Knit Operation Gratitude Scarf

The company that I work for encourages the employees to volunteer. Every month or so, a group of knitters and crocheters choose an organization to make items for. Last month, we made item for Operation Gratitude.

Operation Gratitude sends care packages to Veterans, Wounded Warriors, First Responders, and U.S. Service Members that are deployed overseas. They accept many different types of donations, including hand-made scarves and hats.

I decided to make a textured diagonal scarf. This pattern is very simple, yet looks nice. Operation Gratitude accepts any pattern, as long as it is 5"-6" wide and about 48" long. They also prefer subtle colors.

If you would like to learn more about Operation Gratitude or how you can help, be sure to check out the website operationgratitude.com. If you are interested in making a knit or crocheted item, be sure to check out their specific requirements.

If you want to see more of my other knitting and crocheting projects, check out my Ravelry project page.

Knit Z-Man Sweater

Happy New Year's Eve! Here is another project that I made for Christmas. I made this sweater for my nephew.

I found the pattern in Zoe Mellor's book Adorable Knits for Tots. A couple years ago, I made this sweater for his older sister from this same book.

I found this cute Ships Ahoy! sweater pattern and I knew I wanted to make one for Zach. I had intended to make it with the boat and fish. I ordered the yarn online. The yarn looked more blue on my computer screen. When I received the yarn in the mail, it was more green than I wanted. I decided to alter the pattern to have a Z on it, but I really like how it turned out.

If you want to see more details about this pattern, please see my Z-Man Sweater project page on Ravelry. Be sure to take a look at some more of my knitting and crocheting projects on my Ravelry project page.

Free Kid's Mohawk Ear Flap Hat Pattern

My eight year old niece is fun-loving and loves to be the center of attention. I wanted to make her a new hat for Christmas this year, so I decided to knit her a mohawk hat.

I made a basic ear flap hat and then added a felted mohawk.


I used Red Heart's With Love yarn in Jadeite held double for the main part of the hat and Lion Brand's Vanna's Choice in White for the hat trim. I found a skein of Joann Sensations Marvel in my stash. I have no idea why or when I bought it, but I wanted something that was brightly colored and was feltable for the mohawk and this yarn was perfect.

Notes:

This hat is knit in the round starting at the top. I used wool yarn for the mohawk so I could felt it. If you do not want to felt the mohawk, you can use a synthetic fiber yarn. You can use either worsted or bulky weight yarn to make the hat. If you use worsted weight yarn hold the yarn doubled. There is a front and back to this hat. The front is the side with the 20 cast off stitches.

Materials:

Set of 4 dpn – Size 10 ½

Size J Crochet Hook

75g Worsted or Bulky Weight Acrylic Yarn - Hat (A) 

15g Worsted or Bulky Weight Acrylic Yarn - Hat Edging (B)

45g Worsted or Bulky Weight Wool Yarn - Mohawk 

Size:

This will fit a large child or a small adult head

Hat:

Using color A, Cast on 4 sts.

1^st rnd: (Inc 1 st in next st) 4 times. 8 sts. Divide sts evenly onto 3 needles (3, 3, 2) sts. Join in rnd. Place a marker on first st.

2^nd and alternate rnds to 14^th rnd: Knit around.

3^rd rnd: *Inc 1 st in next st. Rep from * around. 16 sts.

5^th rnd: *Inc 1 st in next st. K1. Rep from * around. 24 sts.

7^th rnd: *Inc 1 st in next st. K2. Rep from * around. 32 sts.

9^th rnd: *Inc 1 st in next st. K3. Rep from * around. 40 sts.

11^th rnd: *Inc 1 st in next st. K4. Rep from * around. 48 sts.

13^th rnd: *Inc 1 st in next st. K3. Rep from * around. 56 sts.

15^th rnd: *Inc 1 st in next st. K3. Rep from * around. 64 sts.

16^th rnd – 31^st rnd: Knit around.

