Christmas Stocking #1

CHRISTMAS STOCKING #1

I whipped this up for my family this year, and have had a bit of interest in it on Ravelry, so here's the pattern. It's based on your basic 72 stitch flap heeled sock, so if my sock pattern writing isn't giving you the full picture, check out some of these resources:

http://www.knitting-socks.com/Dash.html

http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns2/socks/panda-menehune-sock.html

http://www.io.com/~cortese/crafts/koigu_sock_pattern.html

Materials

Cascade 220: Partial skeins of 2 shades of 3 colors.

(I don't know what colors, exactly, I used, because I'm using up my stash, but looking at the Cascade site , it looks like the colors might be yellows: 2415, 4147, blues: 2404, 7816, greens: 9461, 9447)

Size 7 12-16" circular needles (I did the whole stocking up to the toe on one set of 16" circulars)
Size 7 DPNs

Directions

Cast on 72 stitches in dark blue. Join to knit in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.

Knit in the round for about 2 inches.
Purl 1 round.

Cuff

Work Chart A in dark and light blue and dark and light green.

Leg

Work Chart B in dark and light gold.

Knit one round in dark green and the next in k1 dark green, k1 light green.

Begin the heel at the beginning of the next round.

In dark blue,

Knit 18 stitches, turn work.

Row 1: Sl 1, purl 35 stitches.

Row 2: (sl1, k1) across 36 stitches

Repeat these rows until there are 36 rows.

Turn Heel

Row 1: sl1, p 21, p2tog, p1

Row 2: sl 1, k 8, ssk, k1

Row 3: sl 1, p 9, p2tog, p1

Continue like this until all of the stitches have been worked. You will end on a knit row.

Gusset

Pick up one stitch from each row along the side of the heel flap. Place marker.

Knit 36 stitches in K1 light green, K1 dark green, place marker.

Continue in pattern to next marker.

Knit 1 round in dark green.

Change to yellows, and work Chart C on the top of the foot (to next marker)

You will work Chart D (bottom of the foot) for 12 stitches, then place marker (which becomes the beginning of the round).

Working in the charts set above, and beginning with 12 stitches of Chart D, work the following rounds.

Round 1: Knit to last 3 stitches before marker, k2tog, k1. Knit 36 stitches (Chart C) across top of foot, k1, ssk, knit to end of round.

Round 2: Knit

Foot

Work the decreases until there are 72 stitches on the needles, then continue working in pattern until the foot measures about 4 inches from the blue heel.

Toe

At the beginning of the next round switch to dark green.

Round 1: Dark green

Round 2: K1 Dark green, K1, light green

Round 3: Dark green

Round 4 and all subsequent rows: Dark Blue.

On row 4, begin decreasing for toe

Round 1: knit to last 3 stitches before marker. k2tog, k 1, slip marker, k1, ssk. knit across top to last 3 stitches before marker, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k 1, ssk, knit to end of round.

Round 2: knit.

Continue these two rounds until 40 stitches remain on the needle. Then continue knitting round 1 (with no knit round between) until 20 stitches remain. (You'll probably have switched to DPNs at this point).

On the next row, knit to the next marker, so that there are 10 stitches from the top of the sock on one DPN and 10 stitches from the bottom of the sock on the other DPN.

Cut the yarn and graft the toe together using Kitchener stitch.

Turn the top cuff to the back at the purl row, and stitch in place.

Zig Zag Warmers

ZIG ZAG WARMERS

A little to the left, a little to the right.

Materials

1 skein (about 100 yards) worsted weight yarn. This lovely yarn was dyed by a mama on diaperswappers.com.

Size 5 DPNs or circular needles (I found this pattern worked well using two circular needles).

Directions

Cast on 37 stitches, join to knit in the round, taking care to not twist stitches.

Work the zig zag pattern for 5 inches, or whatever length works for you. (I can totally see this pattern in an elbow length glove!)

Zig Zag Pattern

Round 1: Sl 1, K1, psso, K2, YO, K2, repeat to last st, K1

Round 2: Knit

Rounds 3-6: Repeat rounds 1 and 2 twice.

Round 7: K3, *YO, K2, K2tog, K2; repeat from * to last 4 sts, YO, K2, K2tog

Round 8: Knit

Rounds 9-12: Repeat rows 7 and 8 twice.

