Novem/Linked/Whatever I Decide to Call It Hat

So I finally got around to writing up this pattern, which has been sitting on the Coming Soon list for about 2 years at this point. This hat was probably one of the first I ever designed by myself. Yet I still can't pick out a good name.

I was surprised by how well I remembered the construction (and yes, I realize that in the best picture I have of it, I have my eyes closed). It was relatively quick to write up, at least compared to my most recent pattern writing experience. I had forgotten how enjoyable it is to write a simple pattern where I didn't have to worry about grading or numerous charts. Instead, there are two charts, and I remembered ahead of time to change the names of some symbols, so I didn't have to manually do it later for the written portions. I'm waffling between having it be a free pattern and selling it for $1.50 - $2.00. It's simpler that the other hats I have for sale, so I wouldn't charge as much for it.

Lady Danbury

I based this baby blanket on Lady Danbury, one of my favorite literary characters. She is the awesome old lady who frequently appears in Julia Quinn's novels set in Regency England. Although an elegant and bold woman on the outside (stylish, but loves being old since it allows her to say whatever she wants and hit people with her cane and no one can do anything about it), she has a romantic and loving heart. She is a devout matchmaker, constantly trying to get her favorite people together, and doing her best to boost the confidence of those who need it.

Hence, a baby blanket that is less complicated than it looks, yet bold and romantic. I just started testing on it over at the Free Pattern Testers group on Ravelry. Yes, I know it needs better pictures. I'm hoping to release the pattern by late August 2013.

The Undecided Sweater

So I just finished this baby hoodie which I've been calling Minty (in real life the color combo looks like those after dinner chocolate mints you get at restaurants). I can't decide if I should write the pattern up or not.





I made the 6-12 month size, but in order to do the color section, I had to do it as a mosaic (2 rounds in a row are on the same side, so 2 RS rows then 2 WS rows). And that would be a bit hard to explain in written form. Plus, there is the issue of slipped stitches in cables. Technically I could just have the next stitch up be slipped, but I would actually find that harder to follow. Maybe I'll write it up as a regular cable pattern without the slipped stitches first, and then offer the colored version as a bonus. I'm thinking of writing up a chose your own adventure baby sweater. So there would be a hood, rectangular, or shawl collar options for the top and then 3 different options for the cables. I'm not sure yet. Maybe it would be better to have them as an ebook and have 3 different patterns where you could mix and match the elements from each.

I did decide to not publish the baby hat patterns mentioned in the previous post. I'm just not sure how tall a baby's head is and the measurements I'm finding are decidedly unhelpful. They all include a folded brim but do not specify how much is folded up so I would know how much to subtract.