Doodle Caps

A basic hat pattern that uses the wool scraps you have on hand.

I needed this years ago, but I hadn’t yet read Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitting Without Tears. This summer I started these caps because I wanted to make something for the grandkids and use up scrap yarn. The hat turned out to be so popular, I gave some to older folks and then had to make a trip to JoAnn's for some Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool to keep the project going.

Size 3 needle (16" circular and set of double points)

Gauge: 5.5 stitches per inch with worsted weight wool.

Cast on a multiple of 7 stitches. [91, 98, 105, 112, 119]

Measured on the outside, the hats are approximately: [17", 19", 21", 23, 25"]

Use a provisional cast on by holding a piece of scrap yarn and twisting it between each stitch of your working yarn. There are different methods for doing this. I recommend experimenting till you find one that works for you. Of course you can also use a regular cast on and pick up stitches for the inside lining of the hat, but this is an excellent opportunity to practice the provisional cast on.

Row 1: Purl. This will be your turn row after you pick up the stitches on your provisional cast on.
The reason I work one row before joining is to make it easier not to twist the stitches. You can tug on the scrap yarn that you used for your provisional cast on. This tightens up your stitches, so you can get them smoothly in a circle before joining.

Rounds: Don’t turn your work. Put on a stitch marker to show the beginning of your round, join, and begin knitting around. Knit a few rounds. Don’t be legalistic about how many you do. It might depend on the size of your hat, the amount of contrasting yarn you have, or how engrossing the conversation is while you are doing this section.

Attach a contrasting color and start making patterns. You can look at a chart if you want, but mine seem to turn out best when I determined each row’s stitch pattern as I went along. It makes for such pleasant knitting when you don’t strain your eyes and your brain trying to figure out which row you are on.

Use patterns that require no more than 5 stitches in a row of one color. Draw your unused yarn loosely across the back. You will be putting a lining inside the hat, so there will be no concern about loose strands getting caught on ears or eyeglasses.

Knit in patterns until your hat is 5 1/2 to 6 inches, depending on the size head you want it to fit. Knit a row in MC. Then begin decreasing. Divide your number of stitches by 7. Subtract 2. The answer is the number of stitches you will knit before each decrease. If you cast on 91 stitches, your answer is 11.  

Decrease: (K [11, 12, 13, 14, 15] K2tog) 7 times. Knit one row. Then decrease again. This time knit one less stitch before decreasing. (K [10, 11, 12, 13, 14] k2 tog).

Continue decreasing every other row until you have 49 stitches. Now switch to double points and decrease every row until there are 7 stitches left. Cut yarn and run through the stitches. Pull tight and secure yarn.

Now go back to your starting point, pick up the stitches and remove the scrap yarn. Make sure you have the same number. (Pick up cast on stitches and slide all the stitches onto the wire of your circular needle. Then pull the scrap yarn out.) Knit another cap of the same size in a solid color.

Before you finish the inside cap, tie off any stray yarns. When it is done, pop it inside the first cap. You now have a very warm cap with three layers of wool.

Set it out on the coffee table for a while to admire your doodles. Then give it to a grandchild who lives somewhere cold where he can play in the snow.

Etsy Shop Closed

Maybe they did it on purpose. Maybe Etsy doesn’t want little people like me keeping their shops open and cluttering up their site. In any case, I closed mine today. After trying unsuccessfully to view my page, I realized that keeping the site just wasn’t worth the trouble it cost me to be always learning to navigate the updates. I may still post free patterns here on my blog. And my for-purchase patterns are available at Ravelry.com.

Butterflies or Foxes' Eyes

As I was knitting this afghan, I daydreamed about providing you with the pattern. Writing patterns, however, is much less pleasant work than knitting, so now that the afghan is complete, I have other projects to work on, and you will need to figure the pattern out much the way I did. I have given it away, so I don't even have the measurements.

Nonetheless, in case you want to make something similar, I will give you a few hints. I used Cascade Yarns Sateen worsted. It has a lovely feel, stitch definition, and drape, but it is very difficult to knit without splitting the stitches, so I don't recommend it. 

The pattern is "Eyelet Butterflies" from Leisure Arts Sampler Afghans. I think the pattern looks more like fox eyes than butterflies, and since it is an "either/or" baby blanket, I figure the baby can decide his or her preference.

I made a seed stitch border of 8 stitches, knit 18 stitches in stockinet, one 30 stitch repeat of the pattern stitches, approximately 35 stitches of stockinet, another repeat of the pattern, 18 stitches of stockinet, and 8 stitches of seed stitch border. Any other afghan sampler pattern could be used in place of the butterflies.

If using a seed stitch border, cast on an odd number of stitches, so both sides are the same. 

Jonathan

A

Keep Your Cup Holder Clean

Perfect way to keep your yarn while knitting in the car -- until you need to stop for coffee.

Sometimes when it is too hot to knit, I make Scripture memes. Thanks to Unsplash for the pictures.

 

Joy

What is the source of Christian joy? We live in “the present evil world” (Gal 1:4) with darkness all around us. We look at the world and see that the imagination of men’s hearts is only evil continually (Gen 6:5). Paul says he was “troubled on every side, but not distressed.” (2 Cor 4:9) Why not distressed? Because “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts.” (v.6).

As Christians, we have “all joy and peace in believing.” We need not be cast down by the events going on in the world around us. As Moody says, “Though it is dark just here, remember it is light somewhere else.  . . . If you are down in the valley amidst the thick fog and the darkness, get a little higher; get a little nearer to Christ, and know more of him.” (The Way to God, pp. 131-2 )

Our joy is anchored in Christ and it is no more effected by the sin around us than our love is, despite growing in all knowledge and discernment. (Phil 1:10) Abraham’s faith was in no way harmed by the sins of Sodom. He was entirely separate from them, and it was no concern of his what the Sodomites did at their public games or performed in their theaters. So it is for the Christian who is separate from the world and its forms of entertainment.

Those Christians, however, who have pitched their tents towards Sodom or even moved into town to participate in its activities and enjoy its entertainment, will be like Lot who “vexed his righteous soul day by day” because he was continually “seeing and hearing” their unrighteous deeds. (2 Peter 2:8) Indeed, those who entertain themselves with the world’s affairs are in grave danger of losing their joy. They will be always in a tizzy about what they see on the television screen and what they hear from Washington or Hollywood. The answer to this is not to get themselves more comfortable in Sodom and to go on watching its entertainment and teaching their children to do so. The answer is to get more of Christ and leave the world to the world. Let the dead bury the dead and get on with life in Christ.

Much of the sin of Sodom, according to the Scriptures, was: “fullness of bread and abundance of idleness.” (Ezekiel 16:49). A culture that caters to the flesh in the same way that Sodom did can not provide suitable entertainment for Christians, and they should not be surprised if their righteous souls are vexed when they indulge in it. If, however, they are not vexed, they should question whether they have righteous souls.