For me knitting is something that helps me relaxing; the rhythmic repetetive movements create an atmosphere that is similar to meditation. Unfortunatley, I often lack spare time to knit. I spend a lot of time at work and commuting between home and work – there is just always something that needs to be done and knitting must wait. My favourite knitting time is when I visit my parents in Iceland, either during Christmas or summer. My mother is a master at knitting and she always ready to help.
Baby bonnet knitting pattern
I stopped working two weeks before the due date of my first pregnancy. It was strange, because all the sudden I had no fixed working hours, no commuting and the preparation for the birth was almost done. This precious time was ideal for knitting. Being far away from the knitting guru, my mother, I had to find something I could do all by my self. Something that was relatively easy and could be done in few days (before the birth). I wanted to knit a baby bonnet and found one pattern on Ravelry.com called “Clover Earflap Hat” (for newborn to 48 months), made by dover & madden. It is relatively easy and repetitive knit and each step is explained in detail. I used the yarn Baby Cashmarino from Debbie Bliss (55% Wool, 33% Microfiber, 12% Cashmere goat). If you do not find the same yarn, you can probably ask the staff at the next yarn store whether they sell something similar by showing them the fiber content of the yarn from Debbie Bliss.
Not sure about all the abbreviations – Use YouTube!
If you only know the basics of knitting, like how to start, you can get reletively far by using YouTube. As this was the first time I followed a knitting pattern writting in English I had to search a bit on YouTube to understand the terms and abbreviations. Below are links to the basics mentioned in the knitting pattern.
- garter stitch = every row knit
- K = knit
- P = purl
- Kfb = knit in front and back of stitch
- st(s) = stitch(es)
- yo = yarn over (bring yarn to the front between your 2 needles, then take the yarn over the top of the right hand needle to form a stitch)
- K2tog = knit 2 stitches together
- P2tog = purl 2 stitches together
- SSK = slip the next 2 stitches one at a time knit wise to right hand needle, knit these 2 stitches together with left hand needle
- SK2P = slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slip stitch over the knit 2 together
- P2tog = purl 2 stitches together
- (RS) = right side of work
- (WS) = wrong side of work
