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KnitBits: Baa-ble Hats, Knitting Bits and Franklin Schools Journalists

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KnitBits: Baa-ble hats, stash knitting and Franklin's tips for writing about knitting.I see stuff about knitting online all the time. I’m always saving links in Facebook, holding onto emails with patterns and Google alerts with knitting news stories.

And these things tend to pile up. So I’m going to try once a week this year to collect some of those favorite links and news items that I haven’t gotten to yet all in one place. And there’s some really good stuff this week.

A Facebook group I’m in has been obsessed with the Baa-ble hat by Donna Smith lately. It’s easy to see why, because it’s adorable, and I really want to knit one soon. But there have been a lot of complaints that the hat comes out big. Susan B. Anderson has some great modification tips for this hat on her website, which she learned from Martha Healy. This is great stuff to keep in mind if you’re planning to knit this sweet sheepy hat.

If using up bits of your stash is on your agenda this year, check out the Knit by Bit posts on the LoveKnitting blog. Each of these is a small pattern that will use up some of your odd balls, whether a skein of bulky for a big cowl or a little bit of a lot of colors on a striped hat. And make sure you check out my posts on using your yarn stash for more inspiration.

Finally, I shared this one on my Facebook page the other day but it’s just too good not to mention again. Franklin Habit has some great advice for journalists (or interns, perhaps) who get “stuck” writing the knitting story. He hits all the important points: knitting and crochet are not the same, grandmas should not be mentioned and yes, guys do it and yes, that’s not a big deal. My only addition would be to please not mention yoga in your story, either!

Have you seen any great knitting-related content online lately? I’d love to hear about it!

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Comments

  1. I love that Baa-ble hat, but I don’t really wear hats that much. Keeping this pattern in mind to modify for another project. It’s so cute!

Have you read?

Knits with Sheep

It felt like it had been a while since I’d done a roundup of knitting patterns involving sheep, and if search is any indication, that is true. I found a roundup of patterns for knit sheep from a few years ago, but the only one with v I could find is from 2015. So it’s definitely time to revisit this fun genre of knitting patterns.

This all started with a headband. Alyssa Kaat’s Icelandic Sheep Headband (free on Ravelry) to be specific. Ravelry showed it to me as a pattern highlight and I couldn’t resist taking a closer look. It’s worked with two colors of worsted weight yarn and alternates sheep with stars around your head.

Another great sheepy headband is this one from Loch Fyne Crafts on Etsy. These sweet little sheep are worked in bulky yarn and you can make the background look like field and sky or work it in a solid color.

Or make a headband (or a hat, cowl, or all three) covered with a flock of sheep with this set of patterns from New Age Knitting CA. These pieces also use the field/sky coloring, but you can use whatever colors of worsted weight yarn you like.

Speaking of hats, there’s also the sheep hat from Lynann Knits Designs. The sample was worked in Icelandic wool to make the sheep and the hat extra fuzzy and warm, but any worsted weight yarn will work.

There’s also the Wandering Sheep hat from Kat Hudon (on Ravelry), which features a fun collection of speckled sheep that can be worked in different yarn weights to make different sizes of hats for kids and adults.

And lest you think sheep need to be knit in traditional stranded colorwork, check out the Rebel Sheep Mob blanket by Deborah Moore. This one is worked in mosaic knitting using fingering weight yarn. In mosaic knitting you’re only working with one color per row so it’s pretty easy. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

I can’t possibly share sheep knitting patterns without mentioning the amazing Black Sheep Shadow Shawl by Mark Jamieson. Shadow knitting is a technique I want to do more of, but it involves working two rows alternating in two different colors and the pattern emerges when you look at the design from an angle. It’s so cool and the sheep on this one are amazing! It’s not a beginner project but well worth the work. You can find it on Ravelry or at the designer’s website.