After an odd numbered round, turn knitting to knit flat, slipping the first stitch of each row, and purling every even numbered row.

Work flat for about 12 rows. After an odd numbered row, join again to knit in the round, switching back to knitting every even numbered round.

Work 7-8 more rounds, ending after an even round.

Purl 1 round.

Knit 1 round.

Cast off all stitches.

Fishtail Wrist Warmers

FISHTAIL WRIST WARMERS

Comfy, cute, what more do you want?

Materials:

I used 1 skein (109 yards) of Wings, by Classic Elite, but any worsted weight yarn should do. The softer the better!


Size 5 DPNs or circular needles (I found this pattern worked well using two circular needles).

Lace Panel Pattern

Please note the correction in row 1.

Row 1: P1, K1, YO, K2, sl1, K2tog, psso, K2, YO, K1, P1
Row 2: P1, K9, P1
Row 3: P1, K2, YO, K1, sl1, K2tog, psso, K1, YO, K2, P1

Row 4: P1, K9, P1

Row 5: P1, K3, YO, sl1, K2tog, psso, YO, K3, P1

Row 6: P1, K9, P1

(In the break for the thumb holes, all even rows should be K1, P9, K1)

Directions

Cast on 36 stitches, join, being careful not to twist stitches.

Work a K2, P2 rib until it measures 1 inch.

Right hand: Knit 20 stitches, work 11 stitches from Lace Panel Pattern, knit 5 stitches.

Left hand: Knit 5 stitches, work 11 stitches from Lace Panel Pattern, knit 20 stitches.

Work Lace Panel Pattern 3 times.

On the next round, follow the pattern as above. At the end of the round, turn your knitting to work flat.

Every odd row will be worked as noted above. Each even row will be worked as follows:

Right Hand: Sl 1, P4, K1, P9, K1, P20

Left Hand: Sl 1, P19, K1, P9, K1, P5

Work pattern 2 times, plus the first 5 rows. At the end of the 5th row, instead of turning to purl, continue knitting in the round, following the original pattern. You'll work two more rounds (Row 6 and Row 1 from the Lace Panel Pattern).

Switch back to the K2, P2 rib for 7 rounds, then bind off in pattern.

Weave in ends.

My mom's sweater

It's just a tube right now, but the sleeves will be coming soonish.

Measure Twice, Cut Once. Or, the wisdom of paying attention.

Maybe some day I should just sit down and follow some directions. It might make things a bit more straightforward, if not easier. But where would the fun be in that?

Take this sweater, for example. It'll be a cute little zippered vest for my co-worker, who has graciously agreed to be a model for my designs.


I know I did the math right, but apparently my counting wasn't correct, and I placed the sleeve holes incorrectly, making the back smaller than the front (it's knit in the round).

Ok, I thought to my self when I figured out that mistake. I'll just put a zipper in, instead of making a button panel, and that will work. Right.

When I laid the vest out for blocking, after I'd steeked the front, and put in a zipper, I just couldn't get it to lay out correctly.

So, finally I figured out that not only were the sleeve holes placed incorrectly towards the back, they were also not put in symmetrically. One sleeve is further back than the other.

I can (and will) fix this. It's an easy rip and replace/stitch the zipper, with a bit of cleaning up on the inside. But it should be easy.

I hope.

Obviously I need to pay better attention in the future.

Don't you hate running out of yarn?

Here's hoping that the yarn I ordered matches the yarn I'm using, otherwise my sweater is going to look a wee bit funny. Maybe in the future I'll plan better.

HA! as if.

I finished up a bunch of soakers today. I think they're awfully cute. I like that they're fast and easy, and a good way to use up a skein of yarn. And when I knit, I keep out of trouble.

Bagged Pattern

BAGGED

This is a great pattern to use up all that extra feltable yarn that I know you've got hanging around in your stash!

Materials: A variety of worsted weight or fingering weight wool yarn (pick something that felts!). You'll need roughly 3 good sized skeins worth.

For the darker green/blue/purple bag, I used a selection of Knit Picks Palette. For the lighter bag, I used hand dyed Knit Picks bare. Or, use a heavier yarn and larger needles for a bigger bag.

