X-Box with Hat
A few months ago (yeah, I know!) I made a blanket and hat for my cousin’s baby. At the time, they didn’t know/weren’t telling the gender of the baby. And baby blankets are so much fun to crochet. I googled around and found an interesting pattern – X-Box Stitch. It looked like a fun pattern, not too gender biased. It would work well!
I had a big skein of Loops & Threads in Pee Wee Prints, a lovely blue and green variegated baby yarn. I had bought it on sale because I thought it was gorgeous. As I needed something neutral, I decided to use that. Besides, it’s a really soft yarn.
The pattern was fun. Almost like a box stitch, but not quite as structured. It’s a very difficult to see how lovely this pattern is with the stripy yarn. It’s a series of crossed double crochets following regular double crochets. Easy. Fast. I will use this pattern again in a solid yarn.
X’s and border
I ended up doing a white border using a stitch combo from the book I had on borders – Around the Corner: Crochet Borders. I’ve used this book often for edging ideas. It’s always fun to try something new. I picked edging #150, but added an extra row of half double crochet between the second and third rounds, just to try to make it feel a bit more substantial, more in line with the blanket itself. I hadn’t done any stitches on the back post, (or front post) before, so that was a bit interesting, but gave the edging a bit of extra texture.
I had a bit of yarn left over after the blanket, so decided to knit a hat to match. I like trying to use up the extra yarn with something fun and useful. And well, knitting was still very new. So, a simple umbilical hat.
Hat
This was only the second hat I’ve knit in the round, so getting that first join done was a bit tricky. But it went fast once that was done. Up to the point of the decreases, and the double pointed needles. They were so not fun. I also had problem with the I-cord, but was able to get something that worked well enough!
Getting the cord long enough to knot wasn’t much fun. It was awkward, and unweildy. But at last, it was done. This had was enough to make me want to avoid DPN’s as much as possible. But not enough to put me off knitting! More projects to follow!
DPN’s and i-cord
almost there
Related articles
- November 24, 2013 ~ Purple (Not Quite) Socks (lisasff.wordpress.com)
- October 23, 2013 ~ Lacy and Lovey (lisasff.wordpress.com)
Whatever! 
As usual….lovely choice of colors and pattern to match. Love the hat. I am very ‘proud’ of you…crocheting and knitting. Usually, most people do one or the other, not both!! :) I’m sure the recipient of this will be very thrilled. (Mom and baby, haha) Great job.
They did! I was told that I was channeling my grandmother, who was the yarn artist in the family. I have at least two blankets and several potholders/towels she crocheted for me. Each girl has a blanket that she crocheted too.
I now have preferences to which I prefer for projects… but both are fun…
Somehow I missed replying to this…just found it in my emails :) Anyway, I’m glad that you have a choice for your projects because sometimes an item just doesn’t look right in one or the other mediums. My mom was a crocheter and I do some (enough for my enjoyment and an occasional gift); however, my sister does both like you! Never had the inclination to try knitting….hmmmm :)
I think each has its strong points. Somethings work well in both! I do like the flexibility of being able to pick which discipline to use ~ most are gifts, and baby blankets at that. I think I prefer crocheting them to knitting, but knit looks nice too, and is a lighter style blanket usually