32^nd rnd: Divide for the ear flaps. Cast off 6 sts. 16 sts. Cast off 20 sts. K16. Cast off remaining 6 sts.

First Ear flap: With RS facing rejoin to the 16 sts. Working back and forth across 2 needles in rows, work 4 rows in stockinette st.

Next row: (RS) K1. K2tog. Knit to last 3 sts. SSK. K1.

Next row: Purl

Repeat last 2 rows 5 times more. 4 sts remain.

Next row: K1. K2tog. K1.

Next row: P3.

Next row: K3tog. Fasten off.

Second Ear flap: Work the same way as for first ear flap.

Mohawk:

Fold the hat in half so the ear flaps line up on top of each other. Run a strand of contrasting yarn through the middle to mark the center line. This is not necessary, but will help you keep the Mohawk straight.

Cut about 120 strands of the mohawk yarn. If you are planning on felting the Mohawk, cut the strands at about 8”. If you are not planning on felting it, then cut the strands at 4”.

Starting in the front about 1 ½” up and using the contrasting yarn as a guide, put a crochet hook under the knit st. Take 4 strands of the Mohawk yarn and fold the strands in half. Grab the middle of the strands with the crochet hook and pull up a loop. Put the ends of the strands through the loop. This will give you eight 4” strands in this place. Do this about every other stitch to the back of the hat. If you want a thicker or thinner, adjust the number of strands that you use. 

You can then felt the mohawk if you choose. Once your mohawk has been felted to your liking, trim it to your desired length. I trimmed mine to about 2 1/2 inches.

Crochet Edging: 

With RS facing and the crochet hook, join B with sl st at the center of the back. Ch 1. Work 1 rnd of sc evenly around the edge of the hat and the ear flaps. Work 3 sc in each point of the ear flaps. Join with a sl st to the first sc.

Ear Flap Ties (make 2): 

Cut 3 strands each of A and B 30” long. Using the crochet hook, pull 3 strands of A and 3 strands of B through a stitch near the point of the ear flap. Adjust the strands so they are exactly folded in half. There will now be 12 strands. Separate the strands by color. Take the 6 strands of A and twist it to the right. Place a small knot or a clip at the bottom. Take the 6 strands of B and twist it to the right. Place a small knot or a clip at the bottom. Twist the 2 colors together by putting the right over the left. Remove the clips or knots and make one knot at the bottom. Trim the ends, if necessary.

Here is the printable pdf of the patternprintable pdf of the pattern.

You can see more details for this and my other knitting and crocheting projects on my Ravelry project page.

Knit Cars-Themed Sundress Pattern

My 3 year old niece loves Lightning McQueen and the Cars movies. Unfortunately, most of the clothes that are sold with Lightning McQueen is geared toward boys. I decided to make her a Cars dress for Christmas.

I found Lion Brand's Knit Sundress Pattern. I used this as the starting point of the dress and then modified it to make it into a Cars dress. I made the dress using Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in Stone and I used Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in Cherry for the trim.

I found this Lightning McQueen Chart and this Tow Mater Chart. I duplicate stitched the chart onto the pockets. I did have to increase the width of the pockets to fit the charts on the pockets, but I think it turned out really cute. She also informed me that the pockets are the perfect size for holding her cars and even some room to carry treats!

You can check out more details for this pattern and see some of my other knitting and crocheting projects on my Ravelry project page.

Free Knitting Pattern Dog Chew-No-More Leg Cover

My dog, Gibson, has been fighting bladder cancer for the past few years. Although there is no cure for canine bladder cancer, he has beat the odds and has lived much longer than expected. He has good days and bad days, but is still very happy.

Gibson has tried several different treatments. For awhile, he was getting IV chemotherapy. Just like in humans, there are risks that come with chemotherapy. He had a reaction to an injection that he received in his upper front leg. He kept chewing and licking the spot, which made the irritation worse. 

