Northern Baby knitting pattern

I took the time to write out the pattern for the hat and mitts today. Sometimes it's hard to figure out a design, but I think it's harder to try and explain it so that others can duplicate it. If you knit this and have any questions, feel free to email me. I have included many links within this pattern if you need help learning a new technique. In some cases (for example, the knittinghelp.com pages) you'll need to scroll down to find the video you need to watch.


NORTHERN BABY HAT AND THUMBLESS MITTS

Yarn: S R Kertzer Northern Worsted (worsted weight, 100% acrylic)
Needles: 4.5mm/US # 7 dpns (or long circular for magic loop)
4.5mm crochet hook
3 split ring markers: one of one colour, two of a second colour
Gauge: 5 sts and 7 rows to 1 inch

Mitts: finished size 5” circumference, 4.25” long
Hat: finished size 17” circumference, 6” depth at front, 7” at back

Mitts (make 2)
Using dpns or long circular needle for magic loop, cast on 24 sts.
Work K2P2 rib for 7 rounds.
Eyelet round: (K2, yrn, P2tog) around
Continue in st st for 17 rounds (work measures 3.75” from cast on edge)
Decrease round: (K2tog) around (12 sts left)
K one round plain
(K2tog) around (6 sts)
Cut yarn with a 6” tail, thread darning needle and draw yarn through remaining sts to fasten off. Weave in tails.
Drawstring: make a crochet chain 75 chains long, thread through eyelets, tie knots in each end and trim tails.

Hat
Using dpns, cast on 6 sts and distribute 2 sts to each of three needles.
OR use Emily Ocker-type start - make a loop with the yarn, use crochet hook to create 6 loops, transfer to circular needle for magic loop.
Rnd 1 and all odd rounds unless otherwise stated - Knit
Rnd 2 - Kfb into each st (12 sts)
Place marker for beginning of round (this will be centre back of hat).
Rnd 4 - (Kfb, K1) rep the instruction between brackets around (18 sts)
Rnd 6 - (Kfb, K2) rep around (24 sts)
Rnd 8 - (Kfb, K3) rep around (30 sts)
Rnd 10 - (Kfb, K4) rep around (36 sts)
Rnd 12 - (Kfb, K5) rep around (42 sts)
Rnd 14 - (Kfb, K6) rep around (48 sts)
Rnd 16 - (Kfb, K7) rep around (54 sts)
Rnd 18 - (Kfb, K8) rep around (60 sts)
Rnd 20 - (Kfb, K9) rep around (66 sts)
Rnd 22 - (Kfb, K10) rep around (72 sts)
Rnd 24 - (Kfb, K11) rep around (78 sts)
Rnd 26 - (Kfb, K12) rep around (84 sts)

Knit even on these 84 sts for 14 rounds.

Short row shaping for brim:

Purl 1 round.
Keep marker at centre back (CB) and place two other markers (on needle between sts) after the 21st and 63rd stitches of round. You have now divided the sts so that the centre 42 stitches are in one section, a quarter (21) of the sts are at the beginning of the round and the remaining quarter (21) are at the end of the round.
In other words:

CB marker 21sts marker 42sts marker 21sts
and beg/
end of round

Outside of hat (smooth or “right” side) is facing you. You’re at the start of a round.

K 21 to first marker, W&T, K 21 to CB marker, do not turn work

You are now working with the inside of the hat facing you. Continuing in same direction, P 21 to second marker, W&T, P 21 to CB marker, do not turn work

Outside of hat is facing you. K one round. Do not turn work.

P to 3 sts from first marker, W&T, P to CB marker, do not turn work
K to 3 sts from second marker, W&T, K to CB marker, do not turn work

Outside of hat is facing you. P one round. Do not turn work.

K to 6 sts from first marker, W&T, K to CB marker, do not turn work
P to 6 sts from second marker, W&T, P to CB marker, do not turn work

Outside of hat is facing you. K one round. Bind off.



