Turtleneck Shrug

October 2005

I finally finished the Turtleneck Shrug (from the book Scarf Style)! I used three skeins of Cascade 220 (colour 4007) and four 4.5mm dpns. It's a little big, and let's face it, it's a little funny, but it'll be a cozy thing on a cold day.

Update: I've frogged this. I never wore it.

Bill's birthday socks II

October 2005

Quick-knit top-down socks for Bill's birthday, with two balls of Schoeller & Stahl Big Mexiko (100% superwash wool; worsted weight; colour: 7953). I used a 3.75mm circular needle, cast on 44 sts., increased to 46 after 15 rounds of 2-by-2 ribbing, did a short-row heel on 24 sts., and knit the foot on 48 sts. for Bill's superwide feet. The wool feels a little scratchy, but hopefully it will soften with wear and washing. (Warning! Two balls was barely enough for this pair of socks.)

Mom's birthday socks

September 2005

I knit these socks for my mom. Yarn is Regia Jacquard Color (2 balls; colour 5272); I cast 68 sts. onto a 2.25mm circular needle and did about an inch and a half of 2-by-2 ribbing before starting plain stockinette. I'm very pleased with how the colours/pattern came out on the short-row heels, and with the overall matchy-matchy-ness of the pair. My mom wears a lot of blue, so I hope she likes these -- they are a surprise for her birthday.

Maple Leafs socks

September 2005

Bill wanted socks reminiscent of a vintage Maple Leafs jersey, and these are what he got: top-down socks in worsted-weight Shelridge Farms Soft Touch W4 100% wool (colours: Blueberry and Natural White), knit on a 3.75mm circular needle. I cast on 44 sts., did 15 rounds of 2-by-2 ribbing, increased to 46 sts, did an Eye of Partridge heel, and then decreased to 48 for the feet. This wool is gorgeous, soft, and machine washable. I want to knit myself a head-to-toe bodysuit with this wool.

Addison's ribbed socks

September 2005

It's never too early for handknit socks, that's what I say, so I knit these for some friends' two-week-old daughter. I based the numbers on the Better-than-Booties Baby Socks patterns (by Ann Budd) in the summer 2005 Interweave Knits -- the pattern is also available online as a free PDF -- but just did *k1, p1* ribbing on the cuff and top of foot. These took just a wee part of a skein of Fleece Artist merino, knit up on 2mm needles. So adorable, plus I learned a new short-row technique.

Rib and Cable socks

September 2005

These are the Rib and Cable socks, by Nancy Bush, from Interweave Knits (fall 2005). I followed the pattern and cast on 60 sts., but only because they are for someone with feet smaller than mine (Hi, Carrie!). I like this pattern -- it's a quick knit, and it involves a heel turn and toe that I'd never seen before. These were knit on a 2.25mm circular needle with one skein of Fleece Artist merino. I might have to knit a pair for myself.

Ribbed socks

September 2005

One skein of Cherry Tree Hill merino (colour: Old Rose). One 2.25mm circular needle. 68 stitches cast on. 2-by-2 ribbing around the leg and top of foot. Heel flap and round heel on 34 stitches. Happy, happy feet.

Pretty comfy socks

August 2005

These top-down socks are based on a pattern called Pretty Comfy Sock, which I modified by casting on 72 sts (so there are nine lace panels). I used two balls of Wildfoote sock yarn (colour: Bark Cloth) and a 2.25mm circular needle. These socks are stretchy and, yes, both pretty and comfy.

Bill's Fleece Artist socks

August 2005

I knit these top-down socks for Bill with one skein of Fleece Artist merino (which I love). There's a bit of weird colour pooling, always a crapshoot with hand-dyed skeins, but it's actually most noticeable in photos. Bill has really wide feet and a high instep (pretty lucky, eh?), so I cast on 74 sts. for these socks. The feet fit well, but the cuffs are a little slouchy -- next time I'd probably knit 68 sts. around for the cuffs and increase to 74 for the feet after the short-row heel.

