twisted headcase

With 5mm straight needles and aran weight yarn, cast on 4 sts

Knit 4 rows. Make buttonhole on row 5: K2 YO K2tog. K1 row.

Work 18 rows garter stitch, increasing 1st at each end of the next and every following alternate row. (22sts)

Work 4 more rows garter stitch.

Begin cable panel:

Row:
1.  K5 P2 K8 P2 K5
2. K7 P8 K7
3. K5 P2 C8F P2 K5
4. K7 P8 K7
5-8 Repeat rows 1 and 2 twice.

Repeat the cable panel 9 times (or until the band is approx 4.5" short to wrap around head when slightly stretched), finishing on a 4th row.

Work 4 rows garter stitch.

Work 18 more rows of garter stitch, decreasing 1st at each end of next and every following alt row. (4sts)

cast off

Sew button to cast off edge.

Have warm ears!

Girlie Frills

My God-daughter - "E" - has asked for a baking party for her birthday next month. There will be 6 girls and a very small boy in total.

I thought it would be nice to make them each a little pinny and a head band as take home gifts. I found a lovely duvet cover in Wilco's for a tenner, and set to work chopping it up.

The main part of the pinny is made from a rectangle of the reverse side of the cover, and the pocket and waistband from cut out motifs from the front.

 

 

 

First cut a rectangle about 24" x 16" for the pinny. Turn a double hem of about half an inch along the sides and bottom.

 

Then cut a rectangle about 9" x 7" and hem the top for the pocket. Press under half an inch along the sides and bottom.

 

Cut another rectangle for the waistband 16" x 14"

 

Sew the pocket in the middle of the main rectangle, 4" down from the top

 

 

 

Sew a running stitch along the top of the pinny, and gather to fit along the waistband, allowing half inch hem each end of the waistband. Spread the gathers evenly and pin to the right side of the waistband along one long edge, turning under half an inch each end of the band.

 

 

 

 

 Sew just below the gathering stitch

 

Press under a half inch hem along the other long edge of the band and then fold the band in half over to the right side of the pinny. Press and pin.

 

 

 

Cut 2 18" lengths of 1" wide ribbon and hem one end of each. Sandwich the raw end of one ribbon into each end of the folded waistband and stitch in place.

 

 

The scarves are even easier:

Cut a triangle approx 20" along the top and 14" each side

 

 

Then turn over a double hem on the wrong side along the 2 shorter sides. Snip off the extra "bit" you get in each corner.

 



 

 

Turn under a double hem on the right side of the top edge. Pin or tack ribbon along this hem, leaving approx 12" at each end to use as ties.

 

 

I put a pinny and a scarf in each tin and added a chocolate coin, as well as a couple of labels - 1 so they can label their tin, and 2 so they can wear a name bade to stop me being confused! (hope they don't swap about!)

 

 

And for the little boy I made a chef outfit (although there is a spare in case he would rather wear pink)

 

 

Quite cute take home gifts I think!

 

A bit of a Twit

I have been looking for a coffee cosy pattern that has a bottom and a handle, that I can make from DK acrylic stash, without success. I tried my hand at designing one, and this is what I came up with (after much ripping back and tangles!)

I used a 4mm circular needle and DK weight yarn. You will also need a cable needle and a coffee cup! This is worked mainly in the round, bottom up.

Abbreviations:

• Kfbk = Knit front and back of the same stitch
• C4B = slip next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold at the back of the work. K the next 2 sts from needle, then K the 2 sts from cable needle
• C2B = slip next st onto cable needle and hold at back of the work. K the next st from needle, then K the st from cable needle
• C4F = slip next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold at the front of the work. K the next 2 sts from needle, then K the 2 sts from cable needle
• C2F = slip next st onto cable needle and hold at the front of the work. K the next st from needle, then K the st from cable needle

Cast on 4 stitches

1. Kfbk 4 times (8sts)
2. Knit across
3. (Kfbk K1) 4 times (12)
4. Knit across
5. Join to knit in round. (Kfbk K2) 4 times (16)
6. Purl around (making garter stitch in the round)
7. (Kfbk K3) 4 times (20)
8. Purl
9. (Kfbk K4) 4 times (24)
10. Purl
11. (Kfbk K5) 4 times (28)
12. purl

work 6 round in garter stitch, increasing 2 sts evenly in last round. (30)

