Basic beanie calculations (bottom up knit hat) November 2, 2012
Posted by misscraftyfingers in Crafts, Free Pattern, Knitting.1 comment so far
Recently, I made the android hat which is basically a basic bottom up knit beanie with antennas attached. I realised that the measurements are to my own head size only. Depending on the size of your head and the type of yarn used, the number of stitches will be different.
So I decided to write up the basic measurement method which is easily customised to whatever headsize there is (or at least, this is how I figured out my measurement).
Basic bottom up knit beanie hat calculations
1. Measure around the circumference of your head.
Mine came to 22 inches (holy crap I have a big head).
2. Knit a gauge swatch with your preferred yarn with the corresponding size needles for the yarn. For my android hat, my gauge was 5 stitches per inch.
22 x 5 = 110.
However, my ribbed rows were 2 x 2, so I needed the cast on stitches to be in multiples of 4. So, I have to either subtract 2 or add 2 to 110 to get a multiple of 4.
In my case, I dropped 2 stitches since I don’t want the hat to be too lose as I didn’t change the needle size for the whole hat, so I got 108 stitches for my cast on.
3. Measure from your hairline to your earlobe. If you don’t have hair, just use your imagination where your hairline will be. 
But hairlines differ on individuals. So perhaps 2 inches above your eyebrows. If you don’t have eyebrows, use your imagination as well. ……….. don’t really know how to put this into words, but it’s from the part where your head starts rounding up to the top!
Cast on, join the round, knit the ribbed rows for an inch or more if you want more ribbed rows. Then switch to stockinette stitch or whichever stitch pattern you prefer. (If you are using some other stitch pattern that is fancier than plain old stockinette, you will have to do recalculations for the cast on. Patterns are usually repeats of a certain number of stitches, but same concept! Just have to do a little math. If you are capable of knitting fancy patterns, I’m sure you can figure this out! )
Knit your way up till the hat reaches this measurement then start to reduce. Use a stitch marker to mark every new row.
4. To reduce, divide your cast on stitches with the lowest possible whole number to get a single digit whole number.
Eg. 108 / 12 = 9
I will reduce my hat every 12 stitches and I will do this every alternate row.
So, to start reducing, I knit 10 stitches followed by knit 2 together. Repeat until you reach row marker. Then knit the whole of next row. Then reduce again, knit 9 stitches, knit 2 together, repeat till you reach row marker .. etc. Until you have 9 remaining stitches on your needles.
5. Cut your yarn to leave a little for sewing in. Thread the end through a yarn needle and sew through the remaining 9 stitches. Pull firmly and sew in the remaining yarn into the underside of your hat.
There you go, easy peasy knit beanie calculation. You can use this to customise any hat you want, eg. my android hat. Or … make your own PANDA hat! Or anything you want! Any colour! Any size! Anything creative you can think of!
Happy knitting! TGIF! YAY! 
My Android Hat! October 14, 2012
Posted by misscraftyfingers in Crafts, Free Pattern, Knitting.Tags: Free Pattern, Knit, Knitting
1 comment so far
WOW! been a while since I made anything!
With all the law suits going on with Apple suing Samsung for their Android phones in the past month, being the big fan of Android as I am, I decided to make myself an Android hat (in case I have to go to some Halloween dress up party, I can go as an Android green robot). And the great thing about Androids as opposed to Apple is that, you can make cute things out of the green robot but you can’t really make anything cute looking like that half eaten fruit! :p
I made the hat twice. First time, I tried with the top down method. Knit a flat circle then extend downwards. But it didn’t fit me very well. MY HEAD IS TOO BIG! So I tried a 2nd time. This time just a bottom up basic beanie.
After some adjustments, it is finally wearable! YAY!
AND NOW, I AM SHARING THIS FREE PATTERN WITH YOU!!!!! 
:):)
What you need
4.5mm double pointed & cable knitting needles
Green yarn (TLC cotton plus solid in kiwi)
White yarn (TLC cotton plus solid in white)
stitch marker
some white felt
yarn needle
sewing needle with some white thread
Pattern
CO 108 stitches on the cable knitting needles, join the round.
Ribbed rows – white yarn
knit 2, purl 2 around, repeat till the ribbed rows are about 1 inch
use a stitch marker to mark start of each row.
Stockinette rows – green yarn
switch to green yarn and work in stockinette stitch till the stockinette stitch rows are about 4 inches.
Reducing rows – switch to double pointed needles
After the 4 inches of stockinette rows, start reducing every 12 stitches around
ie. knit 10, knit 2 stitches together, knit the next row
reduce row – knit 9, knit 2 together, repeat till end of row, knit the next row
keep reducing every alternate row, ie. reduce row, k8, k2tgo, repeat till end, k next row, k7, k2tgo, repeat till end, k next row, k6, k2tgo … etc …..
reduce till you are left with 9 stitches, pull yarn through the remaining 9 stitches and sew ends in.
My gauge is 5 stitches per inch. I have a large head, so the above measurements matches my head! It may be too big for you! Alternatively, you can use any other basic beanie pattern you prefer, in your preferred type of yarn and needle size to fit your head!
