drop bitches not stitches

DailyRav 3/6

DailyRav: My favorite patterns from Ravelry that have been posted in the last 24 hours

Knitting:


A Friendly Robot Hat: A super fun robot hat for big kids! The hat and antenna are worked flat in stocking stitch and seamed. The ears and top of antenna are crocheted in the round. Felt, vintage buttons and embroidery thread make up the facial details. A small amount of toy stuffing is needed for the antenna and ears. The hat measures approx. 18 in around (and stretches to fit an average-sized lady’s head). The pattern is written using UK terminology but conversions for US knitting and crochet terminology are available on my website :)


Fightin’ Words: This pair of short mitts is a perfect quick stranded project for fighting off the last of winter blues or powering through the beginning of autumn. Unleash your inner superhero on a daily basis! The pattern included two full charts for the different right and left mitts. Two sizes allow these mitts to fit hands between 6” and 9”. Different gauge and needle sizes determine the sizing.

Crochet:


Spirals: I first encountered spiraling stitch patterns as the centers of traditional thread crochet doilies. It’s fascinating to me how the swirls begin from a center point, then expand outwards in ever widening arms that wrap dizzily around. Spirals appeal to me so much that I have incorporated them in quite a number of my garment designs. One in particular, Sophisticated Swirls, published in Crochet! Magazine, July 2006, and now out of print, has continued to draw interest from crocheters. The rights to that design, the written pattern and finished samples do not belong to me. What I do here is revisit the concept of the spiral stitch top. Finally, in self-published download land I can now say all that I ever wanted to say before but couldn’t, with fresh samples in some of my favorite yarns, detailed and revised instructions, tips for yarn substitutions, interior shaping and getting your perfect fit, awesome stitch diagrams and expanded sizing that now covers the range from XS through 4X with 12 sizes. The top itself is quite simple, totally seamless and doable by anyone with solid basic crochet skills. Of all my top-down garment designs, this is the one toward which I would steer wearable crochet newbies because it is less complicated than my usual MO, with a forgiving fit that is easily altered and allows for fixes after the fact. For the experienced crocheter, DJC: Spirals offers a quick to crochet, fun way to use different yarns or experiment with body shaping and style variations.


Plaidigan: This fun little Tunisian cardigan can be modified to have a deeper V neck, more or fewer buttons, and can be made for a boy or a girl. A tapestry needle and contrasting thread or yarn give the plaid effect and provide a great way to embellish while using up scraps. Warm, functional and super cute! All parts are worked flat, so there is no need for a double-ended hook. However, a cabled hook is a requirement.