I promised you some birthday presents

so come and get them!

First we have the pattern for the Spring by the Pacific Hat. I made up a chart for it in addition to the written directions because I’ve been hearing a lot lately about how much people like them.

Next up are some wristwarmers I made in an effort to use up the (mostly full) partial skein of Debbie Mumm Traditions left after my hat and scarf.

feminine crocheted wristwarmers - debbie mumm traditions

Aside from how beautifully the colors flow together (really, the more I use it the more I like this yarn) I really love the gentle flare at the wrist. I’ve long been a fan of bell sleeves. It goes fairly smoothly under a long sleeve, although it does create some bulk in snug-fitting sleeves. See! How pretty!

feminine wristwarmers

Unfortunately they only used about half of the yarn I had left.I decided to try and see if I could get an openwork hat out of the fifty-some-odd yards I had left. After a bit of trial and error, I was left with something I think is pretty cute! I absolutely love the drape I’m getting with the larger hooks, by the way. I may never go back, the difference it makes is just astonishing. Anyway – the hat!

cabbage rose hat free crochet pattern

I was surprised to see that I had a bit of ribbon in such a nicely coordinating color. (I bought a bag of random ribbon lengths at Joann’s a few months ago. Remember? I never had ribbon when I needed it? Now I do! Or I might. It depends on the project. But this was precisely the right width, as well!) Both of these projects were completed in a matter of hours. Each takes about 55 yards of worsted weight yarn. You might actually be able to get both a hat and a pair of wristwarmers out of a (fairly typical for worsted weight) 110-yard ball of yarn! Which brings me to my next point –

The free patterns are ready for the Cabbage Rose Cap and the Feminine Wristwarmers. I hope you enjoy them, and I’d love to see any that you make.

I’m not sure how much you’re going to see of me for the next week and a half, at least. We’ve only got about a week left in this house, then two weeks in temporary housing before our exodus. I’m going to be honest, here, I’m getting nervous. This is huge. Sometimes I lie in bed and think things like, “What if the movers pack our passports?” and “How many diapers do we need to put in the luggage to get us from Texas to Japan?” and “How will we make it through three major airports with two kids and all of our baggage without causing an international incident?” and “How will we ever get everything done?” In the end, though, I just remind myself that it seems a lot like childbirth: a long, excruciating slide down into pain and screaming mayhem, after which you are exhausted, sore, and more than a little triumphant. At least, I hope we’ll be triumphant. Right now I can’t even find a store that carries winter coats.

Keep an eye on your tv, though. We may make the evening news yet.

7 comments

  1. bezzie says:

    Your move will be smooth! Don’t worry!

    Just a little word of advice though–if you expand the family in Japan, be very careful getting PCSed back to the states. My AF little bro added a daughter to his clan in Okinawa and the hardest part about moving back to the states was getting HER out.

    I’m so excited for you–it’s like watching us a year ago..this is about the same time we were packing up as well. The NYC area seemed liked a foreign country to us!

  2. Darcie says:

    I’m a new fan of your blog!

    I love these new pieces…very nature-inspired…and yes, feminine. Thank you for the patterns. I NEED to crochet your wristwarmers. SOON!

    Good luck with your move. Evening news? Why not just YouTube?! 😉

  3. Abi says:

    Yay! I love birthday presents. Such beautiful designs. I’m so jealous, I don’t think the Michaels carries that yarn here in Canada. And we have no Joann’s. Hmm, my sister is living in Provo I should see if she can pick some up for me. I see a plan a brewing. I’m moving to another province and I’m freaking out because of the packing. I can’t even think about what it would be like to move to another country.

  4. Nicole Bartlett says:

    i don’t see how you’re getting 8″ out of a chain 16. I only got 5 and couldn’t get them over my knuckles. I increased to 20. Bit then the cuff seemed extra frilly. Any suggestions?

    • Melissa says:

      If your chains are tighter than your stitches, you can use a bigger hook just for the chain. If your gauge in general is tighter, you can go up a hook size, or a yarn size, or both!

      If your cuff is too frilly, you can skip some of the increases. Hope this helps!

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