Christmas FO: Reflective Sweatbands

Believe it or not this is my final Christmas project to post about! It only took over a month to post them all, but By Golly I did it, lol. So endure this final small project and you will be rewarded with non-Christmas sewing soon :)

My brother-in-law, Nick, was a bit of a mystery when it came to figuring out something I could make for him. He's a fairly no-nonsense guy and he lives in a warm climate. My sister didn't think he would really use a hat, so we both deliberated and came up with a kind of silly idea: Reflective Sweatbands.

Hear me out now - Nick is somewhat of a runner and he occasionally will do that running when the sun is not out. He wears a reflective vest at such times, so I thought he might like to accessorize. I've had this reflective yarn in my stash for months and I could never figure out anything to use it for, so this fit the bill perfectly. Instead of looking for a pattern on these, I just used my go-to hat pattern (Basic Hat by Ooo Baby Knits - a free pattern) and I cast on the number of stitches for the largest size hat and only knitted the ribbing. I believe I did 4 rows of black with 8 rows of yellow and another 4 rows of black all in k2p2 rib - super easy. For the wristbands, I just took the finished headband and stretched it around my hand to see what was comfy - I believe it was something like 40 stitches with getting over the hand - and did the same thing so they would all match.

The finished products were well received for their humor as well as their usefulness. Nick decided to immediately model them and he wore the headband most of the night. Check out how that yarn lights up with the flash from the camera! Isn't that cool?! lol I'm easily amused. The black yarn was just some worsted weight acrylic I got at a thrift store and the yellow is I Love This Yarn Reflective in Yellow Glow from Hobby Lobby (I grabbed a few skeins when they were being discontinued this summer).

Luke was thrilled by his dad's gift as well and wanted to try out the wristbands. He put them on and immediately started dancing. I guess wristbands just give a party type vibe...

I'm told that Luke will still occasionally put on the set and wear them around the house to play, lol. Who knew a toddler would love a sweatband set, amiright?

So there you have it - my entirely me-made Christmas gift collection from 2015. None of the gifts were very complicated, but I can't help but feel proud of what I was able to produce :) And it doesn't hurt that the recipients were all pleased with their presents too. It's really nice to see the items you spend your time making get used in the real world by someone other than yourself, you know?

Anyway, I promise that the next project post will NOT be Christmas related, lol.

FO Round-up: Christmas Edition #1

I hope that everyone had a fun Christmas this year :) I know I'm a bit late in reporting on all my finished projects, but it's been that crazy time of year. I'm happy to report that I finished almost all the items I originally planned to make up - pretty awesome! I guess I made a good choice in starting my projects in October, lol. The above photo is my immediate family on Christmas Eve - see where I get it from? 

Instead of doing an FO post for each item, I've decided to break them up into groups, so you can expect to see several of these posts for the next week. So, here goes ...

I made my sister, Kelly, a pair of mittens. This was my first ever mitten making experience, and aside from the cuff not being quite long enough they came out great. I used the Fastest Mittens pattern by PetitBeurre Knits, a free pattern on Ravelry. I didn't specifically pick this pattern because they were "fastest" - they were just the shape I wanted at the time. Originally I had planned on making these those mittens where you can hold your child's hand and both of your hands stay covered, but right when I was making the kid mittens my sister saw the toddler sized one and said, "Why would you make my kid mittens? We live in Florida!" - you can see why I decided not to proceed, right? lol I was afraid she would think this was a pointless gift, but the mittens were already made. She did like them though, so there's that. I used SMC Northern Worsted Wool in Lilac for these (from my stash) and this yarn worked up really nicely. I test drove the first mitten while walking the dog one night and I can attest that they are nice and warm. The pattern was very simple, but it if you use it yourself I would be careful of the distance between the ribbing and the thumb hole. I was worried at the time that it was too short, and it did end up being too short - I should have trusted my instincts. It doesn't make them unwearable or anything, just something I will pay attention to next time around.

My sister, Marisa, requested sewn headbands. I've already knitted her several to be worn in the cold, but she wanted some she could wear in any temperature. I really had no more specifics from her and I didn't want to give away what her gift would be, so I just made a variety of thicknesses in different fabrics. All of these fabrics were in my scrap bag, so this was a very efficient project. Even my elastic was from the stash. The one with the jockeys on it (she likes horses so I thought she would be amused) is reversible and has light blue on the underside. It turns out that her favorite one is the pink leopard print one, not just for the pattern but for the thickness. Now I know what she likes for next time :) I was able to make all of these in one evening, probably about 3 hours total. It was a nice project and she seemed to like them.

