Back to School Projects

When my daughter was little, I loved this time of year....back to school.  Fall weather on the way, a couple new outfits and new school supplies, which always annoyed me to no end!  If you go to a public school in the USA, no one, not even the teachers, should be purchasing school supplies, it's a public school.  I've even had to pay book fees.  I don't know when all this started, but it was never like that when I was going to school.  

I digress....let's get back to some fun!  I found some fun back to school projects.  This lunch box is super cute!  You could easily change up the colors for a boy.

So is this backpack I found on Ravelry.  Just adorable.

When my daughter was in school, a scarf for teacher was easy to whip up and always welcome.

I knit many of these for college bound students in my neighborhood.  You can find the free pattern for the slouchy hat on Ravelry.  

I have also made some Arm Warmers for students and teachers alike.  Male teachers would like these as well in a brown, gray or black combo.  Here is my pattern on Ravelry.  You can also find it in my Etsy and Craftsy shops.

This cute owl basket for teacher is darling for their desk.  You could also fill it with treats! 

This is handsome for a male teacher or student.  I love the composition book-like style of it.

Are you working on any back to school projects?  I'd love to read about them.

Best,

Sheila

Purls of Wisdom:

When knitting or crocheting for children of any age, keep it simple, fast and inexpensive.  Things tend to get lost, misplaced and banged up.  

Baby Slouchy Hats Pattern!

 

I'm a big fan of Bohoknits Sockhead Hat pattern.  It's my go-to pattern for traveling, adult gift giving and knitting-to-relax.  I decided to write a pattern for babies and toddlers as I often need a baby shower gift.  Also, a new mom will get plenty of blankets at the party.  

It's a relatively quick knit and a great project for your left over sock yarn.  The 2 x 2 rib makes for a very stretchy band to fits lots of wee noggins!

The yarn for this one is by indie dyer Abi Grasso.  You might know her from her fabulous picture yarns she has in her Etsy shop.  This particular yarn is Sparkly Sock Yarn in Nebula Cloud.  You can get quite a few hats from one skein as it is 460 yards/420m.  This would make for a fun adult hat too!

 This yarn is one skein of Madeline Tosh Merino Light in Cosmic Wonder Dust.  I love this one as it reminds me of a cupcake.  How cute would this be if you presented it in a little cupcake box?  

This box has little cupcake toys in it.  I have found these boxes in Hobby Lobby, Sur Le Table, Walmart and Michael's.  You can find my pattern for the cupcakes in my pattern stores.  The link is at the top of my blog page or below, at the end of this post.

The pattern includes instructions for making a hat from baby to child size.

Here's the information for the hats:

I would rate this as a advanced beginner or better knitter. You need to know how to knit in the round on circular needles and use double point needles. Increase and decrease skills are also needed. 

Knit up these cute little slouchy hats for a baby, toddler or child. All three sizes provided. Great project to use up your sock yarn.

Complete instructions are included along with yarn brands and shop links needed to complete as pictured.

Mix and match all your leftovers and make stripes!

This is a copyright pattern. Selling, copying or distributing this pattern in any form is prohibited. 

*******Selling the finished product is permitted*******

 Now, a little info about the display.  I have always found it difficult to photograph baby hats on something other than a live baby.  My "baby" is 22 years old and does a great job as my model for adult wear, but what to do about baby hats?

To the rescue....Tamara Kelly of Moogly fame.  Just LOOK at her great idea below and the very cute hats!  Her pattern is free, too!

I adore her idea I first saw on Instagram and contacted her right away.  She explained to me that she used pieces of a olive oil container she has had for some time.  Off to the stores I go!

I found these at Hobby Lobby.  The container on the left is from the craft side of the store where they have glass containers.  The one on the right is from the floral department.  I just took the lid off the jar and put the "fishbowl" on top of it, bottom side up.  I used a little sticky tack to keep the two pieces together.  I think it worked out great! 

Here's a little better photo, before I photoshopped the lines out, of the two pieces together.  

Well, that's it for this week.  Thanks for stopping by,

Sheila

Find my Slouchy Hats for Baby in my pattern stores

Etsy

Craftsy

Ravelry 

Purls of Wisdom:

I find that giving a simple hat as a gift a little uninteresting.  To make it special, it's all in the box.  Think out of the box, so to speak.  Use a cupcake box, like the one above or...

 

look at this sweet Mary Engelbreit hat box.  And this faux tree log box below.  I found all of them at a thrift store for $2.00 each.  The tree log box had potpourri in it.  So, when you run across a container that looks interesting, take it home!

More Sockhead Hats

I don't know what it is, but I love knitting Sockhead Hats!  Maybe it's the one skein project I love.  Or, maybe, it's the fact that it's great for anyone.  It also could be the mindless knitting that we all love, or the need for a small take along diddy.  Of course, I think it's all of the above.

To be honest, I have been knitting these for the last few weeks as 3 deaths have been on my mind and mindless knitting was the medicine of choice.  

A lovely girl I went to Jr. High, high school and college with, passed away after fighting liver cancer.  Her struggle was long and difficult often times enduring this all on her own.  Never has there been a sweeter person.  A few of us girls from high school will be attending the memorial this Thursday.  I popped over to Michaels and picked up single, purple flowers, one for each of us to lay on her memorial table.  Purple and white are the colors of our high school.

The second was fellow blogger Wink.  I'm sure you have all read about this sad event from social media.  So sad.  I "talked" to her a number of times on her blog and felt like I knew her just the same as if I did in person.

The third was the death of the homeowner who lives in a house I owned located in Des Moines, Iowa. Very tragic.  

Anyway, enough with the sad and on with the good!  Life does go on no matter what and so knitting has helped me move forward.  Thanks for "listening". 

Back to the hats.....

They make a great graduation gift. Perfect for all those long walks on campus to class.

I love the all day comfort with great style.

I used 

Fiesta Baby Boom in Painted Desert for the band, and

Fiesta Baby Boom in Taos for the hat portion.

I've misplaced the yarn band for this one, sorry.

This one is Patons Kroy in Rusty Stripes.

Here's the link to my Ravelry page

and

here's the link to the pattern designer

Thanks for stopping by, 

Sheila

Purls of Wisdom:

If you have difficulty joining in the round and keeping your stitches from twisting after the cast on, here's what I do.  I knit back and forth for a few rows then join to knit in the round.  I sew up the little gap it makes with the cast on tail.

Sockhead Hats

 

I LOVE making Sockhead Hats!  Super easy and a great way to use your sock yarn skeins.

Here are some I finished up last month.

I used needle size US 2.5 (3.00mm) for all of them.

The one above uses:

James C Brett Moonlight Sonata DK

 

This is one skein of

KnitPicks Hawthorne Fingering in Ladd's Addition

 Knit Picks Hawthorne Fingering in St. Johns

Knit Picks Stroll Fingering in Mocha Tonal

You can find more information and the free pattern link on my Ravelry project page.

If you are using Patons Sock Yarn, I would suggest using a US 3.0 or 3.25.  I found that using the needle recommended in the pattern made for a too tight hat.

Best,

Sheila

Yarn tip:

Don't have a complete skein for a Sockhead Hat?  Gather all your leftover sock yarn and make stripes instead.