Sunday, January 23, 2011

Back to the baby hats...


















(Please ignore the creepy doll and focus on the knitting, thanks.)

So, another iteration of the baby helmet. This is getting closer, but it's not there yet. I think I got the size right for a newborn - it fits my daughter's doll, who was originally my oldest son's doll, named Baby James (we were listening to a lot of JT at the time, what can I say?), who has a head circumference of 13.5", so newborn size. I think it needs about 4 or 5 more rows of depth. I'm not sure about the pink and purple striping, I think they may be too close together. And, on the next iteration, I'm going to do the whole thing in stockinette and then do a crochet edging and see if that looks nice. I've got a pretty pale blue, and I think a white border would look nice on it.

This is knit on 7s, using Bernat Cottontots, which I really like. It's very soft, nice to knit with, and of course, machine washable and dryable. When it comes to baby stuff, even hats, I'm a true believer in the machine washable option. Babies spew amazing amounts of substances from a variety of orifices, and it's sort of stunning how much laundry you do. As a new mom, there's no way I could have had my wits about me enough to remember to hand wash anything.

Anyway, this is a CUTE little hat, and a super quick knit too! Once I have the pattern set, I think I'll contact the designer and see if she wants it.

Oh, on my last post, my friend the Toysmith (maker of that gorgeous pen) asked what color work was. Knitting is pretty basic in some ways, sticks and string. There's two stitches, knit and purl, and then variations on those. You get your designs either by stitch variations or colors. Something like an aran sweater, that texture is cabling (which I say gives you a lot of bang for the buck - it's easy but looks wicked complicated) and other stitches. Lace patterns derive from the creation of holes in the fabric. Colorwork is simply using different colors, so knitting with more than one yarn in a project, and there are different ways to do it. I've only done very simple color work, with just two colors, but there are really complex projects out there! I sort of doubt you'll see me doing that sort of project, mainly because I don't find the end result tremendously personally appealing. I can appreciate the craft and art of it, but I'm probably not going to wear it. I used to say I had no interest in lace knitting either, and then started with lace socks, and am now knitting shawls. So, I won't say NEVER. :)

3 comments:

Dorothy said...

The hat is super cute!

My son's doll is named Baby Al. Who knows why. The baby has pretty much adopted him.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the quick education. I was a little confused because of the gorgeous Noro scarf you posted a few days ago (where the yarn, if I recall, is died to transition among colors, but the scarf also has alternating bands of color). If that wasn't "color work" then I wasn't sure what is!

Have a great week!

Knitting with a Purpose said...

The scarf is color work, and you get the alternating bands by striping two different colors! It looks very complex, but it's so easy to do! It's a bit different from the sorts of designs one can do, because you're alternating yarn every 2 rows, not within a row, so it's much less complex. The main concern is getting your yarn tangled! :)