Mighty rabbit ears

Eventually, a hat to attach them to, but first Big Ears!  They're done in the round using a magic loop.  Ears and hat will both come out of the same 6 oz skein.

Yarn: Any ol' worsted thing, I used Loops & Threads Silky Soft in aran.
Needles: #7 (4.5 mm) circular needle (for magic loop) or dpn
Gauge: not critical, approximately what is says on the yarn
k=knit, p=purl, m1L=make one left, m1R=make one right, ssk=slip, slip, knit; k2tog=knit 2 together, w&t=wrap and turn
Note that I do not flip my work over, merely reverse direction, so all instructions are for the right side.

Cast on 4 stitches:
1) k4
2) k1, m1L, m1R, k3
3) k5, m1L, m1R, k1
4) k1, m1L, k2, m1R, k5
5) k7, m1L, p2, m1R, k1
6) k8, p2, k2
7) k1, m1L, k4, m1R, k3, p2, k2
8) k9, m1L, p4, m1R, k2
9,10) k10, p4, k2
11) k1, m1L, k6, m1R, k3, p4, k2
12) k11, m1L, p6, m1R, k1
13-15) k12, p6, k2
16) k1, m1L, k8, m1R, k3, p6, k2
17) k13, m1L, p8, m1R, k1
18-21) k14, p8, k2
22) k1, m1L, k10, m1R, k3, p8, k2
23) k15, m1L, p10, m1R, k1
24-28) k16, p10, k2
29) k1, m1L, k12, m1R, k3, p10, k2
30) k17, m1L, p12, m1R, k1
31-38) k18, p12, k2
39) k1, m1L, k14, m1R, k3, p12, k2
40) k19, m1L, p14, m1R, k1
41-51) k20, p14, k2
52) k1, m1L, k16, m1R, k3, p14, k2
53) k21, m1L, p16, m1R, k1
54-71) k22, p16, k2
72) k17, w&t, k14, w&t, k16, p16, k2
73-74) k22, p16, k2
75) k21, ssk, p14, k2tog, k1
76) k1, ssk, k14, k2tog, k3, p14, k2
77) k20, p14, k2
78) k19, ssk, p12, k2tog, k1
79) k1, ssk, k12, k2tog, k3, p12, k2
80) k13, w&t, k10, w&t, k15, p12, k2
81) k17, ssk, p10, k2tog, k1
82) k1, ssk, k10, k2tog, k3, p10, k2
83) k16, p10, k2
84) k15, ssk, p8, k2tog, k1
85) k1, ssk, k8, k2tog, k3, p8, k2
86) k9, w&t, k6, w&t, k11, p8, k2
Cast off in p.

After doing short rows, always remember to pick up your wrap in the next row.  Once the first is finished, it's time to do it all over again for a second.  For the sake of symmetry, I did the second from left to right (the first was right to left).  The same effect can be achieved by knitting along the back section of the work instead of the front.  Since this is knitting the wrong side, k and p are swapped.

summer fling

This is a floppy, wide brimmed hat with a lacy, airy crown perfect for a summer day.



Yarn: Lily Sugar'n Cream, 2 skeins. This is daisy ombres.
Needles: #7 (4.5 mm) and #6 (4 mm) circular needle or dpn
Gauge: not critical, approximately 20 stitches and 26 rows for 4"x4" (10x10 cm)
k=knit, p=purl, yo=yarn over, ssk=slip, slip, knit, kbf=knit back and front, like knit front and back (kfb), but in the opposite order, it helps to pull the stitch off and put back on to keep them in the correct order along the yarn, bo=bind off.

CO 8 into circle in favorite way. I generally just cast on 9 with a long tail, slip the first stitch and later knit it with the last one.
1 and all odd) k around
2) yo, k1 around
4) yo, k2 around
6) yo, k3 around
8) yo, k4 around
10) yo, k5 around
12) yo, ssk, yo, k4 around
14) (yo, ssk)x2, yo, k3 around
16) (yo, ssk)x3, yo, k2 around
18) (yo, ssk)x4, yo, k1 around
20 and even for 3 inches or so) yo, ssk around
22,24,26,28) p around
30) switch needles down one size: kbf, k4 around
32) kbf, k5 around
34) kbf, k6 around
36) kbf, k7 around
38) kbf, k8 around
40) kbf, k9 around
42) kbf, k10 around
44) kbf, k11 around
46) kbf, k12 around
48) kbf, k13 around
50) kbf, k14 around
51) p around
52) kbf, k15 around
53) k around
54) bo 1 (in k), knit on 2, *bo 4, k on 2* around, bo 3 and wrap last stitch around first bo (picot bind off)

