Tag: quick knits

Quick knit hat pattern suggestions

On By iswimlikeafishIn knittingLeave a comment
A speckled turquoise knit hat with a pompom and three rows of eyelets evenly spaced between the brim and the top.

As the weather jumps between cold and warm temperatures, I’ve been on a bit of a hat mission. Inkwell and Banded Hat are my most recent creations. Each took a handful of hours to complete due to calling for worsted weight, I was able to knit the bulk of both hats during afternoon naptime. Of the two, I probably prefer the Banded Hat pattern as it provides a bit of spice to a more classic hat design. That being said, Inkwell provides more opportunities to play with striping. Sometimes fast with lots of design possibilities is the best recipe for creativity.

Being a knitter, I get to work with and enjoy all kinds of fabrics worked into all kinds of shapes and textures. I’ve knit bulky sweaters and enjoyed how they make me sweat and fingering weight sweaters that seem to take forever. I love wearing them all and have even learned to branch out from my original favorite colors. To be blunt, I want all the knit things and am really only hindered by my knitting speed and budget.

This wasn’t always the case. When I was in high school, I hated anything that added bulk to my body. Perhaps it was body dysmorphia or a symptom of being a teenager, but I truly hated anything that had poof. Even my favorite t-shirts, ones I wore all the time, needed to hang a specific way on my body. I didn’t mind a straight look, but too loose and I immediately became self-conscious. This problem, if you will, was extended to my winter clothing. I didn’t feel comfortable wearing bulky hats or mittens. Thick socks were tolerable. It took me years to get over this and to this day I don’t have a good answer as to what caused the feelings in the first place.

A knit hat with a stripped lime green brim and a speckled top.

It sounds really silly, but when I say things like “I want to wear that worsted/bulky weight hat all the time!”, it’s a mark of how far I’ve come. It’s exciting to be excited to wear things that my 16-year-old self would have been horrified to be caught dead in. Whether that be fun thick fabric or clothing that isn’t “on trend” (this is also funny because I NEVER had clothing that was on trend).

There is still a long way for me to go to get to a place where I can call myself body positive, but I hope that the work I continue to do will teach our daughter to love her own body and feel empowered to wear what she likes rather than what she thinks make her look good to others.

As always, use the discount YARNVIP for 15% off your total purchase from Wonderland Yarns (discount not eligible on sale items, with other discounts, or on yarn clubs) :]

2 Quick Knit Cowls I’m in Love With

On By iswimlikeafishIn knitting, patterns, ravelryLeave a comment
Two cowls laid on a grey table cloth. One is grey with blue and green flecks, the other is striped fushia, purple and teal.

Since becoming a brand ambassador for Wonderland Yarns, my role has shifted from promotional to primarily sample knitting. This has been a welcomed shift because they send me yarn and patterns and I knit them, meaning that I’m starting to work with colors I don’t normally reach for and patterns I don’t have to worry about who to gift the finished garment to. To make a joke out of it, it’s the all-inclusive vacation version of knitting: maximum fun without having to spend hours and hours looking for the perfect project and yarn combination every time. (To be clear, I do still do that! This just means I have a project on my needles while taking the time to figure it out that offers a little more spice.)

The first cowl I worked up and want to make several more of is the Pub Crawl Cowl. Worked up using Alice DK in the colorway Fireflies, this pattern allows the yarn to do most of the talking while throwing in a few purl rows to keep things interesting. Having never worked with Alice DK before, my first observation was the soft sheen and vibrant colors provided by the silk blend, my second quickly became the gorgeous drape. Also, I’m not usually drawn to speckled yarns, but this colorway changed my tune. The subtle flecks of color evenly distributed across each stitch creates a gorgeous fabric. I can’t help but wonder if there is a pullover I can knit up and enjoy during cooler summer nights.

It’s been a while since I’ve wanted to wear something with stripes (other than socks!), enter the Parfait Cowl knit up in Mad Hatter (thankfully they sell mini-skein kits for those of us who aren’t as confident in selecting colors). The rich colors are a perfect accent to anyone’s dark winter wardrobe. Mad Hatter is quickly becoming one of my go-to yarns.

Both cowls took 2-3 days to work up and required little pattern referencing, perfect for a last-minute gift or a long car ride. Use the discount YARNVIP for 15% off your total purchase from Wonderland Yarns (discount not eligible on sale items, with other discounts or on yarn clubs) :]