Knit-Knacks

I've decided to get back to the original point of this blog and talk about the random goings-on in my knitting. After all, as I am three weeks or so away from my due date, there may not be much knitting to discuss for a while once the baby gets here!

1. Ribbit
A friend of mine is a huge fan of raglan sweaters, citing the lack of seaming as a major factor in how fast they can be done. Having slaved through several seamed sweaters, I decided I wanted something that would go faster and cast on my first raglan sweater using Addi Turbos, and my newfound competency with continental knitting and purling, to expedite the project even more. That was a year ago.

The yarn for this project was purchased in a co-op, from which I purchased ten navy and five undyed skeins of Malabrigo worsted. I dyed three skeins with Kool-Aid to make an argyle using the navy as the main colour. After completing a long and difficult argyle pattern around the torso, I tried on my nearly knitted creation only to discover that my tension control in colourwork is terrible. It was so tight around my waist that I couldn't breathe and needed help getting back out of the sweater. Through tears of frustration*, I pulled out the argyle. I decided to knit to the bottom, and work 6-10" of a fancy cable pattern in place of ribbing. After a few repeats of that pattern (which involved 48 cables per round every 4 rows), I decided it wasn't what I wanted, and pulled that out. A few inches of K1P1 ribbing (which had to be done twice as I forgot which size needle had been used for the neck ribbing) later, and a very plain stockinette body was complete. I had really wanted to make something interesting with this yarn, so it seemed an awful shame to make the whole sweater in boring stockinette. To try and get some patterning onto it, I am doing XOXO cabling down the arms. So far, I am happy with it and hopefully it makes the sweater a little interesting.

I estimate that I will have four skeins of navy and a few skeins of Kool-Aid dyed Malabrigo left, so I will make a sweater with that, only this time I will plan ahead. I have come to the conclusion that while raglan sweaters are infinitely faster than their seamed counterparts, knowledge of their speed can lead the more impulsive among us into COing without thinking. More haste, less sweater.



2. The Kindness of Strangers
I received this blanket in the mail. It's a beautiful embossed leaves pattern in white baby yarn. It was given to me by a friend of my mother, whom I have never met. It matches a beautiful white cardigan that the same lady sent to me. It really makes me happy to know that there are people out there who are so considerate, they would take the time to make a baby blanket for someone they have never met.



3. The Future Tense of Ribbit
I should have frogged this blanket a long, long time ago. It's meant to be a crocheted Care Bear blanket, but I decided to knit it after I figured out that I am not very committed to huge colourwork crochet projects. Once I switched over to knitting, it started to go a lot faster, but as I got into the pattern, I realized that the Care Bear (Wish Bear, if you're interested), looked a tad squished. I decided to soldier on, reasoning that it wouldn't look so bad. The colours I chose for Wish Bear's rainbow that shoots out of the star on his tummy (they don't teach meteorology over at the DIC studios) were terrible and the star is a bit of a mess too. I decided that the embroidery called for in the pattern will fix the star, and some clever duplicate stitching could remedy the rainbow, and persevered. I am now about two thirds done, and it looks worse than ever. I have, however, gotten to a point where I have put so much work into it that I can't bear (hehe) the idea of undoing it all. I wanted to make this for my daughter by the time she was born. I can safely assume that isn't going to happen, and my time would be better spent making a Baby's Texture Blanket or Great American Afghan for her, but being oddly superstitious or ritualistic as I am, I can't quite detach myself from the self-imposed chore I have turned this project into. Clearly, my daughter is far less likely to say "What the heck is that meant to be?" if I present her with a blanket of squished bear who has a malformed stomach tattoo, than "You don't love me because you quit making a blanket of a defunct cartoon, neither of which I knew about because I wasn't born yet!". Reading this, I see how crazy I am. I am going home to frog this stupid project right now!!



* a slight exaggeration, but I was pretty peeved.

Pattern: Euphorbic Hat and Mitten Set

Poinsettias, better known as Euphorbia pulcherrima to us botany nerds, are standard fixtures of the Holiday season. Unfortunately, so is bitterly cold weather. This set is designed with heat-retention as a primary goal to keep your little flowers cosy and warm over the Holidays. Smaller needles with worsted weight wool and the use of ribbed cuffs on Nordic-inspired mittens keeps cold air away from little fingers. The mittens are held together by an I-cord that is built into them instead of just being tacked on, so they are unmisplaceable! And the snowflake edging on the cuffs will remind the wearer of the cold they are not feeling!