One Skein Wonder

July 2005

How cute is this? It's the One Skein Wonder, designed by Stefanie Japel of Glampyre Knits. I used a ball and a half of Lily Sugar 'n Cream cotton (colour: warm brown) -- 5mm needle for the st. st. / 4mm needle for the trim.

Lace Panel Socks

July 2005

These are the Lace Panel Socks from a Patons pattern book called Pull Up Your Socks. Yarn is Patons Kroy 4-ply (colour: regatta); I used four 2.25mm double-pointed needles. Stretchy, pretty -- I love these socks.

Basic cabled socks

July 2005

These socks are made of Patons Kroy 4-ply yarn (in the sadly discontinued colour "Orangina") on a 2.25mm needle. I made up the pattern, casting on 72 sts; the leg is just 2-by-2 ribbing with a 6-stitch cable on each side. Very stretchy and comfy.

Pattern: basic cabled socks

Dolman Updated

June 2005

This is the Dolman Updated sweater from Interweave Knits (winter 2003) -- pattern is also available online as a free PDF. Knit with 9 balls of Noro Kureyon (colour: 157) on 5.5mm needles. The Kureyon is bulkier than the yarn called for in the pattern, so I ended up with hugely long sleeves, and the neck is a bit wide, but this will be a great, cozy, comfy winter sweater. A good pattern for showing off a gorgeous stripey yarn, I think.

Wavy scarf

April 2005

It's never too late to knit a (90%) wool scarf in southwestern Ontario! This is from a Knitty pattern called Wavy. The yarn is Petrouchka "Chat Botté" (two 50-gram balls), for which I paid two dollars at a thrift store. I cast on 36 stitches (pattern called for 42), using 4.0mm needles, and got through 7.5 repeats of the pattern before the yarn ran out.

I used a new technique with the ribbing, to tighten up the transition from k to p: on first p stitch after k, bring yarn up (instead of down) through needles; on next row, ktbl. (A better explanation can be found on page 69 of Stitch n' Bitch Nation.) It really works!

Must Have Cardigan

March 2005

The Must Have Cardigan from a Patons pattern book called Street Smarts. Knit with Patons Classic Wool Merino (colour: natural mix) on 5mm needles. I knit the pieces in the spring of 2004 and finally blocked them and put it all together a year later, and it is thrilling! I love this cardigan. It's a bit heavy, but it fits well. I wore it to school and no one asked if I'd knit it myself -- I'm taking that as a compliment.

Purple Opal socks

January 2005

These are basic top-down stockinette socks, knit with Opal sock yarn (colour 188) on a 2.25mm circular needle. Short-row toes and heels, and a bit of 2x2 ribbing at the cuffs -- I cast on 72 sts.

Gold seaman's scarf

January 2005

This is a scarf I knit for Bill. He chose the yarn (gold worsted wool from eBay) and the pattern (Matthew seaman scarf). I used 4mm straight needles. Blocking was key -- it didn't look right to me at all as I was knitting, but as I blocked, the pattern suddenly appeared. (Whew!)

Cabled turtleneck sweater

December 2004

My new favourite sweater! Made with six skeins of worsted-weight Peace Fleece (70% wool, 30% mohair; colour: Violet Vyehchyeerom) on a 4.5mm needle, knit in the round from the bottom up. The centre cable is taken from a fall 2004 Interweave Knits pattern called Rhapsody in Tweed, by Kathy Zimmerman.

Waving Lace socks

December 2004

I knit these socks for a secret sock swap, so they live with someone else now. (Hi, Joanna!) The pattern, called Waving Lace, by Evelyn A. Clark, is from the spring 2004 issue of Interweave Knits. The waves are made with simple yarn-overs and decreases. I used buttery camel-coloured (012) Regia Silk sock yarn (55% wool, 20% silk, 25% polyamid) and a 2.25mm circular needle. These socks were knit from the top down, and the only variation from the pattern is the short-row heel.

