While I was supposed to clean my room yesterday (since I've had a bit of a laundry explosion), I didn't actually do it. Big surprise. Instead I sat down and got working on a project for Giant Boy. My plan is to make him a couple of brimmed hats for Xmas. Much like me, he loves those style of hats but can usually complain about the hats that one finds in stores, as can I. You see, we are both giant headed freaks. And while his head may not deviate TOO much from the norm in guys sizes, my head only fits into most guy sizes for hats. I also secretly think that the world would rather we all be tiny headed freaks, but that's merely the notion that runs through my head when I'm frustrated after having tried on a million hats in a store to ensure they fit.
So, anyways, back to the complaints GB has about the brimmed hats from stores. First and foremost, one of his favorite hats shrunk in the wash. It said that it was made out of acrylic yarn and that it was washable. Clearly it was not, because acrylic won't shrink in the wash (and this, friends, is why I make sweaters out of really nice acrylic). And the hat he owns that has a nice large brim pushes into his forehead because of the stabilizing material in the brim. He finds it uncomfortable, but he likes that it keeps the sun out of his eyes more than the tinier brimmed hats.
So I got to thinking about making him hats for Xmas out of acrylic yarns. I knew that I would make him the Sam Hat, probably in black simply soft. And I found a new crochet brimmed hat pattern recently on Ravelry *please note you can only view that page if you have a membership*. I liked it immediately. It's a flat top conductor style hat with a nice big brim. I liked it for many reasons. First, it's crochet so it will work up quickly. Second, it's made out of a worsted weight acrylic so it's safe for washing machine trips. Third, you hold two strands of yarn together to make it so it's nice and sturdy which means you don't need anything extra for the brim after you have made it. The shaping on the brim coupled with the stiffness of the double stranded worsted weight yarn (woo that's a mouthful!) make it hold its shape easily.
So yesterday, when I was supposed to be cleaning my room, I was making a hat for Giant Boy. It took me all afternoon and evening to finish it. But it is done. Honestly, I wanted to try the pattern out before I make him a really nice one for Xmas in a solid color. Oh yes, I forgot to mention, I used a Caron Jumbo Print skein of yarn in mixed greens. I'd say I maybe used half of the yarn because I adjusted the pattern a little for giant headed freaks. I made the sides a little longer before starting the brim and I made the brim a little longer too. After I had "finished" the pattern directions, I also made the sides and back a little bit longer at GB's request. Which is great because now I have a great pattern with extra guidelines to follow for one of his Xmas presents.
What I've come to realize, however, over the last hour that I've been awake this morning is that I have failed to create myself one thing in the years that I've been a crafter of many types. I don't have an Xmas stocking.
Now, I do have one at my mom's house which she hangs on the mantel for me every year. It's kind of lame and it's from when I was a kid. It's Ernie from Sesame Street. Wait no, it's not lame, I <3 Ernie. Lame isn't the right word.....beat up beyond recognition is. I used to have a Scooby Doo one too, but lord knows where that one disappeared to. But that's all besides the point. My mom has an Xmas stocking for me, but I don't have one!
Now I'm on a mission. I need to make myself an Xmas stocking. I'm going to crochet one, I think, because I could make a really neat stocking that way. I'm definitely NOT going to be knitting myself the stockings I knit for my friend last year. They're cute but such a pain in the ass. I've already got a good notion of what I want in my head.
*EDIT* In case anyone is wondering, Giant Boy (GB) is my friend's 14 year old son.
I'll also have pictures of the hat later
Showing posts with label Xmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Xmas. Show all posts
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
So I Clearly Lack Time Management Skills
At least in the department of THIS blog, anyways.
I haven't been doing terribly much knitting or crocheting lately. I've been so wrapped up in school and work. Any free time that I have is devoted to homework or sleeping. Or driving to and from work and school.