Abbreviations:
Magic Loop (video link here)
Emily Ocker cast on (link here)
st(s).....stitch(es)
dpns.....double pointed needles
K.....knit
P.....purl
yrn.....yarn round needle (bring yarn forward between needle tips, take it over the right needle and bring it forward again between needles ready to purl)
P2tog.....purl two stitches together
st st.....stockinette stitch (when working in the round, knit every stitch)
K2tog.....knit two stitches together
Kfb.....knit into the front and back of next stitch, thereby increasing a stitch
rep.....repeat
CB.....centre back
W&T......wrap and turn (knit or purl to place stated in pattern, slip next stitch purlwise from left needle to right needle, bring yarn between needle tips to opposite side, slip the stitch back onto left needle, turn work ready to knit in opposite direction)

Tarot card bag pattern

Someone on Ravelry sent me a message complimenting my tarot card bag and wondering about pattern details. I had a dig through one of my pattern folders and found my handwritten notes. Surprised to find I hadn't already published this, I am doing it now.

This is a small bag which fits my mini Motherpeace tarot card set perfectly. It might not work for standard large rectangular sets. With a gauge of 5.5 sts/1 inch, my bag was about 10 inches in circumference, 5 inches deep and the pentagon base is about 3 inches across.

I used Araucania Pomaire cotton - a worsted (medium) weight cotton yarn and US#6 (4mm) double pointed needles. It's a large skein - I think this bag took used less than half, so a 50g ball will be enough if you substitute. Gauge is not as important as liking the texture of the fabric.
Also required - five split ring markers, one a different colour from the rest

Cast on 50 sts onto one needle. Distribute evenly between three needles and join into a round (I usually knit the first couple of sts with both strands of yarn, then drop the tail to continue).
Knit 3 rounds.
Next round (YO, K2tog) 24 times, K2 to make an even number of holes for drawstring
Knit 3 more rounds then purl 1 round.
Knit for about 30 rounds, putting in random purl sts for texture.


Decrease for base:
Purl 1 round.

Place markers - you'll need four markers the same plus one that looks different. The single colour will mark the beginning of the round and first decrease point, the others will mark the other decrease points. Use the markers to divide up the sts, 10 sts in each section. Tip - make sure that the decrease points don't fall at the end of a needle - it's easier to keep the markers on. Shuffle around the sts if necessary.

First decrease round - K2tog at beginning and end of each section (40 sts remain)
K two rounds plain
K2tog at beg and end of each section (30 sts rem)
K one round plain
K2 tog at beg and end of each section (20 sts rem)
K two rounds plain
K2tog around (10 sts rem)
K one round plain
K2tog around (5 sts rem)

Cut yarn, leaving a 6 inch tail, thread it onto a darning needle and draw the tail through the remaining sts to gather them up and fasten off.
Weave in tail on inside.
Make a twisted cord, crocheted chain or i-cord (or use a ribbon) as a drawstring and thread it through the eyelets.

Another little item finished

Made these today to match the hat. Hopefully they will fit little hands OK.

Photographed on a Monopoly board because we were playing earlier - and I have been raking in the money but took a break to get on the computer for a bit. Toy Story is playing so the kids aren't missing me!

Happy Christmas to all and best wishes for health, wealth and happiness in 2009.

A knitting-loaded post

It's time I updated my knitting progress here. I have two projects officially on-the-go at the moment, but I digressed yesterday with some baby/kid hats to give to my neighbour who's due to have a boy in a few weeks.

I've started a red sweater with very cheap acrylic yarn. It feels soft enough so I'm hoping that I don't do all the work then regret it! It'll be a seamless bottom-up one, as per Elizabeth Zimmermann's books, knitted in a K4, P1 rib. Raglan sleeves. Big foldover collar. I hope.


The first blue sock (elann esprit) is nearly done - just the toe shaping to go, along with some woolly nylon for reinforcement.


Yesterday afternoon, after I had finished all the cleaning, I spent a while in my sewing room downstairs (I should probably rename it my "knitting room" as I knit more than I sew these days). I ran up this hat - used the Bond to make a rectangle about 18 inches wide by 12 inches tall, leaving the live stitches to be picked up top and bottom with knitting needles. I knitted a crown on each end, sewed up the side seam, pushed one half inside the other and, presto, a double thick hat.


