Knitting Pattern: Thrummed Spiral Hat

Thrummed Spiral Hat:

Materials:
US size 6 - 16" circular needles
US size 6 dpns.
150-200 yds of worsted weight yarn (I used Patons Classic Wool Worsted.)
1-2 oz unspun roving (I used KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Roving.)
Tapestry needle (for weaving in ends)

Instructions:

CO 100 sts on 16" needles.

Work in K2P2 Ribbing for 5 inches (folded brim) or 2 inches (flat brim).

Follow the pattern below for the thrummed portion of the hat, about 5.5 inches, depending on your head size:
Rounds 1-3: knit all sts
Round 4: Thrum Rounds as listed below

Thrum rounds are worked in a k9, thrum 1 pattern that shifts around the hat by 3 stitches each time it is done.
Thrum Round 1: *k9, T1* repeat until the end of round.
Thrum Round 2: k2, T1, *k9, T1* repeat until last 7 sts, k7.
Thrum Round 3: k5 T1, *k9, T1* repeat until last 4 sts, k4.
Thrum Round 4: k8 T1, *k9, T1* repeat until last 1 sts, k1.
Thrum Round 5: k1, T1, *k9, T1* repeat until last 8 sts, k8.
Thrum Round 6: k4, T1, *k9, T1* repeat until last 5 sts, k5.
Thrum Round 7: k7, T1, *k9, T1* repeat until last 2 sts. k2.
Thrum Round 8: T1, *k9, T1* repeat until last 9 sts, k9.
Thrum Round 9: k3, T1, *k9, T1* repeat until last 6 sts, k6.
Thrum Round 10: k6 T1, *k9 T1* repeat until last 3 sts, k3.
Thrum Round 11: Same as Round 1
Thrum Round 12: Same as Round 2
Etc.

This thrum pattern will form a spiral of thrums around the hat.
If you are unfamiliar with thrumming, this is a good tutorial for thrum making. I used a fairly small thrum each time, to keep the hat from becoming too poofy.

Decrease rounds:
Continue with the 4-round thrumming pattern, but introduce the following decrease pattern as you go. Switch to dpns as necessary.
Round 1: *ssk, k8* repeat (90 sts)
Round 2 - 12 (all even rounds) - either knit all or do the next thrum round
Round 3: *ssk, k7* repeat (80 sts)
Round 5: *ssk, k6* repeat (70 sts)
Round 7: *ssk, k5* repeat (60 sts)
Round 9: *ssk, k4* repeat (50 sts)
Round 11: *ssk, k3* repeat (40 sts)
Begin decreasing every round.
Round 13: *ssk, k2* repeat (30 sts)
Round 14: *ssk, k1* repeat (20 sts)
Round 15: *ssk* repeat (10 sts)

Break yarn and thread through remaining sts. Pull tight and weave in ends.

If you have any questions, please email, send me a message or leave a comment! Thanks!

Derby Gear 3: Fancy Pants Orange Style

In a crazy-awesome sport like Derby, people wear really great clothes, specifially on their butts! And me, with a name like Pantsdemonium, well I really need some fantastic derby pants (shorts, hot pants, knickers, etc). So here is my first successful pair! I used the Burda 7228 pattern for "Beach Coordinates" - and just made the bottoms without the belt.  The pattern size that fit my measurements looked huge, so I went down from 12 to 8. That was a good move, since even these are a bit looser than expected! Booty pics:

Derby Gear 2: Skate Noose/Leash

This was super easy! Couple of D rings, some strap material and some ribbon!  Boom. Awesome.

Derby Gear 1: Toe Guards

Now that I'm "Fresh Meat" as far as roller derby is concerned, I am in desperate need of gear! Many of these items are expensive and I am poor, so I am making the things that are sewable-type projects. My first success = toe guards!  These bad boys will keep the toes ofmy skates from getting too torn up. Wooo!

Thin-to-thick Seed Stitch Headband

This is my first ever published knitting pattern! I hope that someone gets some use from it. 

PATTERN:

CO 8 sts

Begin by knitting 10 rows of 1x1 ribbing: 

Rows 1-10: k1 p1 repeat from to end of row

Now begin the seed stitch pattern on the inner 2 stitches, while continuing the ribbing on the outer 6 stitches, for 4 rows total, as follows: 

Rows 1&3: k1 p1 k2 p2 k1 p1 

Rows 2&4: k1 p1 repeat from to end of row

From here, begin increasing one stitch every 5th row until there are 12 stitches total, continuing with the first and last 3 stitches in 1x1 ribbing, with the inner stitches in seed stitch. (Increase rows are bold.) 

