Month: March 2012

Not Out Of The Woods….Bear Hat

Bear Hat/Scarf, Knitted Bear Hat/Scarf, Bear Hat/Scarf Pattern
We’re not quite out of the woods yet folks, it’s still pretty nippy out there. Yes, spring is around the corner but there’s still time to sneak in another quick knit – and this IS a quick knit. I’ve been asked by a few people who knit but don’t sew if they could have a knitted version of my Wolf Hat. The kids love ’em – it’s practical ‘dressing up’… and if the weather has warmed up, why not make a start on some early Christmas pressie knitting?

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The Bear Hat is knitted with two strands of yarn, eyelash and plain.

Adding plain (4ply or even dk for something a little thicker) yarn gives more stitch definition which can often be tricky to see with fur knits. It makes the eyelash yarn go further, adds more body and makes it ultra-warm – just perfect for those really cold, mid-winter days, with a scarf  – two accessories in one.
Knitted on quite large needles it does not require a lot of yarn. I found a knit-a-scarf pack of 120g for 99p in our local pound shop which was perfect – bargain! You may have already knitted one that you’ve worn for a couple of seasons. They’ve been around for a while now so you could even try unravelling, restyling, and up-cycling.
Other suitable yarns are Stlyecraft Eskimo, King Cole Moments, Lion Brand Fun Fur  (don’t forget to combine with another 4ply or DK yarn, as mentioned above).
Knit loosely, it is stretchy and comfortable and moulds nicely to fit. 3 sizes cover all ages from toddlers to adults.
There is very little shaping so the pattern is simple, and the ears are shaped while making up at the end. A good project for relative beginners, knits up nice and quickly (took me 3 evenings) and I have provided clear instructions and diagrams.
 
Get Bear Hat Pattern Here

Mama’s Got a Brand New Peg Bag……..Recycled Bin-Liner Peg Bag

At last… a new post. It’s been a while…I’ve been rather busy moving out of our urban pad to a lovely old little townhouse down the road. At last we have space…….and a garden. In between trying to remember what we’d packed in which boxes, my first batch of laundry was soon flapping on the washing line, and an idea for my next blog post was hatched.

I already had plenty of pegs of but something important was missing – one of those lovely litle bags to keep them in. Yes I could’ve bought one for a couple of quid from the value shop on the high street, but I wanted to make one a little bit more interesting and preferably waterproof. no messing around carrying it in and out. We’d been getting a fair amount of rain – I had soggy sheets out there – a cloth pegbag wouldn’t stand a chance. At the same time I was dismayed at the growing pile of bin liners and plastic bags in the corner of my new kitchen as each box was emptied – I try not to use them normally but when moving house it’s pretty difficult to avoid.

Anyway….you can see where I’m going …. recycled carrier bags made from what is known in craft circles as ‘plarn’ (plastic yarn)! Cut up and crocheted, in this case, in fur stitch – just like grass and decorated with a couple of little flowers and a butterfly. Turned out rather kitsch, in fact perfect for plastic! Very easy to make too. The only time-consuming bit was cutting up and joining the plastic but I found it quite thereapeutic. Have a go – give a plazzy bag a new lease of life with my downloadable 4 patterns in 1 and instructions. In the name of recycling and for our lovely planet, this one’s on me.