SIZE
Child [Adult] (shown in size Child)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Mittens: Hand circumference 6[9] inches.
Hat: Head circumference 18 [22] inches.

MATERIALS
Cascade Yarns Cascade 220, 1[2] skeins of main colour, less than 50 yard of contrast colour #1, less than 10 yards of contrast colours #2 and #3.
Main Colour: Shown in #8010

Contrast Colour #1: Shown in #2413
Contrast Colour #2: Shown in #7270
Contrast Colour #3: Shown in #4002

1 set of 3 US #3/3.25mm double-point needles
1 set of 3 US #2/2.75mm double-point needles
1 US #D/3 / 3.25mm crochet hook

About 6 inches of waste yarn
Tapestry needle

GAUGE
6 sts/8.5 rows = 1" in stockinette stitch

SPECIALISED TECHNIQUES
A step-by-step tutorial of the magic cast on can be found at:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATmagiccaston.html

Instructions for basic crochet stitches can be found:
http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/?q=node/28

Instructions for the Backward Loop Cast On can be found:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/FEATfall05TT.html

INTARSIA PATTERN:

PATTERN

HAT
With larger needles, CO 8 sts using the using the backward loop cast on method in MC. (3 sts on each of needles #1 and #2, 2 sts on needle #3)
Round 1 (and all odd rounds): Knit. (8 sts)
Round 2: Kfb eight times (16 sts)
Round 4:[Kfb, Knit 1] eight times (24 sts)
Round 6: [Kfb, Knit 2] eight times (32 sts)
Round 8: [Kfb, Knit 3] eight times (40 sts)
Round 10: [Kfb, Knit 4] eight times (48 sts)
Round 12: [Kfb, Knit 5] eight times (56 sts)
Round 14: [Kfb, Knit 6] eight times (64 sts)
Round 16: [Kfb, Knit 7] eight times (72 sts)
Round 18: [Kfb, Knit 8] eight times (80 sts)
Round 20: [Kfb, Knit 9] eight times (88 sts)
Round 22: [Kfb, Knit 10] eight times (96 sts)
Round 24: [Kfb, Knit 11] eight times (104 sts)

Adult size only:
Round 26: [Kfb, Knit 12] eight times (112 sts)
Round 28: [Kfb, Knit 13] eight times (120 sts)

Both sizes:
Knit next 3.5” (5.5”) even.

Switch to smaller needles, Start Ribbing
Row 1: (K1, P1) repeat around.
Row 2: (K1, P1) repeat around.
Row 3: (K1, P1) repeat around.
Row 4:(K1, P1) repeat around.
Bind off in K1, P1 pattern.

MITTENS
Using the larger needles, CO on 20[28] stitches using magic cast on (10 sts on each of needles #1 and #2).

Round 1 (and all odd rounds): Knit.
Round 2: [Kfb, Knit 8[12], Kfb] twice (24, 32 sts)
Round 4: [Kfb, Knit 10[14], Kfb] twice (28, 36 sts)
Round 6: [Kfb, Knit 12[16], Kfb] twice (32, 40 sts)
Round 8: [Kfb, Knit 14[18], Kfb] twice (36, 44 sts)
Round 10: [Kfb, Knit 16[20], Kfb] twice (40, 48 sts)
Round 12: [Kfb, Knit 18[22], Kfb] twice (44, 52 sts)

Adult size only:
Round 14: [Kfb, Knit 24, kfb] twice (56 sts)

Both sizes:
Knit next 20 [30] rounds even.

Thumb placement:
Knit the 22[28] sts of needle #1. Knit 1 (left mitten) or Knit 14[17] (right mitten). Knit next 7[10] stitches using waste yarn. Move these stitches back to the left needle (assuming right-handedness). Knit the 7[10] stitches again with MC. Continue to end of needle.
Knit next 10[25] rows even.

Cuff:
Switch to smaller needles. Work K1, P1 ribbing for 20[30] rounds.

Left mitten:
BO to last stitch of needle #2. [Kfb] twice into last stitch and first stitch of next round (48, 58 sts).

