Bavarian Twisted Stitch Socks

These are the first socks I have attempted using the two-circular needle method.  It is also the first time I have tried working with a twisted stitch pattern.  After a little experimentation, I think I figured it out.  I really liked working off Cat Bordhi's chart.  The pattern was pretty complicated (for me, at least), but it had enough variety to hold my interest.  Even at that, the socks rested on the needles for months at a time.  The twisted stitch pattern is highly visible and detailed, but not bulky.  I will definitely try another pattern like this again.

The yarn I chose was a little too fuzzy to show really great stitch definition.  They are really comfortable, though.  If I make them again, I would chose a yarn without a fuzzy finish.

Details:

Pattern:  Bavarian Twisted Stitch Sock from Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles book by Cat Bordhi

Size:  Women's Medium

Needles:  size 2 circular needles, 2 sets

Yarn:  Knit Picks Essential Solid (75% Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon)

Color:  Navy

Yardage:  Less than 50g per sock.  Estimate 75g or 400 yds for the pair.

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Wavy Red Socks

I have had the yarn for these socks since the 2006 Maryland Sheep and Wool festival.  I love this yarn and wanted to hone my sock making skills before using it.  After making a few successful plain pairs of socks, I felt ready to undertake something worthy of the yarn.  When I bought it, I thought the variegation was beautiful and was drawn to it like candy.  Unfortunately, when I actually started to plan my project, I realized that the color changes would mask any intricate pattern.  I wanted to do something pretty, but not plain.  I found this pattern on Ravelry - a variation on feather and fan.  It is simple enough to show off the color variation, but complex enough to make an appealing pattern. 

The pattern was pretty simple to execute.  One out of four rounds was a pattern round, everything else was stockinette.  The pattern rounds took a while to do, but I was rewarded with 3 rows of fast and simple every time I got one done.  I ignored the pattern's toe instructions, preferring to do the toe from the Knitter's Handy Book of Pattern.  I really like the "Eye of Partridge" stitch heels, though.  They fit very well and I am very pleased with the results.

Details:

Yarn:  Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino
Color:  Foxy Lady
Needles:  Size 1 DPNs
Pattern:  Giles Wavy Socks

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Ponytail Hats

As anyone who knows me can tell you, I wear my hair in ponytails a lot.  This can be problematic when I need to cover my head.  Sometimes a baseball cap just isn't warm enough. 

After joining the Ravelry website, I spend HOURS and hours poring over free knitting patterns I never knew existed.  I bumbled across this one from MagKnits and knew I had to make it. 

It is a very simple hat pattern, with a small twist.  The back is open from slightly below the crown to allow your ponytail to slip through.  The band is extended about 2 inches to allow for a button closure at the base.  The design allows you to wear your ponytail high or low.

I made two versions.  I intended the first one, made with cotton yarn, to be something I could wear indoors if it is really cold on the boat.  It is very soft and warm and comes down way over my ears.  The second one is made with a beautiful yarn I had in my stash.  Bunny Print is a wool/alpaca/acrylic blend.  I only had enough for a small hat, so I cut the button band down by half.  This means that the hat does not cover my ears.  Still, it fits well, and I could still wear it with a headband if it was really cold.  I love the hat and would definitely make it again.  It took just a few hours to complete each one.

Here are the details:

Pattern:  Hannah from MagKnits

Size:  one size


Cotton Version

Needles:  size 10 dpns for crown, size 10 straights for rest

Yarn: Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton

Color:  098/undyed

Yardage:  1skein

Extras:  Two 1 inch buttons


Multicolor Version:

Needles:  size 9 dpns for crown, size 9 straights for rest

Yarn: Tahki Bunny Print

Color:  018 (Magenta, Green, Purple variegated)

Yardage:  1 50g ball

Extras:  One 1 inch button

Tags: Hat, Ponytail

It's A Girl! Cardigan and Hat

I really wanted to make this sweater earlier this fall and didn't because it "wouldn't be appropriate for a boy baby."  Well, a few months passed and as it turns out, the baby in question decided to be a girl.  I set the more generic sweater aside and brought out the lace pattern.  It was pretty easy to do, and very fast due to the size.  I was a little confused about whether or not I should continue the lace pattern all the way up the sleeve, making an incomplete repeat, or just do stockinette for the topmost portion.  I decided on stockinette, but I have no good reason why.  I like it a lot, and would make it again.  If I made it again, I would choose a superwash wool yarn to get better stitch definition on the lace pattern.

Details:

Yarn:  Plymouth Encore D.K.  75% Acrylic 25% Wool

Quantity:  2 50g balls (1 1/2 for cardigan, 1/2 for hat)

Color:  240 (lot 31331)  "Natural" (kind of an oatmeal heather)  

Cardigan Pattern:  Peter Gregory 7156, Round Neck Cardigan with lace panels

Size:  To fit chest size 14 ins

Needles:  Size 3 and Size 6 Addi Turbo circulars

Hat Pattern:  Basic Hat Pattern by Ann Budd in the knitter's handy book of patterns

Size:  Preemie-6 months, 5 sts per inch

Needles:  Size 3 and Size 6 DPNs

Care:  Machine wash and dry 80%F

Extras:  7 x 1/2" beige plastic buttons

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Sue's Christmas Mitten

This is a Norwegian snowflake design on a child's mitten knit in the round using stranded knitting.  

