Keyhole Hat

This sweet hat has a keyhole cut-out with a darling bow that you can wear to the side or at the back. You can also pull your ponytail through. An alpaca i-cord trim gives the hat clean lines and adds a soft, feminine detail.

This is a 2-page, $4.00 CAD pattern.

Your pattern will be emailed to you within 24 hours.

Skill Level: Rookie-Apprentice-Virtuoso-Genius

Skills: knit, purl, applied i-cord (instructions given)

Sizes: adult small (21-22”) and large (23-24”) Note: small will fit most and the tie makes it fairly adjustable

Finished Measurements: approx. 9” wide and 8” tall lying flat

Yarn: 100 g, 130 yds (119 m) super bulky wool; small amount of DK or light worsted weight for the trim (alpaca recommended)

Suggested Brand: 1 skein Campus by Berroco; less than 1 ball Luxury Collection Inca Touch by Diamond

Needles: 5 mm (US 8) dpns; 6 mm (US 10) 16” (40 cm) circ; 6 mm dpns

Other Materials: tapestry needle or teeny crochet hook

 

The Other Side of the Needles

Guest Blogger!! 

My boyfriend was kind enough to write this article for the shop's newsletter. The theme was "Men and Knitting". To sign up, visit the website: Knit and Caboodle

photo: Ambler

Relationships are all about give and take. For example, I pretend to care about my boyfriend’s video games and he pretends to care about my current knitting project. I sympathize when he is bludgeoned by a hoarde of killer zombies and he sympathizes when I have to frog an entire sweater. Here is the perspective of one man who struggles with co-habitating with an obsessed knitter...

"It seems to me that there are two types of knitters in this world: the casual knitters, and those for whom knitting is a lifestyle. A casual knitter, like my mother, picks up her needles for an hour here and there until her project is done, and it could be weeks or months before she starts the next one. On the other hand, more dedicated knitters, like my girlfriend, only put their needles down long enough to make a meal, change a diaper, or pour a cup of tea. By the time they have started working on one project, they have already planned out the next three. Passionate knitters are great multi-taskers, able to knit at the same time as walking, talking, eating or watching T.V.

In my experience, living with a "yarnie" means yielding your share of living space to an ever-expanding, sprawling stockpile of fibre. To cross the house I have to navigate my way through a labyrinth of baskets of balls and bags of half-finished, long abandoned projects. It also means finding balls of yarn in unexpected places like kitchen cupboards, behind rolls of toilet paper and in dresser drawers. Knitting needles pose an omnipresent risk, especially when they are poking out of the couch cushions or when they come flying at my face while a certain knitter is wildly gesticulating during a heated rant (most likely about the injustice of a poorly plotted colour chart or the like).

In our case, her knitting enthusiasm is not just confined to the house. It’s impossible to take her out for a romantic dinner without at least one project in her purse, “just in case”. Being out in public with her means strangers clad in handmade sweaters aren’t safe from her barrage of friendly questions: “Oh! Did you make that yourself? Is that angora?” I have come to terms with the fact that there might be a hobby farm in my future...but only one that has llamas, alpacas and angora rabbits. Also, you know that your girlfriend is fanatical about yarn when she is on a first name basis with the yarn shop employees.

Now, it’s not like she’s not totally selfish with her hobby; I do get to share in her love for knitting, but usually it’s to help wind a skein (hands up!) or to give my educated opinion on which buttons to choose. Mind you, while she is focused on a complicated pattern, it does afford me time to devote to my own interests (zombies). I never hear complaints about playing too many video games while there is a crochet hook in her hand. Obviously the best thing about dating a knitter is the handknit socks and toques I am often lucky enough to receive.

I’m sure there are many other significant others out there who can relate to these experiences, whether your knitter is kind of casual or more devoted to knitting. Anyone interested in a Boyfriends of Knitters Support Group (BOK)?"

Thanks so much for those words from my loving boyfriend! Kinda unrelated, but here are some graphics from the same issue to make you smile: 

As my boss would say, Don't you love his "come hither" look?

