31 May 2013

sunny yellow...



yellow has been on my mind...


bright, intense, vivid


yellow
jaune de chrome
giallo cromo


these clear, crisply-sunny days of late spring  somehow inspire a craving for this color...

fortunately, I found a wonderful yellow at the yarn shop...MillaMia's "daisy yellow" #142...


I cast on 84 stitches, and a few hours later...


a yellow hat

and soon a new pattern...stay tuned!

28 May 2013

sideways...



I love garter stitch running vertically on a garment, but had never made a hat knit sideways...

here is yesterday's experiment with the technique...


using some odd skein of multi-colored,
sport-weight wool, I cast on 35 stitches and worked eight wedges of short rows...
  

21 May 2013

donation request...



have you used any of my free patterns?

please, then, consider making a donation to the American Red Cross to help support their efforts to bring assistance to the victims of the recent tornadoes in the midwest...

every little bit counts...


thank you

18 May 2013

pour moi...



finished!




a boat-neck, raglan-sleeved tunic

knit in Berrco Ultra Alpaca

 inspired by Amy Miller's 







17 May 2013

teach your cables well...


another FREE pattern...yay!


this little cabled beanie was designed specifically for a class that I am teaching at the Mendocino Yarn Shop...



A simple, stretchy hat, it is easy to make and fun to wear.  Put a pom-pom on top or perhaps a big wool-y flower at the brim. 

The beanie, made as written, will fit an average teenage/adult head snuggly, but you can alter the size very easily.  If you need it larger, try knitting it in an aran weight at 4.5 stitches per inch.  Need a baby hat?  Use a sport-weight on size 3US needles.  For a toddler/child, knit one in a dk-weight at 5.5 stitches per inch. Need it longer?  Add a cable cross or elongate the cables by crossing the cables every 8th or 9th round!


happy knitting!





teach your cables well...
cabled beanie

by pamela w allen


Materials:

·         One skein worsted-weight yarn, preferably wool 
·         Size 6US (4mm) 16” circular needle (or size needed to obtain gauge)
·         Set of size 6US (4mm) double-pointed needles
·         Cable needle
·         Darning needle 

Gauge:  

5 stitches/7 rows per inch in stockinette stitch and 7 stitches per inch in cable rib pattern, un-stretched.  You can fudge a little bit on the gauge, by the way, because this fabric is quite stretchy.   Hat fits head up to 22".

Abbreviations: 

K—knit; P—purl;  K2tog—knit two together; P2tog—purl two together; 6CR—6-stitch right cable turn (slip three stitches to cable needle, hold in back of work, knit next three stitches, knit stitches from cable needleSL2-k1-pssoslip 2 stitches as if to knit at the same time, k1, pass the two slipped stitches over the knitted stitch together.

Directions:

With circular needle, using the long-tail or cable method, cast on 96 stitches.  Join to knit in round (careful not to twist!) and place marker.
1st round:   *K2, P2, K6, P2; repeat from * to end of round.
2nd – 6th rounds:   Repeat round 1.
7th round:  *K2, P2, 6CR, P2, repeat from * to the end of the round.
Continue knitting established pattern (rounds 1-7), until just before your sixth cable round.  Your work should measure about 6”.
Begin decreasing the crown on your sixth cable, round 7, as follows:  On each 6-stitch cable, slip 3 stitches to the cable needle, hold  in back of work, K1 , K2tog, knit the first two stitches from cable needle together, k1.  At the end of the round you will have 80 stitches on your needle.   Work three rounds, without decreasing (knit the knit stitches, purl the purl stitches). 
2nd decrease round: * K2, P2tog, K4, P2tog, repeat from * to end of round—64 stitches remain.   Work two rounds  without decreasing (knit the knit stitches, purl the purl stitches). 
3rd  decrease round:  * K2tog, P1, K4, P1, repeat from* to end of round —56 stitches remain.   Switch to double-pointed needles.
4th  decrease round:  K1, P1, put next two stitches on cable needle, hold in back, K2tog, knit two stitches from cable needle together, p1—repeat 7 times, but do not work the last purl stitch on the round —40 stitches remain. Remove marker.
5th decrease round: Work the last purl stitch of previous round with the next decrease round as follows:  *SL2-k1-psso, K2, continue from * to end of round—24 stitches remain.
6th decrease round:* K1, K2tog from * to end of round—16 stitches remain.
K2tog until you have 8 stitches left.  Break the yarn, leaving about 2”.  With a darning needle, pull yarn through the remaining 8 stitches.  Weave in ends, securing well. Wet block, being careful not to over-stretch the ribbing.


Et voilà !!!

© 2013 pamela w allen designs  
This free pattern may not to be used in any publication, nor should it be reproduced in electronic/digital format without my permission.


comments are always welcome...


12 May 2013

to all the mothers...





“Les bras d'une mère sont faits de tendresse et un doux sommeil bénit l'enfant qui s'y abandonne.”--Victor Hugo





11 May 2013

cables for beginners...



next week, I will be teaching a class on cables for beginning knitters at the 
Mendocino Yarn Shop...


it is, I believe, easier and more interesting to make something practical while learning a new technique, so I have written a little pattern for a cabled beanie that the students can make in the class while learning to twist those cables...


it has eight cables and a nicely shaped crown...

look for the pattern soon!

09 May 2013

pluscious baby cap pattern...

the pluscious hat...


designed by request for a customer's grandson...the hat needed to be totally washable and able to withstand the dryer...

the yarn is Pluscious, by Cascade...
100% polyester, completely machine washable, this yarn creates a plush, soft fabric that should be lovely for baby 
(though, honestly, I always prefer natural fibers)...


so...here is the pattern! for those times when you need a quick, cute baby gift for someone that you KNOW wants something that can go in the washer and dryer...

one skein of yarn should yield three little hats...make one for a friend and two for charity!



pluscious baby cap...
                             by pamela w allen




materials:


1-skein Pluscious by Cascade yarns
1-US8 (5mm) 16” circular
1-US8 (5mm) set of dpn’s
Darning/sewing needle
Four-hole button

directions:

Cast on 55 stitches. 
Rows 1-6:  Work back-and-forth in garter stitch.
Row 7:  Bind off 5, Knit to end.  Do not turn work.  Join to knit in round.
Work in stockinette, knitting every round, until work measures approximately 4 inches.
Crown shaping:
1st round:  *Knit 8, k2tog; repeat from *--45 stitches remain.
Even rounds:  Knit.
3rd round:  *Knit  7, k2tog;  repeat from *--40 stitches remain.
Continue to decrease  5 stitches every other round until you have 15 stitches, then decrease 5 stitches every round until 5 stitches remain.   K2tog, then knit the remaining 4 stitches in i-cord for 1-1.5 inches (or longer if you wish to knot it).  Break yarn, pull through stitches and secure well on inside.
Brim:  
Weave in ends.  Tack flap down.  Center the four-hole button over the flap and, using the Pluscious yarn, sew onto the band by crossing the stitches diagonally, creating a little “puff” in the center (as below).

 et voilà !!!

this pattern has not been test-knit...please let me know if you find an error!


pamela w allen designs


© 2013 pamela w allen designs... this pattern may be used for personal, non-commercial personal or charity use only. It is not to be used in any publication, nor should it be reproduced in electronic/digital format without written permission.


08 May 2013

pluscious baby hat...

Elaine asked me to make a wee cap for her new grandson...


it needed to be machine washable
and able to withstand the dryer...

she chose this yarn:


"Pluscious" by Cascade Yarns

not my favorite kind of yarn, to say the least, but the resulting hat is adorable...



free pattern tomorrow!!!


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