I decided to sit down and start work on some new projects and an old project tonight because, well, the weather is getting colder and we had a fire going and it seemed like a perfect time to drape the fugly Granny square blanket across my lap and get to work on finishing it. It won't be finished until for a while yet though. I have one more skein of black soft boucle and then a red soft boucle and a skein of red Jiffy to throw into it before it is finally complete.
I also decided to start myself on a new scarf. I really don't have many scarves and I felt like putting some of the fun hand spun yarn that was gifted to me into that project (sadly, a lot of the gifted yarn was re-gifted and donated to charity when I moved back in june). So I decided to make myself what I am dubbing the OCD scarf. I'm not sure why, but I had my age in mind when I picked the yarn from my bin. I picked two hand spun purple yarns and a hand spun blue. In my mind, these screamed out the number 26. So I cast on 26 stitches and am going to (hopefully) wind up with a scarf that has stripes that are 26 rows thick and repeat 26 times. I say hopefully because I'm not 100% on how much yardage is in each ball I have. I'm not going completely batshit OCD with this, though, I have no prayer of trying to make it 26 inches long so I'm not even going to try that. I could, if I wanted to sit down and gauge it and work out the calculations but Busty + math ≠ friends.
I've also started plotting out a few xmas gifts that I can whip up for people. This year I am NOT NOT NOT making gifts for everyone. I am merely going to make gifts for a few people. Easy gifts that won't result in me sitting in a pile of yarn pulling my hair out in frustration.
I'm going to make a brimmed hat for the Giant Boy (Bone's son) and either a hat and scarf set for Bone or a little messenger bag, I'm not sure yet. But either way, it's gunna end up with a bone motif on it.
I haven't been doing terribly much knitting or crocheting lately. I've been so wrapped up in school and work. Any free time that I have is devoted to homework or sleeping. Or driving to and from work and school.
I decided to sit down and start work on some new projects and an old project tonight because, well, the weather is getting colder and we had a fire going and it seemed like a perfect time to drape the fugly Granny square blanket across my lap and get to work on finishing it. It won't be finished until for a while yet though. I have one more skein of black soft boucle and then a red soft boucle and a skein of red Jiffy to throw into it before it is finally complete.
I also decided to start myself on a new scarf. I really don't have many scarves and I felt like putting some of the fun hand spun yarn that was gifted to me into that project (sadly, a lot of the gifted yarn was re-gifted and donated to charity when I moved back in june). So I decided to make myself what I am dubbing the OCD scarf. I'm not sure why, but I had my age in mind when I picked the yarn from my bin. I picked two hand spun purple yarns and a hand spun blue. In my mind, these screamed out the number 26. So I cast on 26 stitches and am going to (hopefully) wind up with a scarf that has stripes that are 26 rows thick and repeat 26 times. I say hopefully because I'm not 100% on how much yardage is in each ball I have. I'm not going completely batshit OCD with this, though, I have no prayer of trying to make it 26 inches long so I'm not even going to try that. I could, if I wanted to sit down and gauge it and work out the calculations but Busty + math ≠ friends.
I've also started plotting out a few xmas gifts that I can whip up for people. This year I am NOT NOT NOT making gifts for everyone. I am merely going to make gifts for a few people. Easy gifts that won't result in me sitting in a pile of yarn pulling my hair out in frustration.
I'm going to make a brimmed hat for the Giant Boy (Bone's son) and either a hat and scarf set for Bone or a little messenger bag, I'm not sure yet. But either way, it's gunna end up with a bone motif on it.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Vintage Christmas Stocking
My friend Becky asked me, upon learning of my knitting skills, if I would be so kind as to knit up Christmas stockings for her two newest grandkids and her newest son in law. I agreed and she brought me the pattern and the yarn and I set about working on them.
Unfortunately, I was only able to take shitty camera phone pictures of the stockings because I was stranded in Manville at the time I finished these, so you'll have to forgive that.
