Archive for the ‘Hats 'n Caps’ Category

In the season

I’m absolutely amazed at how fast November went by! I literally posted once, and I do apologize for those that visit. I spent most of my day upgrading my site and changing things around. Right now, the theme has changed and is set in a “Victorian Christmas” theme. I’ve always loved the Victorian Christmas style and when I found this template, I just had to use it. Over the next few days I’ll be customizing it, adding different links and buttons, to make it all my own.

Since a good amount of time has passed since my last post, I do have so much to share, but will do so in different posts so as not to have one UBER long post.

First, look at this yummy yarn

This is Mirasol Nuna yarn, that I picked up for a special project at my LYS, Green Planet Yarn. This yarn is so soft and scrumptous, I just love it!

It’s 40% Merino Wool, 40% Silk, and 20% Bamboo, want to know what this lovely yarn grew up to be???

This is the Reykjavik hat from Through The Loops designer Kirsten Kapur, she is one of my fave designers in the Knitty world and I absolutely love this pattern. It’s quick to knit and will definitely get you into the mood for this season!

Pattern: Reykjavik Hat by Kirsten Kapur
Source: Through the Loops
Yarn: Mirasol Nuna
Blend: 40% Merino Wool, 40% Silk, 20% Bamboo
Needles: US 5
Started: 11/22/2009
Finished: 11/25/2009
Measurements:18’ at the brim, and from edge of hat to tip of hat it’s about 22’. With the Pom-Pom it’s almost 23’ long.
Mods:None
Notes: This is unblocked, I might block lightly to loosen it a bit, but otherwise unblocked it fits snug.
Raverly Project Link

Before I leave you, here’s a sneak peak at what’s to come in future posts:
Status on Bulky Shrug, My Monkey’s, Socktoberfest Mystery KAL 2009, Fall Vest 2009, http://www.ravelry.com/projects/RockyMoreno/karma-tank, Elm Row, Stop Drop & Weave Scarf, New Moon Knitted Bracelet and new projects like Mystere, Alice Mittens, Kirigami, and more…. ooh, and stash enhancements!

Good Things

I received my Franken Socks kit from Woolgirl last week, and it had all kinds of goodies and sqooshy yarn!

Look at all those goodies, and do you see that Frankenstein stitch marker made by Wee Ones? Totally cute. The yarn colors are cool and perfect for Franken Socks. It’s 1 skein of Mis Babs Superwash Merino 100% wool, hand-painted yarn in colorway “Yummy” with accompanying color for the heel, 133 yds.

Here’s a few more pics of the goodies:

Another package, though it was a surprise, was my “Love Bites 2″ Swap package received from my secret swapper, Mollie Bug on Ravelry.

Mollie Bug on Ravelry by RockyMoreno, on Flickr”>

She included the cutest “Edward” Amigurumi pattern! I gotta make this guy, then I’ll have Edward all to myself *-) She also included local yarn from her area, Virginia, from Indy-dyer David Simpson. It is just gorgeous! 490 yards of 100% Kona Superwash Merino in Fingering weight, colorway “Burress”.

And look at this Bella hat, so pretty! And I love the black tweed color, fits perfect and definitely a knit to wear. I faved this on Ravelry not long ago, and she found my fave to make. I’m still gona make one, but I just love hers.

And, the cutest Twilight stitch markers! Check these out!

Phew, so much good stuff!!! A big thank you to Mollie Bug!

Ok a new venture I’m taking on lately, knitting jewelry. I’m trying recreate a gorgeous bracelet I received from Gherkin on Ravelry. So far, so good, check out my progress:

It doesn’t look like much yet, but when I’m done I’ll form the beads to look sit nice and then add the clasp to close it. See the original, to the right?

I have so much more to share in the coming days, I’m now in high-gear for swaps, KALs, Fall knitting and yes, GIFT knitting

Hope everything is going spooky well!

~Rocky

The Aztec

The Aztec is a beanie I designed for my husband, and finally finished. I had actually been formulating a design I had in my head for a long time, but the first prototype ended up being frogged for several reasons.

The first thing I didn’t like when I initially started working the design was the yarn choice. It was originally Black Malabrigo, worsted weight, while I love Malabrigo, it just didn’t have the feel I was going for or the texture I wanted to really capture the pattern. Here’s the first one, the pattern was in the beginning stages, nothing original, nothing fancy, but it just didn’t work.

I frogged it and the project hibernated, until about a week ago. My husband had been asking me when I was going to knit his beanie, and I finally got back in the groove with the design. I was a bit discouraged from the first go around, but enough time had past that I could really get into it. I had this vision of cables, but cables that had a look like columns. Columns like that of Greek architecture:

The original pattern was just straight cables, your basic knits & purls. I switched up the stitch count and then let my husband pick a yarn from a few skeins I decided would be good for the pattern. He choose the Cascade Yarns Venezia Worsted yarn in Gray, which is Merino Silk, a blend of 70% Merino Wool and 30% Silk. It is very soft and warm, yet airy at the same time.

