all. about. knitting.

New Yarn

2011-10-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

If you follow my adventures on Creating a Family Home, you'd know that it's only been two weeks since my last yarn delivery, yet I received another today! Plans change, and knits are knitting up rather quickly these days.

Peep the yarny goodness:

Knit Picks Shine for a custom scarf design (should be fun!)

Knit Picks Shimmer in Eucalyptus for a Jacqueline Bouvier Stole for myself! I'm looking forward to knitting something lacey and something for me.

There was more yarn in the box, but I'm holding out on you. It'll all come to light soon!

Welcome, Brambleberry Yarns!

2011-10-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

Please help me welcome new sponsor, Brambleberry Yarns!

Brambleberry Yarns offers beautiful, one-of-a-kind, naturally hand-dyed yarns and fibers. A woman after my own heart, Cynthia grows her own dye plants and takes advantage of the wild plants that grow around her in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge. She has been working with natural dyes for seven years and loves how her craft lets her combine two of her passions: gardening and knitting.

Pop on over to Creating a Family Home to learn more about Cynthia's talents and for a 20 percent off discount code to Brambleberry Yarns!

Finished object: Milo

2011-09-30T17:27:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Milo (Ravelry link)
Difficulty: So easy it hurts
Yarn: Knit Picks City Tweed DK in Toad
Rating: Love it!

You can see that this vest is big on him. I made the 3 year old size (22-inch chest) in the hopes he could get two winters out of it. Also, I wasn't sure if he'd be comfortable in a sweater with no or negative ease. If I'd known how fast this would knit up, I would have gladly made the 2 year old size this year and the 3 year old size again next year. So easy (but interesting enough) and fast!

Cast On: Organic Marshmallow Newborn Sweater

2011-09-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Organic Marshmallow Newborn Sweater -- coming soon from Creating a Family Home
Yarn: Knit Picks Organic Simply Cotton Sport

WIP

2011-09-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Milo
Yarn: Knit Picks City Tweed DK
Love it? YES.

I know....I've Been Remiss! And New Patterns

2011-09-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

I know I've been remiss in posting to my knitting blog. It's been...over two months! I should have known (and should still know currently) that I don't have time for a separate knitting-only blog, but I can't help it -- I want to write about knitting! And in more detail than I can at Creating a Family Home. I did read somewhere that it's an internet faux pas to have more than one blog, but I haven't verified that, so until then, I'm going to try to keep http://www.allaboutknitting.net/ alive.

It's been so long that I've released three new patterns since I've last posted (how did that happen?!), and I just didn't have the time or energy to link them here.

So, even though they're old news (okay, the latest one is still "news") here are my three latest patterns that I released on Creating a Family Home:

Read about the pattern.

Free on Creating a Family Home

Thank you for bearing with me!

Finished Object: June Socks

2011-07-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

I finished my June socks yesterday and rejoyced. They took me just two weeks, and with all the gardening I've been doing -- in between caring for a toddler, maintaining our household, working and more -- that's pretty darn good.

The pattern is Midsummer Night's Dream (Ravelry link) and I enjoyed knitting it thoroughly. The charts were easy to remember but interesting to execute. I was captivated by the leaves as they formed and by the stem as it waved to the left and right as a result of the increases created by the yarn overs. The whole thing was very smart.

I noticed that for the sample socks shown in the pattern, the charts had been reversed on the second sock so the socks are mirror images of each other. So I did that, too. And yes, that's Deadliest Catch on TV.

The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in Canopy and you can see how it pooled in some places, creating a striping effect. Not exactly ideal, but I didn't hate it enough to rip it out and find a non-pooling pattern for it. (I had a daedline to meet, er blow off by five days.) Plus, the colors were all different shades of green, so it wasn't so bad. If this were to happen with a true multi-colored yarn I wouldn't have put up with it.

Now onward to my next socks, my Birds in Flight pattern for Knit Picks to photograph. Think I can make an end of July deadline? Let's hope!

Sock of the Month Club is Changing Gears

2011-07-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

My Knit Picks yarn arrived yesterday, so it's time to cast on my Birds in Flight socks for the sample to send to Knit Picks for photographing. (In case you missed it, Knit Picks will sell my pattern on their website and it could appear in the catalog, too!)

