Tag: pattern

Beanie hats

Posted on by Alice Neal

I bought a pattern on Craftsy. We were going to see our lovely neighbours on Christmas Eve and I wanted to have something to give to little Pippa. Besides, Pip has that gorgeous, curly, wide-eyed, Shirley Hughes look to her, just like the baby in the pattern photo, so that settled it! 😉

It’s called the Backtrack Beanie.

I made it in chunky brown yarn, rather than the double-stranded approach prescribed by the pattern. It took an hour. So speedy. So I made one for me, too! And Pip’s mummy wanted one in her size, and her little cousin wanted one in pink. Pip and her mummy look fabulous in their matching hats…

Hat production!

I highly recommend this pattern, though I admit I made up my own brim… And flower embellishments… Weeellll… Who doesn’t modify? 😉

Photographic evidence:

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A Rather Rustic Shrug. {pattern}

Posted on by Alice Neal

I posted this picture on my Tumblr blog earlier today, and it has received a lot of attention, including requests for the pattern.

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It was a weekend project, cooked up in my head and produced in a frankly slapdash fashion which, to my surprise and delight, paid off. Knitted ‘sideways’, it really is astoundingly simple – basically a long rectangle with slits for arms – and, once you’ve got it, could be tweaked and customised endlessly. Smaller needles, lighter weight yarn and more stitches for something less bulky and more drapey, for example… Or you could make one front section longer, so you can throw it over the opposite shoulder…

I have never written a pattern before, so bear with me, and if you do decide to give this a go and find glaring faults or have any questions, please just holler.

So here goes.

You will need:
Super chunky yarn. I used James C Brett Rustic, Mega Chunky, I think around 5 x 100g balls (that may be an overestimate)
12mm, long knitting needles
9mm or 10mm crochet hook
Darning needle
Chopstick or toggle or fastening of choice

Using 12mm needles, cast on 45 stitches. This is the length of your shrug, so if you want it shorter, cast on fewer, or longer, cast on more. I am 5 feet 9 and a size 12, and have given the number of rows mine took. It’s an easy pattern to play with and adjust for your size.

1) Knit in stocking stitch: one row plain, one row purl, until the work covers your front across your chest. (About 35 rows in my case) ending with a wrong side (purl) row.
Next (right side) row: knit 10, cast off 15, knit 15
Next (wrong side) row: purl 15, cast on 15, purl 10.
You have created the first armhole.
2) Continue in stocking stitch until the work after the armhole comfortably covers your back. (About 45 rows on mine)
Create the next armhole in exactly the same way.
3) Continue in stocking stitch until it covers your front again. (About 35 again). Cast off.

Attach yarn to a corner and double crochet UK (sc US) all the way around.
I did an extra line of treble UK (double US) around the bottom of mine, for a more obvious border. But of course your border could be anything you like. Or nothing if you prefer the curling up look of the plain stocking stitch… Weave in tails.

Fasten with chopstick, in whatever style takes your fancy, or leave open and draped, like a large scarf 🙂