Seaside Park Oddball Baby Blanket - Knitting Complete

It's another chilly dreary spring day here in New England, but the Oddball Baby Blanket I just finished knitting conjures up images of hot summer days sitting by the ocean. It's called Seaside Park and the knitters chose a blue, green or sandy color for each section.


My knit section is the green one on the top of the blanket. This shade of green reminds me of sea glass.


I worked my section in alternating groups of stockinette and reverse stockinette stitch. This is a fun pattern to use for a scarf or hat too because it forms a sort of horizontal ribbing and causes the fabric to have quite a bit of spring in it.

If you have signed up on the Lion Brand website, which by the way is free and a fabulous source of free knit and crochet patterns, you will be able to view this pattern for a knitted Cowl or Hood which uses a similar stitch pattern to the one I used on this blanket. The only difference is that the hood is knitted in the round on circular needles and the blanket was knitted flat so I had to alternate knit rows and purl rows to get the stockinette and reverse stockinette sections to come out correctly.

I actually made this Hood pattern years ago and have used it on many occasions to keep myself toasty warm while watching late fall band competitions or football games. It was fun and easy to knit and can be used in several different ways to keep warm. Try it for yourself and see!

I'll be crocheting the border on Seaside Park too, using the leftover Colonial Blue Vanna's Choice yarn from my Colorful Rings Tube Scarf that I entered in Vanna's recent contest. I'm still waiting to receive my phone call from Vanna telling me I've won. I know she's busy crocheting and turning letters and all, so I'll give her a little more time! Oh boy, I crack myself up!

This is post number 299 so the next post here at Hooked On Needles will be announcing the winner of my 300th post giveaway. Be sure to watch for it. Perhaps it will be you!

Happy Stitching!

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Fascinating and Amazing!

A friend sent me a link to this amazing website that I just have to share with all of you who are in any way interested in knitting. It's called Bugknits, and browsing through it has given me a whole new appreciation for my size 10 1/2 knitting needles! The woman's name is Althea Crome and she lives in Indiana. You can read about her on the site. While you are there, take some time and look at each of the galleries listed on her sidebar. She knits in miniature, but not just normal everyday miniature like a little sweater to use on a stuffed teddy bear or to hang on the Christmas tree. She describes it as "dollhouse for a dollhouse scale" and you have to see it to believe it. Make sure you watch the short video that is on her main page. Truly amazing!

Another fascinating article I want to share with you is this one from a newspaper in Kentucky from last September. It has absolutely nothing to do with needles or hooks or yarn or fabric, but I just thought it was so clever and artistic that you might enjoy seeing it too. I love a new Sharpie as much as the next guy, and this guy apparently had quite a thing going with a few of them!

And now on a more relevant topic for Hooked On Needles, did you all know that Myra over at Blue Meadow Designs is offering another mystery quilt? It's true! Remember the Criss Cross Applesauce quilt that I did a few months ago? That was from Myra's site. This new mystery quilt uses a charm pack plus a few yards of other fabric. I was lucky enough to win the charm pack prize drawing that Myra did from all those who sent pictures of their completed Criss Cross Applesauce top and I've been looking for a project where I could use it. I think I've found it!

My 2009 Project List is getting a little more Red every week or so lately as I finish projects that have sat idle and begin others. I've started working on one of my Pay It Forward gifts which uses a knit stitch that I will be sharing with you shortly. But I just discovered that Mary Maxim is having a Knit and Crochet Contest with the grand prize winner receiving a total of $2000, so I just might have to finish up what I'm working on and get busy creating a winning afghan design. I'll let you know if I decide to enter the contest, and of course you'll know if I win!

Happy Stitching!

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Dr. Seuss Knitted Scarf for Special Olympics

The deadline for sending in the knitted or crocheted scarves for the Special Olympics is fast approaching, so I've been working on this fourth scarf whenever I go somewhere knowing I'll have to sit and wait. I may have to put the wedding gift afghan (which I'll show you soon) on hold and just get this scarf done though.