It takes a special kind of pattern for me to want to knit something for a second (or especially third!) time, but I'm happy to report that I'm looking forward to knitting these socks again. They're pretty easy, but challenging enough to keep me interested. I think they'll go quickly this time around. And I love nothing more than watching the shades of turquoise in Stroll Tonal colorway Blue Yonder slip through my fingers as I knit. Knitting my Birds in Flight socks with this yarn is a win win.

On the losing end is my self-imposed Sock of the Month Club, in which I knit a pair of socks each month inspired by the season, some of them my own designs. This shade of blue doesn't scream summer, and my plan for July's socks was a little (okay, a lot) different, but my Sock of the Month Club will have to change gears for now, and I'll just squeeze them in. Who knows, maybe I'll still be able to crank out my July socks, as planned.

This turn of events has made me revamp my plans for the sock club for the rest of the year, and it's a good thing, because from now on all of my socks will become Christmas gifts. So I won't be able to show some of them on my blogs. (Sorry about that!) And, my June socks still aren't done yet.

Here's a recap of the socks completed so far this year, and a look at the yarn and colorsways I might use for the rest of the year:

January: Butterfly Socks (in Socks from the Toe Up) in Knit Picks Stroll Tonal colorway Blue Yonder

February: Adapted from Lace and Cable Socks (in Socks from the Toe Up) in Stroll Tonal in colorway Deep Waters

March: My Birds in Flight Socks in Knit Picks Stroll Tonal colorway Blue Yonder

April: Ribbed Ribbons Socks (in Socks from the Toe Up) in Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in colorway Springtime

May: Ice Pop Socks (free!) in Knit Picks Felici colorway Afternoon

June: In progress, photos coming soon! Stroll Tonal in colorway Canopy.

July: Stroll Hand Painted colorway Berry Patch

August: Stroll Hand Painted in colorway Country Fair

September: Stroll Hand Painted in colorway Hayride

October: Stroll in Agate

November: Stroll Sport in Cobblestone Heather

December: Swish Worsted in Lemongrass Heather

Should I Buy a Swift?

2011-06-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

I've been using my husband as a swift since I started knitting yarn that comes in hanks. So, it's been years. And I should say, he makes a really good swift, even if he does so begrudingly. The best part is he's really good at getting the yarn untangled if it gets tangled up, and he seems to like untangling it. Go figure!

Anyhow, I'm writing about this because I saw on Facebook that Knit Picks' swift is on sale for $50 down from $65, and I'm wondering...should I get it? I can't decide.

Good News!

2011-06-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

I just got word that my Birds in Flight Socks were accepted into Knit Picks' Independent Designer Partnership program! That means Knit Picks will sell my pattern on their website, and maybe even in the catalog.

Is anyone interested in test knitting the pattern -- that is, knitting it and checking for errors or confusing places in the pattern?

What's in it for you, you ask? Well, you'll get the pattern for free, silly!

But seriously, if you're a seasoned knitter, you enjoy knitting socks and you want to test knit the pattern, e-mail me.

June Socks

2011-06-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

I cast on my June socks earlier this week, and I just finished the heel on the first sock. I think I might have a chance of finishing them by the end of the month. Maybe.

The pattern is Midsummer Night’s Dream (Knitty Fall 2009) and the yarn is Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in Canopy. I had meant to design my own pattern for my June socks, but was running out of time with the end of June very near. I just have too much else going on to manage it all, so I thought the smart thing to do would be to find a pattern that already exists—and I’m so glad I did.

I love this pattern so far—it’s everything I want in a pattern. I get to use my brain. It has some easy parts so I don’t have to always use my brain. (Excellent.) The leaves are charming to knit and look at afterwards and the yarn overs (without decreases in the same round) give a wavy look to the stem—brilliant pattern writing, if you ask me.

