Fuzzy Shrug

I had this ball of mohair lying around, no tag, hot raspberry pink. No idea what I bought it for, but I do like pink. It ended up being this fuzzy shrug, perfect as a little layer over a tank top. Mary loves it.

To make a shrug of your own, all you need is a rectangle. If your shrug recipient is nearby, you can measure from shoulder to shoulder, add a little bit for the "sleeves" and then measure from the top, where it would hit the neck, down as far as you want it to go. Knit a rectangle to these dimensions, and then seam a little on the front to create the sleeve part. You can add the yarn-overs or not, or add some other interesting stitch or not - with a hairy enough yarn it doesn't matter anyway, but if you're using something that shows stitch definition you can put them in.


For this shrug, which would fit a child 8 - 10, finished measurements 9 x 20", you need:

One ball of hairy yarn in the color of choice that will give you a gauge of about 9 sts over 4" of garter stitch (the exact gauge is not that critical - this would be fine at 2.5 sts/inch instead of 2.25/inch) on size 10 needles, or the size that'll get you there.

CO 20 sts, leaving a nice length of tail for sewing later

Rows 1 - 5: knit
Row 6 (WS): k1, *k2tog, yo, repeat from * to last stitch, ending with a k1
Rows 7 - 9: knit
Row 10: repeat row 6
Knit until piece measures about 14", ending with a RS row
Repeat Rows 6 - 10
Knit 5 rows
Bind off, again leaving a nice length of tail

Now you have a rectangle. Fold it in half lengthwise and, using the tail ends you left at CO & BO, whipstitch the last 2" or so and weave in the ends. Voila - it is a shrug.

Pink Potato Chip

I guess the constant theme in my knitting is the need for instant gratification. I do have a couple of larger projects on the needles - and they'd probably be done by now, except for my need for an FO (finished object) every couple of days. I have to intersperse the quick into the longterm knitting.

Pictured here is the potato chip scarf from knitpicks, done in some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran I had left over from another project. I love how this yarn feels and I love love love the color but I'm not crazy about knitting with it. But the result was this little trifle, a sweet confection that is more ornament than scarf. I'll probably make more in different colors later on. The pattern is free and can be found here:

http://www.knitpicks.com/projects/itemid_50355220/projects_display.aspx

Knits for an Elf

I ran across this pattern for a Gnomey Hat at www.helloyarn.com, and I had not-quite-one skein of Lamb's Pride Bulky (probably about 120 yards). I left off the ear flaps and the pom-poms, and the result was this pointy little number pictured above. And then I had a little left over, maybe 40-50 yards, so I made some pointy little elf booties to match.

Here's the pattern for the booties, to fit a foot size of about 4 - 4.5 inches. I'd start with a whole skein of Lamb's Pride Bulky so you can make both patterns without worrying if you'll have enough; I'm not sure if that would be enough with the ear flaps & pompoms though.

Elfy Booties

One skein Lamb's Pride Bulky or comparable yarn to match gauge.
One set of double-point needles, size 9 or size needed for gauge.
3.5 sts - 1"

CO 20 sts and distribute across three dp needles; join for knitting in the round, being careful not to twist. Place marker to show beginning of round.

Knit in K2, P2 rib until piece measures 1.5"


Heel -
K across 5 sts, turn work, and P across 10 sts
Place remaining sts (the ones you haven't just worked) on a single dp needle, holder, or waste yarn (whatever you prefer) to work later - they will be the instep.
You have 10 sts for the heel.

Heel Flap -
Row 1: (RS) *Slip 1 pwise w/yarn in back (wyib), k1; repeat from * to end of heel sts
Row 2: Slip 1 pwise w/yarn in front (wyif), p to end
Repeat Rows 1 & 2 until 10 rows have been worked. There will be 5 chain selvedge sts along the edges of the heel flap.

Turn Heel -
Row 1: k across 6 sts, ssk, k1, turn work
Row 2: Slip 1 pwise, p3, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 3: Slip 1 pwise, k to last 2 sts, SSK, turn
Row 4: Slip 1 pwise, p to last 2 sts, p2tog, turn

Heel Gusset -
k across all heel sts, and with same needle (needle 1), pick up & knit 5 sts along the selvedge edge (in the chains you made before)
On another needle (needle 2), work across the 10 sts you set aside for the instep
On another needle (needle 3), pick up and knit 5 sts along the other selvedge edge, and then knit 3 sts from the heel
You now have needle 1: 8 sts; needle 2: 10 sts; needle 3: 8 sts, or 26 sts in all, and are ready to continue working in the round. Needle 1 is the beginning of the round, from the middle of the heel.