Anyway, I came across a stitch in a book of needlework (which I'll also show you soon) that I thought would make a fun scarf and I gave it a try with the Red Heart Delft Blue and White yarns of the Special Olympics Scarf project. It is coming out very much like something you would find in a Dr. Seuss book! This is not the look I anticipated, but I really like it and I think someone will enjoy wearing it just because it is so different.


I think I'm about not quite half way finished with it at this point. I don't like scarves to be too short.


Don't you just love the blue and white? Those little rings are a hoot, don't you think?


Here's a close up of one of the blue sections. You can see that the parts between the rings are knit in stockinette stitch. The rings are not actually rings since this is knit flat, but the edges curl up on their own which gives the illusion of rings.


Here's where the white joins the blue. The ring sections are actually knit in reverse stockinette. I'll share the pattern below if you would like to try it.


I've gradually lengthened the stockinette sections as I work towards the middle of the scarf. Once I decide I'm half way finished, I'll start shortening them to match the first half and also alternate the colors to match on each side as well.

So here's the pattern:

Cast on 21 stitches.

Work in stockinette stitch for about an inch ending with a knit row.

*Beginning the reverse stockinette ring section, knit into the front and back of each stitch on next row. Now you have 42 stitches.

Continue in reverse stockinette stitch for about an inch ending with a knit row.

Returning to stockinette stitch, knit 2 together all the way across next row. Now you have 21 stitches again.

Continue in stockinette stitch for as many rows as you like, ending with a knit row. *

Repeating from * to *, alternate between stockinette stitch with 21 stitches and reverse stockinette stitch with 42 stitches until scarf is desired length. Bind off and weave in loose ends.

NOTE:
Stockinette Stitch is made by working the right side row in knit and the wrong side row in purl.

Reverse Stockinette Stitch is made by working the right side row in purl and the wrong side row in knit.

Here are links to videos you may find useful for this pattern:

• Cast on
• Knit
• Purl
• Increase by knitting into front and back of each stitch
  
• Knit 2 together decrease
  
• Bind off

These links and others with useful videos and information can be found on my sidebar under Hooked On Needles Links.

Happy Stitching!

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My First Oddball Baby Blanket

In my recent post about how to do a double crochet decrease, I mentioned that I had become active in a knitting forum called KnittingHelp.com. This forum has allowed me to help and chat with people just like me from all over the country who enjoy knitting and crocheting. On this site, I also found a forum about charity knitting and was very interested in that because I have done knitting and crocheting for charities myself for a lot of years.

In this Charity Knitting forum, there was a thread for something called Northeast US Oddball Baby Blankets which sounded very interesting to me so I checked it out. I discovered that lots of crafty people (men too, not just ladies) come up with names and color combinations for baby blankets to be handmade and given to a hospital or other charity for babies. One person starts it then sends it along to the next, and so on until it is complete. Then one more person crochets a border around it and sends it back to the person who will deliver it along with the card that has accompanied it on its journey and has been signed by all who have worked on the blanket.

What a wonderful idea! I just had to get involved in this. So I put my name in as a likely border crocheter, and look what I received in the mail today from a nice lady in New York...


This blanket has been named Jersey Devil and has been knit using Caron Simply Soft entirely in red. So far it has been worked on by people in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and New York. Now I will finish it off here in Massachusetts with a crocheted border in the same Simply Soft Red yarn.


Look at all the different beautiful stitches these clever crafters have used in making this blanket. Each one has knitted about 5 inches of their chosen pattern, keeping the first and last 3 stitches of each row in garter stitch. It is so soft and cuddly, and most definitely made with lots of love.

I think the baby who receives this blanket will surely be blessed by all the love that has been stitched into it.

If you have the urge to do something nice for someone you don't know and you're looking for a new handwork project, check out KnittingHelp.com charity knitting or other charity links and pick one that suits you. Besides being a nice thing to do, it will just make you feel good!