I have to say I am pleased with the way this turned out.  Overall, I would change only 2 things.  This was my first attempt at stranded knitting and it worked out fine for something that was only intended for display, not wear.  However, if I were to do this again, I would concentrate on keeping my strands loose.  The part of the mitten with the snowflake on it is definitely tighter than the rest of it, and would not be comfortable to wear.  I would also make a shorter cuff on the mitten.  I think the long cuff that the pattern called for is very practical on a mitten to be worn, but it didn't really look right for display until I rolled it.

Details:

Pattern:   
1.  Snowflake motif adapted from Donna Druchunas pattern for Norwegian headbands (free download from the craftzine.com podcast website).

2.  Mitten from "the knitter's handy book of Patterns" by Ann Budd.  How much do I love this book?!?  All you need to do is make a swatch of any yarn, measure it, and the book will provide you with a pattern for socks, gloves, hats, mittens, scarves, vests, and sweaters.  Genius!

I thought the 6-8 year old child size would be good for an ornament - small enough that it didn't look like a grown-up's lost mitten, but large enough not to disappear on a tree.  It was also important to choose a pattern with enough stitches across the hand to accomodate the snowflake on both sides.  Using my test swatch to estimate size, the 6-8 yr old was the best fit.

Yarn:  Zitron Polo (60% Cotton, 40% Acrylic), from my stash.  

Color:  A variegated blue (420) and a pure white

Needles: Size 2 DPNs (it looked much better this way than with the recommended size 5s)

Extras:  Ribbon for hanging loop, goodies to stuff in the top (who says stockings should have all the fun?)

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Spirit Trail Socklets

I was paging through my patterns trying to decide what project to start next when I came across the instructions for knitting a picot edge in the knitter's handy book of patterns.  I love the way picot edges look and for some reason always assumed that it was difficult to knit.  Once I read the instructions and saw how easy it would be, I decided to try it out.  I thought that I might have enough of my Spirit Trail sock yarn left to make a pair of socks for my 3 year old niece, and so I did (barely).  Hope they fit!

Details:

Pattern:  Sock from Ann Budd's the knitter's handy book of Patterns

Size:  Child 2-4 year

Gauge:  knit at 6 sts per inch

Needles:  size 1 dpns inside of picot edge; size 2 dpns rest of sock

Yarn:  Spirit Trail Fiberworks Superwash Merino Sock Yarn

Color:  (TR-06-05-03) hand dyed blues, violets and teal variegated

Yardage:  probably about 50 yards each - just a guess

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Spirit Trail Socks

After a somewhat frustrating experience making my first pair of socks, it took me a while to get back in the mood for another pair.  I did have some pretty yarn from the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival that was starting to whisper to me.  So I  started fresh.  I began with a swatch and Ann Budd's the knitter's handy book of Patterns.  Her instructions for a basic sock are based on the gauge of the sock yarn and the wearer's foot circumference and length.  My feet are a little wider and a little shorter than average.  My actual measurements translated to the large women's basic pattern with a shorter length - easy to set up.

I decided to use the double rib leg variation because its greater stretch seemed like it would be forgiving if I got the gauge wrong.  I also felt that the simple rib pattern would show off the variegated colors without competing with them too much.  

Overall, I am pleased with the results.  They are very wearable socks and look nice on.  I made some mistakes which were minor enough to leave in (a few twisted stitches, a couple of stitches picked up in the wrong place).  So I'll wear them and I'm sure no one will notice the flaws, but I wouldn't give them as gifts.  

I will definitely work off this pattern again.  It's pretty cool to have garments that are custom fit to my own proportions.  

The next time, I intend to make the following improvements:

- Modify the pattern to have a slightly blunter toe and slightly longer foot to compensate.  Perhaps a 6 3/4" foot and 12 or 16 stitches at the end instead of 8.

- If making a ribbed leg, step down the needle size by 1 compared to the gauge swatch.  The wider circumference for the foot means the leg is wider also.  My leg needs a more average circumference.  

- When I picked up stitches for the foot, I did not pick up and knit along sides as instructed, but just picked up stitches (oops).  It turned out fine, but I'll try to do it correctly next time.

- I think I would like a little more length on the leg, maybe an extra inch.


Details:

Pattern:  Sock from Ann Budd's the knitter's handy book of Patterns

Size:  based on 8 1/2 in foot circumference  (women's large), but length of 6 1/2 to beginning of toe (women's small)

Gauge:  knit at 6 sts per inch

Needles:  size 3 dpns top 3 inches of leg; size 2 dpns rest of sock

Yarn:  Spirit Trail Fiberworks Superwash Merino Sock Yarn

Color:  (TR-06-05-03) hand dyed blues, violets and teal variegated

Yardage:  200 yards per sock, some left over

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