Rnd 1: k to last 3 sts on needle 1, k2tog, k1; k across all instep sts; on needle 3, k1, ssk, k to end
Rnd 2: knit

Repeat rounds 1 & 2 twice more, until there are 20 sts left

Foot -
Work even in stockinette stitch (knit all rounds) until piece measures 3.5" from base of heel

Toe -
Rnd 1: k to last 3 sts on needle 1, k2tog, k1; on needle 2, k1, ssk, work to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1; on needle 3, k1, ssk, k to end
Rnd 2: knit

Repeat rounds 1 & 2 until 8 sts remain, and then:
needle 1 - k2tog
needle 2 - ssk, k2tog
needle 3 - ssk

You can work another round or even a couple more even on these 4 sts depending on how pointy you want the toe to look. I cut it pretty short because I was afraid of running out of yarn.

Break yarn, draw it through all 4 sts, pull to wrong side and weave in ends. That's it!

Copyright for Elf Booties 2006 Windansea
For Personal Use Only

Super-Easy Child's Hat

This super easy hat is a great project for a beginning knitter, and a fast knit for a more experienced one. It fits my 8-year-old, but it would fit a smaller child (4-5) or even a little larger one, cuz it's stretchy. Here's the pattern:

Materials:
One skein of Tahki Stacy Charled Bunny Print (or similar)
One 16" circular needle, size 9
One set of size 9 double-pointed needles (or size needed to obtain gauge)
Gauge: 13 st = 4"

Method:
CO 60 st
Join to knit in the round, being careful not to twist
Place marker to indicate beginning of round

Round 1: *K1P1, repeat from * to end of round
Round 2: *P1K1, repeat from * to end of round
(This sets you up in seed stitch)
Round 3: Repeat Round 1
Round 4: Repeat Round 2
Round 5: Switch to stockinette (knit all rounds)

Continue in stockinette until piece measures 5" from cast-on edge.

Begin decreases as follows, switching to DP needles when practical:

Round 1: *K8, K2tog, repeat from * to end - 54 st
Round 2: Knit
Round 3: *K7, K2tog, repeat from * to end - 48 st
Round 4: Knit
Round 5: *K6, K2tog, repeat from * to end - 42 st
Round 6: Knit
Round 7: *K5, K2tog, repeat from * to end - 36 st
Round 8: Knit
Round 9: *K4, K2tog, repeat from * to end - 30 st
Round 10: *K3, K2tog, repeat from * to end - 24 st
Round 11: *K2, K2tog, repeat from * to end - 18 st
Round 12: *K1, K2tog, repeat from * to end - 12 st

Break yarn, leaving enough tail to weave in well. Draw the tail through all 12 stitches and pull closed. Pull tail through to inside of hat and weave in end.

You should have about 12 yards of yarn left over, which you can now make a pompom with, or a braid, or whatever you'd like! I made a pompom using a pompom maker, and then sewed it to the top.


Copyright 2006 Windansea
For Personal Use Only

Knucks!

Love these - they are my new favorite project. The purple ones are knit with Rowan Felted Tweed, one skein. The pink ones are knit with Tahki New Tweed - one skein plus a few yards of a second. I may have to knit them until everyone I know has a pair. The pattern is at knitty.com, here:

http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTknucks.html

One-Skein Wonders

Several days ago I joined a knit-along called Lonesome Skein to try to bust through some of the lonely balls of yarn in my stash. Many of them are from when I first started knitting and would buy a ball of yarn I liked without thinking about what it would turn into - nowadays I buy in multiples!

Anyway, here's a project I knit with some DK yarn I bought for baby stuff. I think it was Plymouth Dreambaby. Anyway, I wanted to try a lace project but I was afraid to knit with something too fine until I could really read a chart, so I knit Branching Out from knitty.com. It's beautiful - and it turns out charted patterns are very cool. I started knitting and finished when the ball ran out - about 180 yards or so. It's not as long as I would've knit if I'd had more, but it's enough to arrange around the neck artfully.

Here's the pattern link: http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/PATTbranchingout.html

When Knitting Hurts....

Desperate times call for desperate measures. When my elbow hurt too much to knit, I had to finally learn how to crochet, something I'd never been able to do before. I'm not sure if knitting so much enabled me to understand the yarn and how it knots better on a needle, or if desperation drove me to master the unmasterable. But it clicked.

The really great thing is that while I was learning single crochet, I figured out a use for some recycled sari I had in my stash. Let me tell you, it's beautiful stuff but it's a pain to work with. It knots, it frays, it splits, and it stretches. Coasters are the ideal product for this yarn, because they're beautiful and functional but it doesn't matter if they distort a little.

