Patterns, right?

The below picture has nothing to do with this post. It’s there because it’s my shop stash of Malabrigo, and it just gives me joy to look at it.

Nor is this the long-promised post about my State Fair entries. Why not? Well, I was feeling that guilty feeling I get when I haven’t updated my blog in a while, and I decided that maybe I’d go ahead and type it up. Seriously, the pictures have been on flickr for over a month. The blog certainly has been on my mind. I was thinking about taking more of a micro approach. Part of the reason I dread doing this is that all those links to the pattern, pattern designer, yarn, colorway, project on Ravelry, etc. take time. I think my standard entry has something like 25-30 links. Maybe I would procrastinate less, if there was less to do per entry, and maybe you would like to hear from me more often.

Then I took a look at my stats, and all the hits are on the patterns, which make sense, I suppose. I could try to make the blog more pattern-focused. I have two older patterns that I released on PDF that I could transcribe here, assuming that there’s a group of people who for some reason love patterns on websites and eschew the PDF as a pattern format. I will also make a sincere, if misguided commitment to try to release a new pattern by the end of January. The last one I was hatching is dead in the water, but that doesn’t mean that I’m completely out of ideas. I have a couple of toy patterns I could do,  and I have a few ideas for other things. I’m asking for some feedback here. Why are you subscribed? Do you care what I’m knitting or are you just hoping I’ll release a new pattern? I’d love some thoughts as I consider the future of this blog.

Besides that, would anyone like to guess what I’ve been up to? If you said knitting, you’ve guessed correctly. I’m happy to say that my only pending shop order is holding on yarn, and that everything else is complete, including the Christmas presents I’m knitting for friends and family. Or that would be true if you don’t count the fact that I’ve yet to start my husband’s Christmas socks. Really, I’m casting on as soon as I’m done here. So drop me a comment and let me know what you’d like to see.

Thanks!

Case of the Mondays (Pattern)

I had an idea for a hat, sometime in December, but every time I picked up the needles to try it out it came out wrong. I then realized that this issue was that I was using the completely wrong stitch pattern. Once I worked that out, it was a fairly rapid knit. I finished the entire hat in one Monday evening, and I’m happy with the results. The hat is called Case of the Mondays because I like Office Space, because it was knit on a Monday, and most importantly because the whole time I’d been knitting the wrong hat.

Disclaimer: There was no hypnosis used in the creation of this hat.

Case of the Mondays

• Yarn: 1 skein of Malabrigo Yarn Chunky, 104 yards (95 m). This pattern uses exactly one skein, down to the last inches. To compensate there are two versions. Colorway shown is Buscando Azul.
• Needles: US 10 – 6.0 mm and US 11 – 8.0 mm, 40″ or longer for magic loop, or use your preferred circular knitting method.
• Size: 18″ (46 cm) at the brim, 9″ (23 cm) tall.
• Gauge: 12 stitches and 16 rows = 4″ (10cm) in stockinette.
• Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker to denote beginning of round.

This hat is worked in the round and has a slight slouch caused by knitting the main body on larger needle in addition to stitches added in an increase row after the brim.  It is knit in waffle stitch. Instructions for the larger version are given in parentheses.

1×1 Ribbing:  

*K1, P1* around.

Waffle Stitch:

Rounds 1 & 2: Knit around.
Rounds  3&4: *K2, P2* around.

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With, smaller needle CO 56 stitches. Join to knit in the round, being careful not to twist.

For brim, knit in 1×1 Ribbing for 1.5″

Change to larger needles.

Increase Row: *K4, M1, K3, M1* around to 72 sts.

Knit hat in waffle pattern, repeating 7 (8) times total, 28 (32) rows.

Row 1: Remove marker, k1, replace marker, this is the new beginning of round, *SSK, K2tog* around, 36 sts.
Row 2: Knit around.
Row 2:  *K2tog* around, 18 sts.
Row 3: *K2tog* around, 9 sts.

Break yarn, pull through remaining stitches, and weave in ends. Block as desired.



Happy knitting!

The lovely photographs were taken by Abbie, a.k.a. The Green Wife, and the blue hat model is Soose.

Winner for Custom Cabled iPad Sleeve Giveaway

I’m happy to announce that the winner of the giveaway is Susan! Congratulations, and I look forward to making your sleeve for you. If you didn’t win, you can still contact me to have a custom sleeve made, or purchase this lovely gray one, which is currently in my shop, haramis.etsy.com.

If you are a knitter, I’d also like to note that the pattern is available for free, Cabled iPad Sleeve.  Thanks for your comments!

Giveaway: Custom Cabled iPad Sleeve

It’s that time, finally. As I’ve mentioned, the yarn I’d originally set aside for this giveaway was re-purposed for an emergency Christmas present (not mine; I’m a planner), so this giveaway, which I’d intended to do in December, was unavoidably delayed. This isn’t all bad, as I’m delighted to announce that this giveaway is now helping me celebrate a new step in my love of knitting. I’ve opened haramis.etsy.com, a shop specializing in well-made handknit goods out of lovely fibers, so please take a peek!