This was another project that I loved at first and then got really worried that the recipient would not like it. My sister, Shannon, lives in Japan so she is really the only family member that could use any truly warm accessories (it actually snows in Tokyo). Also when I planned this hat, she was told she would have to move to Minot, North Dakota - talk about cause for lots of wooly items! I've always loved the Escargot pattern, a free cloche hat on Knitty, but I never wear hats myself so I hadn't made it yet. I thought she might like the design too, so I whipped it up for her. It's a crazy pattern! You cast on the brim of the hat as well as the length you need for the spiral and knit back and forth (not in the round) for quite a while. You cause the spiral to curl over on itself as you knit with well placed decreases, then you join and knit the rest of the hat in the round. I finished the actual knitting of this in just a few days while watching tv, but then I procrastinated the blocking and sewing the spiral down for a month of two, lol. I was really happy with it when it was finished, but sadly it ended up a bit big (womp womp). She still likes the hat though, and it's a style that really doesn't have to be tight so I think it will still get worn. I used all wool for this hat in preparation for Minot (which now is not happening) - the gray is Lion Brand Lion Wool in Pearl Gray and the purple variegated is Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Alpine Pearl. Both of these yarns came from a thrift store (I know, right?!), so this was a very economical project.

This project is the only one that I didn't finish in time, but it was absolutely not for lack of trying! My brother specifically requested a brain hat - he had seen one on Facebook and thought it was awesome. I saw it and knew I would go crazy knitting so much i-cord, so I looked for a crocheted alternative and found the Brainy Maniac pattern in the Sept/Oct 2010 issue of Crochet Today magazine - which I happened to have :) I will confess I procrastinated this thinking it would be a very quick project since it was crocheted, so I didn't start until a few days before Christmas. I finished the actual beanie in a few hours - it's just single crochet, totally easy. Then you have to start the ruffles for the brain ... the pattern shows you the strange squiggle that you need to make your stitches in to give that "brain quadrant" look - it took some playing around, but I got there in the end. Then you just single crochet along that line you made - when you reach the end, you sc 2 in each stitch all the way back again - then you sc 2 in each stitch again for the third row - then you sc 2 in each stitch AGAIN for the fourth row. The line looks more brainy with each round, but holy cow does that end up being a lot of stitches! As I was finishing the final row on the left frontal lobe (I already had the right one made) ... I ran out of yarn! I used Vanna'c Choice in Dusty Rose for the beanie and in Linen for the "brains" - I had 1.6 skeins of the Linen in my stash, so I figured it would be no problem to make it up with what I had. I was definitely wrong. I still am in amazement at how much yarn it took for the ruffles AND I HADN'T DONE THE BACK HALF YET! It was crazy. I gave it to him as is and promised to finish later on...

But he loved it as it was! lol He kept calling it his "George Washington Wig" (he was wearing it backwards so the pink part looked like his forehead). I've got the yarn now, but he says he may just want to keep it that way, lol. I think it's pretty funny. He may change his mind and want a brain later on, but at the moment he's happy with his weirdly curly wig.

So that's the first installment of Christmas gifts I made - stay tuned for more in the coming week!

WIP Wednesday: Sweater Progress

I was fortunate to have a large amount of knitting time yesterday, which means ... I finished my sweater back!

 I'm seriously excited by how quickly I was able to make this - and I even messed up last night and had to pull out 14 rows and do them again! I started with the second skein on Tuesday night in Jacksonville, knitted some on the drive home yesterday, then relaxed with the hubs last night and finished it :) I also blocked the edges so you could see the sides.

This is a close up on the eyelet detail at the raglan sleeve hole. I still need to block it more, but you get the idea. Plus I'm sure it the holes will open up a lot more with the weight of the rest of the sweater when its worn. I'm honestly surprised that it's going so quick and I can't wait to have a finished sweater :)

My sister in Japan also requested a leaf headband, and thanks to the long Downton Abbey premier on Sunday night I was able to finish it :) It's technically still a wip though because I need to sew on a button, lol.