Patterns like this remind me just how much I still have to learn about knitting, especially if I want to get serious about this pattern-writing thing. So far, I don’t think my design ideas are edgy enough for Knitty, so I guess it’s good that I’m not trying to get in. Yet. For now I’m just writing patterns for the design ideas that pop into my head at random moments, inspired by nature and the seasons. Someday I hope to get an idea creative enough (and technical enough!) to get into Knitty.

Wish me luck that I can finish these puppies before the end of the month…because I have “big plans” for July’s socks!

Market Bag is Almost Done!

2011-06-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

I'm speeding along on my market bag, and I must say, it's one of the easiest things I've designed so far. Way easier than my June socks, which are still just a jacked up swatch and a hank of yarn. Yeah. Not good.

But back to the bag. I'm loving how I started with an idea that continued to take shape as I knitted. And now the result is (or shall I say, will be) even better than my original idea!

It started started out as a rectangular bag with two straps much like a tote, but now it has a round bottom, is cylindrical and will only have one strap. Then I added bands of stockinette for durability and a few zigs and zags for interest.

Since yesterday's Yarn Along post on Creating a Family Home, I’ve added double yarn overs to incorporate a drawstring-like tie for when the bag is overflowing with tall goodies (I’m thinking Italian bread) or when tender produce is at risk of being turned out by a toddler. And I have a particular toddler in mind.

Now I'm working on the picot edging. See the little yarn overs? The edging and drawstring were not part of my original idea -- and now I think they're the best part. Proof that an idea is always a work in progress.

I'm almost giddy this is coming out so well -- I really do love desining my own stuff. (P.S. - The pattern will be available on Creating a Family Home within the next few weeks. And maybe here, too. Definitely in June.)

Just don't remind me about the un-started June socks. Those, not so much.

Free Pattern: Ice Pop Socks

2011-06-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I’m terrible for having worn my May socks four times before sharing the pattern with you…(Make it five, I’m wearing them again now!)…but, as the mom of a toddler, I’m sure you can imagine how busy I can get. : )

I call them Ice Pop Socks because the bright, summery colors reminded me of my son’s ice pops. You know, the juicy ones in the clear plastic sleeves. Mmmmmm. Are you getting flashbacks from your childhood? I am. And the similarities don’t stop there—these socks are also fun, fresh and fruity. But I doubt they taste as good. I didn’t verify that, but you’re welcome to taste them if you want to.

They're knit in plain stockinette, letting the evenly dyed stripes do all the work for you, from the toe up with a short-row heel. I used up almost every yard from my two balls of Felici—these socks are tall. (Not quite knee-height, but close.) To account for the height, there's some calf shaping near the cuff.

These socks are meant to be tight fitting, and fit snugly around a 7 3/4” circumference foot (at the ball of the foot). For wider feet, cast on a few extra sts (in pairs of two) and do a few extra W&Ts on the heel, if you’d like.

Without any further ado, here is the free pattern. I give you:

[Download printable PDF]

Materials:
Two balls of Knit Picks’ Felici fingering weight sock yarn in colorway Afternoon
Set of five U.S. size 1 DPNs or size to get gauge

Size: Medium – 7 ¾-inch foot circumference at the ball of the foot. (They’re meant to be tight-fitting. For looser socks, add a few sts to your cast-on amount—this will mean wrapping and turning a few extra sts for the heel.)

Gauge: 9 sts per inch in st st

Abbreviations: w&t = wrap and turn. View a tutorial with photos.

Tip for Even Striping and Matching Socks:
I’m a little bit of a nut about having matching socks, so if you don’t care if your socks match, skip this tip. When using self-striping yarn, especially a yarn with wide stripes like this one, don’t cast on in the first stripe color. Instead, pull more yarn out of the ball until you reach the second stripe color and start casting on at the beginning of the second color. Once you’re finished casting on you can trim the cast-on tail to a more reasonable length (8-12”). As you knit, be sure you’re not accidentally knitting with the cast-on tail.

Sock instructions (make two):

Using a figure-eight cast on, cast 32 sts on 2 DPNs (that’s 16 sts on each DPN).