And in the evening, I went to knit night at my local yarn store. Feeling like a change of scene (yarn) I picked up a 100g skein of S R Kertzer's Northern Worsted in a variegated blue and started another hat. This time, I used a loop and crochet hook to start with 6 stitches, transferred them to a circular needle, and magic-looped my way around the crown of the hat until the increases were done and I could change to a 16 inch circ (thanks to Denise interchangeables)! After a couple of inches of straight knitting, I switched to garter stitch, added some short rows at the back, and it was done.....at 1am this morning.


There's enough yarn left on the skein to make a pair of thumbless baby mitts, I think, so that's what I'm going to do as soon as I get the chance.

That photo at the top is the pile of knitting library books I currently have. It's good to have a stack of these around while they're closed over Christmas.


And this is a pretty blue glass "bowl" which a friend of mine gave me today. I decided it would look nice on my coffee table with small balls of leftover yarn in it. (Better than a flower arrangement - no water required.)

Marble Wrap Vest pattern

Here are the instructions for my Marble Wrap Vest. Yes, I know they are tiny, but if you click on the images they get a lot bigger. I will go back and reformat these documents into a pdf in a minute for those who would like me to email them the documents - email me by clicking on the link in the sidebar and request the pattern and I will send it to you.

I designed and knitted this vest using pencil drawings. I drew this out in Appleworks Drawing, which I rarely use. I have added the notes for clarity. Let me know if it needs more information.

Stealth knitting unveiled

I found this pattern online for a Doggie Bag. This isn't the sort of bag you use to take your leftovers home from a restaurant. This is for taking something else home - yup, doggie doodoo!

I have a couple of friends with dogs and I decided that they just had to have pretty bags in which to carry their dogs' poop. The bag below is the one I made first. I used the Red Heart Artesano left over from making the (failed) Morgan cap. I followed the pattern and was rather pleased with it.

However, I decided to try making one without the cables and with a little patch pocket. I prefer it. The pocket holds a little bottle of hand sanitizer (or a key or some money).



The bags were used as temporary gift wrap for some jars of home-made spiced almonds, but are destined for smellier pursuits :o)

(Just to make it absolutely clear, the dog poop will be picked up in a plastic bag and well wrapped before it is placed in the knitted bag.....thankfully.)

Marble Wrap Vest is done

Just as I opened the window to start this post, I decided to name my latest finished project the Marble Wrap Vest. Pretty obvious, really - it's knitted from James C Brett's Marble DK (acrylic) yarn and it has a wrapover front that fastens with a shawl pin.

I knitted it on US#8 needles, except for the armhole finishing, for which I used #6. If I made this again, I'd use the Denise needles - much gentler on the fingertips!

When I tried it on yesterday after sewing the shoulder seams, I was disappointed to see that the fronts of both armholes were gaping. That's where I cast on the stitches while knitting the front pieces.

So I settled myself in front of the fire in the evening with my crochet hooks, knitting needles and yarn, and started out by crocheting around one armhole. It looked OK, but not perfect. So then I went over to the other armhole and tried picking up and knitting the stitches with a #6 needle. After purling, knitting then purling the following rows, I cast off, and I was happy with the result. It cinches in the armhole neatly. So the crochet stitches came out and the other armhole received the knitting treatment, I darned in all the ends, and it's done.

I love finishing things.

Thoughts on knitting and gift-giving

I think we're due for a miscellaneous update tonight!

Let's see, what's been happening. Well, I ripped out the red and pink yoga sock-in-progress last week because I didn't like the puckering that was happening with the checkered pattern. Yesterday I started again and I've nearly finished one yoga sock. It's red with pink stripes on the first section, then after the gap for the heel I've made a rather cute stranded pattern which I wish I had thought of at the beginning! I don't know whether to make the second sock the same, or go for something different just to be contrary. I'll wait to photograph it when it's done, so I don't jinx it and then have to rip it out.

The Denise needles are very comfortable on the hands compared to the aluminum needles - maybe that's why the vest is not progressing very fast. I seem to be deliberately distracting myself from it. Still, there's no deadline, so it doesn't matter.

Did you know the Winter Knitty is out? I haven't had a proper look at it yet but I always love something in it (and the patterns are FREE). I think this has to be the wonderfullest (!) photo in the world...

it's a Tushy Cushy - yes a cushion in the shape of a derriere. But it's the baby that makes this photo so darned appealing.

