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Two Socks on One Circ

April 8, 2011

I hate having UFOs lying around. I really am pretty good at not starting too many new projects before other things are finished. I like having one mindless knitting project and one more focused, chart intensive kind of thing going at the same time so I can pick which to work on. So I don’t like having a third thing lying around, which is what these socks were. These socks were from a class I took a few months ago where we learned to do two socks on one circular needle, a technique I wanted to learn and immediately knew I disliked. As much as I love Magic Loop, I don’t like doing two items at one time – too much fiddling with the cables.

But the class did force me to learn to make socks, which I had never done, mostly because I just don’t wear socks. I go from sandals in the summer to my UGG boots in the winter, with no socks. But knitting my own socks may change my mind! Plus I wanted to start making socks for gifts – I do know that other people enjoy socks.

The instructor taught us how to make socks without using a pattern, which was a great lesson. These are toe-up socks, with an afterthought heel. We got to pick which kind of heel we wanted to do (I did a wedge) and which kind of bind off we wanted to do (I did a double crochet bind off).

picking up stitches for the afterthought heel

The afterthought heel was easy for me, because I’ve done so many afterthought thumbs with my mitten knitting.

picking out the waste yarn

grafting the heel with kitchener stitch

double crochet bind off

I like these socks a lot, although I made them a little too large for my feet. When you aren’t working from a pattern, you just have to go by feel. I forget to take into consideration that the socks would grow a little when I blocked them.

Pattern: None!
Yarn: Abundant Yarn & Dyeworks 100% Merino Wool
Needles: US#1 Circulars
Ravelry Page

Posted in finished objects, knitting, magic loop, socks/footwear | 3 Comments »

Pea Pod Baby Sweater and Hat

April 4, 2011

I just found out a short time ago that a food blogger I know, Maria, who writes “Two Peas and Their Pod” is having her first baby. I knew I would get to visit her in Utah on spring break, so how could I resist knitting her a little baby gift? No way! I love this cute little baby sweater from the Knitter’s Book of Yarn and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to make it.

I sewed a little hat to match from this pattern on Ravelry. I’ve made it before in different colors and I thought in greens it would look adorable and keeping with the “pea pod” theme:

I knit the sweater in a “pea green” color – how appropriate – and it’s good because it’s gender neutral. I used Berroco Vintage, which is a great blend that is machine washable and very soft.

I sewed a little label into the sweater. I got these cute little labels at this Etsy shop.

There is errata for this pattern, which I didn’t learn about until after I had knit for a while. For the smallest size, you need to cast on 36 stitches instead of 38. It didn’t seem to make much difference for me – I just took in the back seams a little when I assembled the sweater.

Pattern: Baby Soft Cardigan
Pattern for Hat: Berry Baby Hat
Needle for Sweater: US#9
Needles for Hat: US#8
Yarn: Berroco Vintage Fennel & Douglas Fir
Ravelry Pages: Sweater, Hat

Posted in baby stuff, finished objects, gifts, knitting | 9 Comments »

Duplicate Stitch

March 31, 2011

Sometimes if I want to add a little color to my knitting, but I don’t want to introduce a new yarn just for a few stitches, I will use duplicate stitch when the knitting is finished to add the color. It’s easy and quick and your little bits of color actually show up better, I think, than when they are knitted in. I’m using this technique on the Andalus Mittens that I am knitting right now.

Thread a tapestry needle with the color you wish to introduce.

Step #1: Insert your needle from the wrong side of the work into the bottom of the “V” of the stitch you want to color:

Thread tapestry needle through the middle of the stitches of the stitch above the stitch you want to color:

Bring needle through:

Insert tip back down into the bottom of the “V” of your designated stitch and then bring it up at the bottom of the “V” in the next stitch you want to color:

Finished Duplicate Stitch:

Knowing this technique allows you to add any little bits of color on your knitting anywhere you want! In a future post, I’ll show you how to correct color mistakes using duplicate stitch.

Posted in knitting, techniques | Tagged duplicate stitch | 1 Comment »

Frogged Lining

March 26, 2011

Well, I’ve done it again. I’ve chosen a yarn that’s too thick to line my mittens WIP with. Oh, well. Part of knitting is being willing to rip out. I’m knitting these Andalus Mittens for my MIL for Christmas next year (yes, I’m working on Christmas gifts already) and I lined them with Rowan Kidsilk Aura, a worsted weight yarn. It just was too thick for that mitten size, so I’m ripping it out and ordering some Kidsilk Haze, which is a lace weight. It also comes in a pretty apple green color and should work fine. The question is: should I hold it double or knit it single for the lining? On my Northman Mittens, I held it double but I’m not sure if that will be thin enough for these mittens.