Right mitten:
Work 21[27] stitches in ribbing pattern. [Kfb] twice. BO 42[54] stitches. Both mittens: Use the remaining 4 stitches to form an (optional) I-cord for 12[30] inches. Keep the 4 live stitches on a holder.

Thumb:
Carefully remove waste yarn. Pick up 7[10] stitches from above and below the thumbhole (14, 20 sts) and knit 12[24] rounds.
Round 13[25]: [SSK, Knit 3[8], K2tog] twice
Round 14[26]: Knit
Round 15[27]: [SSK, Knit 1[6], K2tog] twice

Adult size only:
Round 28: Knit
Round 29: [SSK, Knit 4, K2tog] twice
Round 30: Knit
Round 31: [SSK, Knit 2, K2tog] twice
Graft remaining 6[8] stitches together.

FINISHING
Weave in all loose ends. Graft the two sets of 4 stitches from the I-cords together. Work an optional picot edge around the cuffs as follows: Attach MC, *work sc, ch3, sc in the same stitch. Slip stitch across next 3 stitches. Repeat from * around. At the I-cord, discontinue the picot stitch and instead, work the inner side of the cord in slip stitches.

For the mittens, the poinsettia intarsia is worked by duplicate stitching along needle #1, on rows 14 - 41, between stitches 2 - 20 for the Child size, and on rows 26 -53 between stitches 5 - 23 for the Adult size. It is easier to work it before starting the ribbing on the cuff. For the hat, the intarsia is worked by duplicated stitching along the front of the hat from the 1st row of stockinette above the ribbing to the 28th row.

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A PDF of this pattern will be available on Ravelry as soon as possible. In the meantime, please email requests to e.j.hooker@gmail.com

Corrections and comments welcome!

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10 Things #5: The Halfway Point

I finished my Moroccan Slippers from Fabulous & Flirty Crochet. They were super easy to make and went really fast. I used acrylic instead of the recommended wool/llama blend, and as a result, the puff stitches tended to strain the sc's into which they were made, and so the puff stitch motif looks a little stringy. Also, the first slipper I made came out way to big, so I dropped to the medium size and went down to a size H hook.

They are very cosy and I couldn't be happier with how rapidly they were made. Technically, they took 22 days, but this was my right-before-going-to-sleep project, so for most of that time, the slippers were in hibernation. In actuality, there were only three evenings when I actually worked on them, and I managed to churn out three slippers in that time! I think they look cute, flaws and all, and as they are only going to be worn around the house so it doesn't really matter if they are a little imperfect!

That's Five!

10 Things #3: *

The Excuse: I freely admit I am cheating on this one. I was going through some deranged love-my-heritage phase which culminated in my purchasing a book of patterns for knitting old style Aran sweaters. There's a reason Aran sweaters were modernised to the versions you find in shops these days; the original patterns were ugly. By the time the book arrived, I had come out of my misguided belief that I wanted to dress like a fisherman, and had moved on to my obsession with lacy sock patterns. I also took issue with the lack of charts in some of the patterns, as I am not able to follow strings of K1, P1, ssk, T3f, C2F, C2B, T3B, Sl1, P1, PSSO, K1, P3, K1, P1, etc. etc.


The Solution: I followed one of the nicer cable patterns and made a little cotton square. I had originally believed that I was going to make a few dozen of these squares and make and Aran sampler baby blanket.

That was a stupid idea. Cabling with cotton is a really efficient way to develop arthritis in your hand. It's so stiff and has no give the way wool does. The really dumb thing here was that I had previously suffered through making a cabled purse with acrylic yarn. That was equally painful, and I, at that time, promised myself I would only ever cable with wool. There is also no point in making a cotton baby blanket. Cotton is a light and breathable fabric and would do nothing to keep a baby warm. With those frustrating epiphanies, I threw the cotton square into a drawer and thought nothing more of it.

Until now that is. I have been lured into the world of making cotton dish-cloths by the seedier elements of the South Bend Knitwork. I am very conscientious of my impact on the environment, so I love that I have replaced my plastic sponges that sit in landfills forever, with cotton dish-cloths that can be put in the washing machine and eventually composted. I also like the fact that there is no risk of damaging pots and pans like there is with the scratchy green side of the sponges.

So here it is. My finished project from the book, Patterns for Guernseys, Jerseys, and Arans, my cotton dish-cloth!

That's Four*

Design on Less than a Dime!