Toe Increases:

Round 1:
Needle 1: k1, m1, k to last st on Needle 1, m1, k1
Needle 2: k1, m1, k to last st on Needle 2, m1, k1

Round 2: knit

Now that you’re increasing in pattern, you can distribute your stitches between 4 needles, with 9 sts on each needle and with the round beginning on needle 1.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until you have 72 sts on your needles, with 18 sts on each needle.

Foot:

Knit until sock reaches 2 ½ inches shorter than desired foot length. (For size 8 ½ feet, that’s 6 ¾ inches.)

Heel:

Set aside instep sts (the first 36 sts across needles 1 and 2), and work heel sts back and forth on last 36 sts (across needles 3 and 4) in st st as follows:

Row 1 (WS): Purl to last st, w&t last st
Row 2 (RS): Knit to last st, w&t last st
Row 3 (WS): Purl to last unworked st, w&t last unworked st
Row 4 (RS): Knit to last unworked st, w&t last unworked st

Repeat Rows 3 & 4 until 16 unworked sts remain (this will happen at the beginning of a purl row). You will be left with 10 wrapped sts on each side of the heel with 16 unworked sts in between.

Turn heel as follows:

Row 1 (WS): Purl to the first wrapped st, pick up the wrap and place it on the left needle and
purl the wrap together with the stitch, w&t next st so it now has two wraps.
Row 2 (RS): Knit to the first wrapped st, pick up the wrap and place it on the left needle and
knit the wrap together with the stitch, w&t next st so it now has two wraps.
Row 3 (WS): Purl to the first wrapped st, pick up both wraps and place them on the left needle and purl them together with the stitch, w&t next st so it now has two wraps.
Row 4 (RS): Knit to the first wrapped st, pick up both wraps and place them on the left needle and purl them together with the stitch, w&t next st so it now has two wraps.

Repeat Rows 3 & 4 until all sts have been worked and you have 36 live heel sts (72 sts total).

Cuff:

Go back to working in the round on all 72 sts. You may want to pick up two sts in each of the gaps between the instep and sole sts to close up the little holes that typically form there. If you do, be sure to decrease by four sts in the same locations on the very next row.

Work in st st until cuff reaches 10 inches. Work calf increases on the next round and every 7th round three more times as follows:

Needles 1 & 2: Knit
Needle 3: Knit to the last st, m1, k1
Needle 4: k1, m1, knit to end of round.

You now have 80 sts. Work in k2p2 rib for desired length or until you’re close to running out of yarn (!). Bind off, weave in ends and don’t forget to tighten up your figure-eight cast on before weaving in tail from cast on.

Bagging It

2011-06-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a market bag design out of Knit Picks' new Dishie worsted weight cotton yarn. It's not too small, but not too big that it'll look silly with just a few pieces of produce in it -- I hope. I don't go nuts when I go to farmers' markets -- I usually just grab a few things and go there for the sights and the family time together.

I'm not sure if I'll sell the pattern or give it away on Creating a Family Home...there are lots of free market bag patterns out there, so maybe that's a clue. : )

I'm enjoying the yarn and I really love the color, Azure. It's definitely sturdier and much less giving than Knit Picks' Simply Cotton Sport that I used for Nathan's spring cardigan. Fabric made from Simply Cotton has way more drape and is much more squishy and soft -- but clearly, a yarn named Dishie is meant for sturdier, and perhaps more utilitarian purposes.

Coming next week -- I promise! -- the free pattern for my May socks. Here's a sneak preview:

Knitting for Charity

2011-06-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend I handed off a knitted baby sweater a friend, who will donate it to her church’s mission warehouse. The Lehigh Valley Outreach Depot collects and distributes necessities and furniture to those in need and packages up several different kits. They make school kits, birthing kits, layette kits and more. My sweater will go into a layette kit and can be shipped anywhere in the world to a needy mom and her newborn babe. It feels good to put my knitting to good use. (For the record, isn’t all knitting put to good use?)

The super-easy cardigan is knit in garter stitch with the back and fronts knit all in one piece for minimal seaming. Then I knitted the arms separately, sewed them on, added a few buttons and tacked down little triangles for the collar. Experienced knitters can knit this one in their sleep—the pattern was great for the evenings I was too tired to work on something more complicated or was trying to actively watch a movie or TV show.

