog] repeat 7 times. 56 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K5, K2tog] repeat 7 times. 48 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K4, K2tog] repeat 7 times. 40 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K3, K2tog] repeat 7 times. 32 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K2, K2tog] repeat 7 times. 24 st.

Knit 5 rounds even.

[K1, K2tog] repeat 7 times. 16 st.

Knit 5 rounds even.

[K2tog] 8 times. 8 st.

Cut yarn, thread through remaining stitches, draw together, and fasten off.

For child size:

[K18, K2tog] repeat 4 times. 95 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K8, K2tog, K9] repeat 4 times. 90 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K16, K2tog] repeat 4 times. 85 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K8, K2tog, K7] repeat 4 times. 80 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K6, K2tog] repeat 9 times. 70 st.

Knit 9 rows even.

[K5, K2tog] repeat 9 times. 60 st.

Knit 9 rounds even.

[K4, K2tog] repeat 9 times. 50 st.

Knit 9 rounds even.

[K3, K2tog] repeat 9 times. 40 st.

Knit 9 rounds even.

[K2, K2tog] repeat 9 times. 30 st.

Knit 9 rounds even.

[K1, K2tog] repeat 9 times. 20 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K2tog] 9 times. 10 st.

Knit 2 rounds even.

[K2tog] 5 times. 5 st.

Cut yarn, thread through remaining stitches, draw together, and fasten off.

To complete rolled band:

“Unzip” the provisional cast-on and place live stitches on circular needle or dpns. Turn hat inside out – you will now work with the inside of the hat facing. Join white, and place stitch marker to mark beginning of round.

Purl one round.

Knit one round.

Next round: Knit, increasing 7 (8) stitches evenly around. 75 (100) st.

Continue in stockinette st (K every row) for 14 (20) rounds.

Purl one round to create fold line.

Knit one round.

Next round: knit, decreasing 7 (8) stitches evenly around. 68 (92) st.

Continue in stockinette st (K every row) for 13 (17) rounds.

To join folded band:

Turn hat right-side out. Using spare circular needle, and with outside of hat facing, pick up loops from wrong side of first knit row, immediately below the ribbed band. 68 (92) picked up sts. Fold stockinette band in half, with needle containing live stitches positioned above the needle(s) containing picked-up stitches. Hold both of these needles together in your left hand. Using the end of one circular needle, or a spare dpn, work around as follows: [Insert working needle into one stitch from upper needle and one stitch from lower needle. Knit the two together.] Repeat. Cast off one stitch from right-hand needle. Continue in this manner, knitting the two layers together and casting off loosely at the same time, around.

Block if necessary, weave in ends, and fold up band of hat.

Detail of finished band, shown rolled down. Final cast-off edge is directly below the ribbing.

Catching up

I think I will have enough blog fodder for quite some time to come. There was lots of knitting over the holidays. Sadly, there were some gifts that I forgot to photograph. Perhaps I can get their new owners to send me photos - we'll see. This is the second pair of gloves based on my own cable pattern, gifted to my father-in-law:

Cable gloves in Briggs and Little Tuffy, original pattern

I have written up the pattern for these, and plan to post it soon. I have to do one more pair of these, so I will use that opportunity to test-knit it. I'm a little nervous about putting it out there full of mistakes (it's the first time I've written a pattern that I intend for other people to be able to follow.) Soon. I promise.
These are the Crooked Cable socks that I was working furiously on before I left for home. I finished them a couple of days before Christmas.

Crooked Cable Socks, pattern by Sockbug, in Lang Jawoll. Knit on 2 circulars, size 2.5 mm.

I really like this pattern and will definitely knit it again - maybe for myself. I think that I would add another half or full pattern repeat to the leg to make them longer. I had lots of yardage to spare. As for the yarn, I like the reinforcing spool that comes with it, but I was unimpressed that A) the colour bled a bit, even just soaking them in cold water for blocking, so care will have to be taken to not dye all the laundry pink, and B) they were looking kind of fuzzy and old after only a couple of washes and wearings. This is a fairly expensive sock yarn by my standards. I have to say that I am more impressed with the sturdiness and ease of care with less expensive Regia sock yarns. I won't be buying this one again.

And finally, I don't think I posted these before, but I knit them back in October. This toque and wristies I made for my younger brother. He's a bass player and sound technician, so I thought they would come in handy for those chilly outdoor gigs where he needs full use of his fingers. I think he really likes them.

Touque: Cable Knit Hat, pattern by Headhuggers, altered to add the ribbed brim.
Wristies: pattern by Joelle Hoverson available free on the Canadian Living website
Yarn: elann.com Peruvian Sierra Aran, colour Chestnut.

I think that's it for the gift shots that I have. But I've got lots of other stuff in reserve. It's time that I'm short on! More to come.