If I had even the remote semblance of a life, this wouldn't have amused me quite as much.

But I don't, so it did. I know there's some mainframe at Ravelry.com's headquarters that randomly cycles through the designers on display. So, other than serving as a testament to my ability to find, and succesfully operate, the "upload" button, this really means nothing. Nevertheless, I was chuffed to see it.

Knitbroken

I have just accepted a short term job in Minnesota; the thriving metropolis of Austin to be exact. My pre-doctoral adviser is setting up a new lab there and I am helping him out until I get married in June. I am glad to be getting out of South Bend but I am sorry to be leaving my friends behind. On the bright side, my boss's wife has already found a Sunday knitting group which I will probably check out. That said, nothing will ever replace my beloved Knitwork.

Sometime in early 2008, Carly, Faith and I went to an organized knitting group where we met Kristine and Sandy. We decided to meet up again for coffee and knitting and in seemingly no time, we had a structured knitting club, complete with a webpage (on Ravelry) and email address.

Our group was formed with the mutual desire to have a small group of young professionals who love to knit over coffee, dessert and some light-hearted banter. That said, in a few short months, we have gone through almost every conceivable landmark event that life has to offer. We have seen some relationships begin and others end. We have stood by each other through both the gaining of new family members and through tragic loss. We have helped each other survive traumas, heartbreaks and frustrations. We have cried uncontrollably and we've laughed until we've cried together. We've been each others' support system for dealing with over-bearing parents, unreasonable in-laws and other examples of life's unpleasantness. We gossiped, we've analysed and we've listened. And dare I forget to mention, we've helped each other with knitting too.

From a mere hobby, I have managed to find a group of treasured friends, and two of my bridesmaids for my forthcoming wedding. It has been an privilege to be part of the South Bend Knitwork and it is a chapter of my life I will always cherish.

Organized Surprise

09/11/08 Update: All done!

Special thanks to Shelly Hattan for her awesome row counts chart!

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I have been continuously irked by the fact that everyone but me seems to know about knit-a-longs; where to find them, when they are starting, how to join them, etc. After months of failing to get in on one, I decided to bring the mountain to myself, and so, I have started a KAL for the Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket for the South Bend Knitwork group on Ravelry. As I have never KALed before as a participant, it could be described as ill-defined at best. However, I found an awesome BSJ Row counts chart that has proven very helpful thus far.

I am about 14 rows in and so far so good. I am using my hand-dyed Fisherman's yarn on size 6 circulars, and while it looks pretty, I am a little disappointed the yarn isn't patterning as much as I would have hoped. That said, the pattern calls for huge changes in the numbers of stitches per row, so I am optimistic that the pattern will pick up at some point.

If anyone wants to get in on this, come see the South Bend Knitwork and share your progress.
Here's mine:

10 Things #1: International Edition!

I finally finished the Butterfly Cardigan from Sensual Crochet. It was an awesome pattern and I love that it is assembled in one piece because seaming is probably my least favourite part of knitting. I'm also very excited that I did a lacy crochet pattern because I had never attempted one before. The instructions where so easy and by the time I was working the front patterns I had the stitch memorised.

It's currently blocking and taking its sweet time to dry, which has lead to me walking a few pins into my feet... ouch! I finished it here in Ireland where I am currently vacationing. It wanted to finish it in international airspace, but the peons at Aer Lingus wouldn't let me take it in my carry-on for weight reasons. Instead, the wouldn't-be Archimedes's made me pack it into my checked luggage which was nowhere near the weight limit. So, me, my cardigan-free carry-on and my cardigan-ful checked luggage all went on the same plane to Ireland, and I worked on it in a zombie-like state of jet lag. I did manage to get my Neapolitan yarn onto the plane so ripped out the project I was using it for that wasn't going so well and started some Jaywalkers instead.

In other related frogging news, I eighty-sixed the original 10 things #1 project (hence the numbering on this one). I had ambitiously started adapting a pattern from Hot Knits to be in the round, and while it would have worked, it required better note-taking than I was willing to do. Also, I didn't have enough yarn to finish it, and the store I got it from doesn't stock it anymore! I'll definitely revisit the pattern, because it's awesome (i.e. it's a Melissa Leapman), but I'll buy enough yarn and RTFM!!!

That's Two!

