In the store, we often get to see customers come through with great finished projects made with stellar patterns. We realized recently that several of us have finished some really great patterns and wanted to share them with you. Some of them are new, some are old, and some are even designed by our staff. Take a look at what we’ve worked on.

Elektrocute by Emma Welford
Like most of my design ideas, Elektrocute started out as a hastily-scribbled sketch on a post-it note while I was working. From sketch to chart to FO, it turned out exactly as I was picturing it and that makes it my latest favorite! I think the evolving colorwork pattern is fun and youthful while Madelinetosh Pashmina makes it luxe. Go wild with color combinations…I dare you! – Emma W.
I test knit this for Emma, and I must say, it’s a super fun pattern! – Mary

Cabled Raglan Baby Sweater by Rebecca L. Daniels
Made in Louet Gems Sport, a wonderful springy yarn that had a lot of personality and showed cabling nicely. This was my first top-down raglan sweater (believe it or not) and they each knit up in less than a week. Not only did I love the pattern, I loved learning this technique and I can’t believe I didn’t come around to it sooner. I’m contemplating making another pair as a first-birthday present. – Amy G.

Cladonia by Kirsten Kapur
I love knitting the Cladonia by Kirsten Kapur.  It was a simple shawl with a very nice lacy details to finish it off.  I knit it up in the Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light as the main color and Madelinetosh Tosh Lace for the lace detail in a different color. – Bonnie L.

Rooshed by Amy Stephens
I have always loved lace weight yarn but my attempts at knitting lace have always ended in tears. Rooshed is my answer! It’s an asymmetrical shawl/scarf that is practically weightless. It’s long enough to style a number of different ways. I’ve knit three already, in a silk/merino blend and have plans to knit another one in black. They’ve been popping up on a number of people who work in the store too. I love seeing everyone’s fiber and color choice. – Amy S.
I’m pretty excited about this pattern. It’s definitely on my to-knit list! – Mary

Crossroads Hat by Elena Nodel
I knit this hat while start to finish while watching a football game. It was a super quick knit and it was also a really fun knit. I’m not a huge fan of purling, so it seems silly to have chosen this particular pattern, but the slipped stitches and cabling helped to break it up and move it along. Once you get going, the location of the slipped stitches and cables just flows. I knit it in two colors of Madelinetosh Tosh DK. – Mary K.

Elementary Cowl by Amy Stephens
One of my favorite patterns, right now, is the Elementary Cowl. I think I’m knitting the 12th one. I just can’t stop! The pattern is incredibly easy. What I’m drawn to is picking out different colors and working with yarns that have a chainette construction like Classic Elite Chalet/Chateau, Cascade Eco Cloud, and Rowan Lima/Lima Colour.  The fabric is so warm, soft and squishy. It’s a perfect knit for watching TV, a knitting group project, or watching swim meets. – Amy S.

What’s your favorite pattern that you’ve recently completed? Do you like seeing our finished projects and patterns recommendations?

Here at WEBS, we are big fans of hats. They make great gifts and are perfect super-quick projects for anyone you care about.

There are so many hat styles and different ways to wear them, we thought we would share with you some of our favorite hats and how we wear them. We hope this helps you in deciding on a hat style for you or someone on your list.

How do you like to wear your hat? Do you prefer a tight beanie, a loose and slouchy beret, or somewhere in-between?

Featured Hats
Row 1 (L-R): Norie by Shetland Trader (with mods) in Madelinetosh Pashmina, Valley Yarns 254 Essential Ribbed Hat in Valley Yarns Amherst, Norie by Shetland Trader in Madelinetosh Pashmina

Row 2 (L-R): Brier Toque from Weekend Hats in Schoppel Wolle Zauberball Crazy, Katahdin Hat (FREE) from Fibre Co. in Fibre Co. Acadia, Everdeen from Weekend Hats in Madelinetosh Tosh DK

Row 3 (L-R): Poet Society Tam from Madelinetosh in Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage, Valley Yarns 345 Silver Lining Hat in Valley Yarns 2/14 Alpaca Silk Hand Dyed, Wanderer Cap from Weekend Hats in Tahki Tara Tweed

Row 4 (L-R): Annex Snood from Weekend Hats in Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere, Ruche Beret from Weekend Hats in Blue Sky Alpacas Melange, Cloudy Day from Never Not Knitting in Lorna’s Laces Sportmate

Row 5 (L-R): Valley Yarns 445 Little Whiskers Hat in Valley Yarns Greenwich, Valley Yarns 432 Gnomey Earflap Hat in Valley Yarns Cold Spring, Ripley from Ysolda Teague in Madelinetosh Tosh Chunky

This week, the staff at WEBS is buzzing about doggie sweaters, Halloween treats and more!