24" size 8 -10 circular needles

size 8-10 DPNs

To start: Divide your yarn into two groups, A and B. You can divide by color, value (light/darkness), warm and cool. The darker bag was divided into a green/blue group and a purple/grey group. The lighter bag was divided into a warm (reds/yellows/oranges) and a cool (blues/greens). Have fun, go wild! And, when in doubt, add more colors! (Though I think this bag would look great in just black and white.)

If you are using a fingering weight yarn, make sure to knit everything double stranded!

Body: Pick any yarn from group A, and cast on 132 stitches. Place marker and join, being careful not to twist stitches. Knit two rounds, then add a yarn from group B and begin working chart. You will work through the chart 4 times, changing yarn as you feel like it. (I found that giving each color about 7-10 rows felt good for me. I also made sure that I didn't change both A and B yarns in the same row.)

After working the chart 4 times, drop the group B yarn, and knit 4 rounds in K2 P2 rib.

Handle: On the next round, knit 4, bind off 58, place 8 stitches on a holder, bind off 58, knit 4. Move stitches to DPNs and work an 8 stitch I-cord for about 16 inches. Work the final row back as a purl row, then attach the handle to the 8 stitches on the holder using a kitchener stitch.

Turn bag inside out and seam the bottom with mattress stitch. Sew in all ends.

I felted the bag by throwing it into the washer with a few towels and running it on the "warm/cold" setting. I've got a front loading machine, and just let it go through the whole cycle.

Stuff bag with plastic bags to shape it while it dries.

Obviously I'm lame

Since I haven't been updating as often as I like. (Realistically, my goal was at least once a week, preferably more.) But, you know, I'm lame. And life does interrupt.

Well, more accurately, KNITTING does interrupt. I've been plowing through my stash, making various different baby soakers, leggings, and shorties, like the one pictured below. They're wonderfully fast knits and are great for using up my stash of wool. I particularly like the colors of this pair of shorties. Wouldn't it make a great sweater for me?

My mom was here last week, and with her company, I was able to knock out the shrug I'd started way back when. No pictures yet, but it's from Araucania's Atacama Nature Alpaca, in one of the green colorways. So perfect for cuddling up on the sofa to watch Lost.

Now I've got baby stuff to work on - including finishing up some items for a shower that starts in three and a half hours! Eeek!

More in the not too distant future, including the chart and pattern for Bagged.

Icon

ICON
This bag uses a chart from a most excellent book called Here Be Wyverns, by Nancy Spies. http://www.weavershand.com/ArelateStudio.html

This particular chart is from a 14th century Byzantine piece in etched silver.

Materials: 1 skein each: (MC) Cascade 220 Grape Jelly, (CC1) Cascade 220 Heathers Galaxy

(CC2) Cascade 220 Heathers Baby Rose Heather

24" Size 10 circular needles

Body

Cast on 140 stitches in MC. Place marker and join, being careful not to twist stitches. Knit two rounds, then begin working chart in MC and CC1. (White = MC, Purple = CC).

Work to red line, then switch to MC and CC2. Finish working through chart, then repeat whole chart in MC and CC2.

Switch back to MC and CC1, working to red line.

(The middle section of the bag is worked in the pattern of the chart, so that you have a more subtle version of the pattern there.)

Handle

Knit 2 rounds in MC.

Round 3: Knit 25 stitches, bind off 20 stitches, knit 50 stitches, bind off 20 stitches, knit 25 stitches.

Round 4: Knit 25 stitches, cast on 20 stitches, knit 50 stitches, cast on 20 stitches, knit 25 stitches.

Rounds 5-9: Knit

Round 10: Purl

Rounds 11-14: Knit,

Bind off all stitches.

Finishing

Fold handle fabric to the inside at the purl row, tacking it down with stitches.
Turn bag inside out, and seam the bottom with mattress stitch. Sew in all ends.

This bag needed to be run through the felting process twice. (Throw it in the washer with towels or jeans, wash on warm or hot/rinse on cold.) Stuff it with plastic bags or find something else to use as a "mold".

Week 1/08 on my needles

I finished the bag below (pattern will be coming soonish). I need to take a photo in better lighting, and with a better "pose". These shots against the floor of the family room are ever so boring. Plus, you can't see how the pattern continues through the middle part of the bag.
I also finished a pair of longies and am most of the way through a pair of soakers. They're a kind of fun way to work through some of my stash of worsted weight yarns. And won't babies look cute in a mish mash of color and yarn?