Once I figure out how I will crochet the border and then get it done, I will certainly show you the finished project before mailing it off to its final destination.

Happy Stitching!

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Learn to Knit -- Right Twist Cable and Left Twist Cable

Time for another Learn To Knit video to add to the video library. This time I'll be showing you how to knit a simple cable twisting to the right and also twisting to the left. Cables look complicated, but really they are quite simple and they add such a nice touch to a knitted sweater or hat or mittens.

Take a look at the video and see how easy a cable is to knit.



In the sample, after knitting the row with the twists in it, I purled the next row, then (knitted the next and purled the next) twice. Then I worked another row with the twists in it exactly as I did in the video. So between each row with twists there are five rows in this order: purl, knit, purl, knit, purl. If you wanted your twists to be farther apart, you would just add more knit and purl rows in between the twist row.


This is the front of the sample after three cable twists and five more rows of alternating knit and purl. It is ready for the next knit row of twists. I love how it looks like the knitting is weaving in and out and around which, of course, is characteristic of cable knit.


Here is what the back of the piece looks like. You can see the little bumps where the twists have been worked.

So now you have seen just how easy a cable is to knit. I hope you give it a try, starting with a simple scarf or hat pattern. Lion Brand Yarn has a wonderful website with lots of free patterns. If you haven't signed up to access them yet, I would highly recommend it. Here is one for a simple cable scarf that has a neat detail where the cable gets smaller in the middle of the scarf. It would be pretty in any color! Let me know how your first cable project comes out.

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Berroco Site Recommendation for Great Knit and Crochet Patterns

I have been subscribing to the Berroco KnitBits Newsletter for quite some time now, and every issue has at least one pattern in it that I keep for future use, but usually more!

They have a section where new yarns, patterns and booklets are previewed for the upcoming season. I love this section because it gives me lots of neat things to look forward to, even if I never actually make them!

Their section of free patterns is extensive with over 15 different categories of patterns to choose from, and in each category you'll find pictures of all the patterns available to print or save on your own computer.

Under their Quick Links tab they have a very nice stitch glossary that is an excellent reference when working a new stitch or pattern.

Check out their website and subscribe to their newsletter if it's something that looks interesting to you.

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Time to Get Organized -- Knit

Here's another administrative post, this time for knitting. A link to this page will be available on the sidebar and I will update it as necessary to include all posts having to do with knitting.

Here we go ...


Video Tutorials

• Single Cast On method of casting on
  
• Knitting On method of casting on
  
• Cable Cast On method of casting on
• Knit Stitch
  
• Purl Stitch
• Eyelet Row
  
• Cables -- left twist and right twist
• Simple Seed Stitch
• Easy Yarn Over Increase
• Easy Knit 2 Together Decrease
• Increase by Knitting in Front and Back of Stitch
  
• Simple Bind Off
• Crocheted Cast Off or Crocheted Bind Off
• Make 1 Increase
• Slip Slip Knit or SSK Decrease
• Elongated Knit Stitch
• Purl Increase - Purl into front and back of a stitch
• Whip Stitch
  

Knit Patterns

• Swirl Top Baby Hat
  
• School Colors Knit Hat
  
• Knit Patterns Vacation Loot
  
• Super Easy Knit Baby Blanket
• Knitting for Charity
• Diagonal Basketweave Baby Blanket
• Super Easy Knitted Face Cloth
• Dr. Seuss Knitted Scarf
• My Version of Martha's Self-tying Knit Neck Scarf
• Knitted Basketweave Stitch
• Diagonal Seed Stitch
• Hurdle Stitch
• Not Quite Farrow Rib Stitch
• Colorful Rings Tube Scarf - Vanna's Choice Contest Entry
• Farrow Rib Stitch on Cotton Candy Oddball Blanket
• Knit-Garter Stitch pattern on Citrus Sunshine Oddball Blanket
• Oddball Care Shawl - Blue Skies
• Stocking Heel Stitch on Circus Circus Oddball Baby Blanket
• Springy Stockinette/Reverse Stockinette on Seaside Park Oddball Baby Blanket
• Apple Dishcloth
• 18" Doll sweater and hat patterns
  