Blog Sabbatical, Part Two

Here's the other stuff I was working on right before I had to stop knitting. A wavy hat - let's call it the Windansea - of my own design, using Manos del Uruguay kettle-dyed wool, which I love. I will post the pattern in a few days, but here's a picture of it, along with the matching mittens.

Blog Sabbatical, Part One

After a lengthy blog and knitting sabbatical, I'm back at the needles. I knit so much last winter that I had to stop and nurse a sore tendon in my right arm. But now I'm better, and I'm knitting much more carefully - watching how I hold my wrists and forearms, wearing tennis-elbow bands, resting, etc.

In any case, these pictures have been languishing in iPhoto since last February (!) when I knit some little extremity warmers for Anna's trip to Sequoia. First, the Noro hat pictured above. It's quick to knit, and it's fun to watch the purl bumps create the beehive-like shape. And best of all, the pattern is free and can be located here: http://www.xs4all.nl/~tdpj/HTM/Norohat.htm

Here's a detail of the side, and the little braided tassel.

Green Sweater

Before the hat, there was the sweater. This little cardigan, in a lovely green (pictures don't do it justice) knitted up very quickly and easily. I saw the Twisted Openwork Rib pattern in Knitting Over the Edge and I wondered how it would look on a thicker yarn; the open part isn't too open, but it still creates an interesting texture that I really like.

I am still looking for the perfect green ribbon to make a tied closure, but I thought I'd pop the pattern up here anyway. If you make it, please let me know how it turned out - mail me a picture, let me know if the pattern was clear...

Here it is:


Green Sweater

12 month size

Materials:
Two skeins of Knitpicks Sierra in Leaf, or another bulky yarn.
Size 7 straight needles, or size needed to obtain gauge.

Gauge: 15 stitches & 21 rows across 4" in stockinette

Pattern - Twisted Openwork Rib (worked in multiple of 4 plus 1)

Row 1: P1, *K3, P1, rep from * to end
Row 2: *K1, P3, rep from *, end K1
Row 3: Like row 1
Row 4: K1, *YO, P3tog, yo, K1, rep from * to end
Row 5: K2, P1, *K3, P1, rep from *, end K2
Row 6: P2, K1, *P3, K1, rep from *, end P2
Row 7: Like row 5
Row 8: P2tog, YO, K1, *YO, P3tog, YO, K1, rep from * to last 2 sts, YO, P2tog

This is what it looks like:




Back

CO 53
Work Rows 1 - 8 of the Twisted Openwork Rib pattern
Row 9: Knit to end, and continue in stockinette until piece measures 5" from cast-on edge, ending with a purl row

Shape armholes:
BO 2 sts at the beginning of the next 2 rows
Next row: K3, K2tog, knit to last 5 sts, SSK, K3
Decrease 1 st at each end of the next three RS (knit) rows in the same way; 41 sts remaining
Continue in stockinette with no shaping until piece measures 8 3/4" from cast-on edge, ending with a purl row

BO 9 sts at the beginning of the next 2 rows; place the remaining 23 sts on a holder and break yarn


Left Front

CO 25
Work Rows 1 - 8 of the Twisted Openwork Rib pattern
Row 9: Knit to end, and continue in stockinette until piece measures 5" from cast-on edge, ending with a purl row**

Shape armhole:
BO 2 sts at the beginning of the next row, K to end
Next row: P to last 5 sts, P2tog, P3 sts
Decrease 1 stitch at the end of the next three WS (purl) rows in the same way; 19 sts remaining

Shape neck (RS facing):
Row 1: K to last 5 sts, K2tog, K3
Row 2: P3, P2tog, P to end
Row 3: K to last 5 sts, K2tog, K3
Row 4: Purl to end
Repeat rows 3 & 4 until 11 sts remain
Continue in stockinette until piece measures about 8 3/4" from cast-on edge, ending with a purl row
Bind off all stitches and break yarn


Right Front

CO 25 and work as Left Front until you reach **, ending with a knit row

Shape armhole (WS facing):
BO 2 sts at the beginning of the next row, P to end
Next row: K to last 5 sts, K2tog, K3
Decrease 1 stitch at the end of the next three RS (knit) rows in the same way; 19 sts remaining

Shape neck (WS facing):
Row 1: P to last 5 sts, P2tog through back, P3
Row 2: K3, K2tog, K to end
Row 3: P to last 5 sts, P2tog through back, P3
Row 4: Knit to end
Continue in stockinette until piece measures about 8 3/4" from cast-on edge, ending with a purl row
Bind off all stitches and break yarn


