Hoppin' Hat

I always see the cutest hats around the internet. I see loads upon loads of ideas that I couldn't even hope to attempt them all. My Ravelry queue is packed and I have a whole file full of ideas. This one, however made it out of the to-do box and onto my faithful model, Jasmine.

It also made it onto an actual baby. This picture was taken by Stefanie at BP Studios. If you in the metro Detroit area check her out here!

I used size 10 needles and worsted weight yarn. Cast on 52 stiches. Work in a 2x2 rib pattern for about an inch. Then switch to pink yarn. Knit only in the round for about an inch and a quarter in the pink. Switch back to gray for the next inch. Then switch to blue and knit for an inch and a quarter.

Now here is the trickiest part of this whole hat. take half your stitches and put them onto a spare needles or a scrap of yarn. Then you join the first set of stitches into a round. Switch into the gray yarn and knit about 5 rounds. Switch to your dark pink and knit for five rows. Switch back to gray and knit about five rows. Then switch back to green. Here I just knit until I felt like the ears were long enough. Then I decreased as following:

- *knit 3 k2tg* till last set of 5 stitches. this one I knit one then k2tg twice

- knit a round

- *k2, k2tg* till end of round

- knit a round

- *k1, k2tg* till end of round

Take remaining stitches and tie them off.

Then do the other ear in the exact manner.

To get this hat to scrunch up like that all you need to do it take some scrap yarn and a plastic needle. I just slid the yarn through the hat until I achieved the desired effect.

Then your hat will look at fabulous as this...

Oh Jasmine, my ever faithful model. I wish her head was a tiny bit bigger, but for now she will have to do. I think I just need one of my married friends to have a baby I can outfit in all this stuff!

Rosette Pattern

Flowers are easy to make! I love creating different kinds of flowers because they are so fast and versatile. They can be perfect little additions to many of your knit or crochet designs including headbands, hats, baskets, bracelets, and blankets!

I tried searching Ravelry for the perfect little rosette flower to add to one of my headband patterns and couldn't find anything even remotely close to what I wanted. So the obvious solution was to make my own flower up!

So here it is. This flower will seriously think take you about 5 minutes- TOPS!

Flower Rosette Pattern

I used a size H hook for these.

Ch 15. Single crochet into 3rd chain from end. Skip 1. SC into next ch after skipped chain, ch 1, single chain back in ch just SC into. This will create a V stitch. do this to the end of the chain, ending with a final V-stitch in the last ch on the row.

If you did this correctly, the chain will be all curled up now. I have used both hot glue and a darning needle and extra yarn to attach these to things. Whatever works best for you! So experiment and find out!

Create an Easy Puff Ball

There is always a time in a knitter's life where you find yourself without something. I always find myself without a pom-pom maker as I do not have one. And I refuse to buy one. This is the first time I have actually found myself needing to make a pom-pom. I have read different tutorials on how to make them and many of them involve cardboard and such. I had to improvise as I was not home.

So here's simply how I did this.

I took my yarn and pinched it between my index and middle finger. I then spread the rest of my fingers out and wrapped the yarn repeatedly around all my fingers. I did this until the yarn was covering about an inch and a half of my fingers and was about a half inch thick.

After that is done, you will need some help. Grab a friend and have them cut the yarn at the end. Then cut a small piece abut 5 inches long and tie a knot around all the yarn in between your middle and ring finger. You really want to make sure that you get the knot in the middle of the yarn to create a perfectly round puff. After you tie off the yarn, slide it off you fingers and cut the yarn. I did this by holding the middle knot and held the scissors in one of the two loops. Cut the opposite end of the loop as where the knot is. Do this on both ends. Now all you need to do is trim up the puff so it is a perfect circle and you are ready to go!

Featured on Ravelry

Wow, check me out!! I got an email saying that I was featured on Ravelry! I definitely love this pattern and is a quick knit that is a great gift!! Check out my Flower Headband!