Joys of my life #1

Breastfeeding Baby N. When he's had enough, he lolls back on my lap and babble-gurgles like a drunken sailor on shore leave.

FO: Top-down 3-spiral hat (with pattern)

The beauty of knitting hats from the top down is that gauge doesn't matter; just try the piece on the wearer as you knit, and knit more or fewer rounds as appropriate.

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, 1/2 skein or less.
Needles: 5mm (US #8) needles for knitting in the round (I used 2 circulars)
Gauge: 4.75 sts / 1" (but see comment above)
Size: fits 6 month old (ditto)

Note: M1 = make one using Elizabeth Zimmermann's backward loop method.

CO 9 sts using wrap (aka figure 8) method as follows: wrap 6 loops around needles and K6 around. Then, K1, Kb&f around to complete the cast-on. (9 sts)
Rnd 1: *K1, Kb&f, Kb&f, repeat from * around. (15 sts)
Rnd 2: *K2tog, K1, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (18 sts)
Rnd 3: *K2tog, K2, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (21 sts)
Rnd 4: *K2tog, K3, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: *K2tog, K4, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (27 sts)
Rnd 6: *K2tog, K5, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (30 sts)
Rnd 7: *K2tog, K6, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (33 sts)
Rnd 8: *K2tog, K7, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (36 sts)
Rnd 9: *K2tog, K8, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (39 sts)
Rnd 10: *K2tog, K9, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (42 sts)
Rnd 11: *K2tog, K10, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (45 sts)
Rnd 12: *K2tog, K11, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (48 sts)
Rnd 13: *K2tog, K12, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (51 sts)
Rnd 14: *K2tog, K13, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (54 sts)
Rnd 15: *K2tog, K14, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (57 sts)
Rnd 16: *K2tog, K15, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (60 sts)
Rnd 17: *K2tog, K16, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (63 sts)
Rnd 18: *K2tog, K17, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (66 sts)
Rnd 19: *K2tog, K18, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (69 sts)
Rnd 20: *K2tog, K19, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (72 sts)
Rnd 21: *K2tog, K20, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (75 sts)
Rnd 22: *K2tog, K21, Kb&f, M1, P1, repeat from * around. (78 sts)

Knit straight as follows:
Rnd 23: *K2tog, K23, , M1, P1, repeat from * around.
Repeat Rnd 23 until piece is 6" from cast-on point.

Next round, decrease as follows: *K2tog, K1, repeat from * around. (This mirrors EZ's original pattern, which is knit from the bottom up and, after the garter-stitch band, increases the number of stitches by 50%.)

Garter stitch band:
P 1 round.
K 1 round.
P 1 round.
K 1 round.
P 1 round.
K 1 round.

BO using purl decrease bind-off (which works well here because it's stretchy but not too stretchy): *P2tog, P2tog, slip 1st st on the right-hand needle over the 2nd st, repeat from * around.
(To avoid the step you get when binding off circular knitting, see this lovely tutorial.)

The pattern for the original version is published here.

Top-down 3-spiral hat, in progress

Top-down 3-spiral hat, in progress
Originally uploaded by sew-sewcrafter

It's a bit lumpy-bumpy, I think because of the Kf&b increases I used. I'm counting on the cutefying effect of having an actual baby wear it when it's done. So I'm going to finish it even though I need to find a better increase method.

Barack Obama elected!

I've never felt prouder or more optimistic about being American.

Top-down EZ 3-spiral hat?

My current project is a version of Elizabeth Zimmermann's 3-spiral (aka snail or conch or Dairy Queen) hat for baby N.

The original pattern (for adults) published in The Opinionated Knitter, as well as this adorable baby version, are knit from the bottom up. I tried and failed several times while Baby N was in the NICU. I winged it without making a gauge swatch, but N's head was growing fast, and I knit real slow. After frogging for the third or fourth time, I gave up.

I'm trying to convert the pattern to knit top-down, but it's a little harder than I expected. For example, does "K2tog" bottom-up convert to
(a) Kf&b
(b) M1, K1
(c) K1, M1
(d) M1, P1
(e) P1, M1
(f) other ???
The only way I could figure it out was to actually try each and see how it looks. Finally, I think I'm close to a pattern that, although isn't exactly like the original, has a very similar effect.

To be continued....

Vintage apron patterns make cute dresses

Just scored these patterns on ebay for $12:

They're described as "aprons" but I think they'd make really cute dresses, especially the Butterick 9579. I have a thing for back-wrap dresses and skirts, probably because my fashion sensibility developed in the 70s.

Now I really need to go on a pattern diet. I already have so many patterns I haven't used. And I should be able to create (or cobble together) any style I could possibly want to sew or wear with what I have. It's ridiculous how much time I waste on ebay poring through the pattern listings. I think I may need an intervention.

FO: Top-down knit hat for baby

The hypothetical hat pattern worked!

(Everything looks cute on a baby, don't you think?)
(Definitely cuter than on a roll of paper towels, viz.:)

Specifics for this version:

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease (cotton-acrylic) in Lime. (This yarn was such a pleasure to knit--I loved the feel and color both.) One skein can probably make at least 2 baby hats.

Needles: 5mm and 4.5mm needles for knitting in the round (e.g., 2 circulars, or a set of double-pointeds)

Gauge: 5 st/inch in stockinette on the 5mm needles

Fits actual head size (with a little room to grow) as follows:
circumference=16"
eyebrows-to-base-of-head measurement=11" (laying the tape measure over the top of the head)

Using the larger needles, CO 12 sts using Wrap (aka Figure-8) method and join to knit in the round.
Rnd 1 and all odd rounds: Knit.
Rnd 2 : *K1, Kb&f, repeat from * around. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: *K2, Kb&f, repeat from * around. (24 sts)
Rnd 6: *K3, Kb&f, repeat from * around. (30 sts)
Rnd 8: *K4, Kb&f, repeat from * around. (36 sts)
Rnd 10: *K5, Kb&f, repeat from * around. (42 sts)
Rnd 12: *K6, Kb&f, repeat from * around. (48 sts)
Rnd 14: *K7, Kb&f, repeat from * around. (54 sts)
Rnd 16: *K8, Kb&f, repeat from * around. (60 sts)
Rnd 18: *K9, Kb&f, repeat from * around. (66 sts)
Rnd 20: *K10, Kb&f, repeat from * around. (72 sts)

Place a marker to mark where rounds begin (and end). Knit straight until piece measures 5 inches from cast-on.

Change to smaller needles, K1 P1 for 3 rnds.

BO using tubular cast-off.