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Addendum: Awwww, fits perfectly!

I won!!!

I spotted this auction about a week ago. The buy it now price was $50 (plus $10 shipping), which was barely a deal given the low price at Erica's. The reserve was $10, so I decided to practice that virtue and wait until it closed, which was to happen at 10pm on Friday. I checked in every so often, relieved to see that there were zero bids. I guess knitting isn't as hip as I think it is, but that works out well for me in situations like this. But then.... shock and horror.... the day it was due to close, someone placed a bid at the reserve price. I convinced myself to calm down and reasoned that I could be at my laptop at the point the auction closed. Then, I got two phones calls; one friend had successfully defended a Ph.D. thesis and another had gotten the biggest personal injury verdict for a client in St. Joe County history!!!! Obviously, I am not such an awful friend that I would let yarn trump helping my friends' celebrations so I placed a bid and left to go to a local bar. A few hours, and a little tipsiness, later, I came home and was bowled over to find that, not only had I won, the auto-bid function on Ebay had only driven me to $2 over the reserve! I have to say that my over-empathizing is so bad that I feel very guilty about taking the yarn away from that other user. But hey, I haven't been paid in over a month and I am completely broke and dyeing wool is about the only thing that's entertaining in my personal economic climate! (That means that I will very selfishly not be sharing or reselling my spoils of bidding-war.... sorry!)
I can't wait for it to arrive. I have packets and packets of generic-brand Kool Aid waiting for it (again with the broke!). Good times, the way a lot of things have been going recently, I needed this.

A Series of Serendipitous Mishaps

Jess and I went to Erica's today (during work.... shhhh!), and spurred by her wonderful hand-dyed yarn that she used to make a skirtie, I bought two skeins of Fisherman's yarn. I ran to Walmart, and despite being told by Jessica that knitty has a guide to the results you can obtain using Kool Aid, I randomly grabbed a variety of 20 cent sachets with no forward planning.
True to form, I half-read the instructions and then launched into microwaving my yarn in vinegar and kool aid concoctions. Whilst meaning to do only one color scheme this evening, I used both skeins and made three different color schemes with matching trims. The upstairs reeks of vinegar and Kool Aid, my kitchen table has a weird green hue to it now and my left hand looks like that animate pitcher got sick on it.... totally worth it!!!
It turns out that I didn't quite use enough Kool Aid, but I am in love with how the white adds something to the color-schemes. I also love how my grab-bag combos all came out; I am particularly proud of the one on the left.
I am going to let them dry and then picture them individually. I am planning to come up with pompous names for the colorways that have nothing to do with the colors or, indeed, knitting itself. I can't wait for them to be ready to knit up!!!

10 things #2: One down!

I finished one of my challenge projects. It's the little girl's outfit from Positively Crochet. It was meant to be a tank & capri set, but I loved the scalloping on the top so much that I converted it into a dress. I put a panel of DC in a contrasting colour behind the scalloping for modesty's sake. The original pattern would have been less work, so it's not cheating!!! I will ship it to Ireland next month for my cousin's daughter once I stop being unemployed.

That's one!

PS. The fact that #2 got posted before #1 is not an indication of my having shed my dependence on puritanical convention.... #1 has hit a snag of the yarn ran out variety!

Pattern: Basket Case Socks

Pattern Notes
I called these the Basket Case Socks, on my friend’s recommendation, because I was a little stressed from working on my thesis when I designed them. I love the basket weave pattern, but I couldn’t find a pattern for socks that used it in both the instep and the cuff. I have included an optional ribbed cuff on smaller needles, because the yarn I was using was terribly elastic and the socks wouldn’t stay up. The pattern here was designed for a 9” circumference foot (a sock circumference of 8.1”). For a different size, adjust the gauge by changing the needle size or yarn weight (so that sts/inch x foot circumference in inches x 0.9 = 48 sts) , or if you’re familiar with the basket weave stitch you can adjust the number of repeats. The yarn used here is worsted weight, as it really makes the pattern pop.

Size
Woman’s foot.


Materials
2 skeins/300 yds of worsted weight yarn of your choice (Bernat Soy Blends shown here).
Set of five US Size 3 needles and a set of US Size 2 needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
Darning needle
2 different colour stitch markers.

