Scarf & Hats for Charity

 

 

 Finished on Friday! The beige/gray hat is now completed and ready to be sent with the other two hats and scarf to Knitted Needs in Denver.

The green and red hats are knitted;the scarf and beige/gray hat are crocheted. The scarf is crocheted length-wise with a couple rows of mesh, then shells, then mesh--as many rows to achieve the width you want.

 

 

The beige/gray hat uses a different shaping than I have used on other projects. The hat is worked flat from the bottom edge to the top in single crochet. The shaping for the crown is achieved by crocheting across a row, leaving five stitches unworked and turning to work back across the piece. Then turning and working the next row including the five left unworked, turning and working across. This is repeated until the hat is the size you want. Sew the seam and cinch and fasten the top. I don't know if I'll use this pattern again, but it was interesting for a one-off. It is designed for a beginner and seems to be a good first project.

 

Please don't try to battle your way through my description!! The pattern is here and my project notes are here.

 

 

This pink/red hat is made from bits of Plymouth Encore stash with the crown having a touch of mohair. This photo doesn't show the pretty stitches very well. The details are made with slip stitches. You can see my project notes here and see the pattern too.

 

 

That brings us to this hat that appears to have a basket weave texture. The angle of the light in this photo washes out the neck section, but the texture continues over the entire hat. This pattern is fun and fast. See my notes for details.

 

Do you have any FOs this week? Wishing you a happy and blessed weekend!

 

 

Mrs. Q ~ A Teaser

Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn

" 'Is this all there is?' The Queen thought to herself. She'd begun her adventure in such high spirits and now she sat next to a sign directing visitors to the gift shop on her decommissioned yacht where once had stood an ebonized side table."

 

What would happen if the Queen of England, in a whimsical mood, left the castle without fan fare and wandered about London by herself...in a hoodie jacket? Whimsy indeed!

 



Finished Shawl and a Book

 This is the Casa Blanca Bonita Openwork Shawl crocheted with Tahki Yarns "Jackson" and a size L hook. The bulky yarn changes the look somewhat as does the single color. I would like to make another in self-striping yarn as shown on the pattern.

 Oh! I just noticed my shoe under the chair! I'm not very good about wearing shoes in the house! I'm always kicking them off! Do you do that too?



I added a scalloped border in dark blue on three sides and a single crochet finish across the neck edge. I've already taken this shawl to church for our Prayer Shawl ministry.

 

My Friday, page 56 is from Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini: 

"Suddenly she was seized by the cold realization that she would likely be asked to sew many black dresses in the months ahead as her patrons lost husbands, sons, and brothers, and donned the somber colors of mourning as custom demanded. Shaking off the thought, she spied a black silk dress that Mrs. Lincoln must have brought with her from Illinois and held it up."                                                                                     

Wednesday WIPs

 



http://www.gsheller.com/caption

 Here are a couple WIPs that are receiving my attention which means the afghan is set aside for the moment so I can work on some gifts.





The first is a mystery KAL dish/face cloth that I plan to use in a swap. If you squint your eyes and tilt your head at exactly the correct angle...there..can you see it? There are two small garter stitch hearts in the center, one positioned above the other. This is the first time I've used "I Love This Cotton" by Lily from Hobby Lobby. This cloth is soft enough for a face cloth and feels like a brushed cotton. I wonder if the fibers would withstand scrubbing dirty dishes.                        

The other is called Christian's Hat a quick and charming knit hat that I will add to my donation to Knitted Needs in Denver. The yarn is Ella Rae yarn is 100% wool which is perfect for this frigid weather. I want to get it along with a scarf and the pink/red hat into the hands of someone who needs it ASAP!

 

 This Slip Stitch Stash Hat was indeed knitted with stash, Plymouth Encore and Bucilla Melody.

 

My current read is Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini, an interesting historical fiction that opens just before the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860.

 

So...what are you knitting and reading?

 

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker - Teaser

 

 

This book has captivated me as I have just begun to read it. Thus far, I enjoy the writing style with its fantastic descriptions and setting. Of course, the history brings the story to life. I hope you enjoy the quotes below.

 

http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

"From the solitude of her rooms on on Twelfth Street, Elizabeth heard only the low booming of cannon fire that marked the moment Abraham Lincoln became the sixteenth president of he United States."

On Election Day, Elizabeth Keckly hurried home from a mid-afternoon dress fitting to the red-brick boardinghouse on Twelfth Street where she rented two small rooms in the back. Although she never failed to carry her license attesting to her status as a freed-woman whenever she ventured out, on that day of presidential election of 1860 she was eager to be safely indoors safely before curfew.

(I'm choosing to end the quote before the end of the opening paragraph, which continues as some length.)

::: Have you read this book? If not, would you continue reading? :::