August 30, 2013
Every day now, the mail man is bringing me packages with hats! Y’all have really come through with your knitting and crocheting.
I only finished one hat this week. But it came out really nice. It’s another sock yarn hat. And I think I have enough sock yarn to make one more of these. I’m taking a few days off next week and I hope to have a lot time to knit and to read just for fun. (I’m on a Kristan Higgans binge right at the moment.)
I’ll be away next Friday, so I won’t be posting on that day. But I will be posting the winners of the Advanced Reader Copies of Last Chance Knit & Stitch on Monday September 9. And I’ll be posting photos of all the hats I have received.
If you have hats to send, please send them to the following address:
Hope Ramsay
1901 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Suite 804
Washington, DC 20006
Everyone who sends a hat will get a fun tape measure. I’ll be sending out the tape measures the week of September 9 as well.
August 23, 2013
I’m a day late in posting my knitting progress for week-three of the knit along. So sorry, I was trying to get all of my revisions finished for the book that’s going to be published next spring, entitled The Inn at Last Chance.
Yesterday was a red letter day for other reasons as well. I got my first hat in the mail from one of y’all, a pretty crocheted one. And this week I’ve had a lot of folks emailing me wanting to know where to send the finished hats. So here are those details, once again:
Send your hat to:
Hope Ramsay
c/o Alliance Management Group
1901 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Suite 804
Washington, DC 20006
Please include a note or a card in your package with your name and address so I can send you a tape measure. I’ll be rewarding every knitter/crocheter who sends me a hat. Also your name will be entered into a book giveaway that will take place on September 9.
As for my knitting this week — I’m still working through my left over sock yarn. I finished the pink/purple hat and started a brown and blue hat. These are both made by the same pattern that I made up myself. It’s pretty basic and the instructions are below. This should make a hat with an 18 inch circumference, assuming that you have a gauge of 28 stitches equals 4 inches. 
Cast on 130 stitches onto a size US1 18″ circular needle. Join the yarn and put a marker. Knit a rib pattern (1 knit 1 purl) until the piece measures about 2 inches, then change to stockinette stitch and a size US2 18″ circular needle. Knit in stockinette stitch (all knit) until the entire piece is about 7.5 inches long. Then begin the decrease for the crown as follows. (K2tog = knit 2 together):
Row 1: *K 12, K2tog* Repeat from * to *
Row 2: *K 11, K2tog* Repeat from * to *
Row 3: *K 10, K2tog* Repeat from * to *
Row 4: *K 9, K2tog* Repeat from * to *
Row 5: *K 8, K2tog* Repeat from * to *
Row 6: *K 7, K2tog* Repeat from * to *
Row 7: *K 6, K2tog* Repeat from * to *
Row 8: *K 5, K2tog* Repeat from * to *
Row 9: *K 4, K2tog* Repeat from * to *
Row 10: *K 3, K2tog* Repeat from * to *
Row 11: *K 2, K2tog* Repeat from * to *
Row 12: *K 1, K2tog* Repeat from * to *
Row 13: *K2tog* Repeat from * to *
At some point, you’ll need to switch from the circular needle to US 2 double-pointed-needles. When you finish row thirteen, you should have about 6 stitches left. Cut your yarn leaving a six inch tail, which you will thread through the remaining stitches using a tapestry needle. Draw up the stitches and weave in the yarn end, and you’re done.
Please leave photos of your projects. I’d love to see them.
August 15, 2013
Just a quick post this week.
I managed just one hat in the last week, but not because I wasn’t knitting. I just decided to knit a hat with some sock yarn and tiny needles. And, of course, the pattern I was using actually called for a smaller weight than the sock yarn I chose to use. I think my sock yarn was really closer to sport weight than fingering.
So, anyway, I had to start the hat three times and tinker with the pattern before getting it right. That took lots of time.
But the result was nice.
So I decided to use some more left overs. I’ve got some really gorgeous sport-weight yarn, left over from several baby sweater projects. Some of this yarn is Bugga yarn with a combination of merino, cashmere, and silk. And some of this year is just a blend of merino and cashmere. The color ways are not the same, but they blend nicely in the little sample I knit. So I’ve started another hat that’s going to be a real adventure, because I’m not using a pattern. Stay tuned for the results next week.
So have have you been doing. Feel free to post photos.
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The Last Chance Charity Knit Along is taking place from August 1 – August 31, 2013. Knitters are being asked to knit or crochet hats for The Hatbox Foundation, which provides hats to cancer patients and other in need. Knitters who send hats to Hope before September 9, will receive a small tape measure for their knitting bags and will be entered into a giveaway for books and other swag. For details read the week one blog.