Main body of cosy:

1. (P7 K8) twice
2. As row 1
3. (P7 C4B C4F) twice

Rows 4 - 8 as row 1
Row 9 as row 3
Rows 10 - 13 as row 3
Row 11 P7 C2B K4 C2F
Purl 2 rows
Beginning with a K row, work 6 rows in garter stitch

Divide for handle:

K3 K2tog K13 and turn work
K14 and turn. Leave remaining 15 sts on a stitch holder and continue on these 14 sts for 1st handle.

K2 tog K to last 2 sts K2tog
Knit around
Repeat last 2 rows until there are 8 sts on needle. Continue working in garter stitch until the handle is half the required length. (I did 15 rows) Cut yarn and slip these 8 sts on holder.

Slip the 15 sts on holder back onto needle. Rejoin yarn. K2 tog. K to end
Knit around.

K2 tog K to last 2 sts K2tog
Knit around
Repeat last 2 rows until there are 8 sts on needle. Continue working in garter stitch until the handle matches the first half. Graft or kitchiner stitch the two sides of the handle together.

Sew the gap in the base where from the initial increases and weave in ends.

Embroider eyes onto the cabled owls, or sew on buttons / beads

Fill a cup with coffee or buy a starbucks!

Grab and Go Diary Cover

This is a design for an A5 diary cover. There is a pocket for a mobile phone, a slot for a pen, and all those essential bits of paper can be tucked behind it on the inside cover.

I used size 4mm straight needles and DK weight acrylic yarn. You will also need a stitch holder and a cable needle. Tension is not vital.

Abbreviations:

• Kfbk = Knit front and back of the same stitch
• C4B = slip next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold at the back of the work. K the next 2 sts from needle, then K the 2 sts from cable needle
• C2B = slip next st onto cable needle and hold at back of the work. K the next st from needle, then K the st from cable needle
• C4F = slip next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold at the front of the work. K the next 2 sts from needle, then K the 2 sts from cable needle
• C2F = slip next st onto cable needle and hold at the front of the work. K the next st from needle, then K the st from cable needle

First make your pocket:

• Cast on 12 stitches.
• Work 22 rows in stocking stitch (1 row K, 1 row P)
• Cut yarn and put these 12 sts on a stitch holder.

For the main cover:

• Cast on 24 stitches
• Work 66 rows in garter stitch (every row knit)

Start Front:

• Row 1 - K4 P16 K4
• Row 2 - K across

repeat the last 2 rows 5 more times (12 rows)

• Row 13 K4 P4 K8 P4 K4
• Row 14 K8 P8 K8
• Row 15 K4 P4 C4b C4f P4 K4
• Row 16 K8 P8 K8
• Rows 17 to 20 rep rows 13 and 14 twice
• Row 21 K4 P4 C4b C4f P4 K4
• Row 22K8 P8 K8
• Rows 23 to 24 rep rows 13 and 14 once
• Row 25 K4 P4 C4b C4f P4 K4
• Row 26 K8 P8 K8
• Row 27 K4 P4 C2b K4 C2f P4 K4
• Row 28 K across
• Row 29 - K4 P16 K4
• Row 30 - K across

Make pocket

• Row 31 K4 P2 slip next 12 sts onto stitch holder. Slip 12 sts for pocket onto left needle. P across these 12 sts. P2 K4
• Row 32 K across
• Row 33 K4 P16 K4
• Row 34 K across
• Repeat last 2 rows 3 more times

Make pen holder

• Row 41 K8 YO K6 YO K to end

Work 7 rows Garter stitch
Cast off

Slip 12 sts from stitch holder onto needle
Work 4 rows garter stitch
Cast off

Stitch the pocket to the main body from the inside (sides and bottom)
Stitch the garter stitch pocket top to the main body on the outside (edges only)

Oversew cast on and cast off edges of the body together inside out
Sew on beads or buttons or embroider eyes.

Slip onto A5 diary and off you go!