To change the subject yet again, I made a rough meal plan for December. I generally have a plan for all the dinners for the week, then make my shopping list from a master list of all the foods I usually buy. For December, Lego Nut decided he was going to make the meal plan for Yule week (from the 18th on). He went through a vegan cookbook from the library and wrote out his plan. It's way more detailed than my plan for the rest of the month, but we're going to be having extra desserts and mince pies and our Solstice dinner that week, so it's worth thinking ahead.

At the weekend, I did my weekly shop, but I doubled or tripled the non-perishables in the hope that they'll last until the end of the month. I don't want to be fighting the crowds as it gets closer to Christmas (and listening to all those tacky Christmas songs) so if I can stock up on everything except the produce then that works for me!

When I look in my kitchen pantry, my refrigerator and even my cold storeroom in the basement (which is holding the overflow) I feel so blessed that we can afford this abundance. I thanked Tai Chi Man for earning the money that allows us to buy all this wonderful food. We're not extravagant .... we don't entertain at this time of year or go out to parties .... we don't buy alcohol .... we go out to eat once a month at most .... our Yule meal will just be something simple for the five of us .... and our gifts to each other will be inexpensive .... but we buy and eat good quality food and consider ourselves fortunate to be able to support our health in this way.

And finally:
I made a gift for a friend today and it made me think about sharing my philosophy of gift-giving. In a free magazine that I brought home from the health food store this week, I found a recipe for spiced roasted almonds. I made a double batch, knowing that I would want to eat some myself! I filled a jar with some of the almonds and put a cloth square over the top of it to pretty it up a bit. I made a pomander out of an orange, sticking cloves into it, making a hanger out of some i-cord (from my knitting mill), and tying some cinnamon sticks and a pine sprig on top. I wrote out a coupon offering my friend a free computer-help session (she usually insists on paying me for my time, so that coupon is worth about $20 to her). This bundle of gifts from me to her took a little of my time and very little money, but I know she will appreciate it.

I want to encourage more people to think simple for their gift-giving each Christmas. Why get stressed and in debt every December when you could step back from the pressure and think of things that people will like that might only cost you some time - like hand-made coupons for things you can do for them in the coming year?

Having those almonds already made today had a side benefit. A neighbour called at the door to say Happy Christmas and have a chat and he offered us some of his apples from this year's harvest. When I went around to his house to collect them, I took a jar of almonds as a Thank You - great timing, eh!

A quick hat

I wanted a new hat to keep my noggin warm. I had 10 balls of the James C Brett Marble (Landscape colour), 4 of which are being used for the vest. As a break from all the garter stitch, I grabbed two skeins, some #10 needles, and knitted this with two strands held together. I cast on 75 stitches for a 20.5 inch circumference - it's snug - and after the first 9 rounds or so I purled a row to control the curl. Then it was 5.5 inches of straight knitting.

Usually when I decrease for the crown, I line up the "Knit 2 Togethers" and they are easily visible. This time I staggered them to make the shaping more subtle. The first decrease round took out 5 stitches to leave 70. Then I decreased 7 stitches every other round until there were 21 left. The next two rounds were also decrease rounds and then I gathered up the last 7 stitches and wove in the tail.

I can't remember the exact day I started knitting this but it didn't take me long. I made good progress on it yesterday at Knit Night and today I finished it just before a friend arrived for a visit. While she knitted on her seed stitch blanket (this lady has PATIENCE) I added a few rows to my vest.

The temperature's dropped this week - it's supposed to go down to minus 8 Celsius tonight. The next couple of days are expected to stay well below freezing. A good time to knit (and to wear your knitting).

The Yarn Harlot's calendar

I don't know how I managed to miss this one, but I recently heard about the Yarn Harlot's page-a-day calendar for 2009 - Never Not Knitting! I think it's been available for a while. Anyway, I called my local bookstore and they had ONE left. They put it behind the counter for me and I went and picked it up on Friday.

I am exercising great restraint in not opening this yet. Best to wait and enjoy each page as the year goes by, rather than reading ahead and spoiling it all.