Block By Block: Blocking Tutorial

There is nothing like the feeling of casting off that last stitch and weaving in the very last end. Often, that moment of purity lasts about five seconds before you realize that you need to block your project. Usually, this means waiting at least another whole day before you can proudly wear your garment in public. However, blocking can be a very rewarding exercise and often makes a major difference in the quality of your finished object. Here are some reasons to block and how to do it.

Reasons to block:

When natural fibres are wet, they become relaxed, allowing you to “shape” the fabric. This allows you to manipulate the form and size of your pieces (within reason, of course). Blocking also evens out your stitches, making your fabric smooth and more consistent. For lace projects, blocking opens up those stitches so the world can see all the hard work you’ve put in. Choosing a blocking method to match your project takes practice and intuition, but once you start blocking your projects, it’s hard to stop!

A note on fibre:

Cockleshells Scarf by Kelly McClure

Blocking is most effective with natural fibres and non-superwash wool. Since superwash wools are chemically treated to retain their shape, they won’t alter much when wet – or, at least, they shouldn’t. Acrylics behave in much the same manner. Blocking might help “flatten” the piece out, but it won’t help with curling edges or retaining the shape. And unless melted plastic is part of your aesthetic vision, never iron acrylic yarn. Cotton will respond to blocking, but tends to sag and has no memory, so beware. Also be aware of wet blocking silk, cashmere, alpaca, and llama, as those fibres tend to become fragile in water. As a general rule, be very gentle! You can always block something with a little more fervor, but you can’t undo a mistake. Just to be sure, always read your yarn label washing instructions before casting on.

 

Steam block:

Turn on your iron and set it to the correct setting (wool, silk, or cotton). Lay your project out as flat as you can on your ironing board or on a towel on a hard, flat surface. Make sure your iron is clean, or, especially if it is a luxury fibre, place a thin towel over your project. Spritz your piece gently with a spray bottle of water and pat the water into the fibres. Gently run the iron over your fabric. Alternatively, you can dampen a thin towel and gently press the iron over your piece (press, don’t drag). If your iron has a steam setting, try holding it above the fabric (especially for luxury fibres) and steam without touching the yarn. Be aware of snags and edges since your iron can catch and pull on cables and embellishments. If you are steam blocking a lace project, you can either pin and then block, or block and then pin, depending on the fibre and pattern you’ve chosen. 

 

Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark

Wet block:

Soak your piece in a sink full of tepid water and add some wool wash or hair conditioner to soften up your fibres (and make your project smell loverly). Being careful not to make felt, give it a few good squeezes underwater to rid the fibres of air bubbles. Soak for 20-30 minutes. Carefully squeeze out as much water as you can without causing harm to your garment. Do not wring! You can rinse with the same temperature of water if you like, but most wool rinses can be left in. Set out a thick towel on a flat surface. Carefully lay out your project on your towel. Make sure your project is in exactly the shape and size you would like and make sure it is perfectly flat. Slowly “steam roll” your project in the towel ensuring it is flat and even. Squeeze the towel as much as you can to soak up the water. When you unroll it, place your garment on another dry towel or garbage bag, reshape, and leave flat to dry. Depending on the fibre, you can “fluff” it up in the dryer for a few minutes when it’s done (don’t forget about it!). If you are wet blocking a lace project, use (rust-proof) pins to keep it in place or invest in a set of blocking wires.

Extra tips:

·     Be as gentle as possible when combining water and fibre – don’t agitate your wool while it’s wet or else you will end up with felt.

·     You can block in pieces or after you’ve seamed them together – everyone has a favourite method. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee will block while the project is still on her needles!

·      Always block your gauge swatch before you begin knitting.

·      Add buttons, notions and/or appliques post-blocking.

·      Add some vinegar to your soaking bath if you are worried about colour fastness.

·       Use blocking wires to give shape to lace projects.

·       Weave in your ends before you block, but trim them post blocking.

·       Don’t forget that you can always re-block something.

This article originally appeared in the Knit and Caboodle April 2011 newsletter.