And I figured that, since it was such an old looking pattern and I couldn't find any copyright info on the pamphlet, I would post it online for others to use. Well it turns out that it was probably one of my better ideas as I got a lot of messages on Ravelry from people. Some who had a relative knit these stockings, others who were looking for the pattern to continue a similar tradition to what my friend Becky has (all of her family members have one of these), and another who was a little upset because she found my online pattern after she knitted one using an existing stocking as a guide.
So anyways, I figured I would transfer the pattern from my livejournal to here since, well, this is my knitting blog after all. So here ya go:
Supplies Needed:
+1 Skein Each of the Following Yarn:
Red Heart Super Saver Hot Red
Red Heart Super Saver Soft White
Red Heart Super Saver Paddy Green
Red Heart Super Saver Spruce
Red Heart Super Saver Black
Red Heart Super Saver Petal Pink
White mohair yarn
+Size US 9 needles
+Bobbins
+Yarn Needle
Wind Approximately:
5 yards of soft white onto each of 3 bobbins
7 yards of paddy green onto each of 2 bobbins
8 yards of hot red onto each of 3 bobbins
About 2 or 3 yards of black onto two bobbins
About 2 yards of pink onto one bobbin
About 4 yards of spruce onto one bobbin
About 2 yards of soft white and white mohair on one bobbin held together (for beard)
Work remaining soft white, paddy green and hot red from skeins.
Note: Stocking is worked back and forth on needles with the seam at the center back.
Cuff
With skein of white, cast on 60 stitches and work K2 P2 rib for 8 rows. Increase one stitch at the end of row 8 by purling into the front and back of the stitch. You'll have 61 stitches. Break the white and leave a 10 inch end for seaming.
Attach the red and work stockinette stitch for 9 rows. Break the red and leave a 10 inch end for seaming.
Join skein of paddy green and P 39. Drop green, attach bobbin of white and P 1. drop white, take up paddy green and P 9. Drop dark green, join another white bobbin and P 1. Drop white, pick up paddy green and P 11.
Continue to follow the chart (found below) with care not to carry yarn over more than 3 sts. If you need to carry yarn over a large expanse of stitches, twist the yarn you're carrying around the working yarn at each stitch. Use extra bobbins of yarn for each color change and bring the new color under the last color used to prevent a hole.
Decrease 1 stitch on each side at rows 39, 49, 59 and 69 so you have 53 sts at the end of the chart. Work to the end of the chart (85 sts above ribbing) and end with a P row. Break the paddy green and the white yarn and leave a 16 inch tail of the paddy green for seaming.
With right side facing you, slip first 13 sts to a thread for the right half of the heel (from the ornament side), slip the next 27 sts to a thread for the instep, and slip the last 13 sts to the free needle for the left half of the heel (santa side)
Left Half of Heel
Beg. on wrong side, join white.
Row 1 Purl
Row 2 Slip 1, K 12.
Repeat these two rows 8 more times so you have 18 rows on the heel.
Turn Heel as Follows
P2, P2tog, P1, turn
Slip 1, K3, Turn
P3, P2tog, P1, turn
Slip 1, K4, Turn
P4, P2Tog, P1, turn
Slip 1, K5, Turn
P5, P2Tog, P1, Turn
Slip 1, K6, Turn
P6, P2tog, P1; 8 Sts.
Break yarn and place sts on a thread
Right Half of Heel
Beg. at inner edge, take up 13 sts of right half of heel (right side will be facing you). Join white.
Row 1 Knit
Row 1 Slip 1, P 12.
Repeat these rows 8 more times so you have 18 rows on the heel.
Turn Heel As Follows
K2, Slip, Knit and PSSO, K1, turn
Slip 1, P3, Turn
K3, Slip, Knit and PSSO, K1, turn
Slip 1, P4, Turn
P4, Slip, Knit and PSSO, K1, turn
Slip 1, P5, Turn
P5, Slip, Knit and PSSO, K1, Turn
Slip 1, P6, Turn
P6, Slip, Knit and PSSO, K1; 8 Sts.