Raglan skull sweater

November 2004

My first intarsia, and a success! Using a chart found online (courtesy of Domiknitrix), I knit this sweater with Patons Classic Merino (4.5 balls of dark grey mix and 1 of rich red) on 4.5mm needles. Knit in four pieces, no neckband. Features faux dropped stitches near bottom hem and neckline, and 2-by-2 ribbed cuffs.



Bonus shot: Behind the scenes:

Huckleberry scarf

October 2004

This scarf, like the recent mittens, was knit from Mountain Colors 4/8's wool (colour "huckleberry"). I used a 5.5mm needle and a free pattern found on Rachael's blog. Basically it's a nine-stitch braid cable flanked by seed-stitch. Pretty!

Huckleberry mittens

October 2004

I knit these mittens in three days -- an excellent distraction from all the reading I'm doing at school. I used Mountain Colors 4/8's wool (colour "huckleberry") and a circular 4.5mm needle. No particular pattern.

Not-too-warm keyhole scarf

October 2004

One ball of Wool-Ease (colour 180: forest green heather) + a 5mm needle = a scarf perfect for not-too-cold weather. Here's what I did:

c.o. 29 sts.
R1: *P1, K3* P1
R2: K1 *K1, P1, K2*
Repeat these two rows.

Making Waves socks

September 2004

This is the second pair I've knit as part of the Six Sox Knit-Along; the pattern is called Making Waves. I used Regia 4-ply sock yarn (colour 1250) and a 2.25mm circular needle. These were knit from the cuff down, with an Eye of Partridge heel (my first). I cast on 80 stitches, as the cable pattern pulls in. These are soft and comfortable, a little roomy. A success!

Regia mini-ringel socks II

August 2004

These are basic toe-up stockinette socks made from two balls of Regia mini-ringel sock yarn (colour 5343) on a 2mm circular needle (72 sts. around). I started with a square toe and inserted a six-point afterthought heel at the end, which works really well with these skinny stripes. The cuff is 2-by-2 ribbing. And they match!

Cloverleaf lace socks

August 2004

This pair of "cloverleaf lace" socks kick off the year-long Six Sox Knit-Along. I used stretchy cotton/elastic Cascade Fixation and a 2.5mm circular needle. These were knit from the cuff down (c.o. 60 sts.), with a short-row heel on 60% of the stitches (36 sts.). I'm not crazy about this bright green, and I wasn't crazy about the Fixation. It makes a nice squishy fabric, but I probably won't knit with it again.

Whole wheat lace socks

June 2004

I made these toe-up socks for myself using Patons Kroy sock yarn (colour: Flax) and one 2.25mm circular needle. This was my first time knitting an afterthought heel, and these are also my best-fitting socks yet. (Coincidence?) Other than the afterthought heel, I followed a pattern called Lace Top, Toe Up Regia Color Sock.

Retro Prep raglan sweater

May 2004

This is my first finished adult-sized sweater. The pattern -- Retro Prep -- is from the fall 2002 issue of Interweave Knits. The yarn is Noro Kureyon (colour 131). I used 4mm needles (approx. 5 sts./inch).

(Related blog posts and photos can be found here, here, here, and here.)

Feather and fan scarf

April 2004

This feather & fan scarf was knit with two skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport yarn (color: Tuscany), 4.5 mm needles, and a free pattern. I prefer the way the colours from the first skein came out (on the right), but the difference isn't this obvious in person. This scarf (unblocked) measures 8.5 inches by 49 inches.

(Related blog post with another photo here.)

Boa keyhole scarf

March 2004

I didn't realize I needed a fuzzy purple scarf until my friend Candy sent Bernat Boa in the mail! This keyhole scarf is from a pattern on the label. It took one ball of Boa (colour: Parrot) and a couple of hours. Fun! Purple! Utterly impractical!

Eleanore's earflap hat

March 2004

This wee hat was knit from the Kittyville Lil' Devil Baby Hat pattern. I used Bernat Denim Style yarn (a very soft worsted weight acrylic/cotton blend) and a 5mm circular needle. The bottom edge and earflaps are done in garter stitch, and the ties are three-stitch i-cord. I added a pompom instead of devil horns.

