Double Knitting Hat Pattern Review

So I am in the midst of the knitting the Eco Highland Duo Hat pattern from cascade yarns and I will say that my first experience with double knitting is not for the faint of heart. I am well into the seventh row of the pattern and the pattern is completely different on each side, so I need to continually change focus as to where I am in each pattern and whether I am knitting or purling. Fortunately, since the purl stitches are striped, after the first row you are simply purling the same color into each stitch.

The fair isle side is a bit more complicated because while you are purling the stripes, you are also knitting the fair isle between the purl stitches. But at the same time, it is quite fun and exciting to see two patterns working up all at once.

I have to confess that the first few rows I had to take out several times because I miss counted stitches somewhere in each of the patterns but now that I can see more of the patterns, it is coming along faster. I recommend the pattern if you want a challenging double knitting pattern but definitely plan on using a lot of patience and focus for this pattern!

Free pattern: http://cascadeyarns.com/patternsFree/W454_EcoHighlandDuoHat.pdf

BasketWeave Scarf Pattern

I created this basket-weave scarf last winter while on Christmas vacation at my parent's house looking at the winter wonderland that is their backyard.

I wanted to create a scarf that was warm, durable, and fashionable for many winters to come and that could transition from outdoor trekking to an evening out with friends and family.

This scarf is made of wool-acrylic blend, bulky-weight yarn and measures 70 inches long by 9.5 inches wide and is machine washable in cold water.

For more info, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/129603900/basketweave-scarf-pattern?ref=shop_home_active

Double Knitting

Well, spring is upon us and I am still knitting winter hats! Right now I am trying to complete my first double knitting project. It is this lovely little hat from cascade yarns.
http://cascadeyarns.com/patternsFree/W454_EcoHighlandDuoHat.pdf
I am only on the 6th row, but I am excited to see how it works up. It is a little bit of a challenge because there is a different pattern on each side.

When I am finished I will post images :)

Thanksgiving

Well, Thanksgiving is soon upon us. For me, it means my parents visiting me in New Jersey and eating in a restaurant but it is Thanksgiving all the same.

After Thanksgiving, I will be completing the Yarn Craft Council's certified instructors program at FIT which I am so excited about! I am hoping it will give me more inspiration to create my own patterns and make me a better teacher for my middle school knitters.

Alas, the cold season is upon us, which means I need to think of more warm knits to keep me and everyone else warm!

Felt Autumn Garland

 While I was home in Ohio during the NYC hurricane, I used some of my time to create this festive felt garland. It is super inexpensive to make, all you need are stencils to cut out the shapes and embroidery thread to sew the details. It does take several hours to complete, especially with all the cutting and sewing. (I think is took me around 15 hours, no joke!) But it is worth it in the end, especially if you need a fun and inexpensive way to decorate your apartment that expresses your creativity!

Power Outages

Well, it seems as though things are moving along in the New York/New Jersey area but it is still a challenge. I am still in Ohio but my roommates in New Jersey were still without power and gas as of yesterday. According to PSE&G, part of the substation was underwater and they need to dry it out before they can re-establish power.

I am grateful that I was out of the state when all this happened but I realized that I need to think about what I would do if this happened again. I am going to start putting together a food rations kit with nonperishable food and water when I return to New Jersey. I am a bit nervous about returning but hopefully things will be more in order at the beginning of next week.

Hurricane Sandy

Well, the rain has not let up since yesterday and it is putting me in a mood. I suppose that I am lucky that I currently am not in New York City and that I am in Ohio. My train travel has been delayed for a day and I am wondering what the situation will be like when I return.

After speaking with a few friends in or near the city, it sounds like things are okay except for some power outages and flooding in some of the subways. They are trying to re-establish bus transportation tomorrow. My recommendation to anyone watching the news is not to believe any of it. Yahoo is the worst one I've seen, saying the damage is devastating. As far as I know, businesses are planning to re-open on Thursday and some of the drug stores are already open. When did journalism get so bad? I'm so tired of the negative press all the time. These companies should be ashamed of themselves,