This made a bit fuller brim than really needed. I tried going back to 8 increases around while making the hat, but it does not increase quite fast enough on the smaller needles. After 4 or 5 rows of increasing 16 times, it may be better to intersperse some 8 increase rows as so:
40) kbf, k20 around
42) kbf, k21 around
44) kbf, k11 around
46) kbf, k24 around
48) kbf, k25 around
50) kbf, k13 around
51) p around
52) kbf, 28 around
Then finish as above.

Starch can be added to stiffen the brim. Bug buttons were knitted into the fabric as I went for decoration. For these, it's best to decide where they will go before starting.

slouchy summer cap

Yarn: Lily Sugar'n Cream, 2 skeins. Natural twists has been used here.
Needles: #7 (4.5 mm) circular needle or dpn
Gauge: not critical, approximately 20 stitches and 26 rows for 4"x4" (10x10 cm)
k=knit, p=purl, yo=yarn over, ssk=slip, slip, knit, k2tog=knit two together.

Cast on 8 and join in a circle. (For best results, cast on 8 plus the first loop, slip the loop and knit it with the last stitch such that the stitch is on top.)
1 and all odd rows: k
2: (yo, k1)x8 -- 16 stitches
4: (yo, k2)x8 -- 24 stitches
6: (yo, k3)x8 -- 32 stitches
8: (yo, k4)x8 -- 40 stitches
10: (yo, k5)x8 -- 48 stitches
12: (yo, k6)x8 -- 56 stitches
14: (yo, ssk, yo, k5)x8 -- 64 stitches
16: ((yo, ssk)x2, yo, k4)x8 -- 72 stitches
18: ((yo, ssk)x3, yo, k3)x8 -- 80 stitches
20: ((yo, ssk)x4, yo, k2)x8 -- 88 stitches
22: ((yo, ssk)x4, yo, k2tog, k1)x8 -- 88 stitches
24: ((yo, ssk)x5, yo, k1)x8 -- 96 stitches
26: ((yo, ssk)x5, yo, k2tog)x8 -- 96 stitches
28: ((yo, ssk)x6)x8 -- 96 stitches
Keep up row 28 for each even row for about 6 inches (22 pattern rows) or more. Up to row 28 used about 1/2 skein, so would be possible to do a short one with 1 skein, but wouldn’t be very slouchy at all.
30,32: yo, ssk, yo, k2tog, (yo, ssk)x4 -- 96 stitches
34: yo, ssk, yo, k2tog, k2tog, (yo, ssk)x3 -- 88 stitches
36: yo, ssk, yo, k2tog, k1, (yo, ssk)x3 -- 88 stitches
38,40,42: p
44: cast off in p. Pull the last loop around the first loop to make the bind off continuous.
Sew on decorations if desired.

For a tighter brim, do one more decrease before the garter rows:
38: yo, ssk, yo, k2tog, k1, k2tog, (yo, ssk)x2 -- 80 stitches
40: yo, ssk, yo, k2tog, k2, (yo, ssk)x2 -- 80 stitches
42,44,46: p
48: cast off in p. Be sure not to cast off too tightly.

fruit basket

I am having visions of a soft fruit basket of cotton yarn. It would have a square bottom and an octagon top. Well, maybe more of an octagon middle since by the top it might be quite circular unless given a bit of wire or something to keep the corners.

The plan, I think, starts with choosing a finished circumference in stitches that is an odd number time eight. The knitting would start with the same squares as before for the bottom. When the number of stitches is half the planned complete number, stop increasing on half of the increases while the others start increasing to the other side. I've been thinking that the increases should center around opposing sides, but perhaps on the same side of each edge would be better. And the more I ponder which is better the more I think it won't really hit an octagon shape at all. The first will go more to a boat shape and the second will continue to be square but will twist a bit as it goes. It really doesn't even need to have the increases change sides.

For a more rounded project, one could start a little earlier in the shaping and just decrease the frequency of increases along the lines that will be stopped. Patterning could be used to emphasis or even generate the octagonal shape, if that is desired...

It's a work in progress, of course, until something has been knit. And then there's always the second one.