Snowy Jane Bennet Socks

I don't know if I've ever talked about this on the blog before but it's probably about time. I've had a steady love affair with Jane Austen for almost 20 years. (I must be getting old!) I read all the books while in high school (a time period which coincided with a heyday in her popularity). I even wrote a lengthy paper on two of my favorite books, Pride & Prejudice and Persuasion. Of course, I don't stop at the books. I love the movies as well. If you haven't seen the BBC miniseries version of P&P with Colin Firth, you should probably stop whatever you're doing right now and watch it. It will be the best six hours you ever spent.

Winter Wardrobe – No. 2 Knitted Socks

To kick off my DIY Winter Weekends Wardrobe, I have a new pair of knitted socks. In the interest of full disclosure, I need to admit that I actually started these socks back in May. And I finished them last weekend. Are you wondering why one toe is black? Well, these socks were stash busters. I had one ball of blue variegated yarn that I bought years ago and I thought it would be just enough for one pair. When I got to the end of the second sock and realized it was not quite enough, I substituted in some black yarn leftover from these socks.

Free Pattern – Chunky Cable Knit Hat (Revised)

About a year ago, I posted this free pattern for a chunky cable knit hat. Just in time for the winter, I've updated the instructions, worked out some kinks and created a large size hat as well. So, if you've been afraid of knitting cables, it's time to give it a shot. They're not that hard to do and look so very impressive. This pattern is knit flat and then sewn together. It knits up pretty quickly in just a few hours so you can make one for yourself and everyone in the family. 

How to DIY a Fluffy Cardigan

Yesterday I showed you some sweater weather inspiration. So today, I'm veering from my usual sewing DIY inspiration to explore knitting. I don't do as much knitting as I used to partly because it's so warm all year round in LA and partly because sewing is so much quicker. But every once in a while I dig out the needles and get clicking.

Free Knitting Pattern – Fingerless Knitted Mitts

These sweet little mitts are easy to make – great for beginning knitters – and will keep your hands toasty while your fingers keep typing. If you've ever tried to type in a cold office or house you'll know the value of a pair of fingerless hand covers. These are more simple than fingerless gloves or full mittens (hence the moniker "mitts") but still do the job of keeping your hands cozy and protected from the elements.

This is an easy, quick and satisfying knitting project. The stitches are very simple, just knit and purl and a few increase stitches that trust me even a beginner can do. These are knit flat so if you're intimidated by double pointed needles this is a great way to just get some practice. Each mitt has a seam at the inside along the thumb and the pattern is different for each hand with a seed stitch on top of the hand and stockinette stitch on the palm. 

Font Friday - Blanch

Today's Font Friday feature is Blanch, an all caps font available for free from Lost Type Co-Op. This font is an interesting mix of serious and friendly. It's very tall and straight, a little uptight but then it has softly curved "U"s and "N"s. I think this would be a great font for infographics or other informational designs. I'm getting into some knitting this week so I decided to do a little knitting themed graphic to feature this font. You know the seed stitch right? It's a lovely stitch and so simple, just knit one, purl one, repeat. 

Craft from the Past - Knitted Mug Cozy (with thrifted mug)

I made this mug cozy as a Christmas gift 5 years ago. How time does fly. The mug was a 70s era thrift store find and the whole present was even better received than I had expected. The pattern was from the Holiday Gifts 2007 issue of Interweave Knits (on Ravelry here and available for purchase here). I recommend this project as a great, affordable gift. You could even personalize it by embroidering an initial on the cozy. It would look great with a gift tag attached to the handle as well. Or, make a few for yourself and keep your hands from getting too hot while cradling a cup of spiced cider.

Chunky Cable Knit Hat with Free Pattern

If you're thinking about making someone a hand knit gift this season, a charming, chunky, cable stitch hat should be on the list of contenders. Hats are really easy to make and have so many possible variations. You can change up the type of yarn, the colors and the stitch pattern in endless ways.

Book Review – Last-Minute Knitted Gifts

 

Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson is the perfect book for this pre-Christmas gifting season. I know this book has been around for a few years now but I only recently added it to my library and I'm so glad that I did. The book features 31 patterns of varying degree of difficulty and for any recipient on your list.

Even if you're not familiar with the book you probably are familiar with Hoverson's inspirational craft website The Purl Bee. The first few chapters provide basic information for choosing colors, yarns and tools as well as some tips on fitting and finishing. This book will not teach you how to knit and there are plenty of other books that will fit that bill.

Charcoal Retro Rib Socks

The Fall season is the perfect time to break out your hand-knitted wool socks and boots. There's nothing quite so nice as a hand-knitted sock, warm and perfectly fitted. I started these socks almost a year ago and finally finished them over the weekend. As often happens, I stalled out on the second sock. The pattern is Retro Rib Socks by Evelyn A. Clark from the book Favorite Socks. I've used about 5 other patterns in this book. The designs are beautiful and it's definitely worth buying. You can check out all my knitting projects on Ravelry.

For these socks I used Patons Kroy Socks yarn and a size 2 double pointed needle. The yarn is 75% washable wool and 25% nylon, processed and blended enough that it doesn't bother my wool-sensitive skin. I had to adjust the pattern for my yarn and gauge but it worked out and the socks fit nice and snug.  The color is actually a charcoal black but the photos are pretty washed out. You can see the pattern quite well though.

