Jan 28, 2013

Knitting Pattern for Dr. Seuss Cat's Hat






Dr. Seuss Cat’s Hat
By Stana D.S.

Finished Hat size: Fits heads of 18- 24” (45 - 60cm). Finished measurement approximately 19” (48cm) small and 24” (60cm) large in circumference unstretched.
Hat is approximately 15” (38cm) tall.

Yarn: Less than 1 ball each of red and white yarn. 
For our Hat I have used Red Heart Super Saver worsted medium
364yards/333m per 7oz/198g
            (Any red and white colored yarn in worsted medium would work)


Recommended Needles size: Double pointed needles US #3/3.25mm (set of 5) or your preferred needles for knitting in the round.

Notions: Yarn needle, scissors, stitch marker, crochet hook

Abbreviations:  SSK= slip st, slip st and knit the 2sts together, this decrease 2sts to 1st.
    KFB = Knit in front and back of the same st, this creates 2sts from 1st.

Gauge: 18sts & 25 rows = 4” in st. st.

INSTRUCTIONS:

With red yarn and four double pointed needles cast on 80sts. (small); 100sts (large). Divide the sts evenly between the DPN.
Place a stitch marker on the first st, and begin working in the round.
Row 1 - 20: Knit around 20 rows (80 or 100sts. total) in red yarn. Cut off the red yarn. Attach the white yarn.
Row 21 - 40: Knit around 20 rows (80 or 100sts. total) in white yarn. Cut off the white yarn. Attach the red yarn.
Row 41 - 60: Knit around 20 rows (80 or 100sts. total) in red yarn. Cut off the red yarn. Attach the white yarn.
Row 61 - 80: Knit around 20 rows (80 or 100sts. total) in white yarn. Cut off the white yarn. Attach the red yarn.
Row 81 - 100: Knit around 20 rows (80 or 100sts. total) in red yarn.
Row 101: Purl around (80 or 100sts. total).

Decrease rows for the small top of the hat:
Row 102: *SSK, Knit 6; repeat from * around, (70sts total)
Row 103: Knit around (70sts total)
Row 104: *SSK, Knit 5; repeat from * around, (60sts total)
Row 105: Knit around (60sts total)
Row 106: *SSK, Knit 4; repeat from * around, (50sts total)
Row 107: Knit around (50sts total)
Row 108: *SSK, Knit 3; repeat from * around, (40sts total)
Row 109: Knit around (40sts total)
Row 110: *SSK, Knit 2; repeat from * around, (30sts total)
Row 111: Knit around (30sts total)
Row 112: *SSK, Knit 1; repeat from * around, (20sts total)
Row 113: Knit around (20sts total)
Row 114: SSK around (10sts total)
Row 115: Knit around (10sts total)
Row 116: SSK around (5sts total) Cut the yarn, leaving long tail, and thread the end on a yarn needle. Pull the end through the remaining stitches on needles, gather up and close the hole, stitch to secure.

Decrease rows for the large top of the hat:
Row 102: *SSK, Knit 8; repeat from * around, (90sts total)
Row 103: Knit around (90sts total)
Row 104: *SSK, Knit 7; repeat from * around, (80sts total)
Row 105: Knit around (80sts total)
Row 106: *SSK, Knit 6; repeat from * around, (70sts total)
Row 107: Knit around (70sts total)
Row 108: *SSK, Knit 5; repeat from * around, (60sts total)
Row 109: Knit around (60sts total)
Row 110: *SSK, Knit 4; repeat from * around, (50sts total)
Row 111: Knit around (50sts total)
Row 112: *SSK, Knit 3; repeat from * around, (40sts total)
Row 113: Knit around (40sts total)
Row 114: *SSK, Knit 2; repeat from * around, (30sts total)
Row 115: Knit around (30sts total)
Row 116: *SSK, Knit 1; repeat from * around, (20sts total)
Row 117: Knit around (20sts total)
Row 118: SSK around (10sts total)
Row 119: Knit around (10sts total)
Row 120: SSK around (5sts total) Cut the yarn, leaving long tail, and thread the end on a yarn needle. Pull the end through the remaining stitches on needles, gather up and close the hole, stitch to secure.

