Author: Kelly Gardner

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The 1980s Afghan

An up close image of a crocheted afghan in a variety of brown tones.

I call this project “The 1980s Afghan” because, although it is not a vintage item, it reminds me of something my mom or aunts would have had in their living room when I was growing up in the 80s. The fabulous brown tones that were present in so many middle class houses back then bring back memories of warmth and comfort just hanging out with my brother and cousins. We might have been watching a movie or playing a board game while my mom and her sister(s) were probably in the kitchen chit-chatting away the hours while playing 500 Rummy and possibly cooking up a batch of no-bake cookies (a family favorite.)

The yarn is Red Heart Super Saver Stripes in the Latte Stripes colorway. I didn’t know I wanted this yarn to be an afghan when I first bought a skein of it. I had seen a few items made with it on Ravelry and knew I liked how the colors worked up and that I wanted to make *something* with it. I tried a knitted stockinette hat, but the colors didn’t mesh the same way as they did in the crocheted items I had seen on Ravelry. It was nice, but not exactly what I was going for. I looked around for some nice simple crochet stitches that weren’t your basic single or double crochet and stumbled upon the moss stitch. I believe it goes by a number of different names as well, such as linen stitch. But, the tutorial I found called it moss stitch. It’s a simple repeat of single crochet in the chain 1 space then chain 1. Very mindless stitching, but it adds just the right amount of mix to these colors to make them flow into each other.

I finished this afghan just a couple of weeks ago and have used it plenty since then. It’s cozy, warm and comforting.

Project Info
Yarn:
Red Heart Super Saver Stripes in Latte Stripe
Needle or Hook Size:
I hook (5.5mm)
Ravelry Link:
The 1980s Afghan
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2016 Christmas Knitting

2016 Christmas Knitting

So, this year has been the most active knitting Christmas for me in a number of years. I made a total of 8 separate items for 5 recipients. And I didn’t decide that I was even knitting gifts this year until Thanksgiving!

Washcloths

I made two washcloths as a part of my Gardner Christmas exchange gift.

The first was a Waffle Knit Dishcloth from Homespun Living blog. This was my first time making this pattern and I love the feel of the waffle knit. The pattern was easy to understand and it knit up quickly. The second was a pattern I have made before, Grandmother’s Favorite Dishcloth. Grandmother’s Favorite is always a quick, easy knit that makes a nice sturdy fabric perfect for the hard tasks of cleaning. Both were made with Lily Sugar N’ Cream cotton.

Fisherman’s Wife Cowl & Chunky Cabled Hat

For my SIL, I made a Fisherman’s Wife Cowl by While They Play Designs and a Chunky Cabled Hat by Lula Louise Design in her favorite color, blue. The Fisherman’s Wife Cowl has a pattern for a matching beret, which looks lovely. But, I opted for a pattern for a more snug fitting hat with a similar cable to it as I felt my SIL would prefer a more snug hat. I loved how they both worked up so quickly in the chunky yarn. And I especially loved getting to learn the picot bind off for the cowl. It adds a nice bit of feminine flair to this gorgeous cowl. SIL approved of them both!

The yarn for both items was Lion Brand Hometown in Lake Tahoe Blue.

Of course, finding this cowl pattern on Ravelry led me to While They Play Designs. Browsing this gorgeous site, I can see there are many patterns here I’d like to knit in the future.

Ribbed Hat & Mittens

Mom received a ribbed hat and mittens made from Lion Brand Homespun yarn in Candy Apple. About 8 years ago, I made mom a scarf out of this yarn and she loves it. She has been asking for matching accessories for a while now so I decided this would be the year.

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Sockhead Hat #2

Sockhead Hat #2

Last year, I knit my first ever Sockhead Hat. I like this pattern because it’s simple, fun and an easy way to show off fabulous yarns. My first was knit with Zitron Trekking XXL sock yarn in a warm orange colorway. Due to my lack of swatching for gauge, the finished product came out fitting well, but much more snugly than I had intended… not at all slouchy like the Sockhead Hat should be. Thus, I gifted it to a friend who had admired it while I was making it.

For over a year now, I have been quietly working on a rather large crochet project… a queen size blanket. I have been determined to not start anything new until this blanket is complete, but a month or so ago, the itch to start a new project plus the desire to have a portable project on the needles grew strong.

I cast on for a second Sockhead Hat in a gorgeous green colorway of Fiber Optic Yarns FootNotes. I’ve had this skein for several years now and have been waiting for the perfect project to make with it as it’s far too pretty a colorway to be on my feet. Although Zitron Trekking XXL and FootNotes are both sock yarns, FootNotes is a smidge thicker than Trekking. I am hoping this, plus the fact that I added two patterns repeats, will make for a more slouchy hat this time.

Here is progress on the green hat as of two-ish weeks ago. I have since completed the ribbing and moved on to the stockinette… miles and miles and miles and miles and… miles… of lovely stockinette stitch. 🙂