Springtime Knitting

I have been squeezing in some springtime knitting before it gets too hot and knitting season is over (I think it's weird that there's a season for knitting, but there is). Also, I have a big yarn stash right now that I'm trying to use for projects. The patterns I used were all beautifully written and easy to follow. Don't you just love a well written pattern? Eventually when I start making more patterns, I want to make sure that mine are written as well as these.

First up is a light weight hat and mittens that I made for Finn. I came up with the hat design myself. Essentially, I used a garter stitch for the bottom of the hat with circular needles (size 5), added a couple of stripes, made it the height for Finn's head, and decreased with double point needles (size 5). The owl mittens were made from a pattern I found on Ravelry here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-owl-gloves. Although the pattern has directions for adding eyes, I decided not to. The little owl is cabled, and is an easy beginning cable project to start with for those that may be intimidated by cabling. I should have blocked the gloves because it would have given them a cleaner shape around the hand part. But once they're on Finn's hands it doesn't really matter.

I wanted to make some cabled finger-less gloves for myself and found the pattern here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crossed-ribs-fingerless-mitts

The last little project that I finished is probably one of my favorite hat patterns to date! It's a baby hat with a little bit of fair isle knitting used and an I-cord to finish off the top. I really want to make another one with the yarns that were used in the actual pattern: http://sweetfiberdesigns.com/2013/02/12/golden-pear/, but I have to use up the yarn I have.  I made it for any of my friends or family who have a baby next!