Little Jolly Elf

 A Santa (or elf) hat to fit your Christmas baby.

Gauge is roughly 9sts for 2" in stockinette on the larger needles.

This hat can be made shorter by knitting fewer plain rows in between decrease rows. If you want to have a pointed hat without a pompom, knit another 2 rows after your last round of decreases.

Using contrast color and smaller needles, cast on 48sts and join to knit in the round.  K2P2 around for 6 rounds.

Change to main color and larger needles, knit plain until hat measures 3.5" from cast on edge. Begin shaping rows.

Row 1: [K10, K2tog] 4 times, 1 round done, 4sts decreased.
Rows 2-4: knit plain.

Repeat rows 1-4 until you have 8sts left on the needles.  After row 4 decrease once more to have 4 sts on the needle. At this point you can knit two more rows to have a pointed tip, or end here for a flatter tip to attach a pompom. Draw yarn through stitches and tighten to fasten off. Weave in ends. Attach pompom or tassel if desired.

New Year and Resolution type things

Hello blog,

It's been a while.

Yes, it's taken me 16 days to get around to the "use the blog" resolution, but I'm sitting on my bed doing my best to get through an entire box of kleenex in one day, so it's as good a time as any.

What's on tap for this year?

A JOB. I have my license back and have been flinging my resume at any job that includes women's health, hoping one will stick. I have been asked back for round 2 of interviews for one (the only one that has actually asked me for a first interview), and that's scheduled for Wednesday.

I've been SAHM dressing for the past 13, almost 14, years. Meaning jeans and t shirts. Yoga pants. Velour sweats. FLANNEL PJ PANTS. Having to go out into the world to get a job means I have had to examine my clothing choices. And examining some of my clothing choices leads me to realize that I have been wearing the same things for at least 5 years, and usually 10 years. But SAHM = no income and no need to be fancy.

And really, this job will have me working in the functional equivalent of my pjs. #1 reason to be a nurse right there. Scrubs are awesome.

But the rest of the time? I need a new look. Like Bernadette on Big Bang Theory. She's adorable. I need a fashion adviser. That's my plan, and another resolution. So far I have 4.

1. Get a job.
2. Be more deliberate in my friendships - meaning take the time to connect and DO THINGS with my friends instead of just chatting on facebook.
3. Use the blog more.
4. Make a wardrobe that I actually like and will wear instead of spending all my time in loungewear. As I type this I'm wearing pink flannel pants and a Piggly Wiggly t shirt. I have a way to go. 

First day of school 2015

Summer was over way too quickly!

 

Eleri is starting 1st grade. She will be in the same class for all of lower elementary.

 

 

Her locker is on the bottom. Perfect for her.

 

 

Bye, Mom. I have things to learn.

 

 

Niall is starting 5th grade. This is his second year in upper elementary.

 

 He plans to have an excellent year.

 

Rowan is starting 8th grade. This is his last year at Sterling Montessori. 

 

He is a good sport about having a stalker mom.

 

First and last day pictures

Time flies so fast

For Lisa - How I cheat on sewing flat seams

I've tried to do French and flat seams all sorts of ways, and always fought with wrinkles and oddities. I forget where I saw how to do it this way --if it was a tutorial or someone showed me-- so when Lisa asked me I couldn't tell her how to find it.
So here goes.

Step 1:
Sew your seam with the normal seam allowance, with the wrong sides together. It feels wrong. Do it anyway.

 

 

2: Trim one side of your seam, but leave the other one long

 

 

3. Press your seam toward the long side

 

 

4. Fold the long side over the short side, so your cut edge lines up with the seam you sewed and press it down

 and it looks like this

 

 

5. Fold this bit over and press it down, so your raw edge is all snugged in there and can't get out.

 

See? It looks great! But you still have to sew it down.

 

 

6. Sew it down, getting as close to the folded edge as you're comfortable with

 

 

Done! It looks professional, and it wears well. I do this for the center seams in pants. It takes a little longer, but most of it is done with the iron so you don't get little folds and bunches once it's sewed down. There's probably an easier way to do it, but this is the way that works for me.

Quart Cozy

I had someone ask me for a cozy for her quart sized mason jar, and I couldn't find a pattern that I liked. I wanted it to be simple so it would work with variegated yarn if I had some I wanted to use, but it also needed a see through bit so you'd know when it was time for a refill.
Enter, the quart cozy

Pattern:

Worsted yarn, leftovers should do it. I knit on size 6 needles. Gauge ~5.5sts per inch

Cast on 56. Join to knit in the round.

K2P2 ribbing for 7 rows.

Begin pattern section. Cozy is knit in stockinette with one panel of the pattern stuck in wherever you like. Or you could go nuts and put it in twice. That's completely up to you.

Pattern Section

Row 1 - P2, SSK, YO, K3, YO, K2tog, P2

Row 2 - P2, K7, P2

Row 3 - P2, K2, YO, sl 1, K2tog, PSSO, YO, K2, P2

Row 4 - P2, K7, P2

After your piece is 6.5" (including ribbing) begin to decrease

K5, K2tog for 1 round

K4, K2tog around

K3, K2tog around... and so on, ending with a K2tog round.

Thread your needle through the last 8sts and pull tight. Weave in ends. Enjoy

 

Resolution

In which I am determined to photograph everything I knit this year.
We're off to a great start.