Aren’t the little bunny buttons cute?

If you’re interested in knitting a sweater for this cause, e-mail me and I’ll ask someone from the church to e-mail the pattern to you. Thanks for knitting for this important cause.

May Socks are Done!

2011-06-01T05:34:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to finish my May socks not long before midnight last night -- personal victory!!!

My camera was in Nathan's room (where he was sleeping) so I took this photo with my cell phone camera:

More photos and info coming soon, plus the free pattern! Stay tuned.

Getting the Second Sock Done

2011-05-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to follow my own advice for beating second sock syndrome by wearing the first of my May socks. But I'm afraid I'll succumb to startitis (and second sock syndrome by proxy) thanks to plans for a fun market bag that I can't wait to design -- for this project it looks like I'll be a product knitter. (I really want the bag.) I also still haven't cast on yet for the Baby Surprise Jacket knit along that will probably be over before I'm ready to start!

Row after row of stockinette just isn't doing it for me right now, despite how nicely the striping is coming out and how perfectly the two striped socks are matching each other (YES!). (For a better look at the actual yarn colors, see this week's Yarn Along post on Creating a Family Home.)

I don't know if I'll meet the May 31 deadline on the socks, and I don't think I'm making it any easier on myself to get the second sock done with the cotton yarn for the market bag staring me down from the coffee table. Sigh. What would you do?

In the background you can see I'm watching Dual Survival on the Discovery Channel. I really love that show!

Tutorial: How to Wrap & Turn

2011-05-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

Ever see the abbreviation w&t on a pattern and wonder what the h*** does that mean? If you bought my Birds in Flight Socks pattern you may have, because I forgot to define it. (I appreciate the patterns that define the less-common knitting techniques…But if you work short-row heels as often as I do, maybe this one doesn’t seem uncommon.)

Anyhow, w&t means wrap and turn—you’re wrapping the last unworked stitch with the working yarn and turning your work. Here’s a tutorial with photos:

1. Knit to the last unworked stitch (or wherever your pattern calls for you to wrap and turn—it’s not just for socks, you know) and move your working yarn in front. (If you’re purling, bring the working yarn to the back of your work.)

2. Now slip the next stitch (the stitch to be wrapped) from your left needle to the right needle, keeping the working yarn in front.

3. Now turn your work.

4. Slip the stitch to the wrapped from the left needle to the right needle.

5. And start working back across the row, in this case, purling.

The white line highlights the wrapped stitch on the wrong side of the fabric:

Here’s what it looks like from the right side of the fabric:

See the little wrap? So cute. And functional! In another tutorial I’ll explain how to pick up these wraps when turning the heel of a short-row sock. You won’t wanna miss it!

Toddler Earflap Hat for Japan

2011-05-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is my pattern for my Toddler Earflap Hat in the Round. It's based on my original pattern, which is knitted flat. I created it for the effort to knit for Japan -- check out my last post about it, or read the Knit for Japan post on Small Things to find out what to knit, where to send it and by when.

Here is the pattern -- I hope you'll make this hat and send it to Japan for someone who needs it.

Toddler Earflap Hat in the Round

[download printable PDF]

Size: 9-18 months (2-3 years) to fit head circumference up to 19 ½ (21) inches

Materials:

Noro Kureyon

18-inch-long U.S. size 7 circular needle or size to get gauge

Set of U.S. size 7 double pointed needles (DPNs) or size to get gauge

Stitch markers

Gauge: 4 ½ stitches per inch

Instructions:

Brim

Cast on 80 (88) stitches on circular needle. Join in the round being careful not to twist. Place marker at the beginning of the round.

Work in k2p2 rib for two inches.

The knit one row and purl one row to create a garter stitch ridge.

Body of Hat

Work in stockinette stitch for 4 (5) inches

Crown

Knit decrease row (RS): * k6, k2tog, PM, repeat from * to last 8 sts, k6 k2tog—70 (77)

Work three rows st st, slipping markers as you come to them.