I missed out again on catching the daylight for my vest photo, so just went ahead and took it using the flash. If you look closely (or better yet, click on the photo and get the mega-size version) you'll see the progress I've made on the right front. I like that the variegated yarn is striping vertically on the front. Of course, as my rows get shorter, the shaded stripes get wider. It won't be long 'til the front is done, then I think I'll pin the shoulder seam together so I can try it on. Hopefully, I'll like what I see and will instantly pick up the stitches on the left side and merrily knit away. Alternatively, I might not - and then - sniff - there might be some frogging (ripping out).

The kitchen timer is bleeping impatiently so must run and check the chili.

Blogging

I started a new thread in one of the forums in Ravelry today. I asked people what keeps them interested in reading a blog. This is what I like about a blog...

Regular and frequent posting. Chatty posts. Knitting content. Pictures. A picture of the person who’s posting so I know what they look like. Decent spelling and grammar!

I have an evolving list of blogs that I read. At the moment, there are probably about 25 on the list, but every now and then I will go through them and if I haven't seen anything new from a blog in weeks, I delete it. Also, if I find that the posts are uninteresting or uninspiring, I delete it too. What do YOU like in a blog?

I finished another small knitting project today but it's not something I can show you yet. I also made more progress on my Marble vest - I love it when the rows get shorter and shorter - it feels like I'm knitting faster! I'll have to get a photo of it tomorrow.

And I've been playing around with red and pink Elann Esprit tonight. The red yarn left over from the mother-in-law socks should be enough, when supplemented with the pink, to knit some yoga socks. What are yoga socks, you ask? They are socks without heels and toes, of course. I just googled it and found some here which look similar to the socks I plan to make. I started with a few rows of garter stitch in red, then changed to a red/pink checkerboard pattern (insert pause here while I artfully arrange work on keyboard and get a quick photo to show you)! It looks quite pretty but it's fiddly - after I started on the double pointed needles, I remembered that I was going to use two circs. It probably would have been easier.

I will finish tonight by asking myself why I'm spending so much time READING and TALKING about knitting when I could be KNITTING?!?!?!?!?!

Free pattern

At the beginning of this year, I knitted a seaman's scarf for my father-in-law. I know he said he wasn't a great scarf-wearer - he never really gets cold enough - but I wanted to knit him something and this was it!

I knitted it with Bernat Soy - and contrary to the picture, I did actually finish it - I must have forgotten to photograph the finished item before I mailed it to him.





Anyway, the purpose of today's post is to offer this as a free pattern to those who request it. My email can be accessed by clicking on the "email me" doo-hicky in my sidebar on the left, and I will in return send a pdf of the pattern.

I originally posted this on the other blog to which I was contributing from January 07 to May 08 (which will remain nameless - bitter memories) and have had a few requests for the pattern so far, so I know that there's a demand for it. I just haven't figured out how to get the pdf available online.

Knit night

I don't have any pretty pictures to show you today but I wanted to say I had a lovely evening at Kelowna Yarn and Needlecrafts tonight. Tuesday nights are knitting nights at the store and I carpooled with a new friend.

It's funny how things happen...

A few weeks ago I was walking around my neighbourhood, just getting some exercise, when I happened to pass a mum with a little girl on a tricycle. I said hello and carried on, but I was sure I knew her from somewhere. Then it clicked! I had seen her face on Ravelry!

Amazingly, my brain also managed to put a name to the face (otherwise I would have been having to check everyone's avatars in the forums to try to track her down). That evening, I PM'd her and said, "Was that you?" Turns out I was right, she's a knitter, she's on Ravelry and she lives just a few roads away from me.

So tonight she drove us to the knit night, at which I met another lady who reads my blog and lives very close to me (we met before at the Cat Bordhi workshop earlier in the year) (Hi Ann). And I made good progress on my Marble vest - I've started the decreases for the shaped right front. Add to that some stealth knitting this afternoon that I can't show you because it's a gift, and I have two very sore index fingers, one calloused and the other with a split in the skin. Maybe there IS such a thing as too much knitting!

I love how knitting knits people together as well as yarn!

Playing with Photoshop, food and yarn

My kids know way more about playing in Photoshop than I. I wanted to add a couple of handwritten lines to my vest photo using a tablet and pen, and I didn't have a clue how to go about it. The resulting photo should be credited to them!

The circled area #1 is the spot where I originally was dissatisfied with the stitch-picking-up so I ripped back a few rows and redid it, adding an extra stitch in the cast-on row. Much better now.

