For years now I’ve been trying to make a spring beret for myself. I knit very fast and most berets are knit in the round, which makes this an easy project to accomplish. But I have finally accepted the source of my many failures. Try as I might, I simply cannot create a light spring beret from DK yarn. I will have to go backwards: find a pattern and then buy (yikes!) the yarn they recommend. That will be a first.
In other news, I’ve been working on some gifts for my kids and decided to make clothing for their dolls. Here are some of my creations:
This dress was so simple to make that I am astonished how good it looks. I wish I could tell you the yarn, but I have no idea where it came from. I found it in my stash, balled up and unlabeled. It’s a cotton blend. Here are some very sketchy directions: Cast on 36 sts and work for 4 rows in seed st. Then keeping the first and last 4 stitches in seed stitch for the closure, work the rest of the stitches in stockinette stitch for about 2″. Join in the round and work 2 rows in teh round. Knit 2, m1 all around, then knit one round even. Then Knit 3, m1, and continue this way until you have done Knit 5, m1. Then knit evenly for 4″, and finish with another 4 rows of seed stitch. I added 2 straps and a belt detail with 1/2″ lace I had on hand.
A skirt, hats and a baby sweater:
To make the skirt, cast on 32 stitches, and work k2, p2. On the wrong side, work the established pattern. Repeat these 2 rows for 1 inch, then (K3 and M1) repeating to the end of the row. Work in stockinette stitch for 3″ and finish off with 2 ridges of garter st. This is a great way to use up some leftover sock yarn.
The sweater is made using the contigous method. Look it up on Ravelry. I can’t thank the creator of this method enough for sharing her creation with the world. As you can see, I even make doll’s sweaters this way now. All you need to guess is the approximate width of the back of the neck. From there, you can adjust the shoulder and sleeve size as you go.
