So You Want to Publish Your Pattern?
Posted on January 28, 2021
This year, I am finally doing it! I have been wanting to publish my own knitting patterns for a while and I think I am now ready to dive in. Having said that, it is only appropriate that it be one of the very first patterns I have written back in 2014. I called it the Ridges Button Hat.
Starting it out, I experimented with a couple kinds of yarn and discovered how different the finished garments can be:
- Lion Brand’s Heartland – 100% acrylic in colors Great Smoky Mountains and Black Canyon – Hats came out with a nice drape to them, not that they will hang since they were not slouchy hats.
- Lion Brand’s Vanna’s Choice – 100% acrylic in colors Kelly Green, Rust and Eggplant – Hats turned out to be a bit sturdier than the first ones and they felt thicker as well.
Now that I am trying to publish the pattern to share with everyone, I made some improvements on the pattern that I think helped define the design especially the crown of the hat.
The New Name
With an improved pattern, I have also changed its name to Alaska Ridges Beanie, inspired by Alaska’s gorgeous mountain ridges and beautiful terrain. This hat uses the basic knit and purl stitches and a few decrease stitches. With this revised pattern, I knitted a couple using Malabrigo Yarns’ Washted in color Sunset and Rios in color Azules, which are both 100% Superwash Merino Wool. I think these yarns best complement the design and texture of the pattern.
When I first started knitting, it never dawned on me that one day, I will write my own patterns, design my own knits and publish them. My own written patterns are scribbles on several notebooks and hard to decipher, most of them still are. So what changed? It takes a lot of work to be organized and it is quite a challenge for some of us. But I will admit that being organized is key. I go through my patterns one at a time and try to retest them, tweak and finalize them with appropriate measurements. Definitely the first step.
So stand by for future announcements. I am hoping to get through the final steps of this process and will be calling for knitters who are willing to test this hat pattern soon! I am so excited! Thanks for dropping by!
Happy making!
Single Granny Square Crochet
Posted on January 10, 2021
My appreciation for handmade started back in grade school. We had a Home Economics course where we learned how to do basic cooking, table setting, sewing, crochet and cross stitch. Sounds really cool, doesn’t it?
Granny squares can be used for a lot of items. They can be used for blankets and throws, scarves, bags and for home accents and decor.
I remember this pattern as my first crochet project. I made a table centerpiece using bright colored scrap yarns that I had. The finished product measured about 12 inches x 12 inches. Now, I am wondering if my mom still has it.
It is a very simple pattern. I did not write it down or had it memorized but it is so simple that crocheting it just naturally flows with its logical design.
Below are the stitches used. If you need some help or a refresher on how to do them, I have the links ready for you.
- sl st – slip stitch: https://newstitchaday.com/sl-st-slip-stitch-crochet/
- ch – chain: https://newstitchaday.com/crochet-101-how-to-crochet-the-chain-stitch-for-beginners/
- dc – double crochet: https://newstitchaday.com/crochet-101-how-to-crochet-the-double-crochet-for-beginners/
Pointers: I have included some photos for clarification.
Round 1 – the sl st on top of the ch-2 
Round 2 – the 2 dc merging with the first ch2 counted as dc 
Round 3 – sl st on top of the ch 2
There can be a lot of variations as to changing colors as well. The possibilities with granny squares are endless! Please feel free to drop me a message if you have any questions or issues. You can reach me on social media on contact me through this site.
Interested in trying this one? I would love to see what you come up with! Show me what you’re making.
I hope you enjoy this pattern for years to come. You can get really creative with this one. God bless and happy crocheting!
Basic Two Needle Mittens
Posted on January 2, 2021
After Christmas, I was craving to do a different project than what I had been doing for the past few months. Lucky enough, I found an old pattern from Patons for Mittens and Gloves. I forgot that I had that pattern and I remember, I only did a pair of fingerless gloves out of it years ago. As you know I can not show the pattern here for copyright reasons but I will share with you some pointers that I have learned in making these lovely mittens.
Materials:
- Pattern: Patons Next Steps Seven Mittens and Gloves 2014
- Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease | Medium Worsted Weight in Rose Heather
- Knitting Needles: Takumi Clover US 6, 4.0mm DPNs (double pointed needles)
- Stitch markers (optional)
- Stitch counter (optional)
This pattern was worked flat starting from the ribbing to the fingers. The pattern originally calls for 2 sizes of knitting needles. US 5, 3.75mm was supposed to be used for this ribbing. Since I did not have them, I just used US 6, 4.0mm for the whole project which turned out alright as well.
As you can see from the photo above, it was a few rows of ribbing for the cuffs. After the ribbing and a few rows of stockinette stitch (knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side), the thumb gusset starts. It is simply increasing for the thumb placement.
Actually, I miscalculated the rows for the thumb. The first photo below shows that. I initially knitted too many rows and it ended up an inch long for my thumb. So I had to frog a few rows and shorten the thumb. The second photo shows the final thumb length and the third shows my right hand on top of it. It is actually a good idea to fit it as you go so you can be as accurate as possible with regards to the fit.
A couple of my favorite details about this project are the beautiful increases and decreases. I just love how seamless they are. On the first photo, it shows the beginning of the thumb gusset. It was a 1-stitch increase and then an increase of 2 stitches on the following rows. The second photo shows the decrease on the top part of the mittens, shaping the fingers. The right side decrease used ssk (slip, slip, knit) which decreases 1 stitch and the left side decreases used k2tog (knit 2 together) which also decreases 1 stitch.
The thumb gusset leaves a small hole but since there is a cast on part on this area, I used the extra yarn to just fill the hole by tightening a few stitches. In my experience, this is pretty common with knitting mittens and gloves.
The pattern was pretty much straightforward. Be prepared for some seam sewing. This pattern is actually in the Ravelry database but upon searching, it is unfortunately out of print. However, you can view this project on my Ravelry page.
What projects are you planning this year? I must admit, my projects helped me tremendously by keeping busy and staying challenged. I am so sorry that this pattern is no longer available. But I think it just inspired me to write a pattern for some mittens or gloves. I promise you, once that is finished, I will share it with all of you.
Happy new year and happy making!
About Me
