Snow,hats and a bit of recycling

Snow, snow, snow everywhere again, a couple of feet ( 45-60 cm) deep this time.It's all so very very PRETTY!! Idyllic really- just so festive and enchanting!!! Chance of a truly WHITE CHRISTMAS very good indeed. The above is at the Celtic Manor House Hotel in South Wales just across the new Severn Bridge, this weekend.

Oh no! I did not mean to look this grumpy, but maybe it was a premonition of what was yet to come???( see A 34 BELOW) Show the snow I said, while JJ was complaining for us to hurry up....

Even sickly Miss E just HAD to pop out of the car and record the sheer snowiness of it all.

We'd all been to a Christmas party at the above hotel, where dragons dominate and where despite the 5 star rating the Christmas party food was abysmal and they made us share double beds with our children???? A family room consisted of 2 double beds apparently: hardly comfortable with 2 children along who cannot share? JJ slept on the floor in the bedspread and I had luckily brought along a spare duvet so just about managed to share with Miss Y, but she tossed all night so very little actual sleep was gained. Miss E was full of cold and sneezed her way through the night: alternating between asking for extra blankets and standing on the - lovely- balcony to cool off. The breakfast was delicious and in a lovely setting, to which the sunshine and deep snow contributed but still: FIVE STARS?????

This is my first aran cabled hat: crocheted from a pattern by Aaron Matthew Asmussen and made from navy wool from THE HEMA!!! That will mean something to any Dutch folk reading this. This particular wool was posted to me from Holland in the early 1980's, most likely between 1981 and 1983. And has lived in storage ever since. I was only sent 5 or 6 balls of 100g of what is porbably an aran thickness.

This one took a large part of the 100g, I used a 5mm hook and followed the pattern to the letter.

It fits me and reached just halfway across the ears. Miss E also has been wearing it to school- before she caught her bug- it's ''cool'' enough for a preteen of 12.5 at a smart grammar school for girls.

It's really lovely to make and it is the FIRST pattern I have BOUGHT on RAVELRY. It amazed me how easy the purchase was! The pattern- along with another 5 or 6 of his other textured relief pattern hats has been lurking in my favourites files on Ravelry since about February of this year..... The navy hat weighs 86g, the yarn was 152m to 100g so it took 131m of yarn.

Here's the almost vintage wool: it was 4.75 guilders a ball, way before the Euro replaced national currencies. It has the most wonderful slogan on the ball-band:

BOL OVER,GELD TERUG, which means if you were left with an unused ball you could take it back and get a refund for it. Aaaah, bless those were the days.

Actually I do think Masons in Abingdon do the same in 2010?! They also put wool by for you.

This hat,modelled by a large pudding bowl, was made in ''baby aran'' , 100% acrylic but I had to use a 5.5 and 6 mm hook to work the cables and it's still pretty stiff: it stands by itself! If you see the yarn as a strand it look more like a chunky yarn and a big one at that, aran indeed....

Lovely crown pattern isn't it?

This one's a Christmas present, I just hope it will fit the recipient!

Then with a 5.5mm hook and an Cygnet chunky yarn from Mason's I made this burgundy one: from a ball of Cygnet 75%wool and 25% acrylic chunky yarn. I gave it a crabstitch border and may well line the bottom 50% with a fleece fabric. It reaches below the ears
as in this very cold ( -6C) weather you don't want your ears exposed!!! For a shorter hat you can turn the edge into a brim. This yarn was 148m in 100g and the hat weighs: 86g

Something happened with the camera- this one's a deep green! but I showed the picture as the cables show up so well? This hat was made on the A34 as yesterday we drove home from South Wales and a 2 hour yourney took over 8 HOURS!!!! 4 or more of which were spent in a queue of cars on the northbound A34 just South of Oxford. Luckily the kids had a movie to watch on the I-PAD and I read a novel and then made a hat from scratch. JJ e-mailed on his blackberry and complained a lot. We subsisted on buns and pastries ''liberated'' from breakfast - which JJ had laughed at but was only to happy to EAT later...- and we had lots of water due to my hoarding instincts I had brought them along. '' Just in case''.