Little Penny Sweater from Doggie Knits by Corinne Niessner; modeled by Juke the Miniature Pinscher – Let me just say up front that I am not the most experienced knitter here at WEBS but this was a quick knit even for me. Super easy pattern to follow and the ribbing even stretches over Juke’s harness to keep him warm on walks. The pattern called for worsted weight yarn but as Juke has little fur and gets cold easily, I wanted a bulky sweater and this pattern adapted beautifully. Just knit a sample swatch ahead of time! I wanted something machine washable so I went with Berroco Comfort Chunky due to the ease in care. I had a bit of difficulty with the yarn splitting due to so many plies. And knitting in the dark was out of the question since I had to keep an eye on what I was doing. It was also my first time working with yarn that I could not spit splice, so weaving in the ends was a bit of a challenge, but they are all on the inside now and he won’t care. I plan on knitting it again in Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted next time to keep him warm through the New England winter. > Malea R.

(Left) Here at WEBS I work packing orders for shipment. When I saw this pattern come across my desk, I had to have it! I made the bag (with lots of help from one of the lovely ladies at the store) for my son to go trick or treating. It is a simple stockinette stitch that I made in Cascade 220 in Burnt Orange and Black. You can find the pattern here. > Jenny D.
(Right) I have a thing about felted bowls.  Every season I seem to come up with some reason to need a bowl.  It’s really just an excuse to try new things with knitting and felting.  These bowls were inspired by Autumn.  After a plain bowl is felted, it’s like a blank canvas.   On the pumpkin bowl with the lid, I used the “mistake” of pulling the embroidery thread too tight to my advantage.  It puckers the felt and makes it look more natural.  All the bowls were made with a closeout yarn that is long gone but could easily be made with Cascade 220 or Valley yarns Northampton held double. > Amy S.

I made this shawl to wear on my wedding day in mid-October – to keep my shoulders warm, as the ceremony was outdoors on a Berkshire hillside. The pattern is Purity by Sharon Miller and I used two skeins of Rowan Kidsilk Haze in Cream.  As written, the pattern has a “frill” on both ends, but I omitted the second one because I wanted a simpler look.  Knitting with Kidsilk Haze requires a bit more attentiveness, as the stitches can blend together – I was off on stitch count a couple of times in the lace section, but the lace section is so forgiving that I can’t tell where the mistakes are. I love this shawl, it’s so light & airy but still very warm! > Andrea V.

(Left) When I decided to knit my sister a blanket, she and I briefly argued about fiber content and yarn weight before we compromised on Spud & Chloe Sweater.  The yarn is so soft and has such great stitch definition that I want to use it for everything.  And it’s machine washable so I know I don’t have to worry about the finished project getting ruined. I didn’t use a pattern; instead I just cast on 180 stitches and knit feather & fan until it was as big as I wanted it! > Jackie V.
(Right) The first time I saw the Fibranatura Cobblestone was when I was putting it on the shelves for Stitches East.  I knew it would be perfect for children and babies.  The colors are great and it’s 100% superwash merino.  I grabbed a skein and quickly knit up the Ear Cozies hat for a friends’ two year old.  I had enough left over to knit a matching one for her baby that’s due in March.  I think I’m going to grab some more for “last-minute, I need a baby present” projects. > Amy S.

Hi Everyone!

Did you catch Ready, Set, Knit this past weekend? Kathy talked to Cecily Glowik MacDonald and Melissa LaBarre about their new book Weekend Hats. If features 25 knitted hats in styles to make everyone happy, including caps, berets, cloches, and more.

Hats are great because they usually take only one or two balls of yarn and they’re small projects that are super portable. Since they’re smaller than sweaters, hats are also a fun way to try out new techniques.

Melissa and Cecily have some of their own great designs in the book, but you’ll also find chapeaus from many wonderful designers, including WEBS-alums Elisabeth Parker and Cirilia Rose (as well as Melissa herself). Elisabeth’s hat is even knit in Valley Yarns Semi-Solid Hand Dyed.

If you’re looking to use up some of your stash, perhaps for holiday gifts (can you tell what my plan is?), Weekend Hats is a great book to have on your shelf.

Mary

P.S. If you love Melissa and Cecily’s hats, check out their patterns – Knitting School Dropout PDFs and Winged Knits Patterns.