Row 1 (decrease row, RS): * knit to 2 sts before marker, k2tog, repeat from * to last st—60 (66)

Row 2: knit

Repeat rows 1 and 2 two times—42 (44) sts

Switch to DPNs.

Repeat row 1 three times more—10 (11)

Stem

Slide remaining 10 (11) sts onto one DPN and work 7 rounds of I-cord. Cut yarn and secure.

Weave in ends.

Earflaps

Left earflap: With brim folded up and RS facing, count 24 sts to the left of beginning of round.

* With RS facing, pick up 11 sts with a DPN.

Turn and knit 11 rows garter stitch.

Start earflap decreases as follows:

Row 1 (RS): ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog

Row 2 (WS): knit

Repeat these two rows until 3 sts remain.

Knit 14 inches in I-cord. Cut yarn with a 6-inch tail and draw through remaining stitches tightly. Secure and feed tail through the I-cord stem and cut yarn.

Right ear flap: With brim folded up and RS facing, count 13 sts to the right of beginning of round.

Follow directions as for left ear flap starting at *

Now slap it on your favorite toddler’s head and tie the ties. Blocking the hat will make the brim fold more crisply, but I’m not worried about it.

The Reinforcements are Here!

2011-05-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

I've been remiss in posting lately, and here's why: I've been busy. I've been busy keeping my Creating a Family Home blog current, getting ready for in-laws coming to stay the weekend, working, caring for my toddler, cleaning, cooking and that whole bit, and of course knitting and crafting.

But there's good news! My New Yarn arrived today! (The reinforcements are here!) And that's good for several reasons important to this blog:

1) I can start Nathan's Baby Surprise Jacket and catch up to the participants of the BSJ knit along at In the Heart of My Home.

2) I will design a cool market tote for the blue cotton yarn -- the pattern will go great with my upcoming summer theme on Creating a Family Home. I'll post the free pattern there or here or maybe both.

3) Even though May's socks aren't done yet (I only cast on sock #2 last night!), I akready have plans for August and September socks. The hank on the left is Knit Picks Stroll Handpainted in colorway County Fair and it screams summer to me (I love summer so much); and the hank on the right is the same yarn in colorway Hayride, and those socks will be a gift for friend who adores handknitted socks. So they probably won't show up here until they've been gifted in fall.

You may be wondering, well, what about June and July's socks? I ordered that yarn about a month ago and it appeared in one of my first posts -- and I still have yet to come up with the designs. Soon, my friends! I feel like I have so much to knit and so little time, with all the other crafts I'm thinking about and all the aforementioned duties in paragraph one. I buy so much yarn at once and think so far into the future so I can take advantage of free shipping at Knit Picks -- I never spend less than $50 at a time... and I feel like I'm getting a lot for my money! (I sometimes top off my order with a book in order to reach the free shipping limit -- it's a great way to grow your knitting library.)

I have to say, I felt a little wierd running outside taking photos of my New Yarn today, but I know I'm not the only one who does it.

Oh, before I forget, this week I'll post my new pattern for a Toddler Earflap Hat in the round. I knitted one for someone who needs it in Japan, and I many hope others will join in and knit their hearts out until the July 15 deadline. Click on the button in the right column for more info on this initiative. Here's a sneak preview:

Have a great weekend my friends, and I'll see you back here on Tuesday for the free Toddler Earflap Hat pattern. Enjoy!

Reinforcements are Coming

2011-05-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

So I did a crazy thing today and ordered more yarn. When did I order yarn last? According to this blog, I received the aforementioned yarn on April 20. So that's dead-on, one yarn order per month.

This time, it's bulky wool in shades of fall for a Baby Surprise Jacket for Nathan. And cotton for the market bag design I can't get out of my head, and sock yarn in two new colorways for summer and fall. And even though I have plenty of yarn in my craft room (and living room) to knit up, I can't wait for this New Yarn to arrive.

I'll have several new things to share soon -- a completed baby sweater for a family in need (and another one cast on), and my hat for Japan is done -- free pattern coming soon (read: next week).

Until then, I'll just have to wait for the New Yarn to get here. And I guess I can work on my May socks until then.

