Béret Généreux 大方配色貝雷帽

Beret Genereux was the 2011 4th KAL for Taiwan Knit Along.

I With the permission of Isabelle Allard, had the beret in mind for quite while, but never got to pick up the needles and yarn. Even when I was helping on the translation, doubt was still lingering in here about whether or not I would knit it.

This was the first project I made after the four-month stop on knitting. And I ended up knitting two berets. One for Sebastian and one for Scarlett.

It's not my first stranded knitting, but I had always had a problem with the yarn float. Since the pattern called for worsted weight yarn, I figured it might also be a good project to destash all those fingering weight yarn I have. An off-white merino fingering was used double-stranded to pair with a blue jean/various colors variegated sport-dk weight wool yarn.

It was really interesting to knit for the brim was corrugated ribs and I tried a new tubular cast on: Tubular Cast On with Judy's Magic Cast On. The colorwork chart was so easy to follow that it took only one night and one morning to finish!

After a successful stranded come-back knitting, I cast on for a second beret, pairing the same off-white merino fingering double stranded with the same type of sport-dk weight wool yarn, but in magenta/various colors variegated.

The first beret was knitted during a weekend, but the second had to span into the week, but still, it just  took two more nights after work and dinner & etc to finish.

Scarlett and Sebastian were impressed by the colorwork! And I have yet to take pictures with S&S wearing them!

Reading Mitts 閱讀手套

I absolutely loved these mitts when I first saw the pattern. The severe cold of this winter pushed me to make some mitts and finally, I own a pair of these.

第一次看到之圖時就很喜歡這雙手套. 今年冬天特冷逼得我不得不打幾雙手套來禦寒, 於是我終於有了這雙漂亮的手套.



I have more than 2 balls of yarns leftover from Un peu de chance Cardigan and Toasty mitts but in 2 dye lots. I wanted to use the darker lot which has more than 1 ball. So I CO with it and hoped I could make these mitts a one skein project.

一點好運開襟外套和暖融融手套剩了 2 球多的線, 但有 2 個不同缸號, 其中 1 球比較白. 本來想把這雙手套當作是一球可完成的作品, 所以用量多較深的線起針.



Unfortunately, I figured that on skein project wasn't possible, so I used the paler ball for the palm turn-down hem. When I was finising the second mitt, all of a sudden I felt relectant the way I knitted the mitts.

很不幸地, 第一隻快打完時發現想要只用一球線打完一雙手套是不可能的, 所以用了腳白的線打手掌的摺邊. 第二隻快完成時, 忽然覺得不喜歡這樣的配法.



I ripped both mitts, knitted the turn-down hems and lace bands with the paler ball, and the stockinette stitch main body with the darker one. They turned out beautifully.

我把兩隻手套都拆掉重打. 這次用較白的打手腕和手掌的摺邊和蕾絲部分, 主體平針的部分用深色的打. 最後效果很好.



The turn-down hems were meant to be sewn down after the mitts are done. I'm lazy and reluctant to sew, especially afterwards, so this is what I did: turned the wrist hem inside and knitted with the live mitt sts (1st row of the Lace Panel); turned the palm hem inside and BO the live sts with corresponding sts using a crochet hook.

摺邊應是手套完成後向內摺再縫起來. 我很懶, 又不喜歡縫, 尤其打完了才縫, 所以我的偷懶做法是: 打完手腕摺邊就先向內摺, 把針上的活目和對應的起針目打在一起 (剛好是蕾絲部分的第 1 圈); 手掌的摺邊打好也向內摺, 用鈎針把針上的活目和對應的織片目鈎在一起收針.



I also made some modifications: I used smaller needles knitting the turn-down hem and knitted 5 rows before and after the yo k2tog row for a longer, tighter, flater and neater hem.

同時還做了些修改: 用小號針打折邊, 且洞眼圈前後各打 5 圈平針 (原作是 4 圈). 這樣折邊稍長一點, 針目較緊實整齊, 摺起來較平不愛翹.

Toasty 暖融融

I spent quite a lot of time searching for fingerless mitt patterns. One day I encountered Toast/Toasty and was enchanted. I had just the right yarn for it and I really needed long fingerless mitts to pair with my 1/2 and 3/4 sleeve pullovers/cardigans.

最近花了不少時間搜尋無指手套的織圖. 有一天忽然看到暖烘烘/暖融融, 頓時驚為天人. 手邊剛好有很適合的線可打, 太高興了, 因為我很需要一雙長的無指手套搭配五分和七分袖的毛衣和開襟外套.


The mitts are about 13", 2" longer than the pattern required. The palm and thumb are also longer, so that I can roll them down when I'm outdoors and roll them up indoors.

手套總共約 13 吋長, 比原作長 2 吋. 手掌和大拇指部分也有加長, 這樣在戶外可以攤平遮蓋住大部分的手, 在室內可捲起來露出多一點的手指頭.



Paired with Un peu de chance Cardigan, a 3/4-sleeve cardigan. 與七分袖一點好運開襟外套搭配


I followed napkinpeom's note and knitted gussets for thumbs to better accommodate my wide palms. And I really like the result. I increased until 13 sts for the thumb.

我採用 napkinpeom 的筆記建議以加針法打大拇指, 這樣我的寬手掌戴起來才比較服貼舒適. 加針法打出來的結果非常令人滿意. 大拇指部分我加針加到13針, 原作為 11 針.



Approximately 13" long. 總長約 13 吋, 比原作長 2 吋.


Gussets were used to make the thumbs, to better fit my wide palm. 拇指以加針法做, 我的寬手掌戴起來比較浮貼.


This can be counted as a one skein project.

這雙手套一球線就可以完成.