Sleeves (Make two)



CO 25 and work Rows 1 - 4 of the Twisted Openwork Rib

Body of sleeve:
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: K1, inc in 2nd st, knit to last 2 stitches, inc, K1
Row 4: Purl
Row 5: K1, inc in 2nd st, knit to last 2 sts, inc, K1
Rows 6, 8 & 10: Purl
Rows 7 & 9: Knit
Row 11: as row 5
Repeat rows 6 - 11 until you have 33 sts
Continue in stockinette (no shaping) until piece measures about 7" from cast-on edge, ending with a purl row

Shape cap:
BO 2 sts at the beginning of the next 2 rows
Row 1: K3, SSK, K to last 5 sts, K2tog, K3
Row 2: Purl
Repeat rows 1 & 2 until 21 sts remain
BO 3 at the beginning of the next 4 rows - 9 sts remain
Bind off all sts and break yarn



Assemble Sweater
Lightly block all pieces and mattress stitch together

Button Band
Starting at lower left hem, pick up 36 sts up the left front, break yarn, pick up the 23 sts from the holder, join yarn, pick up 36 sts down the right front. You have 95 sts.

With RS facing, work rows 1-4 of Twisted Openwork Rib
Bind off all stitches



Weave in ends and voila - you are done. Now pick your closure - you can choose to use buttons, in which case you can apply them to either side of the button band, using the eyelets in the Twisted Openwork Rib as buttonholes. Or, you can use a ribbon closure just at the beginning of where the v-neck starts, in which case it will be a little roomier, like a bolero for a slightly older child. If you plan for both it will give room to grow.

Copyright 2006 Windansea
For personal use only

Green Hat

It's happened - I'm knitting without a pattern. Nicky Epstein's books on decorative edgings have really inspired me to just branch out on my own! Armed with the stitches, Ann Budd's Handy Book of Patterns, and some size changes from the internet, I'm starting to design my own things.

Above you see a green pillbox hat using the twisted openwork rib described in Knitting Over the Edge. Here is a detail of the stitch pattern:



And here is the pattern if you'd like to try it. If you do end up knitting it, I'd appreciate seeing a picture of the final product and also any feedback on problems with the pattern:

Green Pillbox Hat

6 - 12 month size (16" interior circumference, but it's stretchy)

Materials:
Part of one skein of Knitpicks Sierra in Leaf, or another bulky yarn.
Size 7 dp needles, or size needed to obtain gauge.

Gauge: 15 stitches & 21 rows across 4" in stockinette

CO 72 sts evenly across four dp needles and join for working in the round, being carefuly not to twist stitches. Place marker.

Knit the first six rounds (stockinette)

Begin pattern:
Rounds 1, 2, and 3: *K3, P1, rep from * to end
Round 4: *YO, K3tog, YO, P1, rep from * to end
Rounds 5, 6, and 7: K1, P1, *K3, P1, rep from *, end K2
Round 8: K1, *YO, K3tog, YO, P1, rep from *, end the round by knitting the last two stitches together with the first stitch of the next round, and shift the marker over to the new beginning stitch of the round

Purl the next four rounds (reverse stockinette)
Knit two rounds

Begin decreases, switching to 3 dpn when necessary:
Round 1: *K7, K2tog, rep from *, 64 sts remain
Round 2: *K6, K2tog, rep from *, 56 sts rem
Round 3: *K5, K2tog, rep from *, 48 sts rem
Round 4: *K4, K2tog, rep from *, 40 sts rem
Round 5: *K3, K2tog, rep from *, 32 sts rem
Round 6: *K2, K2tog, rep from *, 24 sts rem
Round 7: *K1, K2tog, rep from *, 16 sts rem
Round 8: *K2tog, rep from *, 8 sts rem

Here's what the decreases look like:



Break yarn & thread through remaining stitches. Pull to close gap; weave ends in.
I made a pompom for the top of the hat, but you could leave it unadorned as well, or finish it however you'd like.

Copyright 2006 Windansea
For personal use only

Baby Sweaters

I haven't posted in a while because I've been knitting!! Right now I'm working on several designs of my own, but the thing that kicked it off was this little sweater from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies. It's so sweet, and I love the simple design. I ordered a lot of yarn to make other garments from this book, but somewhere on the road to finishing this sweater I got caught up in my own imagination. Tomorrow I will post a picture of one of my own designs.