With the same needle and the white yarn, pick up and knit 9 sts from the inner edge of the half heel (the 9 stitches that were slipped on the beginning of the heel)
Take up and K across the 27 sts of the instep, pick up and K the 9 sts of the inner edge of the other half heel, then K across the 8 heel sts. 61 STS.
Gussets and Instep
Row 1 and all odd numbered rows With white, Purl
Row 2 K14, K2tog, K29, Slip, K and PSSO, K14
Row 4 K13, K2Tog, K29, Slip, K and PSSO, K13
Row 6 K12, K2Tog, K29, Slip, K and PSSO, K12
Row 8 K11, K2Tog, K29, Slip, K and PSSO, K11
Row 10 K10, K2Tog, K29, Slip, K and PSSO, K11
Row 12K9, K2Tog, K29, Slip, K and PSSO, K9
49 STS
Work Stockinette stitch (P 1 row, K 1 row) for 14 rows, ending with a K row. Break white and leave a 12 inch tail for seaming.
Join skein of red and P 1 row and K 1 row for 11 rows, ending with a P row.
Dec. Row, K23, K2Tog, K24; 48 STS
P 1 Row
Toe
Row 1 - right side - K9, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K18, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K9; 44 sts
Row 2 and all even numbered rows - Purl
Row 3 K8, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K16, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K8; 40 sts
Row 7 K7, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K14, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K7; 36 sts
Row 9 K6, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K12, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K6; 32 sts
Row 11 K5, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K10, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K5; 28 sts
Row 13 K4, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K8, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K4; 24 sts
Row 15 K3, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K6, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K3; 20 sts
Row 17 K2, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K4, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K2; 16 sts
After last Dec row, with wrong side facing you, place the first 4 sts onto a needle holder, then slip the next 8 sts to the free needle. Slip the last 4 sts to a 2nd holder.
Beg. with the 4th st, slip 4 sts from the first holder onto the 2nd needle. K the last 4 sts from the 2nd holder onto the same needle having side edges at center of needle. Points of both needles should be at the same side as the end of the yarn. Break the yarn, leaving a 14-inch end for weaving the toe.
Weaving Toe - Thread the yarn into a yarn needle and weave the sts together as follows:
*Pass needle through first st of front needle as if to K and slip st off, pass through 2nd sts of front needle as if to purl and leave st on needle. Draw yarn through, pass needle through first st of back needle as if to purl and slip st. off. Pass through 2nd st of back needle as if to knit, leave st on needle and draw yarn through: Repeat from * until all sts are joined. Fasten off.
Finishing
Sew in all ends securely. Sew seams with matching colors. Steam stocking lightly, do not steam ribbing. Using letter chart below and duplicate stitch, stitch name onto stocking with white yarn on the red stripe at the top of the stocking. (Letters are 7 sts high)
Sew a white pom-pom or jingle bell onto Santa's Cap and a small red pom-pom for his nose.
Trim the tree with sequins and beads as follows:
Sew beads and sequins onto the tree, inserting needle from wrong side through the stocking and the sequin, then through the bead and back through the same sequine and stocking to the wrong side.
CHARTS
Santa Chart
Or you can download it here:
For Excel
For Microsoft Works Spread Sheet
Letters
And now for my horribly bad camera phone pics of the stockings I made:
A close up
The backside
A Comparison
What I'm not happy about is how completely different the two santas look, even though I was SUPER anal about the stitch count and everything. I'm sort of glad I didn't take any pics of the 3rd stocking cause that was even more different.
What those pictures also do not show is that after they were done, I stitched sequins onto the trees to look like ornaments, stitched a star at the top of each tree and stitched a gold jingle bell on santa's hat. I also crocheted strips that were three stitches wide and 20 sts in length and sewed them on as the hanger.
So there you have it folks, the vintage Christmas stocking.
Unfortunately, I was only able to take shitty camera phone pictures of the stockings because I was stranded in Manville at the time I finished these, so you'll have to forgive that.