So that's what I've been up to lately. To see what others are up to in the yarn world, check out Tami's Amis' blog.

FO Friday: Christmas Gift Edition

Since I have utterly failed at posting my finished objects as I finished them this month, I figured I would just put them all together in one epic post today :) Just to warn you, this is a long one, but there are plenty of pictures.

First up is my husband's birthday hat. I actually finished this in November and never posted it  here.

It's all just knit in k2p2 rib until the decreases at the top. He chose the color and everything, although he has yet to wear it, lol.

I love looking at the nice swirl going on at the top. It was incredibly easy to make and I hope my husband enjoys it.

Next up is the Hello Kitty for my sister. Isn't she cute?! Honestly I couldn't be happier with how it came out. The face may have given me some trouble, but the rest went very smoothly.

And the back shot. I love that she has thumbs! I will probably use that technique on other animals to come just because it's so cute.

I freehand-designed the dress myself. I was really going for the classic Hello Kitty and I just couldn't find any patters already out there that were right. So, I started off with foundation single crochet and made a strand long enough to go around her hips. I just went up and down from there, connecting and decreasing/increasing, etc. I'm really happy with its shape.

Also for Shannon, I made this Hello Kitty style headband, lol. She's in Japan, so I think this will help her fit right in, don't you? I used this free pattern for the headband and then just used circles overlapped for the bow. Embroidering the black took some patience, but it paid off.

Here is another requested item. My sister Marisa's Lattice Cowl. This baby has 2.3 skeins of Lion Brand Hometown USA! I had to go buy a third skein a few weeks after buying the initial 2 skeins, and do you think Walmart still had any of the same dye lot? Of course they didn't. So, the front section is a slightly different color in certain lighting. Hopefully she likes it other than that. I think it matches the inspiration photo really well :)

The buttons all come undone and can be fastened pretty much anywhere you want since it's all double crochet.

I also finished the broomstick lace scarf for my mother-in-law. I'm really loving how it came out and I really have a new found respect for Lion Brand Microspun yarn. At first i hated working with it, but I've really become attached to it now. It drapes so nicely!

I added a picot edging just for extra flare.

And the scarf was started in foundation single crochet so I was able to neatly pick up to do the edge. It looks a little different than the other side, but honestly I don't think anyone but a knitter/crocheter would notice.

In EPIC news, I was able to finish my Red Rosie Hat! It was a small miracle, and one that convinced me that I needed a set of Knitter's Pride Dreamz interchangeable needles :) I was really having a problem with the Boye fixed circular I was using, but I ordered the Knitter's Pride Comby Set to see which type of needle set I wanted for Christmas from my parents. It just so happened that the set included a size 8 which is what this hat needed, so I just switched over to that new needle and had a grand time. It's amazing the difference when you have really flexible cables while you're trying to do magic loop knitting.

This is the Rosie Hat pattern from Knit Lab: Hats Four Ways class on Craftsy. It's my first experience with magic loop knitting, cables, a purl background, blocking on a plate, and my Knitter's Pride needle :) I love how all the cables converge in the center - it's so pretty!

And here it is from the bottom just for good measure. I haven't gotten to get pics of me wearing it yet, but hopefully they are to come soon. Also, the yarn is a much deeper red than it shows up in there photos - these shots make it look red/orange but it's more red/blue. It's made in Cascade 220 Superwash in Ruby.

I also finished the ties for my latest wig :) I can't wait to unveil this project, but I have a few more wigs to make first.

And last but not least, my FINAL HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS GIFT - the Bobble Beard Beanie for my brother, Briggs. He specifically requested this, I made it all except the last 1/2 of the last round of the beard because I ran out of yarn. Luckily, I was able to swing by Joann's on Wednesday night and grab a new skein of the brown yarn, phew, and I finished this up last night.

I altered the pattern so that the beard is removable. I added button loops to the corners on the beard and buttons to the inside of the ribbing on the beanie. The result looks pretty good, I must say :) I'm excited to see he face when he opens it!

So that's pretty much what my last few months of knitting and crocheting has looked like, lol. If you want to see what others have finished this week, head over to Tami's Amis' blog!

Knitting Update: Hot Pink Leaf Headband

This is a project I completed back in June and never blogged, lol, you can't rush these things, right? Plus a headband isn't nearly as exciting as a stuffed animal, imo. This is yet another Leaf Headband, and this pattern is turning into a tried and true.