Brim of the small Hat:
Attach the white yarn to the rim with cast on sts. With a crochet hook or DPN pick up 80sts on the outside part of the bottom edge. Divide the sts evenly onto 4DPN (or use the circular needles) and begin working in the round.
Row 1: Knit around (80sts total)
Row 2: *KFB, Knit 7; repeat from * around (90sts total)
Row 3: Knit around (90sts total)
Row 4: *KFB, Knit 8; repeat from * around (100sts total)
Row 5: Knit around (100sts total)
Row 6: *KFB, Knit 9; repeat from * around (110sts total)
Row 7: Knit around (110sts total)
Row 8: *KFB, Knit 10; repeat from * around (120sts total)
Row 9: Knit around (120sts total)
Row 10: *KFB, Knit 11; repeat from * around (130sts total)
Row 11: Knit around (130sts total)
Row 12: *KFB, Knit 12; repeat from * around (140sts total)
Row 13: Knit around (140sts total)
Row 14: Purl around (140sts total) this will create the edge of the Hat’s brim
Row 15: Knit around (140sts total)
Row 16: *SSK, Knit 12; repeat from * around, (130sts total)
Row 17: Knit around (130sts total)
Row 18: *SSK, Knit 11; repeat from * around, (120sts total)
Row 19: Knit around (120sts total)
Row 20: *SSK, Knit 10; repeat from * around, (110sts total)
Row 21: Knit around (110sts total)
Row 22: *SSK, Knit 9; repeat from * around, (100sts total)
Row 23: Knit around (100sts total)
Row 24: *SSK, Knit 8; repeat from * around, (90sts total)
Row 25: Knit around (90sts total)
Row 26: *SSK, Knit 7; repeat from * around, (80sts total)
Row 27: Knit around (80sts total)
Row 28: Knit and bind off. Cut long tail of yarn and thread the end on a yarn needle. Sew the bind off stitches to the bottom part of the hat creating the brim.


Brim of the large Hat:
Attach the white yarn to the rim with cast on sts. With a crochet hook or DPN pick up 100sts on the outside part of the bottom edge. Divide the sts evenly onto 4DPN (or use the circular needles) and begin working in the round.
Row 1: Knit around (100sts total)
Row 2: *KFB, Knit 9; repeat from * around (110sts total)
Row 3: Knit around (110sts total)
Row 4: *KFB, Knit 10; repeat from * around (120sts total)
Row 5: Knit around (120sts total)
Row 6: *KFB, Knit 11; repeat from * around (130sts total)
Row 7: Knit around (130sts total)
Row 8: *KFB, Knit 12; repeat from * around (140sts total)
Row 9: Knit around (140sts total)
Row 10: *KFB, Knit 13; repeat from * around (150sts total)
Row 11: Knit around (150sts total)
Row 12: *KFB, Knit 14; repeat from * around (160sts total)
Row 13: Knit around (160sts total)
Row 14: Purl around (160sts total) this will create the edge of the Hat’s brim
Row 15: Knit around (160sts total)
Row 16: *SSK, Knit 14; repeat from * around, (150sts total)
Row 17: Knit around (150sts total)
Row 18: *SSK, Knit 13; repeat from * around, (140sts total)
Row 19: Knit around (140sts total)
Row 20: *SSK, Knit 12; repeat from * around, (130sts total)
Row 21: Knit around (130sts total)
Row 22: *SSK, Knit 11; repeat from * around, (120sts total)
Row 23: Knit around (120sts total)
Row 24: *SSK, Knit 10; repeat from * around, (110sts total)
Row 25: Knit around (110sts total)
Row 26: *SSK, Knit 9; repeat from * around, (100sts total)
Row 27: Knit around (100sts total)
Row 28: Knit and bind off. Cut long tail of yarn and thread the end on a yarn needle. Sew the bind off stitches to the bottom part of the hat creating the brim.

