Pattern: Semblance Cap

This pattern is the result of me trying to come up with a multi-color design that can easily be personalized for a quick knit gift. :)

Cap knit once in school colors and once in favorite sports team colors

It uses 3 colors and a simple slip stitch pattern so that you actually work in only one color per round at any given time. :)

The cap is worked in the round from the bottom up and fits children (8+) to adults with a head circumference of 20-23" (~51-58 cm). The instructions are written out or you can work off a chart. You can find more pattern details by following this link to the Ravelry pattern page.

My oldest son chose his school colors for his cap and my youngest son picked his favorite sports team's colors (the Rockies, our local professional baseball team).

The caps were definitely a success as I now have a request from the boys for matching mittens and a cowl... but then feel free to use more girly colors for a quick gift for the women in your life...

Book: Seamless Crochet

I am an avid reader and always LOVE to learn new ways of doing things.

"Seamless Crochet" by Kristin Omdahl

This book, "Seamless Crochet" by Kristin Omdahl, is definitely an interesting one to check out. Besides a wonderful collection of really pretty crochet projects that make your to-do list grow quickly, it introduces you to a fascinating continuous crochet technique that leaves you with only 2 ends to weave in: the beginning and end tail!

Isn't that fantastic? Not having to spend quite a bit of time weaving in all those ends from the many motifs that make up a project? I am definitely all for it. :)

Now, I love charts and diagrams as they give me a visual image of what my work is supposed to look like so that this was a book after my heart. Every project comes with written out instructions but also has wonderful crochet diagrams that help you visualize the path your crocheting will take to connect the motifs in one continuous piece of work.

I picked one of the small projects, the Flower Trivets, to give this technique a spin. After studying the chart for a bit and getting a hang of the logic used to create the continuous path, it was easy peasy! After about 2-3 hours of crocheting, I had a wonderfully useful and pretty little trivet (7.5" x 7.5"). Make sure to choose a yarn without any acrylic in it as the hot pot will melt that fiber...

Flower Trivets, with "I Love This Cotton!" from Hobby Lobby

After getting used to working only partial motifs that are then completed on "the way back" you will quickly learn to appreciate this new technique. And the book even comes with an instructional DVD and tips for how to convert any motif-based design into a continuous design.

What a wonderful technique book with lots of inspirational designs. I will definitely try to incorporate this technique in an upcoming design...