Gauge
6 sts/inch in stockinette stitch

Abbreviations
K = knit
P = purl
K2tog = knit two together
Sl1 = slip one stitch purlwise
SSK = slip, slip, knit
RS = right side
WS = wrong side

Leg pattern
Row 1: Knit
Rows 2,3,4: *P5, K3; repeat from *to end
Row 5: Knit
Rows 6,7,8: P1, *K3, P5; repeat from * to last 4 sts, P4


Instep pattern
Row 1: Knit
Rows 2, 3, 4: *P5, K3; repeat from *to last 5sts, K5
Row 5: Knit
Rows 6, 7, 8: P1, *K3, P5; repeat from * to last st, P1

Instructions
Cast on 48 sts, and close round without twisting.
Arrange 12 sts on each of needle 1, needle 2, needle 3 and needle 4.
Needles #1 and #2 will form the instep; needles #3 and #4 will form the heel.

Cuff
Work 1.5 to 2” of K1-P1 ribbing, ending after needle #4.

Leg
Change to larger needles. Starting on needle #1, K1 (left sock), K2 (right sock)†.
Place marker #1.
Begin Leg Pattern from first stitch after marker #1 for desired length.
End after needle 4, after row 8 of leg pattern.

Heel Flap
You should be at the beginning of needle 1. Knit the stitch(es) before marker #1.
Slip marker to working needle and K21. Place marker #2.
Knit the remaining 1 stitch (right sock) or 2 stitches (left sock) on needle #2.
This will count as row 1 of the instep pattern, so after the heel flap and heel turn are complete, you will work from row #2 of the “instep pattern” onward.

The heel flap will now be worked back and forth over the 24 sts on needles #3 and #4. Use a row counter to keep track of how many rows are worked over the heel flap.

Row 1: Sl 1, knit remaining stitches across needles #3 and #4. Turn.
Row 2: (WS) Place yarn to back, Sl 1 purlwise. Purl to end of needle #3. Turn.
Row 3: (RS) *Bring yarn to front, Sl 1 purlwise. Move yarn to rear, K1. Repeat from * to end of row.
Row 4: Place yarn to back, Sl 1 purlwise. Bring yarn to front and purl to end of needle #3. Turn.

Repeat Rows 3 and 4 for heel flap until desired length is achieved. (Shown here is a heel flap of 24 rows, including rows 1 and 2)

Heel Turn
You should now be ready to start a RS row.

Row 1: K14, SSK, K1. Turn.
Row 2: Sl 1, P5, P2tog, P1. Turn.
Row 3: Sl 1, K up to last stitch before gap. SSK using last stitch before gap and first stitch after gap. K1. Turn.
Row 4: Sl 1, P to last stitch before gap. P2tog using stitch before gap and stitch after gap. P1. Turn.

Repeat Rows 3 and 4 until all stitches along the heel flap have been used.
On final 2 rows of heel turn there will not be enough stitches to K1 or P1 at end of row. Simply complete the SSK or P2tog and turn.
After heel turn is complete, you should be ready to start a RS row.

Gusset
Knit along all heel turn stitches.
Using what will now be needle #4, pick up and knit selvage stitches along side of heel turn.
Pick up one stitch from between the heel flap and the instep to prevent a hole from forming. Shown here, from a heel flap of 24 rows, 14 stitches were picked up (not counting the extra stitch picked up between the heel flap and the instep).
Knit along instep, working in pattern between the markers. You should be working Row 2 of the instep pattern.
Using what will now be needle #3, pick up and knit a stitch from the between the instep and the other side of the heel flap.
Pick up and knit the selvage stitches down this side of the heel flap.
You should pick up the exact same number of stitches from each side of the heel flap.

At this point there will be 44 stitches (or a similar even number) on needles 3 and 4.
Divide these evenly amongst needles 3 and 4.
You should now be ready to work needle 4 (you may have to knit a few stitches to get to the end of needle 3).
You will now begin the gusset decreases.

Round 1: K to last 3 stitches of needle #4. K2tog. K1. K along instep on needles #1 and #2, working instep pattern between the 2 markers. On needle #3, K1, SSK, K to end.
Round 2: K along needle #4. K along needles #1 and #2, working instep pattern between markers. K along needle #3.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until there are 12 stitches on each of needles #3 and #4. (A total of 48 sts).

Repeat Round 2 only until the length from the back of the heel is 1.5” shorter than the desired foot length. Finish after needle #3.