And I figured that, since it was such an old looking pattern and I couldn't find any copyright info on the pamphlet, I would post it online for others to use. Well it turns out that it was probably one of my better ideas as I got a lot of messages on Ravelry from people. Some who had a relative knit these stockings, others who were looking for the pattern to continue a similar tradition to what my friend Becky has (all of her family members have one of these), and another who was a little upset because she found my online pattern after she knitted one using an existing stocking as a guide.
So anyways, I figured I would transfer the pattern from my livejournal to here since, well, this is my knitting blog after all. So here ya go:
Supplies Needed:
+1 Skein Each of the Following Yarn:
Red Heart Super Saver Hot Red
Red Heart Super Saver Soft White
Red Heart Super Saver Paddy Green
Red Heart Super Saver Spruce
Red Heart Super Saver Black
Red Heart Super Saver Petal Pink
White mohair yarn
+Size US 9 needles
+Bobbins
+Yarn Needle
Wind Approximately:
5 yards of soft white onto each of 3 bobbins
7 yards of paddy green onto each of 2 bobbins
8 yards of hot red onto each of 3 bobbins
About 2 or 3 yards of black onto two bobbins
About 2 yards of pink onto one bobbin
About 4 yards of spruce onto one bobbin
About 2 yards of soft white and white mohair on one bobbin held together (for beard)
Work remaining soft white, paddy green and hot red from skeins.
Note: Stocking is worked back and forth on needles with the seam at the center back.
Cuff
With skein of white, cast on 60 stitches and work K2 P2 rib for 8 rows. Increase one stitch at the end of row 8 by purling into the front and back of the stitch. You'll have 61 stitches. Break the white and leave a 10 inch end for seaming.
Attach the red and work stockinette stitch for 9 rows. Break the red and leave a 10 inch end for seaming.
Join skein of paddy green and P 39. Drop green, attach bobbin of white and P 1. drop white, take up paddy green and P 9. Drop dark green, join another white bobbin and P 1. Drop white, pick up paddy green and P 11.
Continue to follow the chart (found below) with care not to carry yarn over more than 3 sts. If you need to carry yarn over a large expanse of stitches, twist the yarn you're carrying around the working yarn at each stitch. Use extra bobbins of yarn for each color change and bring the new color under the last color used to prevent a hole.
Decrease 1 stitch on each side at rows 39, 49, 59 and 69 so you have 53 sts at the end of the chart. Work to the end of the chart (85 sts above ribbing) and end with a P row. Break the paddy green and the white yarn and leave a 16 inch tail of the paddy green for seaming.
With right side facing you, slip first 13 sts to a thread for the right half of the heel (from the ornament side), slip the next 27 sts to a thread for the instep, and slip the last 13 sts to the free needle for the left half of the heel (santa side)
Left Half of Heel
Beg. on wrong side, join white.
Row 1 Purl
Row 2 Slip 1, K 12.
Repeat these two rows 8 more times so you have 18 rows on the heel.
Turn Heel as Follows
P2, P2tog, P1, turn
Slip 1, K3, Turn
P3, P2tog, P1, turn
Slip 1, K4, Turn
P4, P2Tog, P1, turn
Slip 1, K5, Turn
P5, P2Tog, P1, Turn
Slip 1, K6, Turn
P6, P2tog, P1; 8 Sts.
Break yarn and place sts on a thread
Right Half of Heel
Beg. at inner edge, take up 13 sts of right half of heel (right side will be facing you). Join white.
Row 1 Knit
Row 1 Slip 1, P 12.
Repeat these rows 8 more times so you have 18 rows on the heel.
Turn Heel As Follows
K2, Slip, Knit and PSSO, K1, turn
Slip 1, P3, Turn
K3, Slip, Knit and PSSO, K1, turn
Slip 1, P4, Turn
P4, Slip, Knit and PSSO, K1, turn
Slip 1, P5, Turn
P5, Slip, Knit and PSSO, K1, Turn
Slip 1, P6, Turn
P6, Slip, Knit and PSSO, K1; 8 Sts.
