Finishing the Cherry Corners Quilt

Yup! I'm in the home stretch!  It has been quilted and the binding is machine sewn to the front. Now, I'm hand sewing the binding to the back!  Woot!

Norwegian Purl

Norwegian Purl saved my American butt!

And as funny as that statement is, I'm being extremely serious! I hated all ribbing and seed stitch and any other combo that involved purling. I actually tried to avoid it all costs because I am a continental knitter. This means that I hold my yarn in my left hand. And this is only because I was a crocheter long before I was a knitter.

So, back to Norwegian purling.

This stitch is so simple for me as a continental knitter because I am able to move more quickly through a project and I don't spend so much of my time dreading it. If you hate purling in the traditional method, try the Norwegian Purl, you won't be sorry.

Looking for Something Easy to Knit?

Every knitter/crocheter/sewer (so-err, not sue-err) is always on that constant hunt for the easy pattern to do over and over again without pattern papers laying everywhere and difficult calculations to memorize. Today's post focuses on my love for a knitting project that is so simple I'm currently on my fourth one in the last four weeks. If you are a Raveler the pattern is here: link. If you are anyone else, the pattern is here: link.

In Ravelry, the pattern is notably called A Hat Fit for a Boyfriend. Cute, to the point, and informative. This title tells you what you're knitting and who it should fit. Perfect for me. I have a large head, like the size of a man's head large. And I have LOTS of hair. So finding a hat knitting pattern that will cover my ears is not an easy feat.

During my first attempt I had fallen in love with the Broken Rib version of knitting. It's still as springy as basic ribbing, but it lays a little flatter and a little more open like stockinette. Essentially, it's the perfect mix of stockinette and ribbing. This stitch pattern worked great on this hat. And didn't look bad at all to boot. 1st Boyfriend Hat.

I decided I indeed loved this stitch pattern so much that I would just keep doing it. AND I DID! TWICE MORE! 2nd Boyfriend Hat 3rd Boyfriend Hat And I love it so much, I'm doing it again! 4th Boyfriend Hat

Here's what you need to know:

• Pattern is worked in the round
• A 16" circular OR DPN's OR 2 circulars OR knowledge of working an item flat and then sewing a seam is required. Note that if you use a single circular you will have to have DPN's to do the decreases with. Pattern calls for a US8, but you may change this to suit your needs
• Pattern is worked in Worsted Weight yarn, but can be worked in any weight yarn you so desire
• Pattern calls for 100 cast on stitches, but can be adjusted  by 10 stitches up or down depending on size you are aiming for
• As of this posting, Ravelry reports that this pattern has made it's way into 5,804 projects!

So, my advice to you is to just get it on. If the first one is to big for you, gift it to a man of your choice and lessen the cast on stitches to fit the next recipient (or just keep knitting for men). I stuck with the 100 in my first hat because I used a lighter weight yarn, but shrunk down to 80 stitches for the worsted weight. All of my hats fit my head and my kids' heads and my husband's head. Literally it is one size fits all. I should also tell you that I knit to 6" before the decreases (no exceptions) simply because we all like our ears covered. If that's not your preference, just knit to 5.5" and then decrease.

Until next time, toodles and oodles of noodles!

The Cardigan Fits. . .My Sister

The cardigan turned out beautifully. I learned to machine sew a button hole (I had always wondered how it was done) and a button (I always did mine by hand until today, much easier with a machine). I also learned that the V in a V-neck doesn't always line up in the middle (face palm). And since we're talking about learning, I learned that when you cut a T-shirt up the middle with the intent to turn it into a cardigan, make sure that it still comes across your boobs. Or you will have to donate it. To your sister. Whose boobs are smaller.

So, enough with the learning, let's discuss tips. I have none, other than the boob thing. And since there are no tips, I'll post pictures. Yay for pictures!