This is the Blue Leaf Headband pattern which is Free on Ravelry. Since this is my 3rd time making it up, I think I have it all figured out. This one was actually made as a bargaining tool ... for my little sister, lol. My sister Marisa wanted some cute bows for her hair and our long time friend Tatia is a bow pro. Tatia said that in return for her bow making services, she wanted a headband. So Marisa quickly volunteered me to make one, lol, what can I say? I'm a nice big sister. Plus I like making these and needed a project at the time.

I made this up in Red Heart With Love in the Hot Pink colorway. I already had this color in my stash and Tatia requested a bright pink - hopefully she likes it this bright because she definitely got what she asked for ha ha. I made this one with the button hole option and I used a pretty gold shank button from my stash. I really like how the button compliments the hot pink.

I always love to look up close at the lace pattern on this headband. It's so pretty but so simple.

So, there's one more headband done. This will be mailed off soon now since it will start to get pretty chilly in up Utah. Tatia - I hope you like it!

Knitting Update: The Plumbing Headband

Don't let the weird title make you think this is a weird project :) After making my sister, Marisa, her gray headband last month, she requested I make her a black one too. With all the moving and whatnot, I haven't had enough time to devote to even starting it until now. Last Friday, I had to have extensive plumbing work done on the house - as in there were 3 men working from 1:15 pm til 6:00 pm and they still didn't finish it all so they have to come back this week - so, I had a whole 5 hours to kill while they were here. I didn't want to do anything to intense (I mean, there were strangers in my house ... come on...), so I decided to listen to the entire audiobook of The Great Gatsby while knitting this headband. I guess I could just as easily call this "The Gatsby Headband", but that's not as funny :)

It kind of blends in with her hair color at the moment, but it looks cute in person :)

I used the same Blue Leaf Headband pattern (free on Ravelry) and also the same yarn (Vanna's Choice in Black) and had a blast. It was much easier to start this time around and the edges look much better than the gray one. Now that I've practiced on Marisa, I could make a nicer one for myself lol. Just kidding. 

The only change I made to this headband was that I added a button hole, which also means...

A button! I chose a vintage pearly plastic button for a little contrast. It's kind of a tan-ish white color and I rather like it. I like the look of the button so much more than just sewed together like the gray one. It looks more finished and more professional imho. 

So, there's another small knitting project completed :) I really need to get cracking with my larger projects and finish them up! These little quick and easy projects are just so gratifying!

Knitting Update: I Made A Headband!

A few weeks ago my little sister sent me a photo of a knitted headband and asked if I could make her some. I was so shocked that she would be asking me for a knitted item that of course I said yes :) It took a week or so to find the pattern, but it turned out to be the Blue Leaf Headband by Adrienne Krey and it is even a Free pattern on Ravelry :) I started it last weekend, but kept messing up on the beginning (user error - I wasn't reading the pattern enough) so I would pull it out and start afresh. I only got a few inches done then. Yesterday, Justin had to have a procedure done on his back where he would have to be heavily sedated - meaning I needed to drive him and wait in the waiting room for a few hours. Perfect time to get a little knitting done!

This is such a cute and easy pattern! It only took me about 2 hours total to make (once I finally read the pattern correctly), and it was really fun to do. I love little projects because they give great satisfaction in such a short amount of time :)

Since Marisa requested gray, I dug through my stash and she chose this Vanna's Choice in Charcoal. I actually really like this yarn for this project. If it was really soft, it wouldn't hold its place in her hair. If it was more rough, it wouldn't feel comfortable on her ears. Also, she can wash this and not have to worry about ruining it like she would with real wools.

I love that it looks braided and also has the lace details. It looks much more complicated than it is and I always love that. It's all just knit, purl, ssk, k2tog and make 1. You have to pay attention to the make 1s because there is a M1R and M1L - both different and described in the pattern. I kept doing the wrong m1 each time and that's why I had to keep starting over.

I'm really happy with how this little guy came out and I'm actually excited to make her another one once I get the yarn - this time she wants black. I didn't know before today, but she is actually leaving tomorrow to visit her boyfriend in West Virginia, so I really finished this at the perfect time! Don't you just love it when that happens?