Let’s kick this off with something I actually finished—a hat for me! That’s right, not for my brother, not for my son, just me for once.
I have no idea what yarns these are. I think I got them from KnitPicks years ago—maybe five or six? I don’t usually buy a lot of wool yarn since I live in Central Texas and honestly don’t need it most of the year. Most of my stash is acrylic, but this year it got cold early, and I wanted something warm.
I didn’t follow a pattern for this one. I cast on 104 stitches (I have a 24-inch head, in case you’re wondering). This is sock yarn, so holding two strands together, US 5 ChiaoGoo Red Lace needles were perfect. I used the magic loop method and worked one-by-one rib until I had about 9 inches of fabric, then started decreasing for the crown. Nothing fancy—just decreased until I got bored, then sewed it up. I love the look of one-by-one rib—it’s my favorite for hats. It’s stretchy, it fits great, and it just always looks good.
Here’s a second hat I finished This was for my soon-to-be daughter-in-law. This yarn is Caron Latte Cakes – Lovely Layers (in one of the purple shades), and it was so soft I had to switch to my KnitPicks rainbow wood needles to keep it from sliding around. I cast on 60 stitches (her head measured 22 inches) using size 8 circular needles and just worked one-by-one rib all the way to the top. Same basic pattern as mine, just fluffier and a bit smaller. Super cozy!
On the Needles 🧶
Here’s a pair of socks I’m currently working on, again, using some wool yarn I got from KnitPicks years ago. At one point I bought a bunch of wool yarn because I had never knit with it before, and I wanted to know what it was like. So I have a bunch of small 50-gram balls that I got from KnitPicks somewhere in my stash.
These socks are for my son who recently moved to North Dakota and is currently freezing his poor Texas-born tootsies off. I was aiming to have them finished by Christmas, but let’s be honest—that deadline has sailed. They’ll be done when they’re done, and his toes will just have to wait.
This is just a hat I’m working on using some acrylic yarn I’ve had forever. I think it’s Lion Brand, but I have no clue what the colorway is. It’s super squishy and soft, and I’ve tried using it for a bunch of different projects—shawls, gloves, hats—you name it. Nothing ever felt right.
Last week I tried making a plain stockinette hat that would roll at the brim, but it looked awful. It didn’t sit right or move right or something. Now I’m trying again with a 2×1 rib… and honestly? I still don’t think I’m going to like it. I just cannot find the right project for this yarn.
I’m keeping it in one of the first project bags I ever made. And that little flower stitch marker? I made it too! I love those beads and haven’t been able to find more like them. I got them in a random stash from a thrift store.
This is the Half + Half Triangle Wrap from Purl Soho. I started it a long time ago—probably a couple of years back. I finished the first triangle, started the second, and realized something was terribly wrong. So I actually went back and read the pattern… turns out, I didn’t finish the first triangle properly.
I tried to fix it by taking out just a few rows, but with the wrap-and-turns, I couldn’t figure it out. I’m not skilled enough for that yet, so I frogged the whole thing and started over. I’m almost done with the first triangle again now.
The yarn is Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek DK from Hobby Lobby. It’s a heathered gray and, sadly, no longer shows up in the app. This is hands-down my favorite yarn ever—soft, lovely to work with, and perfect for hats or wraps like this. It might not be a true DK weight, maybe more of a light DK, but it’s dreamy.
I keep this project close by all year round. It’s the one I reach for when I’m watching TV, bored, or just not feeling anything else. I can pick it up, knit a row or two, and put it back down.
The stitch marker I’m using is one I made using a little polymer clay butterfly bead that I got from Amazon. I love the clasp style because it’s round and fits over larger needles easily.
The project bag is also made by me using scrap fabric that I’ve had forever. It’s roomy, squishy, and perfect for this big wrap in progress.
A Stitchin’ Hot Mess 