Good knitting,
Kelly

At the Halfway Mark

2011-05-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

It’s May 15 and my socks are almost at the halfway mark. Almost. I’d feel much better if they were actually halfway done, with one sock cast-off and the next ready to cast on. But alas, I had to rip back several rows when I realized that I’d skated along the cuff of this super-tall tall sock without adding any increases for the calf! Silly me. You mean, people don’t have stick-straight legs like cartoon characters?

I started out loving this yarn—the striping, the colors, the softness and the absolutely tiny gauge I was I the mood for when I started. And though all of these still hold true (including the tiny gauge), I’m getting a glum feeling about these socks because of a comment on my Yarn Along post on my other blog, Creating a Family Home. Someone commented that they’re so “70s-looking” and that ruined it for me. When I looked at these stripes before, I saw fresh and “now”—and after reading that comment I just see the 70s staring back at me. Staring me in the face, to be precise. I wish I could get back to my original vision. I have a staging idea for my set of final photographs that I hope will do it.

For now, here’s the size-8 almost-finished sock next to my son’s tiny one. His socks are all over my house, as we have to take them off of him each time he wants to walk on the slippery floors of the kitchen and family room. And we don't always find the same pair to put back on when he's done. So they’re everywhere. It’s a good thing I like socks.

Tighten Up Your Figure-eight Cast-on

2011-05-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can tighten up your figure-eight cast-on? I didn’t realize it the first few times I used this cast-on method for toe-up socks, and my cast on, although tight at the time I was casting on, was actually loose once I knitted away from those cast-on stitches. The row of stitches (the cast-on stitches) at the tip of the toe looked about twice as tall as the rest of the stitches on the sock, and it wasn’t pretty.

See how the line of stitches in the middle of the toe (the cast on stitches) are wonky compared to the rest of the stitches?

I was just experimenting when I tugged on the tail from my cast-on and found that I could actually take out the slack. So I set to work, working from right to left (from the beginning of the round toward the end of the round, counter-clockwise, if you will), pulling the slack out of each leg of each cast-on stitch with a DPN until they all had the same tension as and looked like normal stitches. It worked!

Working from right to left, pull on each leg of each cast-on stitch to take out the slack. Then pull on the cast-on yarn tail to pull out the slack on the final stitch.

See the difference?

It's looking much better already.

* I apologize for the bad color on the photos. The lighting was worse than I thought!

Jo Sharp, Where are You?

2011-05-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

I’m hunting for Jo Sharp’s Soho Summer DK weight cotton yarn for the Cherry Short-sleeved Cardigan in Modern Knits, Vintage Style and I can’t find it anywhere. Rather, I can’t find enough skeins in the same color, and haven't even addressed dye lot. I’m looking for it in a shade of red called Carmen, ironically the same shade used in the book.

Jo Sharp, where are you?

I did find the yarn on her website, but the shipping from Australia to the U.S. costs almost as much as the yarn itself. And I just won’t knit myself short-sleeved cardigan with $80 worth of yarn/shipping charges. Am I cheap? Maybe. But I prefer to think I’m practical.

Casting on for Japan

2011-05-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

I just cast on a hat for someone affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Ginny on Small Things is collecting handknit hats, scarves, mittens and washcloths to send to a lovely woman named Betsy, whose goal is to collect four hundred knitted or crocheted hats for people in Japan by mid August. Betsy is going to deliver them in person when she goes to Japan to visit her son who teaches there.

I liked the sound of that, so I dug into my stash….deeeeep into my stash….and pulled out some beautiful Noro Kureyon that I had bought years ago without a pattern in mind. Needless to say, after making a felted bag or two, most of the yarn has been sitting my craft room without a purpose. And now it, and I, have one. I think it’s fitting that yarn made in Japan will make its way back there to keep someone in need warm.

I hope you’ll join me, Ginny and countless others to help Betsy reach her goal and give a thoughtful, hand-made garment to a person who has most likely lost everything. For details on what knitted items are needed, where to send them and by when, visit Knit for Japan on Ginny’s blog.

The details on my hat will follow soon. It’s based on my Toddler Earflap Hat, except it’s knit in the round instead of flat. Stay tuned.