I just joined the Stash Knit Down group in Ravelry. The January (1/5-2/19) goal is to knit a mile of yarn. I think I can do that. I've finished about a skein today. Whee.

My year in knitting

What a year it was. I can't believe how much I got done this year.

This is the first sweater I made for Ms. M. She got another little cardigan as well. I finished a pullover for myself, as well as a little shrug, too.

I started the year with a huge sock fest. I think I finished at least 10 pairs of socks through out the year. The pair pictured is one of my favorites, even if I didn't work it out so that the stripes would line up.

I dyed a whole lot of yarn this year. I'm guessing that I did at least 50 skeins, but it might be a significantly higher number. I sold a lot, but kept a bunch of the yarn for myself, because it's so fun to play with.

This fall I was on a definite hat kick. Looking over my photos, I can find pictures of at least 30 different hats. EEEEE. At some point I'll get the pictures all loaded up onto my flickr account. For that matter, I'll get my flickr account reasonably organized, too.

The latest kick has been stranded color work, especially in bags. I'm really happy with how my first bag pattern (Celtic wanna be) has been received. Heck, I'm REALLY happy with how the bag turned out.

I also rather like this little ipod/cell phone cozy. It started out as a wrist warmer (Yeah, I made a ton of those, too), but ended up as a little cozy.

And, last, but not least, a peak at where knitting is taking me in the new year. The beginnings of a few projects that are on the needles now. I hope that this coming year will be as productive and creative as last year was!

Celtic Wanna Be Tote

3/9/08 I have made a change to Chart B to accurately represent the pattern. I'm sorry for any inconveniences this may have caused!

Materials: Knitpicks Palette, 1 skein Bark, 2 skeins each Blue Note Heather, Pool, Blue, Sky

Size 7 circular needles

All stitches are knit double stranded, using two strands of the same color yarn.

Body

Cast on 175 stitches with Pool. Place marker, and join, being careful not to twist. Knit two rounds, then begin working Chart A in Pool and Blue Note Heather. Repeat the 6 pattern rounds 4 times, then work round 1 once more (so that you will end with the same round that you started on).

Change to Bark, and knit two rounds.

Change to Blue and Sky, setting the pattern for the middle panel. Work the pattern from Chart B over the first 19 stitches; Chart C for the next 8, Chart D for the next 33 stitches, Chart C for 8, then Chart B (starting where marked) for the rest of the stitches in the round. Place markers between charts if needed.

Change to Bark and knit two rounds.

Change to Pool and Blue Note Heather, working Chart A through once, repeating round 1.

Handle

Change to Bark.

Rounds 1 and 2: knit

Round 3: knit 33, bind off the next 20, knit 66, bind off 20, knit to end of round.

Round 4: knit 33, cast on 20 stitches, knit 66, cast on 20 stitches, knit to end of round.

Rounds 5-9: knit

Round 10: purl

Round 11-14: knit

Bind off all stitches.

Finishing

Fold handle fabric to the inside at the purl row, tacking it down with stitches.

Turn bag inside out, and seam the bottom with mattress stitch. Sew in all ends.

I felted the bag by throwing it into the washer with a few towels and running it on the "warm/cold" setting. I've got a front loading machine, and just let it go through the whole cycle. Once out of the wash, I stuffed it with a plastic case for a drill (hey, you use what works, right?), but plastic bags or other items could be used to help shape it.

Chart A

Chart B

Chart C

Chart D

New projects have begun

I've started two new bags this week, but am anticipating that I will have to start more projects as I wait for more yarn to arrive. Yarn that I haven't ordered yet. Yarn that will be ordered tomorrow.

I think I'll almost have enough of the two darker blues to finish the blue bag, but honestly, I think I'm going to end up a few rounds short. And if I order more, I'll have more choices for color of handle, though it will probably be brown.


I'm pleased with the variety of textures through pattern I have in the blue bag, and am looking forward to seeing the center motif surrounded by knitting.

The second bag, which I just started tonight, is going to run out of the medium green that makes up the bottom. That will probably happen within another repeat of the 20 row chart. (Why am I making excuses to buy more yarn? I should just write up the darned order now.) The chart is from Ann Feitelson's book, though I've changed the colors around, since I much prefer green and purple.