In one part it was 1 jack-knifed lorry in the snow- but further up it was 5 such lorries and they closed the road for 3 hours.So this is the A34 snowbound hat. Same yarn as the burgundy but in a lovely deep dark green. Somehow this one weighs 92g. Same chunky yarn and 5.5mm hook. Looks slightly longer and narrower than the burgundy one ...

Here they all are: ta dahhhhh. 2 more to make before Tuesday for my presents. One in a navy tweed aran and one more. For a family of five. The HEMA hat stays with us. I may make one with earflaps next, shorter but with flaps and a cable running down the centre of the flap....

And I may make a beret too. Just maybe. Do they need bobbles adding do you think? Or shall I keep them as beanies? Finally bef0re I got sick with this ''throat and fever and chestiness'' bug - which I had for over 2 weeks and then I had an adverse reaction to Erythromycin as well- awful stomch cramps and I still have pains now whenever a meal is due: ie when my stomach is empty.

Anyhow I was saying: BEFORE all the illness I made a new seat cushion for my computer chair- which is a lovely whicker armchair meant for a conservatory someday- I cut a thick pad of foam in the right half moon shape and then sewed a cover for it from old jeans in the attic.

Cut into strips and joined lengthways.

I played with the colours and the side strip is of darker jeans. There's lovely memories here:

I included jeans of my girl's as 4 year old toddlers and my maternity jeans too! There's a zipper in the back part and it fits both the foam pad and the chair beautifully!

No more woven reed patterns on the skin of my legs and ...!

Piccie of completed cushion in chair to follow soon.

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR with lots of happy baking, making and crocheting in 2011!!!

I may be back before then but I can't say for sure as it's the school holidays now.

Have FUN! AND LIVE WITH PASSION! ( so yes OK , I have new 6 CD set of dear ol' Tony Robbins)

Japanese Joys: new crochet books!

Here's a tiny preview of the Japanese crochet books I have received recently and which excite me so very much. I just love the simple and elegant styling they do!

This lovely cardigan has an intricate pinneapple design yoke, and then the body and sleeves are added later. Quite in the way Doris Chan sometimes works: top down fan stitches.

There are also the beautiful subtle variegated yarns to admire!

And the young models which I was hoping would appeal to my -almost- teenage daughter...

This one for the raglan shapings: I so love a raglan sleeve for comfort.

In browns,ochre greens and orange definately not my colours and yet it really appeals to me, minus the frills. Fun colour and pattern play.

This is a favourite, the lovely surprise at the back!

Cover of one of the books.....Alas the index did not come out that well. More later I promise.

Free KISSES fingerless gloves pattern in CROCHET

Fingerless Gloves Crochet Pattern

November 2009 Susan Koffler

In this pattern UK crochet terms are being used.
If you are used to USA terms please refer to the conversion table at the end of the pattern.

YARNS USED:

DK pure wool 2 balls of 50 g and 120m per 50 g. USA Weight: category: #3 Light Worsted
Sock yarn: category #1 Super Fine: alpaca 186m per 50 g.

Actual yarns used in the photographed sample:
1 ball Artesano Hummingbird 4 ply in the blues variegated colourway

2 balls Mondial Merino Sport by Yeoman Yarns in colour # 1
This is a machine washable pure merino wool.

Crochet Hook: 4.5mm.( US #7)

Difficulty: Intermediate or confident beginner.

The pattern is for a small adult or teenage girl’s sized hand, there are guidance notes to adjust the pattern at the end of the pattern.


Size:
18 cm around cuff, cuff length: 6.5 cm.
Overall length from cuff edge to fingers: 19 cm.
Palm width 20 cm in circumference, 10 cm across.


Gauge:
4 crossed treble stitches to 5 cm ( 2’’)
4 rows of crossed trebles to 5 cm ( 2’’)

Stitches Used:
Crossed trebles XTR
Front post treble: FPTR
Back post treble: BPTR
2TRTOG: standard decrease by working 2 trebles together as one.
Sl st= slip stitch
Dc= Double crochet ( SC in USA)


Pattern Notes:

The pattern is worked in the round from the wrist to the first knuckles of the fingers and then a ribbed cuff is added later and worked to the desired length.
In this pattern all fingers are separated by a stitch but this may be omitted if the wearer prefers the fingers to share one opening.
The 2 yarns are held and worked together as one throughout.
This gives it more body, softness and a tweedy effect.And boy: IT'S REALLY WARM!!!

