Fast and furious Fiddlehead Hat

After the Kelp Hat I needed to make something Fast and Furious as I wanted to also do a lot of baking and cooking this week-end.

I love these colors, my own homespun version of Noro, mixed with the real thing.
Bi-color multidirectional band and flaps, the two mixed really well.

At first it looked like fall colors to me, but when I went to the garden to take pictures I noticed that it mixed wonderfully with the greens and flowers that sprung up almost overnight...

Kelp Hat

So moving along nicely in the hat series, I got inspired by the sea. Last summer I knitted actual seaweed and with the garden becoming overwhelming visually, I decided to knit a new hat with kelp...

Lovely baby kelp made of angora, the color was what inspired me, dangling gently from the top and swinging in the breeze.

View from the top

Same base hat, I-cord finished with a bulb, stuffed with wool and embellished with three "ribbons". Turned out just as I visualized it, random lengh of seaweed cascading like a ponytail. Now what.....

Free Knitting Pattern: Fiddlehead hat

I have had such a great feedback and fun making these hats that I decided to share.

But as I tried to copy/paste the pattern I spent the whole afternoon typing, it keeps rejecting me, so if you know how I can do this do let me know. For now the pattern is only available for Ravelry members until I can figure this out...DH just came home and saved me from a potential tear down!!!

So here it is

Free knitting Pattern
Please note that this was written straight from my head, Knit at your own risk...

Fiddlehead hat

1 ball Berroco Sox Metallic Durian color 1372
1 Ball Queensland Collection KATHMANDU Aran Color 144
2 circular needles size 2.75mm

Notions:
Tapestry needle
Stitch markers
"Embellish Knit" (optional but makes the I-cord work faster)
Scissors

Gauge:
Not too crucial but I got 8stsX10 rows=1inch square

Size: Medium/Large

Special instructions
Flaps:
Knit back and forth in garter stitch on 5 sts for 8 ridges.
Hat is constructed with the head band made of a small multidirectional "scarf", then stitches are picked up along the sides for the crown. I-cord "Fiddleheads" are then threaded trough the flaps for embellishment.

I wish to thank Karen for giving me permission to use her great instructions for the multidirectional scarf.

Hat Band:
With 2.75mm needle and the sox yarn cast on one stitch, leaving enough tail to use to sew band together later.
Row 1: Inc (knit front and back of st) = 2sts
Row2: Inc into first stitch, knit to end. =3sts
Repeat row 1 and 2 until you have 22sts.
Short row section:
Row 1: Inc into first stitch, SSK, turn.
Row 2: and all even rows, Knit.
Row 3: Inc into first stitch, K1, SSK, Turn.
Row 5: Inc into first stitch, K2, SSK, Turn.
Row 7: Inc into the first stitch, k3, SSK, Turn.

Continue the short row section, increasing in the first stitch of every odd-numbered row between the Inc and the SSK, (you don’t have to count because you’ll always be SSK-ing the two stitches on ether side of the gap that form from your Turn on the previous row.
Keep working until you have SSK-ed the last 2 sts, Turn.
Repeat instructions for the short row section 5 time more. You should have now, 6 short row sections altogether.
For the last Triangle:
Work as in previous section until you have 11 stitches on each needle.
Next row : Knit
Dec row: K2Tog, k8, SSK, Turn.
Odd-numbered rows: Knit.
Dec row: K2Tog, K6, SSK, Turn.
Continue until you have 3 sts on each needle. (6 stitches altogether).

Next: K1, K3Tog, Turn, K2.
Next: K3Tog, Turn, K1.
Next: K2Tog, pull gently the last stitch made and leave on needle or stitch holder to use as the first stitch of the crown, DO NOT CUT YARN, this way you don‘t have to join any yarn.
With tapestry needle sew up the band to close it using the tail end of the cast on, with a mattress stitch.