Regia mini-ringel socks

January 2004

These socks were fun, because of the yarn (Regia "Atlantis"), but they took a long time. Ribbing is k4p1tbl, which is a nice, tight, clean-looking rib. These were worked cuff down on 2.25 mm dpns. The striping sequence came out in opposite directions from each ball!

Bill's woolly hat

January 2004

The Chinese New Year holiday was ridiculously cold, so I whipped up this warm and woolly hat for Bill in a few hours. One strand bulky black wool (Soft Feather Maxi) and one strand of light worsted oatmeal wool (Zebra) held together on a 9mm circular needle: 3 rounds garter stitch; 15 rounds stockinette; begin decreases. Bill says, "This is the first hat I've ever worn in my life that's looked good on me." Thank you. Thankyouverymuch.

Kittyville hat

January 2004

I love my Kittyville hat. I used a worsted weight acrylic/wool/mohair blend and 5mm needles. The bottom edge, earflaps, and kitty ears are done in seed stitch, and the ties are three-stitch i-cord.

Bill's Xmas socks

December 2003

These are wool socks that I made for Bill for Xmas (I finished them on Christmas Eve -- whew!). I used Kid Royal Merino 100% worsted wool and 4mm bamboo dpns. This photo was taken after they were washed once, and washing made them incredibly soft. The leg is plain old k2p2 ribbing.

Mini sock ornaments

December 2003

I made these teeny socks as Xmas ornaments for friends. Cute! Sport-weight wool and small needles; each sock is two to three inches tall.

Hot water bottle cozy

November 2003

This was a Christmas present for my parents. I used one ball of Wool-Ease in Blue Mist and a 4.5mm circular needle. Rachael's pattern is easy to follow, and I think this is just the loveliest thing. No more hot water bottles wrapped in old towels for my folks! (My mother reports that the cosy isn't just cute, but practical: it keeps the hot water bottle hot for ages.)

Allison's Xmas socks

November 2003

I made these socks for my friend Allison. The yarn is Kid Royal Merino 100% wool (12 ply); each strand is variegated individually (pink, yellow, green, blue, gray, orange, purple). I used 3.75mm dpns. The cuff and top of the foot are k5-p1tbl ribbing.

Tom's Marsan watchcap

November 2003

This was a Christmas present for my brother, made from a free pattern at redlipstick.net. I used a wool-acrylic blend (Australian Cable brand) and cast on 112 sts in red before joining the charcoal. This is a stretchy, comfy hat -- and where I come from, it's called a toque!

Dawn's crazy footies

November 2003

I whipped up this pair of footies in less than a week, using a free pattern and Regia Crazy Colors yarn. I cast on 54 stitches; they were for a friend whose feet are smaller than mine. About two-thirds of the way through the second sock I had to start a second ball of Regia.

Bill's birthday socks

October 2003

I made these socks for Bill for his birthday. Yarn is Patons Astra in Charcoal Mix and Medium Gray; 3.75 mm bamboo dpns. I cast on 44 stitches, did a k1p1 rib on the cuff, and did k3p1 ribbing down the leg and top of foot.

Hot Sox ankle socks

September 2003

This is my first pair of toe-up socks. I made these ankle socks for myself with Bernat Hot Sox acrylic/nylon yarn (colour: Hot Tamale). I'm happy with the way the colours came out on the short-row toes and heels, but I don't really like the weird spiral striping that went on in the feet.

Leela's head kerchief

August 2003

I knit this rainbow head kerchief for a friend's daughter, using thrift-store acrylic and a free online pattern. I made a 5-stitch i-cord for the ties and attached it along the front of the kerchief. Four-year-old Leela is pretty happy with it.

Noah's raglan pullover

August 2003

I made this little raglan for a friend's almost-two-year-old son using the incredible custom-fit raglan sweater pattern, Regia self-striping sock yarn, and 4.5 mm needles. The neck opening was too small at first, but it turned out all right after a bit of fixing.