Toe
Once you have begun the toe decreases, remove the markers and discontinue the instep pattern. The remainder of the work will be worked in stockinette stitch (i.e. K only).

Round 1: K to last 3 stitches of needle #4. K2tog. K1. On needle #1, K1, SSK, K to end. On needle #2, K to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.On needle #3, K1, SSK, knit to end.
Round 2: K along all of needles #4, #1, #2, and #3.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until there are only 24 stitches left (some people like to decrease by more stitches for a pointier toe, do so if this is your preference - just remember to make a note of how many decreases you did so you can do the same on the second sock).

K along row 4.
Organise the stitches from needle 1 and 2 onto a single needle.
Do the same for needles 3 and 4. Cut a tail of at least 9” of yarn.
Graft stitches together.
I really like Knitting at Knoon’s video for this technique at http://www.knittingatknoon.com/kitchenerst.html They also have great videos for other techniques used in this pattern.

Make second sock with the same number of pattern repeats, and picked up stitches as you did for the 1st.

The End

Please email pattern corrections/comments/questions to e.j.hooker@gmail.com.
†This offsets the basket weave pattern so that it can be continued along the instep in a seamless manner.

10 things in 1000 days

I went on a bit of a pattern purchasing spree a few months ago. I think it was after the bamboo needle buying splurge, but before the 100purewool binge. I think that I can change their statuses from "impulse buy" to "investment in a hobby" if I make at least one thing from each book. I have started a sweater from one of the books and a crocheted child's top from another.
So, here it is: Task #2! I am going to attempt to make a pattern from each book or pamphlet, and not just the cloche-you-can-figure-out-by-looking-at pattern that is invariably featured in every book. I'll blog about my progress, should there be any. Wish me luck!



How Much Time Has Passed?

Day 21: Hi, My name's Liz and I'm a knitting addict...

I love Wednesdays. I get a break from thesis writing, experiments, and the ever expanding piles of laundry, and I head off for some well earned therapy masquerading as a knitting circle. We have a great group of girls, and I love getting to call each of them my friends. I have agreed to give up all diversions, so that I can focus on getting graduated, but I think keeping my appointment with my woolly support group keeps my productivity, and more importantly, my sanity, as well maintained as possible. For various reasons, a few people were absent this evening, but there's always someone to talk to. Definitely the highlight of my week!

(L-R): Sandy, Kayleigh, Kristine, Mary, Carly.

Day 18: When you reach 28, it's time to put some clothes on

Given I am in the final throes of thesis-writing (cultural reference intended), I am opting for smaller knitting projects in an attempt to minimize distractions. Socks are a good diversion in this respect, but I have grown a little weary of them, and I am running out of the sock-related puns (amusing only to me) that I use as project titles on ravelry. The secret item I am making for Faith should have been fast, but the number of times it has needed do-overs laid waste to that ambition. Luckily, Faith isn't showing yet, so I might leave that project until I am done with my dissertation. After all, knitting is meant to be a respite from stress, not a buttress for it.
However, I have absolutely no imagination to speak of where coming up with ideas for knitting projects is concerned. I got the sock-bug from Carly and Faith. Prior to that, I was making sweaters, a la some inspiration from Jessica. And before that, I was obediently making whatever Berroco told me to.
Fortunately, my ingenuity problem has been solved, or at least deferred. No, I haven't convinced my right lobe neurons to fire. Better! My friend, Tonya, has joined our knitting circle, and she was making a sweater for her teddy bear. I can't believe that had never occurred to me. Not only have I had Horatio for as long as I have been alive, but he was the reason I learned how to knit. When I was about 7 years old, my grandmother was annoyed by the fact that he had two holes, from which most of his stuffing was protruding. She taught me how to knit and so he was repaired with 2 knitted patches; one I made and one my grandmother made. My grandmother has since passed, and I love that I have this little piece of her. Making a little sweater for him is only logical, and pays tribute to my grandmother being my inspiration to knit.
I have started making him a cabled sweater out of yarn from a failed human sweater. Knitting bulky yarn on size 5 needles wasn't one of my finer ideas, nor was going to the trouble of following a cabled pattern using multi-colored yarn. Nonetheless, I am happy with how it is coming out. And after 28 years, Horatio will finally be safe from indecent exposure charges!