As to the sleeve I had intended to offer, I considered what to use for it  instead of the absent yarn, when an idea occurred to me. Why not run with the fact that I don’t have yarn on hand? So, instead of offering a pre-made sleeve, I’m offering a custom sleeve. The winner can select any in-stock skein of Malabrigo Merino Worsted at Eat. Sleep. Knit.. This allows me to do something else different as well. I wrote the initial pattern to have a flap because the Kindle Sleeve does, but I know some people are not flap fans, so I’m also offering a choice of flap or no flap.

Leave me a comment telling me about your favorite hand-knit item and some contact info. I will select the winner by random number generator at noon EST in one week, on 02/11/11.

Cabled iPad Sleeve (Pattern)

As promised, I tinkered with the Kindle sleeve pattern, and now have an iPad version available. I should have anticipated that there would be a demand for the pattern in the first place, as right after I finished my Kindle sleeve, my friend Abbie, also known as The Green Wife, asked if I could make her one for her iPad.

If I’d listened to her at the time, I would have had both patterns ready at the same time! Instead, I spent the last couple of days knitting one up for her, this time out of some lovely The Plucky Knitter Superwash Merino Worsted in Love Letters, and I dropped it off at her house yesterday. She sent me some lovely photos of it today, so I can now share the pattern with her photography.

I plan to knit a second iPad sleeve out of Malabrigo Worsted for a future giveaway, so please check back!

Cabled iPad Sleeve

• Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted, 150-170 yards (140-155 m).
• Needles: US 8 – 5.0 mm, 36″ or longer  for magic loop, or use your preferred circular knitting method.
• Size: 10″ x 8″ (25 cm x 20 cm), 10.75″ x 5.5″ unstretched (27 cm x 14 cm)
• Gauge: 20 stitches and 32 rows = 4″ (10cm) in stockinette.
• Notions: cable needle (if preferred), stitch markers, one 3/4″ (19 mm) button, tapestry needle, sewing needle, thread to sew on button, crochet hook in H – 5.0 mm (optional).

2 x 2 Left Cross:

With a cable needle: Slip two stitches purlwise onto cable needle, hold in front, knit next two stitches, knit the two stitches from the cable needle.

Without a cable needle: Slip two stitches, purlwise to the right-hand needle, knit next two stitches and transfer to RH needle. Slip LH needle into first two stitches from the front, slip RH needle out of stitches 3 and 4, and then back into these two stitches behind stitches 1 and 2, knit stitches 1 and 2. (I learned this technique here.)

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CO 64 stitches using Judy’s Magic Cast-On, which establishes knitting in the round.

Rows 1-3: *K3, P1, (K4, P1) 5 times, K3* twice.

Row 4: *K3, P1, Cross 2 L , P1, K4, P1, Cross 2 L, P1, K4, P1, Cross 2 L, P1, K3* twice.

Row 5-7: *K3, P1, (K4, P1) 5 times, K3* twice. .

Row 8: *K3, P1, K4, P1, Cross 2 L, P1, K4, P1, Cross 2 L, P1, K4, P1, K3* twice.

Repeat Rows 1-8 until piece measures 10.75″ (27 cm) from cast-on edge, ending on an odd row.

Bind off 32 stitches and then continue in pattern across the back, now working flat with WS (odd rows) knit as: P3, K1, (P4, K1) 5 times, P3.

Continue for approximately 2.75″ (7 cm), and then work RS button-hole row as K3, P1, (K4, P1) 2 times, K2, YO, K2tog, P1, (K4, P1) 2 times, K3.

Knit in pattern for another .75″ (2 cm), and then bind off. I chose to single-crochet around the flap to reinforce it, but that is optional. If did it without breaking the yarn by binding off on the RS, single crocheting down the left side, slip stitching back up, slip stitching across the top, single crocheting down the right side, slip stitching back to the top, and then finishing off on the top right side of the flap. You could so this in knitting by picking up and knitting the stitches, and then knitting across them for a couple of rows of garter.

I’ve decided to add a new note on how to block this pattern. Since the body is intended to stretch to fit, it does not need to be blocked, but the flap really does look better if it’s been blocked, so what I do is slip the iPad (or iPad-sized insert) into the completed sleeve then place it flat on my blocking board and pin the flap so that it matches the dimensions of the case now that it’s stretched; the pins should be placed around the edges and will look like half of a rectangle. I then carefully slip the iPad out of the sleeve and use a spray bottle of water to saturate the flap and let it dry.

