Free Patterns!

I now have official patterns offered on Ravelry! They're both free and in pdf format with color pictures. I'm currently working on a new one that I think I'll offer for sale. It's taking some time to work out the design I see in my head, but once I do, I think it'll be nice. I'm pretty excited about it!

The Rotini Hat is here.



The Flame Chevron Scarf is here.

Rotini Hat Pattern

This cute little hat was very easy to make. I had seen other hats based on a rectangle and I sat down to design something fun and different. I wasn't in the mood for pompoms or tassels, and these crocheted pigtails were a perfect solution. They remind me of rotini pasta, hence the name. The pattern is listed below and is available for free. This is not for commercial distribution or profit.

Ravelry link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rotini-hat

The example below was knit with Dream in Color Classy "Happy Forest" and Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted "Rainbow" (both Aran weight superwash wool) on US6's. Finished dimensions are 16" circumference and 6.5" height. Using the calculations below, this hat can be sized for anyone from newborn to adult.







Materials:

Worsted, sport or baby weight yarn in main and contrasting colors - this is easily adaptable to any yarn
Appropriate knitting needle for yarn weight
Crochet hook one to two sizes smaller than needles

Knit a stockinette gauge swatch. When you know your stitches per inch, multiply that by the number next to the desired size to determine how many stitches to cast on.

Example: for a newborn, if your gauge is 5 stitches per inch, 5*6 = 30 stitches to cast on

1/2 of hat circumference (inches):
Newborn: 6
3-6 months: 7
6-12 months: 8
12 months - 3 years: 9
3-10 years: 9.5
Young adult: 10
Adult woman: 10
Adult man: 11

Using main color, cast on the required number of stitches using long tail cast on.

Knit in stockinette:
All odd rows: knit
All even rows: purl

Continue knitting until the rectangle is the appropriate length in inches. (Fig 1)

Newborn: 11-12
3-6 months: 13-14
6-12 months: 15
12 months - 3 years: 16
3-10 years: 17
Young adult: 18-20
Adult woman: 22
Adult man: 22-23

Fold the hat in half to locate the midpoint of each side. Use a crochet hook and the contrasting color in the selvedge edge at the midpoint. Each side gets two pigtails. (see Fig 2)

Step 1: 3 single crochet (sc) in one stitch to create the foundation for the pigtails
Step 2: chain 12
Step 3: 5 double crochet (dc) in each chain stitch, beginning with second chain from end (50 stitches)
Step 5: sc in next stitch from step 1
Step 6: repeat steps 2 to 5 to make the second pigtail
Step 7: Bind off and cut yarn

Repeat on other side. (see Fig 3)

Note: If you don't know how to crochet, you can knit the pigtails, but crochet is MUCH easier and gives a better result.

To knit pigtails:

Cast on 50 using long tail cast on.
Row 1: Purl all stitches
Row 2: Knit all stitches
Row 3: Purl 5 together (purl 4 together at minimum)
Row 4: bind off knitwise, break yarn leaving a long piece for sewing to hat.

Repeat three times to make two pigtails per side.

Fold the hat in half and sew the side seams together. To seam, I used the main color yarn and a crochet hook. I seamed using crochet slip stitch with wrong sides together to create a decorative seam down each side. (see Fig 4)

Note: If you would prefer to knit in the round, cast on double the stitches and only knit half the length. The seam will be along the top of the hat and will require a three-needle bind off.

The stockinette creates a cute little rolled brim and is simple enough to let the pigtails stand out.

Fig 1:



Fig 2:



Fig 3:



Fig 4:



Copyright 2008

Hemlock Ring Blanket Pattern

As already mentioned, the original pattern is here: http://www.angelfire.com/folk/celtwich/KnitHemlockRing.html or on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hemlock-ring-blanket.

I've rewritten it for myself below to replace the sl 1, k1, psso's (also known as skp's) with ssk's. I also changed the repeat bracketing so that each round lists one repeat. The original was harder for me to read and this makes sense. Each round repeats the pattern eight times.

Hemlock Ring Blanket Pattern

(Original from Crocheted and Knitted Doilies, Book 184, Canadian Spool Cotton Company, 1942)

If using Cascade 220 held double, use US10 needles.

Cast on 8 sts and spread around three double-pointed needles. Suggest Emily Ocker cast on (http://www.spellingtuesday.com/circular_co.html) using a loose loop around one finger and a crochet hook to form the cast on stitches.

Change to circular needles when dpn’s become unwieldy – easiest on a knit row between rows 15 and 24.

Ssk – slip two stitches individually as if to knit, then insert left needle through front loops and knit them together.
R = Round

** Alternate double decrease: Instead of sl1, k2tog, psso, a double decrease can be used. To do, slip 2 together as if to knit (like a k2tog), k1, pass the two slipped stitches over. This makes a centered decrease instead of a slanting one. See http://minou14.livejournal.com/9139.html for photos.

All pattern rows repeat 8 times unless otherwise noted.

