Cable headband

Chunky Cable headband.

Using 10mm needles and super chunky/super bulky yarn (I used Araucania Limari) cast on 4sts using cable cast on (this gives a slightly firmer edge but you can use any cast on you prefer).

Increase section

Row 1:  k1, p1, k1, p1

Row 2:  Inc 1 in 1^st st, k1, p1, inc 1 in last st.

Row 3:  *P1, k1, rep from * to end

Row 4:  Inc 1 in 1^st st, p1, k1, p1, k1, inc 1 in last st

Row 5:  *k1, p1, rep from *to end

Row 6:  Inc 1 in 1^st st, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, inc 1 in last st

Row 7:  *p1, k1, rep from * to end

Row 8:  Inc 1 in 1^st st, *p1, k1, rep from * to last st, inc 1 in last st

Row 9:  *k1, p1, rep from * to end

Row 10: Inc 1 in 1^st st, *k1, p1, rep from * to last st, inc 1 in last st

Row 11: *p1, k1, rep from * to end

Row 12: Inc 1 in 1^st st, *p1, k1, rep from * to last st, inc 1 in last st

Row 13: *k1, p1, rep from * to end

You now have 16sts

Commence cable pattern

Cable pattern row 1:  p1, k1, p1, k2, p6, k2, p2, k1

Cable pattern row 2:  k1, p1, holding yarn at back of work sl1 k.wise, bring yarn to front of work p2, k6, p2, holding yarn at back of work sl1 k.wise, k1, p1

Cable pattern row 3:  As cable pattern row 1

Cable pattern row 4:  As cable pattern row 2

Cable pattern row 5:  As cable pattern row 1

Cable pattern row 6:  K1, p1, holding yarn at back of work sli k.wise, bring yarn to front of work p2, C6B, p2, holding yarn at back of work sl1 k.wise, k1, p1

Cable pattern row 7:  As row 1

Cable pattern row 8:  As row 2

These 8 rows form cable pattern. Repeat cable pattern 7 times more then first 2 rows of cable pattern once more.

Decrease section

Decrease row 1:  *p1, k1, rep from * to end

Decrease row 2:  p2tog, *k1, p1, rep from * to last 2sts, k2tog

Decrease row 3:  *k1, p1, rep from * to end

Decrease row 4:  k2tog, *p1, k1, rep from * to last 2sts, p2tog

Decrease row 5:  *p1, k1, rep from * to end

Decrease row 6:  p2tog, *k1, p1, rep from * to last 2 sts, k2tog

Decrease row 7:  *k1, p1, rep from * to end

Decrease row 8:  k2tog, p1, k1, p1, k1, lift p.st over last k st on right needle, p1, lift k. st over last p.st on right needle, (2 st cast off), k1, p2tog

Decrease row 9:  p1, k1, p1, cast on 2sts, k1, p1, k1

Decrease row 10: p2tog, k1, p1, k1, p1, k2tog

Decrease row 11: k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1,

Decrease row 12: k2tog, p1, k1, p1, k2tog

Decrease row 13: p1, k1, p1, k1

Cast off final 4 sts.

Weave in ends and attach button.

But I said I would give away one handknit, from beautiful Araucania wool didn't I? Sixteen names, multiple entries for being a follower or sharing a link, so a long list of names to turn into numbers. How? Well I assigned all comments a number, then I added you onto the list again if you were a follower, and then yet again if you had mentioned that you had linked to the giveaway. This gave me a list of 30 in total, so off to Random.Org I went. And the number that popped up?

Five

Otherwise known as......

Claire from Simply...Life!

So Claire if you email me via the address up on the top right I will get your headband into the post asap.

Thanks everyone for all your comments and I hope the pattern above is compensation for not winning :)

-x-

Sharing the love.....a giveaway!

Time to move Nan down the page. It's been lovely having her smiling at me each time I logged into these pages. Only thing is I didn't want to move her by posting a new entry. But then it has to be done at some point so how better than sharing some bloggy love?

Inspired by my incredible good fortune at winning Lucy's recent lovely giveaway, I thought I would host a little giveaway of my own. So what could I come up with that you might want? Well it's turning cold here so just the time for something warm and cosy. The time for gifting is also just about here and so I thought something that would make a great stocking filler if you don't want to keep to yourself. And because I so enjoy all your lovely comments I wanted to share something special I have been holding onto for a while.

So here we are a little something crafted from a favourite part of the stash, a yarn that has waited so long for inspiration to hit:

Araucania Limari super bulky 70% merino, 20% alpaca, 10% silk

Only one 100g hank of this in the stash so very much enjoyed for it's softness, and colours, and for the ideas it brought forth.

And so today I grabbed the needles and settled to work. 

Do you want to see what I came up with? 

Of course you do....

What do you think?

Would you like to feel the softness and warmth of this beautiful yarn keeping your ears and head cosy and snug? 

Would you like to own a very much in style but one off accessory?

Or do you know of a special person who might like to find this in her stocking on Christmas morning?

And a big button to combat that annoying habit wool has of stretching over wear.....simply move the button further along! Clever huh?

For your chance of getting your hands on this then all you need do is leave a comment after this post. Open to all who read. If you're a follower then you get a double entry, so go on click that follow button :) If you want to share this giveaway with your own blog readers then link away, and if you do and come back to let me know I'll throw your name in the hat yet again. Hmmm, when to draw? How about one week from today - Sunday 27th November?

The pattern for the headband came straight from my imagination so this is truly a one off although I will be writing the pattern up shortly if there's any interest so if you aren't lucky enough to win you could still make your own in just an hour or two.  Oooh the joys of super bulky yarns......

Giveaway.

This week I have been mostly making headbands! After the success of Helen's headband in the previous post Jen informed me that she needed one too. Only this time in Purple. No purple yarn in my stash of a thicker ply so I settled on a thin DK and used it doubled. Jen hasn't seen it yet but I'm pretty sure it's what she is expecting:

And as a thank you to everyone for all the support here in bloggyland I am offering one of these super cute headbands to the name that gets picked at random next week.  This one is in a chunky cream yarn but if you are the lucky winner then tell me your favourite colour and I will search through my stash ;-) And if you want it downsizing a little to give away as a gift to someone else then just let me know.

Just leave a comment to be in with a chance to win the latest trend in headwear (well according my girls anyway) and I will choose a name out of the hat next Sunday. Feel free to link away ;-)

Headband and mitts.

Original title don't you think?

A request from Helen - a knitted headband with a large flower trim. Apparently they're "everywhere" just now. So we had a search through the stash and after finding the right wool I set to work. And this is the result:

Worked in Mirasol (yes you know how much I love their yarn!) Miski 100% baby llama the whole thing took just about the full 50g skein with only a few inches of wool left at the end. Lucky really as I bought only the one skein some time last year and have been waiting patiently for a fitting project ever since.

It is about an aranweight yarn and I knitted up the headband on 4.5mm DPN's.

The flower was crocheted following this pattern. I didn't feel confident enough to make this flower up as I went, especially as I was aware of how little wool I had left. 

Jen sat with me whilst everyone else went to bed and as I finished off the headband she put in a request for one too. And I'm thinking this would also be nice for a present for other girls in the family too........

Also knitted up since the last post were these mittens for Heather:

I used the Mirasol left over from the gloves I made for myself and I still have enough to knit up one more pair of mitts I think. Worked on straight needles in size 3mm for the rib and 3.5mm for the main body these mitts are just so tiny and took barely any time at all to knit up, definitely a quick knit fix!

Definitely on a roll at the moment, but I think I need to try fit some sleep in too.....

-x-