FO: Headwrap

Finding beginner projects that are useful and interesting without requiring skills that new knitters don't have or taking too long to complete is always a challenge. That's why I like this Headwrap that will be featured in some of my beginner classes in the beginning of June.


The pattern only has two rectangles, one for the main headband and a smaller one for the tie. Once you assemble them, the end result is a great little headwrap to keep your ears warm.

There are no prerequisites for the Headwrap class. It's designed to teach casting on (putting stitches on the needle), knit stitch, binding off (taking stitches off the needle), basic seaming and more to people with no experience.


Like the Garter Stitch Hat and Garter Stitch Cuffs, I used Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick and US Size 13 needles. Just like the Garter Stitch Hat and Garter Stitch Cuffs, I was surprised that I didn't need a smaller needle, since my gauge tends to run loose.


The yarn color is Raspberry 112. I used yarn that had been in my stash for a long time. Since the sample in the picture on the pattern was made in a baby pink, it seemed like pink was the way to go for my sample.


Pink also seems to go with the red roses Dad brought home from school. They handed them out to the teachers in honor of their work preparing students for the STAAR exam. My styrofoam head from Michael's looks pretty good, too.

I have two more classes left for this project. One is on Sunday, June 1 from 2 pm until 4:30 pm at the Michael's in Sunset Valley, and the other is on Tuesday, June 3, from 5:30 pm until 8 pm at the Michael's in Westlake. It's a $25 class. You have until 24 hours before the class to sign up for it online. After that, you have to sign up in the store. (Usually I will take students until a couple of hours before the class.) I hope I see you there.

FO: Garter Stitch Hat and Garter Stitch Cuffs

I was trying to get a cute picture of Katie and Aaron modeling my samples together, but since Aaron has martial arts training, and Katie teaches martial arts (here is the school) it turned into a spontaneous sparring session.


That's good, but I think I like the first one better. (By the way, Katie drew the picture behind them.)

So far it's been slow getting students for my classes at Michael's, but I'm hopeful. The next scheduled classes, which teach these two projects, are tomorrow in Sunset Valley and Sunday in Westlake. (You can see the entire May 2014 and class details schedule here.)


If you want to learn to knit, the classes this weekend are a great opportunity to learn. You will choose from the Garter Stitch Hat or the Garter Stitch Cuffs, and you will get patterns for both.

I made both samples were made with Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick and US Size 13 (9 mm) needles. This surprised me, because I normally need a smaller needle to get gauge because my gauge is so loose. But this time it took the size recommended by the pattern.

Let's start with the Garter Stitch Cuffs:


I used Sky Blue yarn, which is ironic, because it is the same color they used in the official picture. I didn't plan it. That color had been in my stash for a long time now.


I used about half the skein of yarn.


You can see here that it's a very simple pattern. Just a couple of rectangles with a seam down the side, with a hole left for the thumb. No shaping or anything, but it still works.

By the way, the name of this pattern varies from place to place. Sometimes they are cuffs, sometimes they are mitts, sometimes they are wrist warmers and sometimes they are arm warmers. I guess fingerless mittens makes them sound too complicated.


As for the Garter Stitch Hat, I used Lemongrass yarn that had also been in my stash, and I used every bit of it, except for one strand a couple of feet long. After the fact, I realize I went a little too far with the size. I could have stopped sooner.


Katie tried to style it on my head to make it look slouchy. I think it just looks crooked.


The hat, like the cuffs, it just one rectangle. You weave the yarn in and out the top, pull it and seam the side. It's a little tricky, but totally doable for a new knitter.

You have until 24 hours before the class to sign up for it online. After that, you have to sign up in the store. (Usually I will take students until a couple of hours before the class.) I hope I see you there.

If you can't make it this weekend, I think you will still see a lot of these patterns. Some patterns are seasonal, but the Knit Beginner 1 patterns are used all the time.