The edge #2 is the cast-on for the front armhole, which I'm afraid to say I also had to do twice. The first time, I knitted on 45 stitches but found them way too loose, so again had to go back and re-do it. I am not 100% happy with the edge and may end up crocheting around all the edges when the knitting is done to make it look neater.

While Ninja Boy and Lego Nut were enjoying their art class this afternoon, Tai Chi Man and I went to buy our health foods for the week then wandered around Chapters. I found this book --->
which seems like an excellent one to have at home. It has many of the poses that I have been doing already (using library books) plus lots of other information. For the price of a couple of classes, I can use this at home and not worry about having to return it to the library!





Tonight, I made some mincemeat. Yule is not Yule without mincemeat. Mince pies were always traditional at Christmas when I was growing up, but many commercial brands have suet in them. I have a fat-free recipe in my handy kitchen file that I use every year....here it is for your enjoyment.


Mincemeat (vegan and fat-free)

3 cups dried currants
1.5 cups golden raisins
1.5 cups raisins
.75 cup candied peel
1 pound apples, peeled and finely chopped
2.5 cups sugar
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
zest and juice of 2 lemons
.75 cup brandy or fruit juice

(Notes: I don't use the candied peel as I can't find any that is additive-free. I just leave it out. I reduced the sugar to 2 cups when I made it today. Only use the zest of lemons that are organic and unwaxed. I use apple or grape juice, not brandy.)

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, cover and leave overnight. Put into sterilised jars and leave in the refrigerator for 4 - 6 weeks. (This recipe will fill four 500ml/2 cup jars.)

Keeping warm

Tuesday evening:
(hand-written and typed up next morning)

I'm sitting in my living room with a poncho around my top half, a blanket around my bottom half and another blanket covering my feet (plus a hot water bottle). I'm too cheap.... um, frugal, to put the thermostat up so am enjoying the benefits of lots of knitting. I have a cup of rooibos tea brewing nearby and easy access to at least two knitting projects (one of which will have to remain secret as it's a gift). Tai Chi Man is out and the kids are keeping themselves busy in another part of the house and all is peaceful.

I found Sally Melville's website today. There was a thread on a Ravelry forum about favourite knitting books and I listed mine (which include Sally's three Knitting Experience books - The Knit Stitch, The Purl Stitch, and Color). It reminded me that I was hoping that Sally was going to be publishing another book, so I googled her and found her site. I emailed her and have already received a reply.

She has a new book due out next March called Mother-Daughter Knits: 30 designs to flatter and fit. It's co-written with her daughter. I'm looking forward to seeing it, though I have to say I'm a little disappointed that there may not be any new volumes in the Knitting Experience series. I think Sally's original plan was for a fourth book on Texture and a fifth on Design. That would have made a comprehensive set.

Last night, I started picking up stitches along the side seam of the vest. A couple of rows in, I encountered a knot and realised a turquoise section of yarn was missing. Boo hoo, my favourite part. Never mind, I pressed on for a few more rows, but the lower edge was bugging me. I had picked up 70 stitches, one in each garter ridge, but I think I should have picked up an extra one in the cast on row. The edge of the front wasn't in line with the back - so I ripped it out and I'll tackle it again later, but for now I'm digressing with a small stealth project. Of course, if you're in Ravelry you'll be able to see it, but as the recipient of the gift is not (as far as I know) then I'm safe!

Two socks, four days

I amaze myself sometimes! ;o)

Mum-in-law's socks are done. I am calling them Red Cloud socks, as I was watching a video from the library the other night while knitting. It was called How the West was Lost and was a very moving documentary of how the First Nations people suffered as the Europeans moved across North America. One of the names mentioned was Red Cloud.

Detail of the leg....the pattern was very simple. It was a panel of only 7 stitches with a 4 row repeat, three of which were just straight knitting. Knitted with elann esprit, 4mm needles, used a total of 56 grams (2 oz) of yarn (slightly more than one ball).

Before I sign off for tonight, I would encourage you to go look at this site. The artwork is amazing. Beautiful paintings of fantasy scenes, with winged dolphins among other things. Ninja Boy and Lego Nut start art classes with an artist friend tomorrow and when asked to bring a landscape picture as inspiration for their paintings, they chose two of these. Probably very different from what she expects!