Antennas
pick 3 stitches at 1 side of the yarn, icord for 10 rows, bind off on 11th row
repeat on other side of hat.
Eyes
cut 2 round circles of white felt and sew onto the hat slightly above the ribbed rows.
Sew in all yarn ends.
Note: You can customize the size of your hat with your preferred yarn choice. Do check out my next post for instructions!
There you go! AN ANDROID HAT! YAY!
p/s: I’m not an Apple basher … I have 4 iPods! :p
Free Pattern: Oreo Cookie Tape Measure February 18, 2011
Posted by misscraftyfingers in Crochet, Free Pattern.5 comments
super easy!
cookies, make 2 with worsted weight yarn
6 sc into magic ring, join
ch 1, 2 sc in each sc, join
ch 1, *1sc in next sc, 2sc in each sc*, repeat * to * till end, join
ch 1, *1sc in next 2 sc, 2sc in next sc*, repeat * to * till end, join
ch 1, *1sc in next 3 sc, 2sc in next sc*, repeat * to * till end, join
(you can increase until the size is big enough for your tape measure)
weave in ends
white cream centre
placing the tape measure (the kind which is retractable) between the 2 pieces of brown circles. Sew the 2 pieces together with white yarn (in my case, i used fleece) at the edges. The stitches should be rather loose the first round. Stitch it up somemore to make the “cream filling” thicker. Leave a gap for the tape measure. i sewed the fleece onto the tab for the tape measure as there was a hole on the tab. if not, you can glue it on or something.
and there you go! a oreo cookie tape measure!
colours can be changed to suit your preference. A cream sandwich with raspberry top would be yummy! or make it in light brown and make little french knots in dark brown for choco chip cookies!
A Knitted Flower (with pattern) November 25, 2010
Posted by misscraftyfingers in Crafts, Free Pattern, Knitting.Tags: Free Pattern, Knitted Flower, Knitting
45 comments
I joined a swap on brooch swap on ravelry and has been trying my hands on making a knitted flower. This is my first knitted pattern!
Materials
DK weight yarn
3.5mm needles (straight or circular, doesn’t matter)
Sewing needle
Sewing thread (matching colour as yarn)
Beads, pearls, buttons or sequins of your preference
Optional (if you’re making it into a brooch):
small piece of felt
Safety pin or brooch pin
Abbreviations
CO – Cast on
k – knit
p – purl
sl1k – slip 1 knit wise
sl1p – slip 1 purl wise
k2tog – knit 2 stitches together
p2tog – purl 2 stitches together
YO – Yarn Over
BO – Bind off
Pattern
Petal (make 6)
CO 8
Row 1: sl1k, k7
Row 2: sl1p, p7
Row 3: sl1k, *K1, YO* (repeat from * to * till end of row) (14 stitches)
Row 4: sl1p, P to end
Row 5: sl1k, K to end
Repeat rows 4 and 5 till the work is around 1.75 inches.
Start to reduce on a knit row as follows:
Reduce Row 1: sl1k, k2tog, k to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1
Reduce Row 2: sl1p, p2tog, p to last 3 stitches, p2tog, p1
Repeat Reduce Row 1 & 2 till you have 3 stitches left on a knit row. BO all 3 stitches, weave in ends.
Assembly
Thread your sewing needle with thread. Hold the base of the petal and sew it tight for each petal so as to create the “crease” so the petals will curl. Sew all 6 petals together.
Sew on your beads, pearls, sequins or a button to the centre of the flower.
For Brooch
To make a brooch, you may sew the flower onto a small round piece of felt that fits the underside of the knitted flower and sew on a safety pin or brooch pin onto the felt. You can also sew or hotglue this onto a hairband.
Notes
With DK weight yarn (I used Sirdar Wash ‘n’ Wear double crepe DK), my flower came to about 4 inches or so. If you are using a thicker yarn and larger needles, you can CO less stitches. I tried with Caron Simply Soft yarn and CO only 6 stitches. It works too. I find it easier to sew with sewing needle and thread rather than tapestry needle and yarn for assembly. It’s really up to your own preference. But with sewing needle and thread, you will have to make sure that the stithces sewn are very tight otherwise the petals will come loose.
I suggest using yarn that has a bit of sheen, especially if you are putting pearls in the middle. It make the flower a lot prettier!
Hope you enjoy this pattern! have fun making flowers! I did!
Pattern for Crochet Version of Ribbed “Lace” Bolero June 15, 2010
Posted by misscraftyfingers in Crafts, Crochet, Free Pattern, Tutorial, Tutorials.Tags: Bolero, Crochet, Tutorial
43 comments
I got a couple of request for the pattern of my crocheted version of the ribbed lace bolero, so here it is.
This is a really easy crochet pattern, inspired from the knitted version here. And it’s not really lace, it’s more like mesh.
Anyway, first of all, measurements. This is based on the description from the knitted version. It’s the same logic as the knit version, so credit’s not mine.