Crown:
Using the last stitch of the hat band as your starting point, pick up along the edge of the band 160 sts. (Works out to 2 sts made in front and back of each ridge edge).
Purl 2 rows.
Knit 8 rows.
Flap row: *K20, turn and make a flap of 5sts in garter stitch going back and forth over 8 ridges*, repeat *to * 7 more times. You should have 8 flaps evenly distributed over the row.
Knit 8 rows.
Purl 2 rows.
Knit 8 rows.
Flap row: K5, turn and make flap as in previous instructions, (you are "moving " the flaps over 5 sts to get a spiral effect in the final design), *K20, turn and make flap*, repeat *to*until the end of row and you have 8 flaps evenly distributed.
Knit 8 rows.
Purl 2 rows.
Knit6 rows.
Flap row: K10, Turn and make flap as in previous instructions, *K20, Turn and make flap*, repeat * to *, until the end of row and you have 8 flaps evenly distributed.
Knit 4 rows.
Next row: (Knit 14 sts, K2Tog) 10 times for top of crown decrease.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: (Purl 13 sts, K2Tog) 10 times for top of crown decrease.
Purl 1 row.
Next row: (Knit 12 sts, K2Tog)10 times for top of crown decrease.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: (Knit 11 sts, K2Tog)10 times for top of crown decrease. 120sts.
Knit 1 row.
Flap row: K10, Turn and make flap as in previous instructions, *K15, turn and make flap*, repeat *to* until the end of row and you have 8 flaps evenly At this point you can switch to 2 circular needles for comfort and ease.
Next row: (K10 sts, K2Tog) 10 times for top of crown decrease.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: (K9 sts, K2Tog) 10 times for top of crown decrease.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: (K8 sts, K2Tog) 10 times for top of crown decrease.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: (P7 sts, K2Tog) 10 times for top of crown decrease.
Purl 1 row.
Next row: (K6 sts, K2Tog) 10 times for top of crown decrease.
Knit 1 row.
Flap row: *K7, Turn make flap as in previous instructions*, repeat *to*until the end of row and you have 8 flaps evenly distributed.
Next row: (K5 sts, K2Tog) 10 times for top of crown decrease.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: (P4 sts, K2Tog) 10 times for top of crown decrease.
Purl 1 row.
Next row: (P3 sts, K2Tog) 10 times for top of crown decrease.
Purl 1 row.
Next row: (P2 sts, K2Tog) 10 times for top of crown decrease.
Purl 1 row.
Next row: (P1 st., K2Tog) 10 times for top of crown decrease.
Purl 1 row.
Next row: (P2Tog), 10 times for top of crown decrease.
Cut yarn and thread through the last 10 sts remaining and close.

Make 8 length of 4sts I-cord for fiddleheads. Thread the I-cord through the flaps made, from band to top of crown. Near the hat band make a small fiddlehead and anchor with a few whip sts. Near the top make larger fiddleheads of varied length. Tie up all fiddleheads at the top with an I-cord binder wrapped around the "bunch" of 8 "fiddleheads" 2 or 3 times. Anchor with light whipped stitches.

Fiddlehead Hat ValériePagnier-Copyright ® 2009 Valérie Pagnier

Rainy days and quilt square.

Also known in some facetious circles as "guilt squares", today, a rainy day, was the perfect timing to do this.

Every year the island gets together a quilt made of squares done by many that is raffled during the summer month to raise money for an island cause. This has gone on for 32 years (I think). The first time I participated was in 1979, and have done many throughout the years, though not each one. Dh even made one the year we fund raised for the preschool.

This year the much needed New Clinic is the recipient and the theme is "Health".

The quilter that convinced me to make a square was lamenting than no one was doing pills and that she had a vision of little blue "Viagra" tablets here and there...

So here is what I produced today...My 12x12 contribution to the community quilt.

Tumbling pills is a perfect subject for me.....I am happy with the results.

Happy Easter

Did not do much knitting this week, very busy with other things...

like baking...

One of my favorite French pastry:

Millefeuille with Coffee and Pistachio Triangles

the latter being a failed macaroons (as in they all melted into each other in the oven) but delicious nonetheless and pretty as decoration.

Happy Easter!!!

Knitting Primulas

I have been knitting flowers all week, but first things first.

2 weeks ago our car finally had a major break down, yes the breaks went and we decided to buy a new car...

Dh had done tons of research on the net, we narrowed it down to 2 models, 2 different manufacturers.

Hyunday versus Honda.

In the end, Hyunday Elentra won for the best interior comfort the best price and the friendliest sales lady. All was done over the phone and we went to pick it up Thursday...

So new...Am still in shock...

So shiny that you could shave yourself...

There it is in the driveway, pointing in the right direction, dh keeps asking if I need a ride anywhere!!!

In between all these negotiations and major purchase I knitted primulas...

Last Sunday as I was walking by the patches in the garden I was drawn to knitting the spring.

Presenting the last of the series,

The Primula Hat.

I am very happy with the results, it was worth the entire week of knitting 64 flowers!!!
In my head, and now on it, I visualized something out of an Esther Williams movie, something full, something with motion still in it, just like the blooms in the wind, which is still icy by the way.

So there they are made of Plassard Alpaga, thank you Mom for the early Easter present, and the colors are just so right.

The base hat has the same construction, a multidirectional band, pick up stitches on the band with little flaps and objects inserted so they keep their movements.

Don't the daffodils look great next to it...Maybe I feel up to the challenge of daf knitting...