New Pattern: Morticia's Surprise

Last year, a cosplayer friend of mine commissioned me to make the three-legged baby romper from the end of 1991’s Addams Family movie. I loved this movie when it came out and I still regularly watch it. So, of course I was all in when she asked me to make it. Designing a pattern to replicate something from a movie that I’ve enjoyed for so long made the process a fun challenge. This definitely wasn’t how I expected to learn how to knit and construct a set-in sleeve or write instructions for a short-row heel, but I’m so glad I did.

For most of the pattern writing and knitting, the plan was to knit the romper and mail it off. That’d be the end of it. The Bearded One had other ideas, and kept pushing me to release the pattern for this wonderful bit of geekery. He finally convinced me, and after a few more months of work and tech editing, Morticia’s Surprise is now ready for your knitting pleasure.

The romper starts with the feet, moves up the legs, then the body, and the shoulders are grafted together. From there you’ll pick up the stitches at the arm holes, work a short row sleeve cap, and knit the sleeves down to the cuffs. There are three different neck options and instructions for adding yarn and needles to match what’s shown in the film.

I’m releasing Morticia’s Surprise under the value-for-value model which means you can pay what it’s worth to you.

You can download the pattern and get all the details by clicking the button below. Then show your support for this pattern and future patterns by making a donation or becoming a monthly subscriber on Ko-Fi.

You can also get the pattern through Ravelry. Pay what you want using the coupon codes on the pattern page.

New Pattern: The Old Friend Hat

It all started with a hat I knit for the Bearded One nine years ago. He saw a hat he liked on an old British tv show from the 70’s*, and said he would totally wear a hat like that. I, a knitter with a little too much time on her hands, said I could make that happen. After taking a few screen caps, I got to work. The hat wasn’t an exact recreation since I had to guess at some of the details, but it was close and a big success. He wore that hat everywhere and usually kept it in his back pocket just in case he’d need it.

Well, after nine years of constant wear, the hat was an old friend but also showing it’s age. So it was time to knit him another one. While I worked on the new hat, I couldn’t help but imagine a longer slouchier version for me. And how could I not whip up a matching hat for the kiddo too. So I took the opportunity to clean up and expand the pattern to fit small baby heads all the way up to big adult noggins. There’s both a snug fitted version and a long slouchy version. And how could I not name the pattern “Old Friend”. The hat has been with us for 9 years already, and I’ve got the yarn to knit several more. Sounds like this hat is going to be sticking around for a long time.

While I’ve only been wearing my Old Friend hat for a few months, I am absolutely in love. The cables look great with pretty much everything. I wear it slouchy most of the time, but am really glad of the extra ribbing when I want an extra layer over my ears. Even the kiddo, who won’t wear most hats for more than five seconds at a time, wears her Old Friend hat when it’s cold. Though our hats are all different colors and lengths, they still match without having to be exactly the same.

Oh, and after nine years, I am so happy to finally share the pattern with you! Whether you choose to knit it short and fitted or long and slouchy, this cabled hat is sure to become an old friend that’s always by your side.

To celebrate the release of Old Friend, the pattern will be on sale October 13 - 20th, 2019 MST . Use code FRIENDLY when you check out to get 20% off the pattern!

Sizes:

Baby/Toddler: (16 - 18”) [41 - 46 cm]

Child: (18 - 20”) [46 - 51 cm]

Adult S/M: (20 - 22”) [51 - 56 cm]

Adult L: (22 - 24”) [56 - 61 cm]

Gauge: 4 sts and 6 rows = 1” in pattern

Yarn:

For Fitted Hat: 60 (85, 120, 140) yds / 55 [78, 104, 119] m worsted weight yarn

• Shown in Knit Picks Swish Worsted - Allspice, and Stonehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd’s Wool Worsted - Garnet

For Slouchy Hat: 70 (100, 140, 172) yds / 64 [91, 128, 157] m worsted weight yarn

• Shown in Knit Picks Swish Worsted - Dove Heather

Needles and Notions:

• US 7 (4.5mm) 32” circular needles OR 16” circular needles/DPN’s

• Tapestry Needle

• Regular and Locking Stitch Markers (Optional)

*Said show is “Last of the Summer Wine”, and I’m totally guessing that the episodes I was watching were from the 70’s.