Here’s the final piece completed; I’ll be putting together the pattern and publishing it for free on Ravelry if anyone is interested in it. There are so many beanies out there that have cables, but this is a pattern I felt gave me the exact look I was going for.

I went for a “rope” looking brim, and it came out pretty neat. It’s one of the details I was quite happy with as the beanie took shape.

I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, and I’m going to knit another one, this time for my son, who fell in love with it, but prefers black.

I’ll post probably Tuesday with the new pattern and have another new project on the needles that I’m loving!

It’s the “Karma” tank from the Custom Knits book (fabolous book!)….

Oooh, and one last awesome tidbit, Twilight swept the MTV Awards! And the New Moon trailer is great, and a huge tease! I’ve added the trailer to my site, in the “Interesting” section!

What a surprise!

Today I came home for lunch, as I usually do to make me a quick bite to eat, and there was a package waiting for me. I was caught completely off guard as I had swaps going on and no orders I’m waiting for. What did I get?

My Aunt Virgie from Bremington, Washington sent me the best gift, just because It is my very own “Edward” Apple paperweight! I love it! Something so simple and little yet so wonderful! I, as you know, am a Twilight fan, and this is super. I’ve placed it atop the top shelf of my book case in my office next to all my other Twilight paraphernalia.

I’ll have to call my Auntie tomorrow to give her a HUGE thank you!

In other fibery news, what’s on new on my needles?

The “Aztec” beanie, this is my own design, I’m knitting this for my husband. I’m using Cascade Yarns Venezia Worsted Weight yarn in color #131. This yarn is Merino Silk; the color is an ash gray, perfect for a man. My husband named it “Aztec” because it reminds him of the Aztec calendar. I’ve been meaning to knit him a beanie of his own for awhile now, and I did try with a different yarn, Black Malabrigo yarn, but I just wasn’t getting the right stitch definition from the Malabrigo, so I frogged it.

I started this version the other day, but haven’t made much progress because I need shorter circulars, these are 24′inch, and it’s rather slow knitting because I to constantly adjust the stitches as I knit. I’ll be picking the right length US7’s up tomorrow to finish the “Aztec”. I really like the way the stitch definition is coming out with this yarn. I really can’t wait to get the right needles so I can finish this.

I’ll keep you posted on the progress of this, I hope to finish it this weekend, but I have allot planned that won’t involve knitting 8( We’ll see if I can squeeze in an FO!

Have a good weekend!

~Rocky

In a mellow mood

Lately I’ve been coveting more of the neutral colored yarns, the darks, but with a suttle hint of color. I visited Purlescence Yarns a few days ago, just needing to get a fix of yarnie goodness, and as dependable as can be, they always have such a good deep stock of BMF.

My stash is filled with lace, sock yarns, various amounts of worsted weight yarns, but not much of chunky or thicker yarns. There are a few projects that have caught my eye, and I need the thicker yarns to do it, say like a a litter thicker than your average worsted weight.

One of my little investments was Obsidian from Twisted BMF, it’s 560 yds. of pure 100% Merino softness, I fell in love when I saw it.

I can make more than a few things out of this one skein, or hank? What would you call it? I’ll have to dig up some of my saved “Planned Projects” patterns to start using this yarn. It will be quick and sweet satsifaction.

Another tidbit I’ve been just aching to get my hands on is the latest Knit1 mag, since you can’t subscribe to the mag you really need to stalk your local carriers, mine being Barnes and Noble or Michael’s, but it’s very hard to catch one of these left behind there, so Barnes it is for me. Hey, I don’t mind, any excuse to go to Barnes for me is a good one, I just love books.

One of my all time favorite designers, he’s classic but fresh, simple yet intricate with his designs, is Jared Flood. I read his blog, Brooklyn Tweed, religiously, and he mentioned that he’ll have his Relm Tam featured in the latest Knit1. Here’s this pretty tam…

I have some gorgeous yarn I picked up last year at Stitches West 2008, it is from a newer yarn provider, East Port Yarns. Their yarn is literally super soft and the colors are so gorgeous reminiscent of the classic victorian era. I’ll snap some pics of my EPY stash and show yah. I plan to use one of the skeins to make the Relm Tam.

Ooh, last but not least, one little scrumptous morsel left, I was “enabled” by a fellow RR member on Ravelry to visit this yarnie’s site Dude Yarn. I picked up 1 skein of 100% wool in “Sunday Driver Grey” isn’t that a cool name?

I’ll catch you later, it’s mid-week and I’m ready for the end of it.

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