knitting away again

Work just hasn’t been that busy so knitting is making progress. On The Needles right now:

1) still working on Mom’s Not Pink Stole 2) Holly Red and Green Snowflakes

I’ll be writing up the free pattern for this pair shortly.  The ’snowflakes’ are pretty easy and can be placed wherever suits you on the leg portion.  The heel is your somewhat standard sl1 type heel and the turn will be fairly standard as well.  At the moment, I’m planning the instep and sole to be plain green and toe plain red but that is subject to change.

3) Blackrose Wristlets

The free pattern for these pretty wristlets is from Knitty 2008 by Knittyspin. I like the way these are working up in Knit Picks Imagination.

This afternoon I took Marci shoe/cosmetic shopping.  omg….  How does one spend that much money so fast?!  yikes.  But, she really does need the shoes.  One of her close friends is getting married next Friday (yep, day before Halloween) and Marci needs shoes to wear to the celebration.  I ended up getting her a pair of flats, pair of heels, a warm winter hat and some mittens (she DID ask if I could make some for her which of course, I all ready have started but she needs some this week so….)  I even bought myself a $6 pair of blue shoes with black heels and we decided $2.00 on vintage type clutchish handbags was a fantastic deal so got one red one and one nude/black lace one to share.

David needs new shoes too so…. going to have to get some next week along with a couple pairs of jeans.

Mint Green Fraternal Twin Socks

And finally here’s the Fraternal Twin Sock pics.  It’s been several months since they were finished but I just got around to photographing.  As you can see, I got bored and changed the foot design a bit on the second one. 

The heel is WAY too shallow but they fit fairly well anyway.  It’s my own fault, I was making up the design in my head as I went – oops.

I also did my own nails (as in acrylics) and toes.

Roll Top Pearlies Free Sock Pattern

This started out as something I can pick up and put down at a moments’ notice. Have to admit, I’m really loving them! So far, I’ve only got one nearly finished but here’s the pattern straight out of my scary brain:

roll top pearly sock heel view

The ‘lumpy’ things are pearls – they look cute and add texture when stretched out – pic of finished object coming shortly.

roll top pearly sock 2

Materials:
Knit Picks Essential Lilac (2 skeins)
dpns: size 3 and size 2.75mm

Using size 3’s cast on 60 stitches fairly loosely, join in the round
Knit 6 rows
Knit 2 Pearl 2 ribbing 5 rows
Switch to smaller needles
Knit 2 Pearl 2 ribbing 2 rows

Knit 18 rows throwing in 2 pearl stitches wherever you feel like – try for somewhat random look

Divide for heel putting 15 stitches each on dpn 1 and 2; 30 on dpn 3

Slip 1 Knit 1 across
Slip 1 Pearl 1 across
repeat until you’ve worked as deep as you need your heel, about 30 rows

Turn heel beginning on WS row:
Pearl 17 Pearl 2 tog, P1 more turn
Knit 5 Knit 2 tog K1 more turn
Repeat this until you have 18 stitches left (knit or pearl according to side to one stitch prior to the ‘gap’ P2 tog on wrong side, K2 tog on right side then do one more stitch)

End on knit row then pick up 15 stitches evenly across heel edge, knit along the top (I usually move the sock top stitches onto one needle at this point). Using another dpn pick up 15 stitches along other edge and knit to middle of heel. Arrange stitches if needed so you have the 15 picked up stitches and half the heel stitches on one dpn and half the heel stitches and the other 15 picked up stitches on the other.

Knit around.

Gusset decreases:
Beginning at middle of heel knit to last 3 stitches, K2 tog, K1
Knit across top
K1 S1 K1 PSSO (pass slipped stitch over just knit stitch)
Knit across next round
Continue this pattern until you have 15 stitches remaining on each of the heel needles. (Note: I only decrease until 18 stitches remain since I have wide feet then do extra toe decreases later. Feel free to adjust as needed.)

