AJ Knits and Knits

Hello Kitty Hat resized to child

2008-03-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

Pattern based on the original

created by Beadwhore Knitting

Child Size:

Size 9 16" Circular Needles

Gauge: 16 sts and 24 rows per 4"

Yarns: Lion Brand Jiffy in white and Bernat Satin Sport for the bow

Hat Body:
- CO 69 sts
- Join in the round and knit 1x1 rib for 6 rounds
- Knit in st st until entire piece is 4.5"
- *K8, K2tog repeat from * 6 times, K9
- Knit 1 Round
- *K7, K2tog repeat from * to end
- Knit 1 Round
- *K6, K2tog repeat from * to end
- Knit 1 Round
- *K5, K2tog repeat from * to end
- Knit 1 Round
- *K4, K2tog repeat from * to end
- Knit 1 Round
- *K3, K2tog repeat from * to end
- Knit 1 Round
- *K2, K2tog repeat from * to end
- Knit 1 Round
- *K1, K2tog repeat from * to end
- Knit 1 Round
- *K2tog repeat from * to end
- Break yarn, draw tail through remaining sts

Ears (make 2):
- CO 18 sts, join in a round (magic loop)
- Work 5 rounds in st st
- SSK, K5, K2tog, SSK, K5, K2tog
- Work next 2 rounds in st st
- SSK, K3, K2tog, SSK, K3, K2tog
- Knit one round
- SSK, K1, K2tog, SSK, K1, K2tog

- Knit one round
- Sl1, K2tog, psso, Sl1, K2tog, psso

- Break yarn and draw through sts

Sew ears to top of hat.

Bow:
The bow is made in two pieces. The main body and the center tie.

Main Body:

Size 6 needle
- CO 23
- Knit in garter st until pieces is about 2"
- Cast off

Center Tie:
- CO 11
- Knit 8 rows garter st
- Cast off

Sew center tie around main body to make the bow. Then sew the bow to the hat at the base of the right ear.

Finishing the Face:
The eyes and whiskers were done with some black Caron Simply Soft yarn and the nose was done with yellow embroidery floss. Just use a yarn needle to embroidery the face on - the eyes are vertical ovals and the nose is a horizontal oval. I put the nose in the center of the hat ¾ " up from top of the ribbing. The eyes are located ¾ " on either side of the nose.

Knitting Meme

2007-10-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

Here’s what the formatting stands for:

Bold = have already tried this
Italicized = Plan to try this
Unemphasized = Have no desire to try this

• Afghan
• I-cord
• Garter stitch
• Knitting with metal wire
• Shawl
• Stockinette stitch
• Socks: top-down
• Socks: toe-up
• Knitting with camel yarn
• Mittens: Cuff-up
• Mittens: Top to Cuff
• Hat
• Knitting with silk
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• Participating in a KAL
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• Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
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Getting Started

2007-09-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy reading other blogs about knitting. They inspire me to try new techniques, patterns and yarns. My hope is that having a blog will be a central place for me to organize my knitting and to get connected with other knitters. The sense of community among knitters and knitters who blog is amazing.

A little about me...

I live in North Dakota. Many people make jokes about how ND is windy, cold, boring, rural, backwards, etc. Truth is...I love it here. Wind and the winters can be very trying/annoying. I don't love the bitter cold of winter, but I do love the changing of seasons. Spring and fall are my favorites. I like how friendly people are. I love the plains/prairie landscape. The sunsets are magnificent. Stargazing and watching the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) is very cool, too. So I have decided to accept the winters and the wind, because the benefits definitely outweigh the deficits.

I long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed being crafty or doing something artistic/creative. That doesn't mean I am naturally gifted at what I have tried. Far from it. The drawing and painting I have attempted is (in my opinion) very poor. I'm definitely not gifted in producing work in the fine arts department. I do enjoy studying fine art, going to art shows and supporting the fine arts.

My favorite creative outlet is knitting. I began knitting in 2000. I had just met the parents of a guy I was seriously dating at the time. His mother knit and I was only moderately interested in the craft. I was more interested in finding a common interest with her. I went to Ben Franklin and purchased a pair of Susan Bates size 11 aluminum needles, a skein of off-white with brown flecks Red Heart acrylic yarn, and a $3 beginners knitting book. I taught myself how to do the basic techniques of casting on, knitting, purling, and binding off. The patterns looked absolutely foreign to me...so I just ignored them. I mainly practiced the knit stitch to become comfortable with the movements involved.

I never truly made anything with that first skein of yarn. Just a swatch that looked pretty crazy. I went out and purchased Lionbrand Homespun and set to work on a garter stitch afghan. It was an incredibly boring project, but I believe it was the perfect practice I needed to work on my tension.

Soon my boyfriend's mom became my mother-in-law and she taught me how to read patterns. What a slippery slope its been since then. I am constantly challenging myself to new techniques and pushing myself further. I would love to learn how to design patterns. Maybe one day....

Knitting has gotten me through some pretty tough times. It has been therapeutic for me because its an awesome stress reliever. My profession has me working with families who may be in crisis. Knitting has helped me take care of myself. It can be hard to leave my work at work. Knitting helps me to either 'forget about it' or even push it back to a corner of my brain where I am not even aware I am thinking about it. Suddenly I come up with a solution to what I didn't even realize I was thinking about.

Knitting also got me through a divorce. It kept my brain and hands busy, which is exactly what I needed at the time!

So I hope to fill this blog with all of my knitting 'adventures' and connect with some other knitters out there.

Take care and happy knitting.