Knitting

Once upon a time, if you saw me knitting a scarf, I would most certainly have been doing it while teaching a beginner's knitting class. Why would an experienced knitter be working on something as simple as a scarf? Just a long rectangle with rows upon rows of repetition. In the last week, I have changed my mind. I am now finding all sorts of reasons why knitting a scarf is a great idea. I am drawn to creating them and seeing what happens! Here's some of the reasons why scarf knitting has re-inspired me.

1. Scarf knitting doesn't take much yarn.

This is of course, subject to the scarf you are making, but most scarves can be made up with a skein or two of yarn. That way, you can take advantage of the "last ball" sales at your LYS or use up the extra bits from larger projects. A scarf is also a way to make a luxurious item with an expensive yarn and not spend a ton of money.

2. Scarf knitting uses up those single skeins of gorgeous silk yarn you just "had to have" at your last trip to the yarn shop.

I had a little leftover sock yarn, and it was too beautiful to let sit for long. I needed a little ipod cozy for my nano, and I figured this would be the best use of the yarn. Besides, it's a new year, and this is a great way to start it out - something new, something beautiful, and something you can knit up quickly.

I have been wanting to do a full linen stitch project for a while, and since this was a small project, I decided to do it here. I absolutely LOVE the way it turned out. What rich texture and visual appeal. What I don't love too much is how much longer it takes to knit it. Since you really only work half a row each time around, it is a more tedious knit than a straight stockinette piece. But hey, it looks gorgeous, and it feels fabulous, so why not make one?

It’s here! the Lace Topper is available through the webstore! I love this topper. It’s going to become one of my new favorites! I’m really glad that I made this more tunic length than a shorter poncho length. It’s far more versatile that way.

Here's the latest pattern from my pile of patterns in the works. This one is a baby bootie in newborn to 18 months that incorporates the hugs and kisses cable design that's found in the blanket.

This pattern is just $3.00 and is available for immediate download in the webstore. These booties are knit toe up on two circular needles. The pattern calls for US 4 needles and uses Cascade Fixation yarn. The pattern is rated intermediate.

  

I taught this class at CFU last weekend, and it was a lot of fun. I have put together a pattern and class video that I am offering to my readers at no charge. Just download the pattern in PDF format below. The pattern includes a link to the online video.

These mittens are designed to fit children and adults and are made from bulky weight yarn and size 8US double points. Enjoy!

Family Mittens Pattern

It's here! I've had pattern testers and reviewers take a look at this pattern, and now it's ready to go. You can purchase the pattern for immediate download in the webstore for just $2.50. Written for intermediate knitters, you can have this bonnet on your little one in just a few hours. Knit with Lion Baby Soft yarn and size 6US needles, it's soft and lacy - just right for babies. Fits 0-6 months.

I've been working on a new baby bonnet pattern that I'm about ready to release. I have a couple of test knitters working it now, and as soon as we've tested the pattern, I'll be able to release it.

I've been working on a great cabled sweater for my son. It will be his first sweater that I've made. I got the yarn for it (Knit Picks Shine Sport) for Christmas, and finally cast on a month ago. I had made a bit of progress, through the first cable repeat, and then realized that I was running out of yarn rather quickly. I was certain to not have enough to complete the project. Turns out that I made a poor calculation when substituting yarn. The original pattern calls for Sirdar's Snuggly 4 ply. That is a fingering weight yarn that comes in balls of about 250 yards each. I used the yardage for Sirdar Snuggly DK, which has only 150 or so yards per ball. So, you can see my error resulted in my not having enough yarn. Of course, that dye lot is long gone. Well, replacement yarn is on the way, and hopefully I will have a new sweater for him this fall!
The lesson here? Make sure you substitute wisely, and double check the yardage.

I finished this sweater up this morning as Carlin was sleeping on the couch. She's been feeling lousy the last couple of days, so it's a good time for me to catch up on some knitting projects.

Here's a pic of the sweater:

The inspiration for the sweater came from I live on a Farm, but as you can see, the finished product isn't exactly like the original!

Now, off to work on Mitchell's sweater. Fortunately, I've got a year or so to finish it before he outgrows it!

I have seen several free and pay patterns for footie socks out there, but frankly, they didn't suit my needs. So, I took the best of each pattern and created my own. This pattern is a toe-up pattern on two circulars, but you could probably do it on dpns if you wanted. The catchy part is the cast on, but it can be done on dpns (or so I am told). This pattern is for a woman's shoe size 7.5-8, but it is easy to adjust to any foot. It does make socks that are about 1 full size large before washing as the Cascade Fixation yarn shrinks with washing. So, please keep that in mind as you make your own socks. Send me a pic of yours or post it on ravelry. I can't wait to hear from you!

Also, this pattern has not been FULLY error checked. You might find something that needs tweaking. Please leave a comment if you find something!