Measure your shoulder span. Add 4 inches for each sleeve. So, if my shoulder span is 17 inches, I add 8 inches to it, which brings about a total of 25 inches.This will be the width of the bolero.
Next, measure your upper arm. Mine measures 12.5 inch. Add 6.5 inch to this measurement. This will be be the length of the bolero, which is 19 inches.
After that, you will have to calculate the number of chains required to start this project.
You will need to chain in multiples of 4 + 2 chain.
So, if for example, my gauge is 4 stitches per inch. My shoulder measurement is a total of 25 inches. So, (25 x 4) + 2 = 102. I will need to chain 102 to start.
If my gauge is 6 stitches per inch, this is how I calculate: 25 x 6 =150. However, 150 is not a multiple of 4, that is, you cannot divide it by 4 and get a whole number. The closest number to 150 divisible by 4 to get a whole number is either 148 or 152. So, in this case, I’d go with 148 + 2. I like my shrug snug rather than loose.
Abbreviations:
Ch = Chain
SC = Single Crochet
DC = Double Crochet
FPDC = Front Post Double Crochet
BPDC = Back Post Double Crochet
Start of Pattern:
Chain __. (the total # of stitches calculated as per your measurements. Mine’s 102)
Ribbed Row 1: SC into the 2nd chain from hook. SC in the bar of each chain till the end. Ch 3, turn. (This Ch 3 will be your first double crochet).
(SC into the bar of the chain will allow you to have a even finish on both ends of your shrug)
Ribbed Row 2: BPDC into the 2nd SC post. * FPDC into the next 2 SC post. BPDC into the next 2 SC bars.* Repeat from * to * till end. You should end with a BPDC stitch at the end. Ch 3, turn.
The last stitch on the just finished row was a BPDC. When you turn, it will become a BPDC. So, on the new row, you will have to start with a FPDC.
(The ribbing is created with 2 BPDC, 2 FPDC, repeat till end. or 2 FPDC followed by 2 BPDC till end .. depending on which side your crocheting on)
Ribbed Row 3: FPDC into the 2nd post. *BPDC into next 2 posts, followed by FPDC into next 2 posts*. Repeat * to * till end.
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until the ribbed rows reach about 3 inches, it’s time to start with the body of the shrug.
Body Rows:
Ch 3 at the end of the last ribbed stitch. DC into the top of the 2nd stitch from chain 3. *Ch 2. skip 2 stitches. DC into the next 2 stiches.* Repeat * to * till end. Ch 3, turn. Repeat body row till desired length minus 3 inches is achieved. Ch 1, turn.
Finishing Ribbed Rows:
Finishing Ribbed Row 1: SC into next stitch from chain 1. *2 SC into the space of the chain 2 in the previous row. 1 SC into the top of the next 2 stitches.* Repeat * to * till end.
Finishing Ribbed Row 2: Here you have to check your stitches on the ribbed rows in the beginning. If the corresponding stitch on the other end is a BPDC, then you should start this row with BPDC (or vice versa). So looking at the pictures, row 2 should be done in BPDC into 2nd post of sc, followed by FPDC into next 2 sc posts and BPDC into next 2 sc posts. Repeat till end.
Finishing Ribbed Row 3: This will follow the logic of the beginning rows. Repeat Finishing Ribbed Rows 2-3 till you reach 3 inches of the finishing ribbed rows.
When you’re done, your work should look like this (kinda, this is a miniature version )
Fold the ribbed rows ends towards each other. Sew up the matched ribbed rows on each side. This will create the armholes and sleeves of the shrug. (You can sew up the ribbed rows with the ends of your yarn or you can weave in the ends and sew with a matching thread. Whichever way that works for you. )
I used about 1 2/3 skein of yarn. The yarn I used was Sirdar’s Wash ‘n’ Wear Double Crepe Dk, fyi.
The specs of the yarn are:
Blend: 55% Acrylic, 45% Nylon
Ball weight: 100g
Yardage: 270m/296y
I used a 4.25mm, G hook. I didn’t do a gauge but I just measured on my shrug. It’s about 6 stitches per inch across and 3 double crochet rows per inch tall (if that makes sense to you).
I hope the pattern and my explanation makes sense. Let me know if you need clarification or spot a mistake.
Depending on your size, especially if you’re big like me, it’s gonna take a while to crochet this because it’s gonna be a BIG PIECE OF CLOTH by the time you’re done. If you’re tiny, then I guess you will be able to finish it fast!
The bolero will look like this. You can wear it with the ribbed rows folded or not!
Sorry the pictures aren’t great. I really don’t know how some of the popular crafters take the pictures for their tutorials. I don’t have a tripod nor an awesome camera. It’s so hard to take pics when you’re actually doing the do.
I’d really love comments! And if you do make this bolero, please let me know! I would love to see it!
Have fun making your bolero!
Note: Although the design for this shrug is not entirely original, the crochet pattern is written by me. It is free (like the knitted original) and should never be for sale. Therefore, do not duplicate for commercial purposes. You may use this pattern for personal use only. Thank you.
