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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?

Stitch Your Favorite Fruit on a Sweater

The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.” 

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them. 

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits. 

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves. 

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit. 

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy. 

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]