Pattern Update: Waffle Time Washcloth

I got an email this weekend asking about my Waffle Time washcloth pattern. The knitter’s in-progress washcloth didn’t look anything like the washcloth in the photos. She asked if maybe the K3 needed to be outside the asterisks?

I published Waffle Time in 2016 and haven’t really touched it since. So, I started knitting a swatch to get the pattern fresh in my brain. Surely, the instructions would work. There were 15 finished projects on Ravelry that looked just like the original sample… and there was one that didn’t. Huh. I spent hours trying to get the stitch pattern to work as written. Different stitch counts and different numbers of repeats. No matter what I tried, my swatch didn’t look like the original washcloth either. Ugh. What did work was pulling the K3 out of the asterisks, just as she suggested.

Thanks to her message, the pattern has been corrected, and I updated the layout since I was fiddling around with the file anyway. You can download the updated pattern below and have yourself a lovely new washcloth in no time. I might dig out a ball of cotton and knit one for myself too since I gave the original cloths away.

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If you enjoyed knitting this pattern, please

Thank you for your support! It means so much! Happy knitting!

New (Free) Pattern: The Windbreaker Hat

The Windbreaker hat got the chance to live up to it’s name this weekend. The Bearded One and I trekked through the falling snow, wind, and 19 degree temps to run errands and grab lunch. Every minute outside, the hat kept his head warm and the wind out. No cold ears here.
 
Windbreaker is a ridiculously stretchy cabled hat. Seriously. It fits both me (22") and the Bearded One’s 24” noggin. The secret to this stretch is that the hat, even the cables, are based in 2x2 rib. This has the added bonus of making the hat an easy knit while the cables keep things interesting. And thanks to the long brim, Windbreaker can be worn as a slouchy hat or with the brim folded for an extra layer against the cold.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn, and this hat is made with less than one skein of Berroco Ultra Alpaca (Oceanic Mix). Both written and charted instructions are included for the cables and crown decreases. The pattern includes two sizes, medium and large, and an option to work a longer section of cables and a shorter brim.

Add it to your queue and favorites on Ravelry!

Sizes: Medium (Large) - Shown in size Large which fits a head circumference up to 24" (61 cm)

Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) 40" circular needle (for magic loop) OR 16" circular needle and DPN's

Gauge: 13 sts and 13 rows = 2" (5 cm) in 2x2 rib, unstretched

Yarn: 130 (145) yds / 119 (133) m worsted weight yarn. Shown in Berroco Ultra Alpaca - Oceanic Mix.

Notions: Cable Needle, Tapestry Needle

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Free Pattern: The Melded Scarf

The Melded Scarf is what happens when two colors meet in the middle and come together to make a cosy and bold striped scarf. Worked in 1x1 rib the scarf is reversible, and looks great on anyone. The Melded Scarf is also a great showcase for variegated and gradient yarns.

Check it out on Ravelry and add it to your queue!

I originally designed this pattern for Foster Care to Success’s Red Scarf Project which collects red scarves to send college-bound foster youth for Valentine’s Day. I first read about the project several years ago when I was a college student myself.  I probably should have been studying, but I was hunched over my laptop reading knitting blogs instead. A huge part of the reason I got into college and made it through 5 grueling years was because I had the support of my parents. Without them and their support everything from buying books, to final exams, to pulling all-nighters (saw so many sunrises from my studio desk) would have been so much more difficult. And it was so nice getting notes and surprise care packages from home. It was amazing and wonderful knowing that people were cheering me on. I wanted to share that feeling and support with others, and I still do. 

If you enjoy the pattern, please consider making a scarf for the Red Scarf Project or making a donation to the Foster Care to Success program. They provide scholarships, coaching, care packages, and an emergency fund to help foster kids get through college. And, according to Charity Navigator, the majority of the money F2C receives actually goes to it’s programs and services.