Hat, Bag and Bowls

In the past week I've been trying out some smaller projects, mostly to use up some of my bits of Malabrigo (because I have tons of bits of Malabrigo since I can't seem to stop myself from buying more all the time!) and also to get some different types of items for the shop (online and local) to see what customers might be interested in.

So this week I made a hat. I've done the pattern before (Amanda Hat--I wrote about starting this hat in the previous post) and thought that it would work well with the multicolored Malabrigo that I had. And I was right. I really like how this one turned out. I've taken it down to the Craft House, but if it doesn't sell within the next few months, then I just might take it back for myself.

With the leftovers of this yarn, I made a couple of small felted bowls. I've actually made three (two extra small and one small) but have felted only two. The third one will be felted the next time I do a jeans wash (which just might be today). The two bowls are also down at The Craft House. Sadly I took a quick picture and didn't really look at it before taking these to the store, and the picture did not turn out well at all. I'll post it anyway. Sorry about the really bad picture. Originally (and according to the pattern), the tops are not turned down, but I kinda liked them that way when I was setting them out to dry and I'm glad that I turned the tops down.

Finally I worked on a drawstring pouch. I've made some before, but this one is bigger than the previous ones. Once again, I used Malabrigo, in a purple color that I had used a little of for another project. I did an i-cord for the drawstring. This one, too, is at The Craft House.

So, speaking of The Craft House, while I was there today dropping off the new items, I took a few quick pictures of my booth.

Here's the whole thing. The wood structure was there and I picked this particular booth space because of it. I liked the various dowel rods coming off it to be able to hang stuff on. And those have definitely been useful.

Here's a closer view of the top of the booth. Hanging on the left are some socks, an infinity cowl, and a ruffled scarf. Hanging on the right are a baby cardigan, and just below the frame of this picture, the Amanda hat and a cropped cardigan. I strung some yarn between two posts at the top and using clothespins, I hung two shawls, some dishcloths, and the drawstring pouches. On the shelf below that is a basket with some baby hats inside with two attached to the outside. On the next shelf, just out of this picture is the cloche hat on the styrofoam head. And that should be all the knitted stuff. (I'll detail the sewn items on my sewing blog.)

So although they were smaller projects, it's been a good knitting week, I feel. I've been going through various books on my shelf looking for some of these smaller projects to use up some of my yarn, so I'll be trying out some other items over the next few weeks.

Dishcloths, Hat, Shawl, and the Stalled Cardigan

We're having an unseasonably warm end of winter/start of spring and so my knitting has been feeling the effects of the warmer temperatures. I do usually still knit as usual, and with wool, in the warm weather, but for some reason I haven't been feeling much like it so far this year.

So I pulled out my stash of Knit Picks Dishie (100% cotton) and decided to make some dishcloths, by trying out various stitch patterns. Actually, I started with making a little dishcloth-sized piece with eyelets with the idea that it could become my son's comfort object. The material would be something that could catch my scent and then eyelets and small size would make me feel more comfortable that he wouldn't smother himself with it. So far, I haven't really used it very much (finished about a week ago), but yesterday I started holding it while I'm nursing him and putting it in his crib with him during naps and nighttime. He doesn't really seem to have noticed it so far, but I'll keep trying.

After that is when I decided to make some dishcloths. Partly I wanted to try out new stitch patterns and partly I wanted to make some new inventory for my booth at The Craft House that wasn't so dependent on colder weather. I started with a simple chevron pattern which went really great until close to the end, when I apparently mixed up the rows and reversed the sides for 2-3 rows. To me it's quite noticeable but at the time of knitting, I decided it wasn't that bad and finished it up. Now, looking at it, I am unhappy with the result and think that I'll rip it out and either correct that part or just rip the whole thing and try another pattern.

Definitely plan to rip this out and correct it or knit something else

Then, for a bit of a little more mindless knitting, I decided to do the grandma's favorite dishcloth pattern. I got a bit hooked on this one (it's just so easy) and made several of them. I started with the blue I had used for the others but ran out toward the end so I bound off anyway and figured that I'd just use that one for myself. Then I made one in red, green, yellow, and pink. And I've started another one in a more spring green color. I did toss the first three in the washing machine and dryer to make sure they held up to washing before I put them up for sale and said that they could be machine washed and dried. And indeed, the yarn (and my knitting) held up just fine. So there are now four dishcloths available at my booth at The Craft House (I need to go and take a picture of my booth. I completely forgot to do that on Wednesday when I was there).

Oops! Ran out of yarn!

The start of the spring green washcloth and the colors of the other already finished washcloths (since I forgot to take pictures of them)

I decided to take a little break from the dishcloths and work on a hat using some multicolored Malabrigo that's been sitting in my stash for a little while. I'm doing the Amanda hat pattern. I made this once before and really liked how it looked, but I used a more solid (though still hand dyed) yarn. I thought that the stitch pattern might be really neat with the multicolored yarn. I'm only one pattern repeat into it (after the garter stitch brim) so it's hard to tell right now but I think it'll look nice. Most likely this will go into the shop, either on Etsy or at The Craft House, but I might hold onto it until the fall/winter when the weather gets colder again. (I actually plan to do this with several items so that I'll have inventory available then instead of scrambling to knit colder weather items until after the colder weather hits.)

I did start a new shawl project (this one to keep) using one of Stephen West's designs (Herbivore) and Malabrigo Sock in Solis. My LYS is running a class on any West design and this one had been in my queue for quite a while, so I decided to do it. The class has four meetings and we've had just one so far. I got a little bit into the shawl, though not very far, during the first class, but haven't picked it up since then. It's not a hard knit, but it is one that takes a little concentration, which I haven't has much of because my son hasn't been taking very good naps lately (the time I use to craft). But at least I'll have 6 more hours of class time to work on it.

As for the Ashfield cardigan. I'm still at the same point: almost finished with the first sleeve (I really have only a few more rounds and the bindoff to go) and just the second sleeve remaining. I need to wind the yarn for that second sleeve, which is one reason I have been putting it off. Today's a stay home day (which works out nicely since it looks like it's going to be a rainy day), so I think I'll make sure to get this yarn wound today so that I no longer have that as an excuse for not working on it.

And now the boy has woken from his nap, so I'd best go get him. Also, apologies for the not-so-great pictures. It's a rainy day here today but I really wanted to get this post written with some pictures added.