These fingerless mittens are Center Ice Hockey Mitts, by Njeri Sims. This pattern comes with color combinations and recommendations for all the teams in the NHL, so you can make a pair based on your teams favorite colors, or a loved ones favorite team colors.  You will need to know how to knit in the round, how to decrease and increase, and how to separate and pick up stitches for the thumb. The color work is pretty easy, and involves a large enough stripe that you will just stop using a color completely and rejoin when it’s needed again. I used Cascade Yarns Pacific for these.  It is an acrylic yarn that came in a wide variety of colors, which was perfect for trying to match colors for my favorite hockey team.

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These are my Lapsang Souchong socks, written by AlterLace. They were a lot of fun to make, pattern wise. However, I don’t think I would make them again using the Angora Lace yarn. I adore how they feel on my feet, but my goodness that yarn was so frizzy and fluffy that I kept getting bits up my nose. It also drowns out the pattern a bit. The socks have a lovely lace pattern that this yarn isn’t showing as well as I would like it to. Thankfully the pattern showed for me to take the pictures, but a couple wearings of them has made them start to fuzz together. The pattern itself is a lovely lace design, so you will need to know how to do some basics, such as increases and decreases, yarn overs, and slipping yarn over other stitches. She outlines her special stitches well, so if you know the basics, you should be able to follow her directions well.

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The Stairmaster Scarf and Shawlette is a great pattern with visual interest. The pattern is actually quite easy to memorize, and has a look that makes it look very complicated. It’s sure to get compliments when it’s worn. You will need to know how to decrease, and how to cast on stitches as you progress in the pattern. I used Interlacements Sweet Feet, all 400 yards that I had. It was a close call on being able to finish before I ran out of yarn. This project took me a couple weeks to complete, but I wasn’t solely dedicated to working on this project. When I was getting towards the end, with the larger rectangles, I could work an entire rectangle in about 2 hours. Of course the initial ones are very tiny and go very fast.

 

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This is Finn The Human Ear Flap Hat, by Level Up Nerd Apparel. This pattern has now gone live, and my pattern page now links to it. This crocheted hat requires knowledge of both increases and decreases, as well as being able to place markers and knowing how to count your stitches. This pattern can work up very quickly. I was able to finish this over the course of two days. I used Cascade Yarns Pacific, 268 yards, which is an acrylic yarn. I found that this yarn was the right thickness, and was soft enough to be around the head and face. When making a hat, using a yarn that will be itchy or scratchy will mean a hat that is never worn.

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