Cre8 a Knitted Baby Hat - Episode I

I love to knit. Most especially, I love to knit baby hats. I think it is because of the speed and simplicity of the projects. I am always in need of baby gifts and I can whip up a hat in a night or two while I'm watching Top Chef.

I usually make up the pattern as I go, but lately I've been trying to write them down so I can share them. This little baby hat is probably best for babies ages 3 months - 1 year (depending on their head size).

Supplies

• Yarn: 2 colors (your choice) Baby Weight DK Yarn (I like Sirdar Snuggly Baby Yarn, which they do not make any more). You will need 1 skein plus a scrap for the second color.
  
• Needles: Size 4 circular needles and set of Size 4 double-sided bamboo needles
• Small Cable Hook

Gauge (Understanding Gauge)

• 6 stitches/in

Instructions
Don't know how to read a knitting instruction? Check out "How to Read a Knitting Pattern" at WikiHow or the excellent resources at About.com.

• Cast On 80 stitches with Color #1 and join to work in the round.
  
• Rows 1-3: in Color #1 (K2P2)*20
  
• Row 4: in Color #2 (K2P2)*20
• Rows 5,6: in Color #1 (K2P2)*20
• Rows 7,8: in Color #2 (K2P2)*20
• Row 9: in Color #1 (K2P2)*20 -- NOTE: continue in color #1 for the rest of the pattern
  
• Rows 10-15: K35 P2 K6 P2 K35
  
• Row 16: K35 P2 C6F P2 K35
• Rows 17-22: (repeat 10)
• Row 23: (repeat 16)
  
• Rows 24-29: (repeat 10)
• Row 30: (repeat 16)
• Rows 31-36: (repeat 10)
• Row 37: (repeat 16)
• NOTE: While decreasing, switch to your 4 double-sided needles whenever the hat becomes too small for your circular needle.
• Row 38: (K2 K2tog K3)*5 P2 K6 P2 (K3 K2tog K2)*5
  
• Row 39: K30 P2 K6 P2 K30
  
• Row 40: (K2 K2tog K2)*5 P2 K6 P2 (K2 K2tog K2)*5
• Row 41: K25 P2 K6 P2 K25
• Row 42: (K1 K2tog K2)*5 P2 K6 P2 (K2 K2tog K1)*5
• Row 43: K20 P2 K6 P2 K20
• Row 44: (K1 K2tog K1)*5 P2 CF6 P2 (K1 K2tog K1)*5
• Row 45: K15 P2 K2 K2tog K2 P2 K15
• Row 46: (K1 K2tog)*5 P2tog K5 P2tog (K2tog K1)*5
• Row 47: K10 P1 K2tog K1 K2tog P1 K10
• Row 48: (K2tog)*5 P1 K3 P1 (K2tog)*5
• Row 49: K5 P1 K2tog K1 P1 K5
  
• Row 50: (K2tog)*7

Using a yarn needle work the tail of the yarn through the 7 stitches, removing them from the knitting needles. Pull the top of the hat closed and work the yarn into stitches on the inside of the hat. Work in all your yarn ends to complete.

What to Do with Old Pants: Sketchbook Pouch

I saw this great project over at Fun In the Making. Make a protective pouch for your sketchbook or journal using an old pair of jeans. This one looks SUPER easy. I love the idea of reusing that button. The approach is so cleverly simple. You know I'll be making my own and posting up the results... It would look great with a little patch or even some beading.

Re-Cre8 Profile: TerraCycle Inc.

TerraCycle Inc. is a really cool concept for a business. The co-founders Tom Szaky and Jon Beyer, begun with the idea for a profitable yet eco-friendly and socially responsible business. Their first product turned food waste into plant food sold in re-used soda bottles. Now, they have a suite of products available at major retailers, such as Target.

The company actually pays you to send them your trash (specific trash) and uses that as the raw material for their products. You could get a cork board from waste corks, a Capri-Sun pencil case, or many others - you get the idea.

So, check it out...

Reusing Tissue Paper as Gift Wrap

I love a beautifully wrapped gift, but I hate all the expense and waste that goes along with it. Much of it goes directly into the trash within a few hours of wrapping the gift. Many of us reuse gift bags as long as the hold up rather than throwing them out, but what about reusing the tissue paper that invariably goes with them?

Tissue paper as gift wrap is so easy because it is already cut for you. If you can’t find scissors or tape (a typical situation in my home as was the problem when I wrapped this gift), you can use tissue paper to wrap a gift without these. Just fold the tissue paper to the size you want, wrap it neatly around the gift you want and secure with a pretty piece of raffia, ribbon, or even a piece of twine or yarn. It makes a colorful and beautiful presentation with little effort. Also, it’s recreating something that may just have been trash otherwise. By skipping the tape – you also allow for it to be reused again.

What goes great with a tissue paper wrapped gift? A homemade card. My boys were very into sunflowers at this time since they had been growing their own in the garden. I just took a scrap of card stock and drew a simple sunflower on the front. My 5-yo colored it in to make it a personalized card for his cousin’s 1st birthday present.