With the same needle and the white yarn, pick up and knit 9 sts from the inner edge of the half heel (the 9 stitches that were slipped on the beginning of the heel)
Take up and K across the 27 sts of the instep, pick up and K the 9 sts of the inner edge of the other half heel, then K across the 8 heel sts. 61 STS.
Gussets and Instep
Row 1 and all odd numbered rows With white, Purl
Row 2 K14, K2tog, K29, Slip, K and PSSO, K14
Row 4 K13, K2Tog, K29, Slip, K and PSSO, K13
Row 6 K12, K2Tog, K29, Slip, K and PSSO, K12
Row 8 K11, K2Tog, K29, Slip, K and PSSO, K11
Row 10 K10, K2Tog, K29, Slip, K and PSSO, K11
Row 12K9, K2Tog, K29, Slip, K and PSSO, K9
49 STS
Work Stockinette stitch (P 1 row, K 1 row) for 14 rows, ending with a K row. Break white and leave a 12 inch tail for seaming.
Join skein of red and P 1 row and K 1 row for 11 rows, ending with a P row.
Dec. Row, K23, K2Tog, K24; 48 STS
P 1 Row
Toe
Row 1 - right side - K9, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K18, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K9; 44 sts
Row 2 and all even numbered rows - Purl
Row 3 K8, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K16, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K8; 40 sts
Row 7 K7, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K14, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K7; 36 sts
Row 9 K6, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K12, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K6; 32 sts
Row 11 K5, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K10, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K5; 28 sts
Row 13 K4, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K8, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K4; 24 sts
Row 15 K3, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K6, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K3; 20 sts
Row 17 K2, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K4, K2Tog, K2, Slip, K and PSSO, K2; 16 sts
After last Dec row, with wrong side facing you, place the first 4 sts onto a needle holder, then slip the next 8 sts to the free needle. Slip the last 4 sts to a 2nd holder.
Beg. with the 4th st, slip 4 sts from the first holder onto the 2nd needle. K the last 4 sts from the 2nd holder onto the same needle having side edges at center of needle. Points of both needles should be at the same side as the end of the yarn. Break the yarn, leaving a 14-inch end for weaving the toe.
Weaving Toe - Thread the yarn into a yarn needle and weave the sts together as follows:
*Pass needle through first st of front needle as if to K and slip st off, pass through 2nd sts of front needle as if to purl and leave st on needle. Draw yarn through, pass needle through first st of back needle as if to purl and slip st. off. Pass through 2nd st of back needle as if to knit, leave st on needle and draw yarn through: Repeat from * until all sts are joined. Fasten off.
Finishing
Sew in all ends securely. Sew seams with matching colors. Steam stocking lightly, do not steam ribbing. Using letter chart below and duplicate stitch, stitch name onto stocking with white yarn on the red stripe at the top of the stocking. (Letters are 7 sts high)
Sew a white pom-pom or jingle bell onto Santa's Cap and a small red pom-pom for his nose.
Trim the tree with sequins and beads as follows:
Sew beads and sequins onto the tree, inserting needle from wrong side through the stocking and the sequin, then through the bead and back through the same sequine and stocking to the wrong side.
CHARTS
Or you can download it here:
For Excel
For Microsoft Works Spread Sheet
And now for my horribly bad camera phone pics of the stockings I made:
What I'm not happy about is how completely different the two santas look, even though I was SUPER anal about the stitch count and everything. I'm sort of glad I didn't take any pics of the 3rd stocking cause that was even more different.
What those pictures also do not show is that after they were done, I stitched sequins onto the trees to look like ornaments, stitched a star at the top of each tree and stitched a gold jingle bell on santa's hat. I also crocheted strips that were three stitches wide and 20 sts in length and sewed them on as the hanger.
So there you have it folks, the vintage Christmas stocking.
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