I looked around at the store for something to cover it, but could not find anything that would stay on his leg and he would leave alone.

I created this to cover the wound and prevent him from further irritating the sore. He was still able to pull it down with his teeth, so I attached a piece of elastic to wrap around it and hold it up. It worked perfectly! Gibson left it alone long enough to heal.

Materials Needed:

• Worsted Weight Yarn - If this is going to be on a sore, natural fibers will be less irritating than synthetic fibers. 
• Set of four size 7 double-pointed knitting needles, or size needed to obtain gauge.

Optional Materials: 

• Roll of 1 inch wide elastic band.
• Needle and thread.
• Fasteners - I used the fasteners from an old set of sheet straps.

Instructions:

With size 7 dpns, cast on 20 stitches. 
Join in the round, and work in K1, P1 ribbing for 5 rounds. 
Evenly increase 4 stitches on the next round and continue in the K1, P1 ribbing until work from beginning measures about 1 ¾ inches.

Elbow Opening: Cast off 12 stitches loosely in ribbing. Rib to the end of the round. Cast on 12 stitches and rejoin in round. Work 5 rounds in K1, P1 ribbing. Knit all stitches in round until work from the elbow opening measures about 4 ¾ inches (or the length needed for your dog’s leg). Decrease 4 stitches evenly on the next round. Work 8 rounds in k1, P1 ribbing. Cast off in ribbing. Weave in ends.

Elastic band: Cut a piece of 1 inch wide elastic long enough to wrap around the dog. Make sure it is not too loose so the dog can pull the cover down, but you don’t want it too tight to make it uncomfortable. My dog is a fat lab, and the elastic I used was about 27 ½ inches. You can either sew it directly to the leg cover or attach some kind of fastener to be able to remove the strap.

Notes: I made this for a large lab’s leg. You may have to adjust the number of stitches and/or change the yarn or needle size to obtain a size that fits your dog.

You can download the pdf of this pattern here or from the Ravelry website. While you are on the Ravelry website, be sure to check out some of my other projects on my project page!

Fleece-Lined Stay-on Baby Mittens Knitting Pattern

Now that it is getting colder outside, it is time to start pulling out the hats, mittens, and scarves.

A little over three years ago, my brother contacted me because my niece, who was under a year old, kept pulling off her mittens. No matter what my brother and sister-in-law did, my niece would get her mittens off. My brother asked me if I could make a pair of mittens that would stay on.

So, I designed a pair of thumb-less mittens that were extra long to go up her arm and were also attached to an i-cord. They could put the mittens on her, pull them up her arm, and then pull her jacket sleeves over them. That way she could not pull the mittens off. If she would have somehow managed to get them off, the i-cord would have prevented them from getting lost. I also lined them with fleece to make them extra warm.

Here is the pattern:

Needed Materials:

US 3 - 3.25 mm dpn (for the i-cord)

US 4 - 3.5 mm dpn (for the mittens)

Sport-weight yarn (about 25 g)

Small amount of fleece

Mittens – Make 2

With the size 4 dpns, cast on 30 stiches.

Join in the round, and work in K1, P1 ribbing for 2 inches.

Change to the size 3 dpns and work in the ribbing for an additional 2 inches.

Change to the size 4 dpns and work in stockinette (knit every round) for 2 inches.

Next decrease row: K4, Knit 2 together around (25 stiches)

Next row: Knit around

Next decrease row: K3, Knit 2 together around (20 stiches)

Next row: Knit around

Next decrease row: K2, Knit 2 together around (15 stiches)

Next row: Knit around

Next decrease row: Knit 2 together to last stich, K1 (8 stiches)

Cut the yarn leaving a 4 inch tail. Pull the tail through the 8 remaining stiches and pull tight.