Finishing: Weave in all ends. To make the hat stand on your head is a bit tricky. I am sure that there might be other perhaps more clever ideas, but we have used large sheet of paper measured the head and created tube, which we inserted inside the hat. That way the hat can be washed and dried.

Copyright: This pattern was design and written by Stana D. S. The pattern is for personal use only. The finished items may not be sold for profit, except for charity purposes. Please acknowledge the author.
Thank you.





Jan 26, 2013

Earth.....

....is a wonderful place to live.
I love every day when I can open my eyes in the morning. That simple act assures me that I am still alive, and  have another day to enjoy the beauty of this planet.
I hope that our future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of our planet also. And  perhaps they will learn how to live in peace with each other.

Peace to all.

Thank you for visiting.

Jan 21, 2013

These toys travel.....

......to a new home.
This is a group picture of my first charity donation this year. I have learned about project Christmas in February for children in Pine Ridge in South Dakota on Ravelry at the RAM group.
I could not resist the opportunity to send some of my toys to a new home.
It is an adventure on it's own, to wrap the toys in a box and send them out, wondering what the people will think when they open the box and see the toys. All the possibilities that I can imagine. In reality I may never find out what the recipients think when they see the toys, I can just hope that they like the toys and will take care of them........

Thank you for visiting.

Jan 12, 2013

The difference in sizes

Sometimes people ask me which yarn to use, or which needle size I use in my patterns.

I like to leave the choice of yarn for the person who knits the toy for several reasons. People visit this blog from all over the world and sometimes the yarn I use cannot be bought in their home, or sometimes I use yarn that I have inherited from my grandmother (in this case that kind of yarn is no longer available anywhere). I usually suggest the thickness of yarn that I use, but even that can be tricky because everyone knits differently. Someone's knitting may be more loose while other's may be more tight. My knitting can vary from project to project.

Similar situation applies to the size of knitting needles. In my patterns I  write the needle size that I have used for that particular project, but it does not mean that everyone should use the same size of needles as well. Some people prefer to knit on larger needle sizes and some have no trouble to use the needle size I use on my toys. The needles are always only suggested but not required.

What I think is important to follow in my patterns are the number of stitches and the number of rows.  Before I write down any pattern I make several samples, after I write the pattern I use test knitters to test my patterns. That way I can see that the patterns are doable, not just by me personally but by others as well.

On the photograph you can see three samples of Miranda, the owl.
Two of the samples were made on the same needle size ( US3/3.25mm) and the smaller sample was made with needles size (US1/2.25mm).
The samples were made in  various yarns. For the red and white owl I have used Caron Simply Soft yarn (worsted weight acrylic). For the small owl I have used Cascade Yarns Heritage Hand Painted Sock Yarn (mixed merino superwash and nylon) and for the third owl I have used yarn that was given to me by my mom (it was a box of yarn that belonged to my grandmother) I just used yarn in the same thickness, or I used double yarn if the yarn was too thin.

But all three samples have the same amount of stitches and rows.
The toys are different in height, but all of them are same in the proportions. Which is what is important in toy knitting.
Here is a link that takes you to the pattern page for Miranda, the owl
Miranda, the owl


Thank you for visiting.

Jan 6, 2013

Knitting Pattern for Miranda, the owl

 Miranda, the owl started as a donation for my local library. Each summer the library has summer reading program for children and they receive for every 15 minutes of reading raffle ticket.
People donate prizes and children can put their tickets to boxes for a chance to win that particular prize.  My knitted owls were some of the prizes the children could win every week.
The librarians told me that the owls were among the children's favorites.



Now everyone has a chance to knit their own Miranda, the owl. The knitting pattern is available to purchase on Ravelry or by clicking on this button.

 

Miranda, is approximately 8'(20cm) tall.  The toy is knitted in the rounds, the pattern contains charts for the fair isle/stranded color work technique and written instructions with photographs. You will need less then a ball of two colors each, two funky buttons for the eys or safety eyes and small amount of yarn for the beak.

Happy Knitting.

Thank you for visiting.