Other Tutorials

• How to make a Pom Pom
  

Knit Pictures

• School Colors Knit Hat Collection
  
• School Colors Knit Hat Finished
  
• School Colors Knit Hat
  
• Sweaters, Poncho, Christmas Mittens
• Bernat Baby Bubbles Bubblicious Sweater
• Jersey Devil Oddball Baby Blanket
• Oddball Baby Blanket Complete
• Knitted Stuffed Toys
• Knitted Stuffed Bear Finished
• Christmas Mittens Hanging on the Mantle
• Top Down Baby Jacket from Plymouth Yarn
• Sherbet Oddball Baby Blanket
• Triangle Lace Shawl project underway
• Triangle Shawl Update #1
• Big Bulky Knit Sweater for ME
• Knitted Helmet Liner
• Knitted Helmet Liner complete
• Pink Fluffy Cable Poncho
  

Knitting Gadgets and helpful hints

• Embellish Knit by Bond America
• Make your patterns easy to read
• Triangle Shawl - Helpful Hints on Keeping Track (stitch markers and notes on chart)
• Lifelines - better to have and not need, than to need and not have!
  

Knitting Links

• Karen Allen
  
• Favorite Links
  
• Berroco
  
• Lion Brand Yarn
  

My Learn-to-knit story


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School Colors Knit Hat

My older daughter has grown up watching me do just about every kind of needlework imaginable. So it was only natural that she would want me to teach her when she was ready. When she was about seven years old, she worked her first counted cross stitch piece. Not too long after that, she sewed her first pillow and shortly after that she picked up knitting needles and was on her way! Knitting and crocheting seem to be her favorites. Since she joined the high school band in her freshman year, she has filled a need for her band mates while also helping to fund her sophomore band trip to Disney and save money for college. This is what she spends her summers making...

It's a knit hat pattern that I first was introduced to by my mother-in-law shortly after she taught me how to knit. That seems like a lifetime ago. It is a simple knit two/purl two rib pattern, but the knit stitches are worked into the back side of the stitch instead of the front. This makes the ribbing even more elastic than usual. After working the body of the hat as long as desired, a simple decrease is done to the crown and the hat is finished off.

Elizabeth works these hats using Red Heart worsted weight yarn in royal blue, black and white which are her school colors and the colors of the marching band uniform. During football season the band plays at every home football game and many of their away games. They also participate in quite a few band competitions which go well into fall. So the warm knit hats are a welcome addition to the official band uniform. She sells them for $10 each and cannot keep up with the demand. Every summer she knits as many as she possibly can, and by the time the first cold Friday night football game rolls around, they are all taken and many of the kids are left empty handed, or empty headed!

Each hat is knit in an original stripe design that Elizabeth makes up as she goes along so every hat is unique. The band looks great sitting in the stands playing their pep music during the games wearing their one-of-a-kind hand knit hats.

I'll post some pictures of her current hat collection for this fall and the pattern source in a few days.

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Look who knits - Karen Allen - aka Marion from Indiana Jones movies

And boy does she knit! See for yourself! She's been quite a busy lady since she played along side Harrison Ford in the first Raiders of the Lost Ark movie back in 1981. I think that is the only movie I've ever seen her in, but according to her listing on the Internet Movie Database, she has been in over 50 movies and TV shows! I guess I'm too busy doing my handwork, which is a good thing!

Karen's use of color, texture, design and style are really something to see. The sweaters are certainly not your run-of-the-mill cookie cutter type of sweater, and her scarves, hats and gloves are equally as interesting.

Now if I can just think of an excuse to have to drive out to Western Massachusetts, I'll drop into her store in Great Barrington and let you all know what I find. If you have been there, please comment and let us know what it was like.

