Easy Knit Cable Hat PDF pattern is ready!

    I just completed knit cable pattern (PDF) today!  If you would like to try cable pattern this year, this will be a good starter project.  Crossing stitches alternatively happens every 4 rows, and the rest of rows are worked by knit and purl.  When you complete 5 cable (Large one) patterns, you are almost done! The crown part is made by decreasing stitches with K2tog.  This finished project fits regular women's head.  (20" to 22" circumference)  When you wear this hat, cable pattern and purl stitches are shown better.  (See my wearing this hat in the picture below!)  I'm working on Finger-less Mittens matching with this hat now.  Cable hat pattern is available on my Etsy store, Kay Clair Goodies.

How to use V-Shape Cable Needle

1. Pick up stitches with short end.

3.Then, slide stitches to long end to work. 

2. Drop needle to work next stitches.

 We have different shapes of cable needles.  Cable needle works like an extra hand.  I have tried three shapes of cable needles, and V-shape (or U-shape) needle with different length on each end gave me a hard time at first....until I found out how to use it correctly! At first, I think I inserted its long end to pick up stitches.  I often dropped stitches from short end when I tried to work on them.  Something was wrong. So, next, I inserted the short end first, then slide stitches that I picked up to long end to finish cable.  It worked very good!  -- I didn't drop stitches at all!  I tried 'straight' and 'dent in the center' shape needles before, and they were simple to use.  Just insert one end, and then, slide stitches to the other end to work.  However, about V-shape needle with different length of ends, there was a certain way to use. When I learned how to use V-shape cable needle, cable making became more fun for me!  V-shape cable needle also works great to hold slippery yarn in the curved area.  I personally like a thinner needle than the working needles.  It picks up stitches easily. 

Lilttle Fluffy Birds Amigurumi

My friend gave me her stash yarns a few years ago.  She had a nice collection of luxury yarn, and she generously gave them to me.  I took one of the yarns in my hands and waited for an inspiration of next Amigurumi project to come.  The yarn had a super soft texture, and I was easily able to imagine the baby birds sitting in their nest.  I like both crochetting and knitting when I work on Amigurumi.  For this little bird, I decided to use knitting technique to keep the soft and smooth texture on the surface of Amigurumi body.  Finished size is about 4 inches (height).

Materials are as follows. 

• Size 6 Double Pointed Needles
• Yarn : short fuzzy type of novelty yarn (sport weight or fine weight)
• A pair of 12mm safety eyes (solid black with washers)
• Size 2.75mm crochet hook and small amount of sock yarn for 'beak' and 'eyebrows.'
• Tapestry needle to finish.  

This is the back style.

   

Little white bird on black back ground.  You can tell how fuzzy it is!

 

Begin with a smiple intartia knitting!

I am a big fan of Fair Isle knitting.  I found a beautiful Fair Isle sweater in a store yesterday.  It was a sweater...it is Summer...so I didn't buy it anyway.  Just took a look at it, and I felt as if my mind were absorbed in the beautiful multi-color of scenery.  I was not sure if it was made by hand or machine knitted, but it was sure that  the result of using multiple color of yarns was stunning!  I admire the skill and I would like to make it mine!  Multi color yarn knitting is also called 'Intartia knitting.'  I thought using two colors is the good start for me.  Darker color and Pale color combination could create a good contrast.  I searched my mom's old knitting book, and I found cute rose pattern.  I added some dots above the pattern.  I was very excited once I started to see the rose pattern.  While I was knitting this cute hat, I was already thinking of knitting with China blue yarn.  That will be my next project!  I believe that any color would be beautiful to make this hat as long as you use darker color for rose on pale background.  (or Pale color for rose on Dark color background.)