R 1: knit
R 2: knit
R 3: (yo, k1)
R 4, 5, 6: knit
R 7: (yo, k1) – 16 times
R 8, 9, 10, 11, 12: knit
R 13: (k2tog, 2yo, ssk)
R 14: (k1, drop 1 yo, work 9 stitches in next yo [to do - (k1, p1) 4 times, k1], k1)
R 15 – 24: knit
R 25: (yo, k11)
R 26 and all even Rs: knit
R 27: (yo, k1, yo, k11)
R 29: (yo, k3, yo, k4, (sl 1, k2tog, psso), k4)
R 31: (yo, k1, yo, (sl 1, k2tog, psso) yo, k1, yo, k3, (sl 1, k2tog, psso), k3)
R 33: (yo, k3, yo, p and k in next stitch, yo, k3, yo, k2, (sl 1, k2tog, psso), k2)
R 35: (yo, k1, yo, (sl 1, k2tog, psso), yo, k4, yo, (sl 1, k2tog, psso), (yo, k1 – twice), (sl 1, k2tog, psso), k1)
R 37: (yo, k3, yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo, k3, yo, (sl 1, k2tog, psso))
R 39: (yo, k1, yo, (sl 1, k2 tog, psso), yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo, (sl 1, k2tog, psso), (yo, k1 - twice))
R 41: ((yo, k3 – twice), ssk, k2tog, (k3, yo- twice), k1)
R 43: (yo, k1, yo, (sl 1, k2tog, psso), yo, k3, ssk, k2tog, k3, yo, (sl 1, k2tog, psso), (yo, k1 - twice))
R 44, 45, 46: knit
R 47: (yo, k1 – twice), yo, k3, ssk twice, k2tog twice, k3, (yo, k1 – 3 times))
R 48, 49, 50, 51: knit
R 52: ((yo, k1 – 4 times), ssk 3 times, k2tog 3 times, k1, (yo, k1 – 4 times)
R 53, 54, 55, 56: knit
R 57: ((yo, k1 – 5 times), ssk 3 times, k2tog 3 times, k1, (yo, k1 – 5 times))
R 58, 59, 60, 61 – knit
R 62: ((yo, k1 – 5 times), yo, ssk 4 times, k2tog 4 times, (yo, k1 – 6 times))
R 63, 64, 65, 66: knit
R 67: ((yo, k1 – 6 times), k1, ssk 4 times, k2tog 4 times, k2, (yo, k1 – 6 times))
R 68, 69, 70, 71: knit
R 72: ((yo, k1 – 7 times), ssk 5 times, k2tog 5 times, k1, (yo, k1 – 7 times))
R 73, 74, 75, 76: knit
R 77: ((yo, k1 – 7 times), yo, ssk 6 times, k2tog 6 times, (yo, k1 – 8 times))
R 78, 79, 80, 81: knit
R 82: ((yo, k1 – 8 times), k1, ssk 6 times, k2tog 6 times, k2, (yo, k1 – 8 times)
R 83, 84, 85, 86: knit

(Updated 4/21/08) The pattern originally binds off on row 87. Additional rounds below were originally written by Mary White from the Yahoo KAL. I rewrote them in the format above and changed the skp's to ssk's.

R 87: ((yo, k1 – 9 times), ssk 7 times, k2tog 7 times, k1, (yo, k1 – 9 times)) [408 sts]
R 88, 89, 90, 91: knit
R 92: ((yo, k1 – 9 times), yo, ssk 8 times, k2tog 8 times, (yo, k1 – 10 times)) [440 sts]
R 93, 94, 95, 96: knit
R 97: ((yo, k1 – 10 times), k1, ssk 8 times, k2tog 8 times, k2, (yo, k1 – 10 times)) [472 sts]
R 98, 99, 100, 101: knit
R 102: ((yo, k1 – 11 times), ssk 9 times, k2tog 9 times, k1, (yo, k1 – 11 times)) [504 sts]
R 103, 104, 105, 106: knit
R 107: ((yo, k1 – 11 times), yo, ssk 10 times, k2tog 10 times, (yo, k1 – 12 times)) [536 sts]
R 108, 109, 110, 111: knit
R 112: ((yo, k1 – 12 times), k1, ssk 10 times, k2tog 10 times, k2, (yo, k1 – 12 times)) [568 sts]
R 113, 114, 115, 116: knit
R 117: ((yo, k1 – 13 times), ssk 11 times, k2tog 11 times, k1, (yo, k1 – 13 times)) [600 sts]
R 118, 119, 120, 121: knit
R 122: ((yo, k1 – 13 times), yo, ssk 12 times, k2tog 12 times, (yo, k1 – 14 times)) [632 sts]
R 123, 124, 125, 126: knit
R 127: ((yo, k1 – 14 times), k1, ssk 12 times, k2tog 12 times, k2, (yo, k1 – 14 times)) [664 sts]
R 128, 129, 130, 131: knit
R 132: ((yo, k1 – 15 times), ssk 13 times, k2tog 13 times, k1 (yo, k1 – 15 times)) [696 sts]
R 133, 134, 135, 136: knit
R 137: ((yo, k1 - 15 times), yo, ssk 14 times, k2tog 14 times, (yo, k1 - 16 times)) [728 sts]
R 138, 139, 140, 141: knit
R 142: ((yo, k1 - 16 times), k1, ssk 14 times, k2tog 14 times, k2, (yo, k1 - 16 times)) [760 sts]
R 143, 144, 145, 146: knit
R 147: ((yo, k1 - 17 times), ssk 15 times, k2tog 15 times, k1, (yo, k1 - 17 times) [792 sts]
R 148, 149, 150, 151: knit

Bind Off Round: (originally Round 87 but can be substituted on any pattern round (92, 97, 102, etc) if larger diameter is desired) k1, [k2tog, yo, k2tog, TURN, p1, work 5 st in yo stitch (k1, p1 – twice, k1), p1, sl 1, TURN, bind off 7 stitches (k1, k1, pass first knit stitch over)]. One stitch will remain on right needle. Repeat in [] around.

** To make it easier to work bind-off, cap right hand circular needle. Use the left circular needle with a dpn of the same size as the right hand needle.

** If knitting with Cascade 220 held double, work bind-off row with only one strand.