Kindle Sleeve (Pattern)

Right, so I didn’t update again for the whole of October, even after I said I would, and I haven’t shared any projects that were knitted after August. What have I been up to then? Knitting! I’ve made a huge dent in my Christmas knitting, and I’m beginning to think, maybe too optimistically, that I could even be done before December rolls around. We’ll see.

I also purchased a Kindle, which I love, love, love. I ordered a pretty handmade case for it from etsy from an unfortunately backlogged seller, which left me with the question of how to cover it until my other case arrived. I was seriously looking around, trying to remember if I had a case on hand or a project bag that would work as a substitute, when I remembered that I am a knitter. Right. I made up a snug offset cable case knit out of some leftover Mal Worsted in Geranio.

The pattern is pretty straightforward, but I thought I’d share it if anyone else would like to make one!

Cabled Kindle Sleeve

• Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted, 70-90 yards (60-85 m). I used a little more than a third of a skein, I would recommend having at least a half skein available. The color shown is Geranio 044.
• Needles: US 8 – 5.0 mm, 36″ or longer  for magic loop, or use your preferred circular knitting method.
• Size: 8″ x 5″ (20 cm x 13 cm), 8.5″ x 3.5″ unstretched (21 cm x 9 cm)
• Gauge: 20 stitches and 32 rows = 4″ (10cm) in stockinette.
• Notions: cable needle (if preferred), stitch markers, one 3/4″ (19 mm) button, tapestry needle, sewing needle, thread to sew on button, crochet hook in H – 5.0 mm (optional).

I wanted a snug fit, so I calculated that in would be about for a unstretched fit it the case would need 44-48 sts, and cast on 40. If you wanted a less snug fit, you could add an 8 extra purl stitches, one more in each purl section, or an extra two knit stitch on each of the side panels. These instructions can also be used to adapt the pattern to the Nook which is .2″ wider and .2″ longer than the Kindle 3, and by also adding an additional .5″ of height on the sleeve.

Adaptations for the new Kindles: For the smaller no-keypad Kindle, subtract 1″ (2 cm) from the original total height of 8.5″ (21 cm) to 7.5″ (19 cm) and for the Kindle Touch, subtract .5″ (1 cm) to 8″ (20 cm) for the total length. The Kindle Fire is almost the exact same dimensions as the Kindle 3, and should fit in this pattern as written.

2 x 2 Left Cross:

With a cable needle: Slip two stitches purlwise onto cable needle, hold in front, knit next two stitches, knit the two stitches from the cable needle.

Without a cable needle: Slip two stitches, purlwise to the right-hand needle, knit next two stitches and transfer to RH needle. Slip LH needle into first two stitches from the front, slip RH needle out of stitches 3 and 4, and then back into these two stitches behind stitches 1 and 2, knit stitches 1 and 2. (I learned this technique here.)

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CO 40 stitches using Judy’s Magic Cast-On, which establishes knitting in the round.

Rows 1-3: *K2, P1, K4, P1, K4, P1, K4, P1, K2* twice.
Row 4: *K2, P1, Cross 2 L , P1, K4, P1, Cross 2 L, P1, K2* twice.
Row 5-7: *K2, P1, K4, P1, K4, P1, K4, P1, K2* twice.
Row 8: *K2, P1, K4, P1, Cross 2 L, P1, K4, P1, K2* twice.

Repeat Rows 1-8 until piece measures 8.5″ (21 cm) from cast-on edge, ending on an odd row.

Bind off 20 stitches and then continue in pattern across the back, now working flat with WS (odd rows) knit as: P2, K1, P4, K1, P4, K1, P4, K1, P2.

Continue for approximately 2.25″ (6 cm), and then work RS button-hole row as K2, P1, K4, P1, K2, YO, K2tog, P1, K4, P1, K2.   Mine happened to be on a row 6, which put the middle twist two rows above it, and it looks great, so you may want to aim for that.

Knit in pattern for another .5″ (1.5 cm), and then bind off. I chose to single-crochet around the flap to reinforce it, but that is optional. I did it without breaking the yarn by binding off on the RS, single crocheting down the left side, slip stitching back up, slip stitching across the top, single crocheting down the right side, slip stitching back to the top, and then finishing off on the top right side of the flap. You could so this in knitting by picking up and knitting the stitches, and then knitting across them for a couple of rows of garter.

I’ve decided to add a new note on how to block this pattern. Since the body is intended to stretch to fit, it does not need to be blocked, but the top really does look better if it’s been blocked, so what I do is slip the Kindle into the completed sleeve then place it flat on my blocking board and pin the flap so that it matches the dimensions of the case now that it’s stretched; the pins should be placed around the edges and will look like half of a square. I then carefully slip the Kindle out of the sleeve and use a spray bottle of water to saturate the flap and let it dry.

Happy knitting!

P.S. I basically knit this on the fly for my own entertainment, and hashed out the pattern after the fact, so if you find any errors please let me know!

The iPad version is available here.