Sorry sorry SORRY I mean really, I'm sorry!

Holy carp! almost 2 years since I touched this blog.

Well now that I am NOT trying to juggle college classes, parenting, working, commutes, dealing with the ex in court and a broken computer, I guess I should post now and then. I'm down to just work, parenting AND have working technology.

Maybe I should set some reminders on my calendar to ,make sure I do this more consistently. I would like to post once a month or so since I do all manner of crafty things like sewing, knitting, crochet, beading I'm sure I can come up with SOMETHING to post every month.

No less than 3 people have asked me about my hat and scarf this week alone soooo
Blows dust off blog...*cough cough gag*

Now on to the post!

Last winter I knitted a scarf and hat for myself because the soy-wool set I made the year before turned out to be too itchy against my forehead. I found a soft acrylic (my wool purists are cringing) but it was a medium gray with a strand of pastel rainbow color through it. Sort of a blocking/striping pattern. I loved it because of the picture on the package of a sweater vest made with it. Didn't have the funds at the time for 3 skeins and had some of the same brand of yarn in plain gray at home already.

I figured something simple that would show off the color pattern would be best. Thought about the fancy checkerboard knitting pattern I have seen and cant remember the name of, but figured I would never finish it if I started that way.So I tried (yet again) to do cabling for the ends of the scarf. Did I ever mention I cant do cables? Yeah, didn't work. Decided on a simple 2x2 rib pattern instead. ALSO taught myself to knit continental on this scarf as well. I go so much faster that way than thrown. I started with the scarf and halfway through stopped and did the hat, then finished the scarf.

Rainbow hat and scarf.
My favorite Top down hat style and simple width wise scarf.

Caron, Simply Soft Shadows, Mardi Gray.#0007
Medium (4), Content 100% Acrylic
Yardage 150yds / 3oz skein
Needle 8 US, Hook H-8 US
Gauge 17 stitches & 23 rows / 4 inches
Machine wash, warm, gentle cycle. Machine dry, low heat, delicate cycle.

Don't know what the solid gray was.

                                                      .........HAT..........

Done in the round using magic loop on cabled needles. Could be done with DPNs if you don't drop them constantly like I do.
K = Knit
Kfb = Knit in front and back stitch or increase (not sure how I did it)
Rib = 2knit+2pearl ribbing

With solid color, Cast on 8 stitches placing a marker between each one leave tail.
(I had one odd colored marker to show beginning of row).
R1: K 8 (8)
R2: Kfb 8 times (16)keeping markers in place.
R3: K16 (16)
R4: Kfb 1, K 1 repeat 7 more times (24)
R5: K 24 (24)
R6: Kfb 1, K 2 repeat 7 more times (32)
R7: K 32 (32)
R8: Kfb 1, K 3 repeat 7 more times (40)
R9: K 40 (40)
R10: Kfb 1, K 4 repeat 7 more times (48)
R11: K 48 (48)
R12: Kfb 1, K 5 repeat 7 more times (56)
R13: K 56 (56)
R14: Kfb 1, K 6 repeat 7 more times (64)
R15: K 64 (64)
R16: Kfb 1, K 7 repeat 7 more times (72)
change to rainbow yarn
Continue the increase pattern (increase row then knit row) as many times as it takes to get a hat big enough to fit around your head. It should be a tad bigger because of the ribbing later. I have the "math fail" gene so if you can, make sure you end with a number of stitches that is divisible by 4.

Once the hat is big enough around you can start on the body of it.
BR1: K around remove all but the row end marker while you do this.
BR2: K around
Change to 1 number smaller needles (I went 8 to 7)
BR3 - BR10: Rib around
BR11 - BR25: K around
BR26 - BR33: Rib around
BR34 - BR49: K around
BR50 - BR58: Rib around
BR59 K around
cast off
Use tail at top to tighten up opening.

Colors are top to bottom, Blue, pink, yellow, peach, blue, pink, yellow at edge.Turn it inside out so it matches the scarf. It should have a bit of a muffin top look. If you have a longer head, add more knit rows before you start the ribbing. I made mine too big and had to work some elastic thread into the ribbing later to keep it on my head.
                                                      ..........SCARF..........

With rainbow yarn...
Cast on however many stitches wide you want your scarf ending in a multiple of 4 (I did 32)
1 row K
5 rows Rib
15 rows K
10 rows Rib
15 rows K
10 rows Rib
90 rows K
Switch to Solid gray
160 rows K
Switch to rainbow
90 rows K
10 rows Rib
15 rows K
10 rows Rib
15 rows K
5 rows Rib
1 row K
Cast off

With crochet hook single crochet around the entire scarf with the rainbow yarn. I used a size I because it tightened up the length of this really long scarf and gave a solid edge for covering my nose outside.

 Hope you folks enjoy this. I have at least 4 other posts to make RIGHT NOW.... but I'm not gonna tonight!