Weave in ends

Lining – Make 2 (Optional)

With tailor’s chalk, roughly trace the completed mitten onto a piece of fleece. Trace it slightly larger to account for the seam. You will need to trace 2 per hand. You may choose to make the lining to fit the entire mitten, or just the portion where the baby’s hand will go. Fleece stretches one way but not the other. Make sure that you trace the mitten in the direction to allow the fingers to spread out as opposed to stretching up and down.

Cut the mittens out of the fleece and pin together making sure that the softer side is on the inside. Staying close to the edge, sew around the edge of the fleece, leaving the bottom open for the baby’s hand to go into.

Slide the fleece mitten into the knit mitten. Secure the top and bottom of the fleece mittens into the knit mittens.

I-Cord (Optional)

With size 3 dpns, Cast on 3 stiches. Slide the stiches to the opposite end of the needle. Pull the end of the yarn from behind. *K3. Slide the stiches to the opposite end of the needle. Pull the end of the yarn from behind. Repeat from * until you reach about 22 inches. Bind off.

Sew an end to each of the mittens.

Fleece Lining

A printable pdf of the pattern can be found here. To see more details, check out the Ravelry pattern site. While you are out on Ravelry, be sure to check out some of the other things that I have made on my project page.

Knitting Newborn and Preemie Hats for Charity

My current workplace encourages the employees to volunteer. As part of this effort, there is a group of knitters and crocheters that select charities and create items for them. I am part of this group. We have made items for veterans, orphans, animal shelters, etc. This month, we are making hats for newborns with Down's Syndrome.

I have made many hats over the years and I have a very simple pattern that I use as my go-to pattern whenever I make a charity hat for a baby. It also works if you are in a pinch and need a quick baby gift. This pattern is not fancy, but it does the trick.  It knits up fast and it does not use much yarn. If you happen to need a quick hat for a baby, these hats are perfect.

If I have patterned yarn on hand, I prefer to use that. The patterned yarn makes it look a little fancier without any additional work. I made a couple of these this weekend. The pink jacquard is the preemie size and the print is the newborn size.

Here's the pattern! Here is the printable PDF version of this pattern.

I've made this hat both knitting in the round with double pointed needles and also knitting on straight needles, so I included both options. In my opinion, the hats that are knit in the round look slightly nicer, but not everyone is comfortable knitting with double pointed needles.

The preemie size is written first, followed by the newborn size in parenthesis. If there is only one directive listed, the instructions are the same for both sizes.

Materials:
Any sport-weight Yarn (less than 20 grams per hat)

Size 3 (3.25mm) Double Pointed Needles or Size 3 (3.25mm) Straight Needles
Tapestry Needle

Gauge:
6.5 stiches = 1 inch
The yarn you choose will determine the gauge, as not all sport-weight yarn is exactly the same. Gauge is not super important, as babies have heads of all different sizes.

Finished Size:
11(12) Inch Diameter


Pattern for Knitting in the Round
Cast on 72(78)
Divide the stitches between three DPN and join
Rounds 1-6 (K2, P2) around for 2x2 ribbing ((K3,P3) around for 3x3 ribbing)
Rounds 7-31 K around
Round 32 (K4, K2Tog) around 60(65) st
Round 33 K around
Round 34 (K3, K2 Tog) around 48(52) st
Round 35 K around
Round 36 (K2, K2 Tog) around 36(39) st
Round 37 K around
Round 38 (K1, K2 Tog) around 24(26) st
Round 39 K around
Round 40 (K2 Tog) around 12(13) st
Round 41 K around

Cut the end of the yarn. Thread the yarn end through the remaining stiches. Pull the yarn through to the inside of the hat and pull it tight. You may or may not choose to place a knot at the inside of the top of the hat to ensure it stays tight. Weave in the ends on the inside of the hat.

