colors...

the colors of a rusty gate...

inspire...

“Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways. ” 

                            ― Oscar Wilde

honoring dr. king...

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

--Martin Luther King, Jr.

A TESTAMENT OF HOPE

something new...

the yarn...

berroco's quasar

the "swatch"...

a beanie

3 x 2 rib

75 stitches

#9US/5.5mm circulars

quite nice, this yarn!

look-y what I got...

a friend dropped this off the other day...

seven large skeins of coral mohair...

how lucky can one get?

thanks, annette!!!

now...what to knit???

i'm thinking classic cardigan...

what would you knit?

color inspiration...

a mendocino coast sunset...

pamela w allen designs

now...what can I knit in these colors?

two hats...

...and here they are, modeled by my husband, two versions of the new year hat...

in wool from the stash,
with centered double decreases...

in misti alpaca,
with paired decreases...




I much prefer the alpaca hat, of course...
the simplicity and beauty of the yarn and the chic combination of pearl grey and chocolate brown really speak to me...

 but I really don't have a preference when it comes to the two methods of decreasing...
do you?

another version...

just blocked the alpaca new year hat...

I decided, with this version, to change the crown construction a bit by using four paired decreases instead of the four double decreases that I used on the original hat...

better photos as soon as it is dry!

on my way home...

...from the yarn shop

van damme, little river, california

5:20pm

2 january 2013

color inspiration everywhere I turn...

alpaca...

on the needles...

another new year hat...

this one in misti alpaca chunky

the new year hat...

happy 2013!!!


my new year hat, which you glimpsed yesterday, has been blocked, and is almost dry...

want to make one, too?

it's a fun, easy hat that will keep you very warm this winter...

it has a seed stitch border, 

with a horizontally-striped 

body 

and vertical stripes at the crown...

here's the "recipe"...

my gauge is 3.5 stitches per inch

over stockinette

the hat fits an adult

but you can easily adjust this to another gauge or head size...

new year hat

by pamela w allen

find some nice, bulky wool (color A) and another skein of contrasting yarn (color B)...I used these two from my stash...

with A, cast 69 stitches onto a US9 circular and work in seed stitch (k1, p1) for about 1" to 1.5"...

knit the body, beginning with color B, alternating with A every other round (eg: knit one round A, one round B), for about 4"...hint:  do not break the yarn for each round--simply carry the unused color up, always bringing the color that you are using under and over the unused yarn 

finish with one round of color A, then knit five rounds in seed stitch...

the crown is striped vertically...(knit 1 stitch A, 1 stitch B) to the end of the round, decreasing one stitch somewhere so that you have 68 stitches (divisible by 4)...

you will decrease 8 stitches every other round using 4 centered double decreases (sl 2, k1, p2sso)...Knit 14, slip two stitches knit-wise at the same time, knit one, pass the slipped stitches over the knit stitch (tutorial here)--repeat to end of round...

on subsequent decrease rounds,  mark the center stitch, then knit to within one stitch of the marked stitch and make your double decrease...eventually you will need to change to double-pointed needles, of course...

when you have 12 stitches left, break your yarn, thread a darning needle with the tail of color A, pull through the stitches, and secure well...

block however you wish...I prefer wet-blocking when working with wool.

© 2013 pamela w allen...please do not copy without my permission

questions?  problems?  don't hesitate to contact me!!!

2013...

wishing you a 2013

filled with

 peace

and

wonder

merci a scrap.moments