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Knit and Crochet links

Are you looking for some good resources for your knitting or crocheting? Perhaps some new inspiring patterns, or some fun and funky yarns? Maybe it's a new notion you need to make your handwork easier. Here are a few of my favorites to get you started, but I'll be updating this page as I find new and interesting sites to share, so check back often.

Patternworks not only has a wonderful website with all the latest knit and crochet patterns, kits and yarns and a very nice selection of notions and gifts, but they also have a beautiful and inspiring paper catalog which you can request. It's one of my favorite things to find in my mailbox! I have been to their shop in breathtaking Center Harbor, New Hampshire many times and I can tell you with confidence that it is one of the most pleasant places to spend time talking to the ladies and checking out all the new yarns and patterns and inspecting the various finished samples found around the shop.

Mary Maxim is a family owned needlework and crafts mail order company that has been in business for over 50 years. Some of my favorite sweater patterns and kits have come from them. They carry brand name yarns such as Bernat, Patons, Vanna's Choice and Lily, but they also have their own exclusive line of yarns from sportweight to bulky. Their kits always have excellent directions and a generous supply of yarns included. They also have a nice selection of free patterns available on their website. Their customer service is top notch too. The Mary Maxim paper catalog is another one I love to see in my mailbox!

Herrschner's is a great resource for knit and crochet projects and ideas as well as any other craft you can imagine. One of my favorite parts of their site is the weekly sales pages, especially the yarn sale page. They are updated every Wednesday evening, so that's when I check in! I have found some great bargains there over the years. They also have a paper catalog which is a pleasure to thumb through.

Halcyon Yarn is located in Bath, Maine and their company history is fascinating. They have all kinds of supplies for knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving and other fiber arts. Their selection of brand name yarns as well as their own signature yarns is extensive. You can subscribe to their newsletter to keep up with their sales and other news.

Knitting Warehouse is a great site to browse through if you're looking for what's new in the yarn world. They carry many of the name brands of yarn and crochet thread, kits, notions, embellishments, books and patterns. They also have lots of free patterns available from Bernat, Patons, Lion Brand, Red Heart and others.

Lion Brand Yarn has a fabulous website which I raved about here. You can sign up for their email newsletter to keep up to date on all the yarn, tips and free patterns they have available. I love getting their newsletter and saving patterns I just know I'll use some day!

What are some of your favorite sites for knitting and crocheting? Post a comment and share!

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Two needles and NO hook? You've GOT to be kidding!

Having been a crocheter for the majority of my lifetime, learning to knit was not something that came naturally to me. It was a skill I always admired in others and something I secretly wished I could do, but having tried unsuccessfully to teach myself a few times and having no one to show me, I relegated that skill to my list of things I just wasn't cut out for, along with such things as rock climbing, keeping a pristinely clean house, speed reading, gourmet cooking and passing up a good bargain.

And then my mother-in-law broke her knee. As Bert in Mary Poppins says, it was a for-too-ishus circumstance. She came to live with us for a few months while she recovered, and brought along some knitting supplies to keep herself busy. One day when she was feeling particularly brave, she insisted that I learn to knit. I must say it was the most awkward thing I have ever attempted in my life, save perhaps swinging a golf club.

She made me stick to it though, and before long I had knitted a bright yellow scarf for my daughter and matching mittens. I still have the mittens after 15 years. I laugh every time I look at them. They are two different sizes, a ghastly shade of eye-popping yellow, and the finishing work is not what anyone would ever call professional. But I had done it. I had learned to knit. Thank you, Pat!

Since then, I have knitted countless baby sweaters, big sweaters, hats, scarves, mittens, vests, and blankets for friends and family. My favorite quick project which I do to use up leftover yarn is knitting hats for the new babies in our local hospital. A nurse friend of mine works in the nursery and she tells me that they don't have too many handmade hat suppliers anymore so she always welcomes a new stash of hats for the new babies.

Next time, I will share pictures of some recent knitting projects. Coming soon will be directions for making your own baby hats in knit and crochet and eventually some video tutorials for beginners to learn how to knit and make beautiful and useful things. Stay tuned!