Row 1: k1 p1 kfb k1 p2 k1 p1 (9 sts) 

Rows 2-5: k1 p1 k1 p1 k1 p2 k1 p1 

Row 6: k1 p1 kfb p1 k1 p2 k1 p1 (10 sts) 

Rows 7&9: k1 p1 repeat from to end of row 

Rows 8&10: k1 p1 k2 p1 k1 p2 k1 p1 

Row 11: k1 p1 kfb p1 k1 repeat from to end of row (11 sts) 

Rows 12-15: k1 p1 k2 p1 k1 repeat from to end of row 

Row 16: k1 p1 kfb k1 p1 repeat from to end of row (12 sts)

Next, knit the rib/seed/rib pattern for 7 inches as follows, ending with a “Row 2”: 

Row 1: k1 p1 k2 p1 k1 p1 k1 p2 k1 p1 

Row 2: k1 p1 repeat from to end of row

Now, decrease one stitch every 5th row until there are 8 stitches total. (Decrease rows are bold.) 

Row 1: k1 p1 k1 p2tog k1 p1 k1 p2 k1 p1 (11 sts) 

Rows 2-5: k1 p1 repeat from until 3 sts remain, p1 k1 p1 

Row 6: k1 p1 k1 k2tog p1 k1 p2 k1 p1 (10 sts) 

Rows 7&9: k1 p1 repeat from to end of row 

Rows 8&10: k1 p1 k2 p1 k1 p2 k1 p1 

Row 11: k1 p1 k1 k2tog p1 k1 p1 k1 p1 (9 sts) 

Rows 12-15: k1 p1 k2 p1 k1 p1 k1 p1 

Row 16: k1 p1 k1 p2tog k1 p1 k1 p1 (8 sts) 

Rows 17&19: k1 p1 k2 p2 k1 p1 

Rows 18&20: k1 p1 repeat from to end of row

Finally knit 10 rows in 1x1 ribbing, making a buttonhole in the center of the 6th row, then bind off: 

Rows 1-5 and 7-10: k1 p1 repeat from to end of row 

Row 6: k1 p1 k2tog yo k1 p1 k1 p1 

Row 11: BO 8 sts tightly

Finishing: Weave in ends, sewing an appropriately sized button to the CO end. Enjoy your headband!

Pants! No pants? Knitted pants!

Ruth Elizabeth Hilton - that's me! Though I may sometimes introduce myself as Ruth Pants and my last name is Pants on the book of faces, my real last name is Hilton. And no, I'm not related to Paris. I am, however, in my 8th semester at Utah State University and am working hard to get my bachelor's degree so I can make high school kids do math! And physics too.

How did I end up in this discipline? Math is one of my favorite things, so as a high school senior I decided that applying it through Mechanical Engineering was the thing for me. Once I got into my sophomore year of engineering, I figured out that I like math for math's sake, and don't like it being prostituted in the sciences all the time. Once I realized this, I hurriedly changed my major to Mathematics Education, so I could teach everyone the awesomeness of this, the purest of sciences. Or more realistically, I want to get at least a few of my students to not completely detest math. I'd also spent quite a bit of time tutoring math and had become addicted to that "Aha!" moment that comes when your student finally grasps a tricky math concept. Now I have one final year to prepare for the real test of my mettle - student teaching - and am hoping, betting, praying and pleading with the gods of math that I will be ready by then!

Tiny cardigan for baby Madelyn

Besides math, what do I like to do? Many of the things I love come from that fact that I am infatuated with the outdoors; I love running, hiking, rollerblading, mountain biking, camping, fishing and jumping in puddles. Sometimes running gets to be less enjoyable, being obliged to do so very often as a member of the track and cross country teams at USU. Since I grew up in St. George, winter here in Logan has taken some major adjustments, not only due to how many clothes I must wear when I run. When the outdoors are too much of a winter wasteland, I morph into quite the nerd and like a few video games (Elder Scrolls), love reading science fiction and fantasy (WoT, HP, O.S. Card and the like) and knit like a ninja! Knitting is my most favorite of hobbies. Hence, I am the founder and Master of the USU Yarncraft Guild and spend way too much time on Ravelry. My most recently finished project, a cardigan for my friend's baby is pictured above!