Counting Sheep, and Writing Patterns

Another busy week in the land of Pretty! There is a BIG ORDER in the shop, and I did not have enough inventory to fill it, so I was up late creating and counting sheep and birds (animosity abounds in Pretty's poly-clay!) for two nights already this week! (Now they are glazed and drying, waiting to be fit with their findings and made into beautimous knitting jewelry!)Pretty's birds were featured in a treasury last week (squee!), and business is picking up! There are plans afoot for more charms and beads and row counters for the winter and spring, so keep checking into the shop often!

In Knitting Knews, you have heard that there are Scarfies, and Mittens and Hats (oh, my!) in the making for the girls in Pretty's family, and I have been hard at work on those as well! Here is my latest cast on hat, to match a scarf Wifey-Poo already has in her wardrobe. I am knitting it on size 11 (8mm) DPNs that I have from my Grandma's stash of knitting tools! They are long, and a bit cumbersome, but I imagine her using them, and I just love them. . .so far, I like how the hat is working up as well! Maybe I will get around to writing up the pattern?
Maybe, Maybe not! Right, Corrie?After all, this hat and scarf turned out really well! Here it is on the intended recipient:I just LOVE that Dollface gets a knitted gift, and she runs right into the bathroom to try it on, adjust and primp, and admire it in the mirror! It does a knitting mom's heart good!And I even love it when she rolls her eyes at all the photo ops she is forced to endure, posing in a pout, just like the supermodel she is at heart!This pattern I did write up, and it is SUPER easy! I know there must be similar patterns out there, but why not add another to the mix? I hope that some of you can use it! Before I pass it along, let me just take a moment to say, as always:

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

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Bulky Hat and Scarf in Northland Snowfall

Needles: 10.5 (6.5mm) for hat; 13 (9.0mm) for scarf
Yarn: Northland Snowfall, or similar bulky yarn
Gauge: I am a bad knitter, I did not really measure gauge, but my daughter's head is on the medium/large size, and this hat was made roomy, to accommodate lots of hair piled up in a bun on top of her noggin.

The HAT:
(Size 10.5 needles)

Cast on 48 sts (using a very stretchy cast on) and join to knit in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
K2, P2 around for 5 rounds.

Increase for body, or "making room for all that hair":
Knit one round, increasing 8 sts evenly around (56 sts).
Knit one round.
Knit one round, increasing 8 sts evenly around (64 sts).
Knit 22 rounds in Stockinette (knit every round). Hat should be approx. 6.5-6.75" long.
If you don't have a lot of hair, or you have a smaller head, you can get away with as few as 15-16 rounds of Stockinette, which is how I would knit this hat for myself, or for my DIL.

Decrease for crown:
Knit 6, K2tog around (56 sts).
Knit one round.
Knit 5, K2tog around (48 sts).
Knit one round.
Continue decreasing in this manner until you have 16 sts.

***K2tog around (8 sts).***
This round is optional. You can stop with 16 sts and finish off, if you like.

Draw yarn through remaining stitches twice, and fasten off, weaving ends to inside of hat at cast on edge and top of crown.
The hat pictured above took just about 1.25 balls of the Snowfall yarn, then I added a little tassel-thingie (after the photo shoot) at Dollface's request. Embellish at will!

Easy, no? The scarf is just as easy! Read on!

The SCARF:
(Size 13 needles)

Reversible Cable is worked over 4 sts, continuing the pattern of K1, P1 IN THE CABLE.
Step 1: Place two sts on cable needle held to the front
Step 2: Knit 1, Purl 1
Step 3: Working the two sts from the cable needle, Knit 1, Purl 1

Cast on 16 sts, and work K1, P1 rib for 6 rows.
Row 7: *Work reversible cable, (K1, P1)x2, and repeat from *
Rows 8-12: K1. P1 across
Row 13: *(K1, P1)x2, work reversible cable, and repeat from *
Rows 14-18: K1. P1 across
Repeat rows 7-18 until the scarf is as long as you like.

(I used two 50 gram balls of snowfall for my scarf, and it is approx 60" long.)

Bind off in K1, P1 pattern and weave in ends.

Now, put on your hat and scarf, and be warm!