How bad is it

If you bug out of an enjoyable party halfway through because you're jonesing for some knitting? I know this "using knitting as a social defense" thing is getting bad when I can't go for more than a couple of hours in a crowded house without it.

But I got a lot finished today. Finished off the body of my second bagged (top right), and was so eager to start the next bag (bottom right), that I made the decision to do the i-cord handle on my commuting time. Yeah, I knit in the car. Only at stoplights or when traffic is backed up to a full stop. Heck, I got a few rows done on Friday when something was going on ahead of me, and traffic was fully stopped for a few minutes.

(The bag on the left is my first "bagged", using yarn that I dyed.)

I just realized why I've been so antsy today. Aside from getting a few rows done in stopped up traffic on Connecticut on the way home, I haven't done any knitting today. Tomorrow that will change. Laundry and knitting, and that's it. I dare my family to drag my ass off to anything else.

And I just sold my last few skeins of sock yarn. Obviously I need to make time to do some dyeing. Maybe next week?

Creativity or Laziness?

I love the way stranded knitting looks from the inside. And, wouldn't it be fun to wear it inside out without weaving in the ends? Ok, maybe that's just me being lazy. (But the insides do look cool.)

I finally finished up the hat and gloves set for Katie at the school's grandchildren. She seems very happy with them, and I'm rather pleased, too. Yeah, it's acrylic yarn and fun fur, but it should be washable and easy to wear for the girls.

Also finished up the hat and wrist warmers for my mom and got them shipped off today, and dropped off another pair of wrist warmers for Sally. Whew. I think I'm all done with my knitting for other people. Now I can focus on presents and the knitting I'm doing for patterns.

After my trunk show in November, I bought one skein of every color of knit picks palette and telemark yarns. My goal is to try to use at least a little of every skein within the next year. I foresee a LOT of stranded colorwork in front of me!

Now, it's time for knitting and watching survivor!

Norwegian Star Hat Pattern

Size: One

Materials: Knitpicks Palette, 1 skein each of Bark (MC), Brindle Heather, Nutmeg, Twig, Salsa Heather, Fawn, Golden Heather, Tan, and Ivy.

Needles: 16 or 24 inch circular needles, size US 6, double point needles, size 6.

Gauge: 20 st/12 rows=4 inches, knit double stranded on size 6 needles.

Pattern: The whole hat is knit double stranded using two strands of the same color of yarn. Using MC, cast on 102 stitches on circular needles. Join, being careful not to twist, and work in stockinette stitch for 2 inches.

Begin working Fair Isle chart. Chart is 35 stitches wide and will be repeated 3 times in each round.

Knit one round of MC.

Place marker, [K17, place marker] 5 times, k to end. 6 markers on needle.

Shape crown
Round 1: [k to 2 sts before next marker, k2tog] 6 times.
Round 2: Knit

Repeat rounds 1 and 2 9 times, until there are 54 stitches remaining. Repeat round 1, switching to double point needles when needed, until there are 6 stitches left. Break yarn, and thread yarn through remaining stitches and pull tight.

Socks

Socks, yummy socks. These are a couple of pairs I knit last winter/spring for myself. It's great to have the temps dropping enough that I can start wearing them again.

Ah. Socks.

The purple pair is from Koigu, while the striped socks are from Online SuperSocke.

Chevron stitch flat panel

Multiple of 8+1
Rows 1 + 2: K1, *P7, K1* to end
Rows 3 + 4: K2, *P5, K3* P5, K2
Rows 5 + 6: K3, *P3, K5* P3, K3
Rows 7 + 8: K4, *P1, K7* P1, K4
Rows 9 +10: P1, *K7, P1* to end
Rows 11+12:P2, *K5, P3* K5, P2
Rows 13+14:P3, *K3, P5* K3, P3
Rows 15+16:P4, *K1, P7* K1, P4

I will post a picture as soon as I have a better sample.

It all worked out

Here is the divine Miss M's new skirt. I love the pink boucle and am glad there is some left over for other projects!

This one was done on the extra large loom, and I think it could be considered a size 6, since it's a little bit big around on her. I think the large loom could be considered anywhere from a 2-4, depending on length. (A 4 would certainly have to be longer than the one I made yesterday.)

I think it would be interesting to try shaping the top or making the top ribbed so that it's more fitted and sans drawstring. I suppose that doing a cuff (like is done on the hats) would work to that end, too.