Super Delicious Giveaway!

Hey there, boys and girls! It's giveaway time - just cuz! I have two types of my quality recycled yarn (available at my store, Howard Knits) to give away - another 770 yards of the silk/viscose/alpaca/cashmere blend that was featured in the previous giveaway and 990 yards of a 100% cotton in a cool denim blue color.

This worsted weight 72% silk/13% viscose/10% alpaca/5% cashmere blend is super soft and a dream to work with. 770 yards should give you plenty to make some mitts and a hat, an amazing cabled scarf, or whatever you dream of.

This multi-ply chunky weight 100% cotton would make some great mesh bags, a few cool wash cloths, or a heavy tee. Course, you could make whatever you want with it!

There are three ways to enter:

1) Leave me a comment about what attracts you to a blog. What really makes you want to read longer or dig deeper? What really turns you off? In other words, in your opinion, what makes a blog perfect?

2) Sign up to be a follower and tell me in a separate comment. If you are already a follower, let me know that, too, in a separate comment.

3) Blog about the giveaway and link back to your announcement in a separate comment.

I will pick a winner using a random number generator next Monday and announce the lucky winner in the blog! So get going, win some yummy yarn, and knit or crochet something amazing!

In The Bag

I though I'd give you a look inside my knitting (which is temporarily my crochet) bag.

I have decided to crochet a blanket, as it is National Crochet Month. The yarn is Lion Brand and Cookies and Cream cotton. I've found that Cookies and Cream splints quite easily, especially when subjected to a crochet hook, but it is inexpensive, soft, and comes in some really great colors. The blanket is being done in a double crochet stitch with random striping throughout. The varigated cream/blue and solid cream will be the predominate colors (done in 5 to 7 row stripes), as this is what I have the most of. The other yarns will be stitches as one or two row stripes. What you end up with is similar to the cotton blankets that you can buy at the linen store, but with cooler colors and stripes. Will post some photos as it gets a little bigger.

Also in my bag are a blue pouch that holds tapestry needles, a tape measure, more hooks, stitch markers, a small pair of scissors, a pen and pencil, and whatever paraphanalia that I think I need. The grenn book is a graph paper pad which I use to sketch designs and come up with cable patterns. Behind it is a copy Interweave Knitting Accessories 2009, which I happen to be perusing at the moment. On the bottom you'll find a ruler (for figuring yarn weights) and a pair of Susan Bates 7mm aluminum needles. I think I have a small skein of waste yarn in there, too.

So that what I've got in the bag! What are the essentials that you carry with you? So you have a special bag? I'd love to know!

Hundreth Post Yarn Giveaway!!

For my hundreth post, I'm excited to offer a yarn giveaway. This yarn is from my inventory of recycled yarns that I sell on etsy at Howard Knits. I recycle only top quality sweaters with luxury yarns. The only disadvantage that I have found about recycled yarn is that manufacturers use knots to do joins, so they are occassionally encountered in the yarn. But I would never offer up yarn that I wouldn't knit with myself, and this yarn is AMAZING!



Should you win, the yarn you will receive is a dove grey 70% silk/15% cotton/15% cashmere blend. You will get a total of 810 yards (divided into two skeins). At 15 wpi, it is appropriate for any project that calls for a sport/DK weight yarn.



The yarn is dry clean only.

If you tried to buy similar yarn at yarnmarket.com, you'd spend at least $80 for this much yardage. You'll get this for free! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below about what you would like to make with this yarn. I always love to see what other people are thinking about knitting!



On Thursday, I will use a random number generator to determine the winner. So let the commenting begin! Good luck! And thanks for sharing my hundreth post with me!


LisaWynnMist, photobucket

The Morgan Hat

I promised my mom that I would knit her a hat, something unique. What I cam up with is a reversible cap with a stylized brim. Decide which side you like, and wear that side!



The brim takes the most time, and, quite frankly, it's not all that tough. From there, it's just stockingette stitch with a few decreases here and there. It's also a hat that would work equally well for a man (although, not in pink, like here). I would, however, cast on 4 to 8 stitches more.

The Brim is made from a lovely reversible pattern that you can see above, and the reverse side below. The reverse almost looks like a cable, but it is just a series of knit and perl stitches.



I used a recycled dehaired angora coupled with Lion Brand cotton to create a chunky yarn. Other appropriate selections would be Extra Fine Merino Chunky by Jaeger or Newport by Classic Elite.



Gauge: 16 stitches/4 inches
Yarn: Heavy Worsted Weight
One Skein ought to do it
Needle size: one 10-1/2 circular or 4 10-1/2 dpns

ybk = yarn to back

Cast on 88 stitches.

Brim:
Rows 1, 3, and 5: P
Row 2: *P2 tog but leave stitches on LHN, ybk, Ktog same 2 stitches, rep from* to end
Row 4: P, *P2 tog but leave sitiches on LHN, ybk, Ktog same 2 stitches, rep from * to last stitch, P

Continue rows 1 - 5 for 3 inches.

Place stitch marker at beginning for rows.
Next row: *P7, P2 tog, rep from * to end
Remaining rows: P

Continue in this manner for 7 inches

Crown decrease:
Row 1: *P6, P2 tog, rep from* to end
Row 2: P
Row 3: *P5, P2 tog, rep from* to end
Row 4: P

Continue in this manner until 6 - 8 stitches remain. Run yarn through remaining stitches, ties off, and using tapestry needle, weave tail into knitting.

Viola! You are done

Note: When knitting the decrease rows, you may find a few extra stitches at the end of the row. Perl these, then continue with pattern.

Hope you enjoy the pattern, let me know if you have problems, and have fun!