Multitasking

While Flickr uploads some knitting photos so that I can include them on the blog and update my Ravelry project pages, I thought I'd open a third window and start on this post!

Another way in which I'm multitasking is that I have started another knitting project today. I have knitted birthday presents for almost all of my family this year, and it's my mother-in-law's birthday in December. Allowing for knitting time and mailing time (at least a week if I send it airmail) time is of the essence.

So I cast on for some socks with the ruby Elann Esprit. Mum-in-law has smaller feet than mine, so I'm knitting them in a Woman's Small from the sock pattern in the Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. With the Esprit and 4mm (size 6 US) needles, this means I only have to cast on 44 stitches.
I am using a pattern from one of my Harmony stitch pattern books called Little Shell, making a lacy panel down each side of the sock leg (you can see it in the photo above - you'll probably have to click on the picture to make it larger to see the detail of the stitch pattern). I'm keeping the sock leg short - started with 4 rounds of garter stitch, then changed to stockinette with the shell pattern. In just one day, I have turned the heel and am on my way down the instep. These socks should fly off the needles and be mailed in plenty of time for the birthday girl.....er, woman.

It's safe to blog about these socks because my in-laws don't have a computer (as long as my parents don't give the game away when they see them)!

No-name Vest

Many designers come up with imaginative names for their designs. Maybe I should take a leaf out of their books and think of something for this vest, but I have not been struck by any ideas yet.

As you can see, the back is coming along nicely - about another 5 inches to go, I think.


Do you like my knitting bag? I have a few bags that I use, but this one is my favourite. I made it from a small pair of jeans. I just sewed straight across above the curve of the crotch seam, then lined them with cotton fabric. I then used a piece of the leg for a handle.

Knitting, buses and studs

Funny how sometimes I can go for days without posting and then other times I can post two or three times in one day.

I was going to photograph the progress on the vest earlier but couldn't find a clean sunny spot to do it and then I realised I had to run off to the bus.

Buses (waiting for them and riding on them) make excellent knitting opportunities. This morning I had to drag myself out of my warm bed to take the car to the tire place to get winter tires put on. It's getting harder and harder to find any tires for our Ford Festiva - it takes 12 inch ones and most cars are now 13 inch or bigger.

As I didn't have an appointment, they said to drop it in and leave it for the day. Assuming that they would get around to my car late in the day, I walked downtown (about 40 minutes - I could have taken a bus but it was a nice day and the exercise was good). I was early for the bus so sat on a bench waiting - and knitting. Two teenage girls sat down next to me and after a short pause, one said, "Is knitting hard?" Kudos to her for knowing I was knitting, and being interested! I told her no, it's easy, well, after the initial learning part, which doesn't take long.

Waiting is SO much nicer when there is knitting in your hands. I have now decreased for the armholes - started out with 98 stitches at 5 stitches to the inch - knitted 14 inches - decreased 9 stitches each side for the armholes - and now that I'm down to 80 stitches per row (which isn't a whole lot less really) I feel like I'm moving on much faster.

The funny thing is that I arrived home at about 11.10am to find a message on my answering machine from the tire shop - my tires were switched and the car was ready for pickup! I could have run off to the bus straight away to go back into town, but I stayed home, ate lunch and did the housework first. Mid-afternoon, I caught a bus, my husband picked me up at the station and drove me to the tire place.

Be envious - I now have STUDS on my tires. They don't look anything like THESE studs though - shame!

Ravelry Rocks!

I met some great new people today. One of the groups on Ravelry (which is the best knitting and crocheting community on the 'net) is a local one and they have started having monthly Sit and Stitch meetings. Five of us met at a coffee shop this afternoon and it was great to meet some online friends in the flesh. Not surprisingly, most of the talk was about knitting, yarn, crochet and family (in that order) - it was like finding an English-speaker in a foreign land - you can understand each other!

Another benefit of having some simple knitting with you is that it seems to grow much faster while you talk with friends. My vest knitting is just straight garter stitch at this stage. I have just reached the end of the first skein and am nearly to the armhole shaping for the back.

I (very virtuously) made sure that the grocery shopping was done this morning, so was able to relax this afternoon. Tomorrow....lunch out!