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.

Octopus toy

I thought of someone to give it to, so I can make a big octopus. Here it is finished and swimming along on the couch.


I started with the legs. The octopus legs are based on the coiled tube seen here. They need to be stuffed every inch or two while knitting. Starting at the tip of the tentacle:
Bind on 3 stitches. This is knit in the round.
Row 1: k1, yo, k2.
Row 2: k1, yo, kt (knit with stitch twisted), k to end.
Repeat row 2 until there are 12 stitches including the yo.
Row 10: k1, yo, kt, k3, k2tog, k5.
Repeat row 10 until the leg is long enough then cut the yarn and pass it through the stitches to hold them for later.

Twisting the other direction:
Bind on 3 stitches.
Row 1: k2, yo, k1.
Row 2: k until the yo, kt, yo, k1.
Repeat row 2 until there are 12 stitches.
Row 10: k5, k2tog, k3, kt, yo, k1.
Repeat row 10 until long enough then hold the stitches.


The twist wasn't the same size for each of these even though one is the reverse of the other. To complete 8 legs, I knit 2 each in each direction then arranged them how I liked with the smaller twists to the front and back and the bigger twists to the side. Join the legs together simply looping the yarn twice through each of 3 stitches on each leg.


Each leg has some stitches that look straight and some that seem to be on a diagonal. The legs are arranged so that the straight stitches are centered to the outside of the circle (which will become the top of the octopus) and the diagonal stitches are to the inside (which will be the bottom.)

Once connected into a circle, place the 2 unused stitches of the bottom plus one used stitch on either side on each leg onto knitting needles for 32 stitches. Starting between the back legs:
Row 1: k to end
Row 2: k3, (k2tog, k6) x3, k2tog, k2.
Row 3: with last stitch of row 2 (k2tog, k5) x4.
Row 4: k3, (k2tog, k4) x3, k2tog, k1.
Row 5: (k2tog, k3) x4.
Row 6: k2, (k2tog, k2) x3, k2tog
Row 7: (k2tog, k1) x3, k2tog.
Bind off the last 4 stitches by passing the yarn through each once front to back and once back to front and tying tightly. Knots on the inside will not show.

Place the unused stitches of the top on needles together with one on each side of the used stitches for 48 stitches. Starting between the back legs:
Row 1: k to end.
Row 2: (k6, pm (place marker), yo, k6, pm) x4.
Row 3: (yo after marker, k to 2nd marker) x4.
Row 4: k to 1st marker, (yo before marker, k to 2nd marker) x3, yo, k to 1st marker.
Row 5: (yo before marker, k to 2nd marker) x4.
Row 6: k to 1st marker, (yo after marker, k to 2nd marker) x3, yo, k to 1st marker.
Row 7-9: repeat row 4-6.
Row 10 and for a few rows: k80.

Decreases aren't done symmetrically. Instead, the middle is decreased for a few rows, then decreases are added to either side for a few rows. This continues until there are eight decreases. The decreases alternate between k2tog and ssk so that the decrease does not create a spiral. Here is an illustration showing the decreases. The arrow marks the middle (front) and the bar marks the back where rows start. On the 1st 3 decrease rows, the red decreases are made, on the 2nd 3, the blue, then green, purple, cyan.


Row 1 (red): k39, k2tog, k39.
Row 2 and all even rows: k.
Row 3: k39, ssk, k38.
Row 5: k38, k2tog, k38.
Row 7 (blue): k25, ssk, k11, ssk, k11, ssk, k24.
Row 9: k24, k2tog, k10, k2tog, k10, k2tog, k24.
Row 11: k24, ssk, k9, ssk, k9, ssk, k23.
Row 13 (green): k13, k2tog, (k8, k2tog) x4, k13.
Row 15: k13, ssk, (k7, ssk) x4, k12.
Row 17: k12, k2tog, (k6, k2tog) x4, k12.
(Might be time to think about getting the head stuffed.)
Row 19 (purple): k5, ssk, (k5, ssk) x6, k4.
Row 21: k4, k2tog, (k4, k2tog) x6, k4.
Row 23: k4, ssk, (k3, ssk) x6, k2.
Row 25 (cyan): k2tog (includes last stitch from previous round), (k2, k2tog) x8, k2.
Row 27: ssk, (k1, ssk) x8, k1.
Row 29: k2tog x8.
Finish by drawing the yarn through the loops once each direction and pulling tight. Knot and finish.

The yarn and needles don't matter. The above octopus uses about half a skein worth (total) of Caron Simply Soft in persimmon and sage on a set of #3 dpn, which are much smaller than recommended for this yarn. The legs each have a different design of these two colors. Once solid of each, and one each split in half alternating in opposite ways. One is a swirl (alternating every row), one alternates every 4 rows, one alternates every 16 rows. The last starts with 3 rows sage, then 4 rows persimmon, then 5 sage and so on increasing in number each time.