Redeemed Red Heart Re-enters Rejoicing

I recently posted on Red Heart's lagging quality in the color department (colored yarn showing white spots on it). Let me say that my most recent project has renewed my faith in Red Heart as a fine low-cost yarn for quick kids' projects.

My youngest daughter's pink toboggan turned out quite nice. No white spots anywhere. It was a bit big in circumference, but that was on purpose to give her some growing room. I must admit, despite the problems with the color, the yarn itself has always stood up quite well to the punishment my kids throw at the items I knit for them.

On another note, look around for charity knitting projects this holiday season. It could be as simple as making little caps for newborns at the hospital, or more complicated, like sweaters for older kids or adults. Prayer shawls are popular right now, and don't forget lap afghans for those in wheelchairs. I'll try to post some links for resources and give some ideas for patterns in the next week.

As holiday stuff heats up for me, it's getting difficult to find time to buy products and test them. I hope to really get into that after the first of the year, but I will try to post something everyday, even if it is just a few ideas or an update on something I've posted about before.

I'm working on a new website, I hope to have that up and in great shape soon. I'll post about that when it looks OK, too.

Knit On, everybody!

Happy Hats for Winter Wearing

Almost done with hat Number Two!

I made a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG toboggan for Oldest Daughter, it turned out much longer than I was expecting, but I wasn't using a pattern and I didn't watch the decreases carefully. The only problem was I was knitting back and forth and not in the round so that wound up to be one massive back seam. C'est La Vie! But the un-seamed hat did turn out to be one long isosceles triangle. But the full tassel (with a little bell inside!) looks cute!

Now I am on to Hat Number Two for Baby Daughter. Different color, smaller hat, and trying to be a bit more restrained in the length. Still with the tassel and bell. The only problem with this hat so far is getting any work done on it when Baby Daughter is around because she has to stop me every few minutes to see how much progress I've made. She's really excited to have a hat like her older sister.

Hopefully, sometime this millennium, I will have access to a working camera, and I can have some pictures of the hats.

Just some notes on construction:

Knitting in the round would be easier, I suppose, at least for finishing, but it really is easier in my opinion to decrease on a flat piece of work and I think that's what really makes these long, tasselled toboggans work: the decreases (obviously).

I used a kitchener cast-on to make a really nice edge for the ribbing.

Mattress seam was, of course, used for the back seam. A really nice, full tassel was then sewn to the end of the hat, and a little Christmas Jingle Bell type bell was tied into the middle of the tassel.

Same procedures for both hats. Hat Number Two has more rows of ribbing. I hate this part of hats, I like getting to the more interesting bits pretty fast, and I have to force myself to make enough ribbing to fold over if the wearer so wishes.

Well, Happy Knitting, everyone, make yourself a hat. Any questions? Join me over at Knitting Foole's Crafty Pages where I am currently setting up my new website. It will have forums and everything! Not really anything there yet, but give it a little time.