PATTERN:

Chain 36 loosely or in a hook a few sizes larger than a 4.5mm, close with a sl st.
R1: Ch3 work 35 trebles in the chains. Close with a sl st.
R2 : Ch3 then work a tr in the stitch to the right of the 3ch.( first crossed tr made),
Continue to work in crossed tr by skipping the next tr and working a tr in the 2nd stitch after the 3 ch. Then work the next tr by stitching it into the skipped stitch
( second XTR made) , continue round for a further 16 XTR. Close row with a sl st into the top of the 3ch.
R3,4 as row 2: 18 XTR in the round.
Divide for thumb:
R5: CH 3 and a tr in the previous stitch, then work 6 more XTR, skip the next 8 sts and work 7 XTR to end the row with a slst to the top of the 3ch.
The hand is now 14 XTR and the thumb: 4 XTR.
In the next row R6: work 2 XTR in the first stitch above the thumb divide: 15 XTR in total.
R7, 8,9Continue the hand first: work 3 more rows XTR as before- 15 XTR.
R10:Ch1 , work a dc in each top of a treble for 5 sts then work 2 dc in the top of the 6th treble, repeat to the end.You should now have 35 sts. Sl st to close.
R11: Ch1, work 3 dc : 1 in each stitch below, then work a dc in the double layer by working it across the top of the glove opening: push the hook through 2 sts one from each side ( front and back) of the glove. It should be 3 sts in from the side at the back as well as the front.
Work 4dc and work another dc across the 2 layers at the same point front and back: so you are now 9 sts in from the right hand edge of the glove.( working stitches from right to left)
Work 4 dc and repeat the one dc across 2 layers: you are now 14 sts in from the right hand edge of this glove’s top opening and 4 sts from it’s left hand edge.
Now work 7 dc round the top moving from the front side( the side facing you) to the back side of the glove, after 3 sts of these 7 turn the work.
Work the remaining 4 dcs and this should take you to the first finger separation line.
Work 1 dc across 2 layers.
Work 4dc and work 1 dc across 2 layers.
Work 4dc and work 1 dc across 2 layers.
You should now be back at the opening for the first or smallest finger.
Work 3 dc and fasten off.

You should have 4 finger openings with the one for the smallest finger being 6dcs and the one nearest the thumb being 7 dcs.

Finish Thumb:
Work 10 dc in the top of the trebles of the thumb hole.
Work 1 or more rows like this depending on size of thumb.
Fasten off. Sew in ends neatly.

Ribbed Cuff:

Fasten yarn back onto the starting chain near the thumb end of the glove.
If you want a tight ribbing you can go down a hook size to 4mm or smaller.
R1 : Ch 3 then work 2tr, then work one 2TRTOG,* work 3 tr then 1 2TRTOG: repeat from * to end and sl st to close. You should have 26 sts.
R2: 3 Ch then *FPTR,BPTR repeat from * to end and close with a sl st.
This forms the ribbing, the 3 ch is effectively a BPTR.
Work 7 more rows of ribbing and fasten off.

If you would like a longer cuff: work more rows.

Work the other glove the same way but reverse the spacings at the top or turn it around to suit. Left and Right hand are worked the same way.


Size Adjustments:
For larger sizes add stitches in increments of 2 to fit personal palm/wrist size.
And/ or use a 5mm hook or larger.
M: I suggest 40 sts ie 20 XTR
L : 44 sts: ie 22 XTR

When you get to the top of the palm divide the stitches you have by 4 to give the spacings.

If you need to use a 5.5mm hook: use another strand of the sock yarn or the fabric will be too loose and less warm.

Conversion Stitches:UK dc = USA sc
UK treble= USA dc
Every type of treble mentioned is a type of dc.

Please note this pattern is the copyright of Susan Merry King Designs and can be used freely for personal use only.

If you link to this pattern please credit it to me and PLEASE do not use it to make gloves to sell.

I will be having some finished items like this to sell in my Etsy and MISI shops real soon I hope.