Pattern for Knitting on Straight Needles
Cast on 72(78)
Rows 1-6 (K2, P2) across for 2x2 ribbing ((K3,P3) across for 3x3 ribbing)
Rows 7-32 work in stockinette st (K odd rows and P even rows)
Row 33 (K4, K2Tog) across 60(65) st
Row 34 P across
Row 34 (K3, K2 Tog) across 48(52) st
Row 36 P across
Row 36 (K2, K2 Tog) across 36(39) st
Row 38 P across
Row 38 (K1, K2 Tog) across 24(26) st
Row 40 P across
Row 40 (K2 Tog) across 12(13) st
Row 42 P across

Cut the end of the yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread the yarn end through the remaining stiches. Pull the yarn through to the inside of the hat and pull it tight. You may or may not choose to place a knot at the inside of the top of the hat to ensure it stays tight. Sewing on the inside of the hat, use the tail to make the back seam of the hat. Weave in the ends on the inside of the hat.

Abbreviations:
DPN = Double Pointed Needles
K = Knit
Mm = Millimeters
P = Purl
St = Stiches
Tog = Together

If you want to see some of my other knitting and crocheting projects, be sure to check out my Ravelry Projects page.

Knit Booties for a Baby Boy

My new nephew was born on Wednesday. My brother and sister-in-law did not find out the gender prior to the birth, so I couldn't make anything for the baby until afterwards.

I have found a few possibilities for some projects, but I wanted to give him something right away. I knit up this cute pair of booties. They lace up with a ribbon, just like tennis shoes, so they are not too pansy looking.

I found the pattern for these in Leisure Arts #75019, Baby Booties to Knit and Crochet

by Leisure Arts. I've had the booklet for 10 years. 

I think I made a few pairs of booties over the years, but this was the first time I used this pattern. They are cute, but they knit up bigger than what I expected. I can't wait to see them on little Zachary.

You can see more details for these booties and more of my projects on my Ravelry projects list.

Knit Pee Pee Teepees

My brother and sister-in-law just had a baby boy. Until now, I have only had nieces, so I am excited to finally have a boy to make things for! Here is my first project for baby Zachary.

On Zachary's first day, my brother experienced what it was like to change a boy when Zach peed all over during the diaper change. I had used pee pee covers years ago when I babysat for a little boy. I went out on Ravelry and found a pattern for a Pee Pee Teepee. These little covers can be used to cover Zachary during diaper changes to prevent pee from going anywhere, while the diaper is off.

These knit up super quickly and were very easy to make. Although the pattern recommends wool yarn, I chose to use cotton yarn. That way it can be easily washed and dried, yet will be soft on Zachary's skin. 

This is the pattern I used. You can find the entire pattern and more details Twenty One Days blog.

Cast on 3 stitches
R1: Knit as I-cord (3 stitches)
R2: K1 as I-cord, k1m1, K1. (4 stitches)
R3: K1 as I-cord, k1m1, k1, k1m1 (6 stitches)
R4: Knit all as I-cord (6 stitches)
R5: Join in the round and knit all stitches. (6 stitches)
R6: K1M1 around (12 stitches)
R7: Knit all.
R8: (K2, K1M1)* repeat 3 times, k1. (15 stitches)
R9: Knit around.
R10: K1M1 around (30 stitches)
R11: Knit around.
R12: (K6, K1M1)* repeat 4 times, knit to end. (34 stitches)
R13-22 Knit around.

Bind off in knit loosely. Weave in the ends.

I made two of these. More details about this project, as well as my other knitting and crocheting projects, can be found on my Ravelry Project Page. Hopefully, these will come in handy and will keep everyone changing his diaper dry and clean!

Madeline's Kindle Holder

My niece, Madeline, is turning 10 this year. She is getting a Kindle Fire from her parents for her birthday. I wanted to give her something that to go along with her Kindle. I found this pattern on the Laws of Gravity website through Ravelry. You can see all of the details of the project here. It's basically a pyramid pillow, but it works. I may have to make one for myself, minus the bobbles. :-)

You can check out more of my knitting and crocheting projects on my Ravelry Projects Page.