Something for a Piratess

I had to make this scarf simply because Fiona's friend has a very piratey outfit with velveteen pants in a rust color with a band of satin along the side seams. Knitted out of Knitpicks Suri, it is a wonderful alpaca blend that is warm and fluffy, and reminded me of a pirate's ruffly shirt. It used not even a whole skein, so I have another skein and a bit to make something else out of. I may repeat this scarf with the ruffle and all, but without the dropped stitch ladders.

I had to do a provisional cast-on for this scarf, which was the most complicated part. The rest was easy peasy.

Manos Cotton Stria = Soft

Oh my gosh, this cotton is so soft. I love Manos kettle-dyed wool, but this is the first time I've tried the cotton. I bought just one hank of this summery blue and knitted it up into a little baby cap. The yarn softened up as I knit it, resulting in a perfect summer fabric. I also loved the knubby texture of the yarn. I had enough left over for some matching booties, which I'll work on next, and I'll definitely buy more of this, maybe for a small sweater.

I also got a delivery from Knitpicks today, so the world is my knitting oyster right now!! I've already cast on for a ruffled scarf and will start a baby sweater for my niece next.

In the middle of all of this, I'm having trouble dealing with my book club book. We're reading Shantaram, which is basically a doorstop with words. I'm about a quarter through the nearly 1000 pages now, all very descriptive, language-y pages. Don't get me wrong - this guy's a great writer and the story is is fascinating, but 1000 pages of what is basically assigned reading (since it's BOOK CLUB) sort of chafes. And it eats into my knitting time!!

Something Blue....

To break up the monotony of my colors, something blue. This is a little capelet from Scarf Style, made with short row shaping. I had to learn to do some crochet for the border! Anyway, Fiona wanted this because it is a little superhero-ish. It's super cute over a little tank top. The flash made the yarn look a little shinier than it is in real life, but it is a silk/wool blend so it does have a little sheen. It's soft and silky to the touch, too.

From the Toe Up or the Cuff Down?

I decided to try cuff-down socks for a change...this is my first pair, in mini size for a baby. I think the proportion is a little strange because I decided to make the foot fairly short, but it'll do. I bound the toe with a kitchener stitch on four stitches; next time I'll probably let the toe be a little wider before I graft. As it is the toes are a little pointy, giving them an Ali Baba feel. I'm definitely going to try this technique on a larger pair, though. It was kind of cool doing the double knitting on the heel flap, so that was something new too.

One thing - since I'm using odds and ends of yarn it's starting to look like everything I make is the same color. Guess I'll have to branch out into more blues and greens pretty soon.

Warm Hands, Warm Heart

Today I finished the second mitten in this pair for Mary. She loves them! The pattern is pretty standard, and the yarn is one of the Sock Garden colorways from Knitpicks. It's a nice merino, not too heavy since it's sock yarn - perfect for chilly mornings without being cumbersome. Now I'm working on a tam to match.

Meetings!

Here's what I've figured out - if I've got something on fairly good-size needles, like 5s or 6s, with a worsted weight yarn and going along in stockinette, I can knit during a meeting without really looking at what I'm doing. And if the project's small enough, I can even finish it by the time we adjourn.

New Year, New Knitting

After considerable downtime off the computer, I'm back to the routine. And of course, I've been knitting! Santa brought some cool yarn and new needles and I cast on for a new scarf for myself - Misty Garden from Scarf Style. It's somewhere in the middle right now, but every couple of days I add a few rows. I have KADD (Knitting Attention Deficit Disorder) so I have to do lots of small projects while working on anything larger than a 6x6" surface area. The scarf will be done by the time it gets cold around here (June). Here in January it's been hot anyway.

So I'm using the very yarn that's in the book because I love the colorway. It's Jo Sharp rare comfort kid mohair, I think in rosebud, in a feather and fan pattern - it's totally cool when you hold it up to the light so the pattern really shows through. I got about 22 inches into the scarf before I read about a phenomenon called "pooling," so there are some place where the colorway kind of clumps, but I'm not going to worry about it. Since finding out about pooling I've read that you can switch skeins every couple of rows to avoid that (but then you've got a trillion loose ends to weave in - what a nightmare!). I'm just going to chalk it up to learning as I go and once I wrap the thing around my neck nobody will notice.

Probably Another Ornament

A couple of weeks ago I walked into my sister's office and showed her this little preemie sock. She promptly whipped it out of my hand and put it on her tiny Christmas tree, where it stayed until I took it back two days ago. Now I'm decided whether to knit the pair, or just add on a tiny cord and hang it on the tree. The yarn was fun - it's Sock Garden from one of my favorite online stores, Knitpicks.com. They have nice quality yarn at very reasonable prices.