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Knotty Baby Hat and Merrick Cabled Hat are now on Knit Picks!

I am so thrilled to announce that two of my patterns are now available on the Knit Picks website!

Why does this matter to you?  Well, if you’re so inclined, you can go to their product pages and quickly pick up both the pattern *and* the yarn to knit it in, in one simple step.  I like that!  It’s so streamlined.

 

Knotty Baby Hat.  Pattern by Amanda Schwabe.  Aknitica Designs.

If you’re knitting for babies in your life, I’m super proud of the Knotty Baby Hat.  I designed it while knitting for my fifth baby.  I wanted to model it after a sewn hat that I’d used and loved on my sons, but the fifth child was a girl, and a blue hat simply would not do.

I had some Rainbow Felici in my stash, and it was perfect in every way for a baby project.  It’s soft, washable, and I love the colourful self-striping effect.  (I love stripes, but I hate sewing in ends.)  If I could, I would keep two balls of every Felici colourway in my stash for spontaneous sock and baby-hat knitting projects.  (I have also knit a pair of Skew socks in the Rainbow colourway, and some Jaywalker socks in the High Tide colourway.  The light fingering weight and superwash properties make the perfect socks and hats.)

 

Knotty Baby Hat pattern by Amanda Schwabe

Anyway, I knit the Rainbow hat for Eva, and it was a hit in the hospital.  All the nurses commented on it, *every time* we walked around in the hallways, without fail.  I was a proud mama.

 

 

 

 

Merrick Hat pattern

The Merrick hat came about while I was knitting a hat for a family friend.  I wanted thick, squishy cables for warmth since he works outside a lot in the Canadian winter.  It was really snowy last winter, and I was picturing a cozy head covering that would protect his ears from blowing snow.

Now, I love cables, but after a couple of inches working the same pattern, I get bored.  So I sent the cables on an experimental journey to meet each other.  They were happy, and I was happy.  The pattern turned out to be interesting (I think) and really enjoyable to knit.  It’s got enough variation in it to stimulate, and enough repetition to keep it from being too complex.  You’ll notice that the cables flow intuitively, and you’ll soon be able to anticipate what to do next.

I’m really thrilled that I was able to work the decreases right into the cable pattern, so they flow right up to the top bind off.  The hat looks great from above, so you’ll want to make sure you’re around tall people when you’re wearing it.   *wink*

I’ve also worked out a version that incorporates ear flaps into the design.  Watch for that coming in August or so, just in time for fall knitting and winter preparation.

I chose the Knit Picks Swish Worsted for Merrick because the cables really pop with solid colours.  Swish has lots of colour choice available, and, as an added bonus, it’s machine washable.

So please, hop on over to the Knit Picks website and check me out!  I’m really excited to be there.

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I’m Going To Be On Knit Picks!

Look what came in the mail yesterday!

I finally got brave and submitted two patterns to the Knit Picks IDP program.  And they both got accepted!

Very soon, both Merrick and the Knotty Baby Hat will be available on the Knit Picks website for $1.99 each.  You might notice that I’ve lowered their prices.  I can do that because I’m anticipating higher sales through the higher visibility they’ll get on such a great, large website.

For those of you who’ve supported me by buying them at their previous prices, I am so thankful, and I’d like to offer you the gift of another one of my patterns for free.  Just send me an email to amanda@aknitica.com with the name of the pattern you’d like for free, and I’ll send you the link myself, with a big thank you for your previous Merrick or Knotty Baby Hat purchase.  You have no idea how encouraged I feel every time I get that PayPal notification email that one of my patterns has been purchased.

Knit Picks kindly sent me some Swish Worsted yarn so I could knit up two samples of Merrick.  I chose two colours:  my absolute favourite, Gulfstream — an electric blue that leans slightly towards aqua; it’s so vibrant and happy — and Dove Heather, which is soft and classic and comforting.  I got the yarn in the mail yesterday, and immediately cast on to make the first sample.  This is so exciting!

I can’t wait to see how the pattern will look knit up in the Gulfstream colour.  I wish I could capture its colour more accurately with my camera.  These photos are gorgeous, but they’re actually lacking some of its vibrancy!

The Knotty Baby Hat was originally designed in Knit Picks Felici Fingering-weight Sock Yarn, so it’s all ready to go, just as soon as I can mail in the signed Terms & Conditions.  I tried to scan them, but I must be missing some essential software for my scanner.  Sometimes, nothing is simple around here.

I’d love to knit up another sample of it someday.  Maybe I’m being picky, but I hate that little line down the left front where my needles joined.  I have since changed the pattern so the beginning of round doesn’t shift any more, so that line will never, ever, ever appear at the front ever again, but my sample photo hasn’t been updated to match.  At least, not in the Rainbow colourway.  I have a nice photo in a blue-stripe colourway, whose name I have completely forgotten, and which looks like it may have been removed from the Felici colours, anyway:

 

I’m so thrilled and nervous to finally be taking this step forward in my love of designing.  Thanks for supporting me along the way!

 

 

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Knotty Baby Hat

This little cutie is available as a Ravelry download for $3 CAD.   Update:  It is now available as a Knit Picks IDP pattern download for only $1.99!  (But you can still get it through the Ravelry link, too.)

It is knit up using a provisional cast on, a hem turn, and stocking stitch.  There is nice, simple  shaping to form the knot appendages, and a little grafting right at the end for finishing.

Yarn:  fingering weight sock yarn, about 120 yards of it.

Needles:  US size 1 (2.25) circulars or dpn’s.  (It’s knit in the round.  I use two circs for the smaller circumference.)

I had a hat similar to this one for my oldest son, but it was made out of cotton fabric.  I’ve since given the hat away, and wanted something similar for my new baby girl this fall, so I came up with this design.  There’s just something so adorable about a baby hat with ear-like things on the top.  I can’t wait to see how it’ll look on her.  (Expect photos to be posted once she’s born!)