I've been taking a few sewing classes at my local Joann's store. I recently purchased a sewing machine too. For this cushion cover, I used two types of denim: one printed with polka dots, and the other plain. This was my first time using a commercial sewing pattern.
You will need:
Loom knit 20 rows using two strands of orange yarn held together, and then cast off using the gathering method (run the yarn needle under each stitch, and then pull each stitch off the peg). Tie tightly and weave in ends.
For the stem, crochet about5 chain stitches. Single crochet till end, and then single crochet around the other side of the same chain. Weave in ends. Attach to top of hat.
For the leaves: Ch 6. Work each stitch as follows: SC in first stitch, then HDC, DC, HDC, SC. Repeat the stitch pattern working on the opposite side of the same chain. Repeat for additional leaves as desired. Attach to top of hat near base of stem.
This is my first original baby hat pattern. The stitch I used is a mock cable stitch. It consists of simple knit and purl stitches, so I would rate this as an "easy" hat.
PATTERN IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. PLEASE DO NOT REPRODUCE, SELL, OR OTHERWISE USE THIS PATTERN FOR PROFIT. YOU ARE FREE TO MAKE AS MANY HATS AS YOU WISH FOR PERSONAL USE, OR FOR CHARITY.
This was knitted on US 5 needles using sport weight yarn.
Stitch Pattern
On a multiple of 4 stitches plus 2:
These 4 rows form the pattern.
Now that you have familiarized yourself with the pattern stitch, it's time to get started on the actual hat. Here's the pattern for the hat:
Optional
You can add other embellishments to the top of the hat, like an i-cord, or a pom pom. I chose to leave mine as is, because I feel the mock cable stitch is pretty enough on it's own. However, feel free to jazz it up however you like.
I made a baby hat today (hat pattern is from The Reading Hospital and Medical Center Friends' Knitting Guild). It's a light yellow shade, in a knit two, purl two rib stitch, with a little pompom on top. I knit this on straight needles.
This was knitted on US 5 needles. I did try knitting it on circulars, but gave up on that because knitting on straights is so much simpler...
Wondering how I made my pompom? It's super easy, and it does not involve buying a pompom maker, or wasting your time with a piece of cardboard. Just wrap the yarn around your fingers until it reaches the desired pompom thickness. Then cut the top and bottom, wrap with yarn in the middle and knot. Let me know if you want me to do a photo tutorial on this, if you think it'd be easier to follow.
Prepare the lamb: First, trim the fat off the lamb and discard. Cut the lamb into approximately 1 inch chunks, and season with salt, black pepper and turmeric. Set aside in a bowl.
In medium sized cooking pot, add the oil and fry the diced onion until lightly golden brown; add in the garlic and cloves and allow to mix with the onions for about 2 minutes. Add the cubed lamb and cook until it is almost no longer pink. You want the lamb to be tender, not dry. So leave a little tiny bit of pink so it doesn't dry out completely. (Don't worry- it'll cook thoroughly in the simmer sauce).
When the lamb is nearly done cooking, add in the entire jar of simmer sauce, and, well, simmer. :-) I like to simmer on a low fire for about 30-45 minutes. This will most definitely get rid of any pink remaining in the lamb, but this is also what makes it tender. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, you can dilute it a bit with some water. Add it in small doses, until you achieve the desired consistency. Throw in the cilantro (I like cutting mine with a pair of scissors right into the pot!)
Serve with daal and naan or roti.
If you try this recipe, let me know what you think of it, and any improvements that you made to it!
The yarn was is Lily's Sugar n Cream yarn in Pastel Delight. I got it on clearance at Walmart for a whopping 75 cents! I plan on making a crochet dishcloth out of it, but the mood struck me to try something new, so I tried cable knitting. It's gonna get frogged and turned into a dishcloth, but at least now I know I can cable knit!!!:-)...
The swatch was knitted on US 8 needles, and the stitch is called "Six Stitch Cable" from "Beginner's Guide Knit Stitches & Easy Projects" by Leisure Arts Little Books.