Knit around 40 – 44 rows according to foot length stopping 1.5 inches shorter than total length of sock foot.

Toe: Starting at the center back of the heel, work across to last three stitches and K2tog, K1. On instep needle K1, Sl1, K1 psso, knit across to last three stitches, K2 tog, K2. On second heel needle K1, Sl1, K2, psso, Knit across.
Knit across next round.
Continue this pattern for 9 rows until you have 24 stitches left, 6 on each of the heel needles and 12 on the instep needle. Knit across next heel needle, slip remaining heel needles’ stitches onto that needle and continue knitting across. The yarn should be at the side of the sock. Cut yarn leaving about 15 inches and weave remaining stitches together. (See Kirchner link on side bar.)

Fingerless glove modifications

Yule Blessings

It’s been COLD and snowy here the last few days.  Friday afternoon we had a huge storm, it was so bad that it took nearly three hours to drive home from work.  Actually, I got within five miles of home and decided not to go any further on bald tires.  It was a bit more adventuresome and dangerous than I was up to.  Fortunately, B was willing to come pick me up.

And…. it made me think about gloves.   I enjoy how cozy and comforting gloves feel when it’s bitter cold and windy.  However, I do not enjoy ‘the gap.’  That’s my not so technical term for how the wind blows down my coat sleeve between the glove and wherever my shirt sleeve has ended up.  How to avoid this… make gloves longer, of course!

I was in the middle of a pair of fingerless gloves for gifting and decided to add about two inches length before starting the thumb gusset.  They’re for a male recipient so kept the ribbing going a little longer to avoid any ride-up during wear.  I’m thinking out a way to incorporate longer lace ribbing with some decreases (maybe!) for a pair of gloves for another recipient.  This is what I’ve come up with so far: 

The stitch pattern can be found on Knitty.   It’s a pretty straight forward knit/purl/yo/decrease pattern but I think might be a little warmer than some of the other lacy ribbings.  And it still needs to be reasonably stretchy.  I’d rather avoid decreasing the overall width if possible BUT I don’t want it to be too tight for someone who may have a wider forearm.  Guessing a couple of test knits will be in order then, if all goes well, I’ll write up the pattern and post it.

Progress is being made on the Christmas knitting.  WRT socks are mid gusset on sock 2.  Fingerless gloves for …….. are 3/4 finished.  I’m coming to terms with the lack of time so am revising some gift things.   I have a funny feeling that Mom is going to get the reverse of what she used to give me.

When I was a little girl, sometimes she would give me the fabric and pattern for a new project then we would work on it together after the holidays.  I have learned so much from watching Mom and working with her.  It seems like a good idea to give her the yarn and needles for the pillow I want to make her then work it up, hopefully with her.  She’s an outstanding knitter, seamstress, and quilter but doesn’t spend much time doing any of those these days.  I would truly enjoy being able to go spend time with her talking and knitting.  It’s been a very, very long time since we did such things together.

And… as soon as I’m finished with the gift knitting I AM going to start a pair of socks for myself.  It’s freaking COLD (oh, I mentioned that a few times?!) and I need some warm, pretty socks.  I dug out the first pair of socks I made – basic tube socks in pretty pastels – and am going to kirtchener the toes which counts as one pair.  They’re an acrylic blend though so going to have to make some wool ones.  I knit.  It’s the rules.  hehehe

Oh…. and one more thing … as always…. I’m totally and utterly in love with Alice Starmore’s Aran and Celtic knitting. Check out her projects and patterns on Ravelry.  Once I’ve got the finances under control, I’m going to be doing some serious stashing to work up a few of her patterns.  I can’t wait!

In non-knitting news, B got my nails done for Christmas.  What a wonderful, thoughtful, magnificent gift.  They’re a beautiful holiday red now.  I’m one of those weird people who have to have nails to keep my hands ‘balanced.’  Thank you!!!!!!