Craft from the Past – Two Button Sweater

I made this simple sweater almost five years ago now. I created a basic raglan sleeve pattern with extended front panels to create the overlap. Garter stitch finishes the neck, sleeves and hem. No one can really argue that the two vintage shell buttons are not the key feature of this sweater.

I adapted the basic raglan top down method by adding stitches in the front to create an overlap. If you want to learn more about top down raglans check out this page. There's lots more info out there if you do a web search. 

Moodboard – Chunky Cardigans

I just love a big, chunky cardigan with long sleeves and big pockets. I wear the sweater like it's a jacket and fill the pockets with everything I need to carry around during the day. Cardigans are ideal for fluctuating temperatures – so easy to take on and off, you know.

Here are some cozy looking cardigans to get you into the Fall season. If you need more knitted inspiration, check out my Cozy Knits pinboard on Pinterest.

1. FarFar Cardigan from Anthropologie
2. Cacharel Sweater Coat from Nordstrom
3. Textured Car Coat by Vince
4. Halston Heritage Textured Cardigan Coat at ShopBop

Friday Faves – March 2

Font: Cubano from Lost Type Co-Op

Knitted Skirt Patterns

1. Bryn Mawr Skirt from Interweave Knits

2. Aran Skirt from Vogue Knitting

3. Diminishing Gore Skirt from Interweave Knits

4. Tiered Skirt from Vogue Knitting

Also check out these free vintage dress and skirt knitting patterns.

Pierre Kitty Cat

I saw a knitted cat in a boutique last month. It was way out of my price range and I immediately decided that I could make one myself. (Check out the original here.) So admittedly, this is a total knockoff. I already had all of the supplies on hand so the only cost was time.

I knit this in the round using size 7 double pointed needles and Loops & Threads Cotton Club yarn. This is the same yarn I used for my cotton baby moccasins. The double pointed needles were kind of slow going so I'd like to try another animal on straight needles (also one size smaller) and then sew it together.

Work In Progress - Retro Rib Socks

Retro Rib Socks pattern by Evelyn A. Clark, featured in the book Favorite Socks

Grumpy Bear

I made this cute little bear using the pattern Grumpy Old Bear (ravlery link) by Susan B. Anderson in the book Itty-Bitty Nursery. It was very easy to knit and fairly easy to construct. The part that gave me the most trouble was the feet. The pattern calls for using plastic pellets to fill part of bear, which I used. Then my mom told me that the pellets say "Not for children under 3" on the bag which is rather frustrating since the book is full of patterns for babies. I've also noticed some pellet leakage through the openings in the knit.

Overall, I am pleased with the bear. His face turned out really nice. I used a vintage thread (pictured above) and took my time to make satin stitch eyes and nose. I recommend the pattern with the caveats of the funky feet (maybe they could be done like the hands instead of two separate pieces) and the plastic pellets.

Friday Faves - September 30

Font: Wisdom Script from Lost Type Co-op

New Fall Knitting Patterns

 Lingerie socks from Knitty Fall 2011

 Dunes shawl from Knitty Fall 2011

Above from Vogue Knitting Fall 2011

Above Derica cardigan from Chic Knits

Above Anne cardigan from Twist Collective

More knitting inspiration:
Rebecca Magazine  (so fun!)
Brooklyn Tweed Fall magazine (so gorgeous)
Twist Collective magazine (patterns and useful tips)
Interweave Knits Fall 2011 issue (love the cover!)
Knitscene Fall 2011 issue (love the Lepidoptera Cardigan featured on the cover)

Knitted Cotton Baby Mocassins

I knit these baby moccasins for my newborn niece. Her dad (my brother) loves wearing moccasins and these are great little mock-moccasins. I used this pattern from the purl bee. The yarn is Cotton Club by Loops & Threads/Michaels. I wanted to use cotton because it's easy to wash and friendly to my wool sensitive skin. This brand had the perfect colorways.
The yarn I chose was also thicker in weight than the pattern which worked ok for me because big feet run in my family and I'd hate for the mocs to not fit. I used a size 4 needle for the ribbing and size 7 for the rest.The trickiest part was picking up stitches for the bottom of the foot. You will cast on fewer stitches than there are rows. I recommend doing the embroidery before the bottom of the foot. It will be easier to handle then. Overall, these moccasins are adorable. I love them and would consider making another pair.

Mottled Wave Socks

I finished these socks about a week ago (previously mentioned here). The pattern, Flame Wave Socks by Ann Budd, was really straightforward and easy to follow. The only change I made was I used size 4 needles throughout (instead of starting with 5 and then changing). The fit is just fine and maybe even a little loose on top.
If I were to use this pattern again, I would choose a solid color yarn. The mottled colorway makes it very hard to see the subtle wave pattern. Overall a good sock. I have never used a stretch yarn before and wasn't sure how tight to pull it while knitting. I think I could have pulled it a little tighter. Does anyone have advice on using a stretch yarn?

Ava's Frappe Cardigan - Baby Sweater

I knit this baby sweater for my soon to be born niece. I used the Raglan Baby Pattern by Students of the Subway Academy II (available for free on Ravelry). The yarn is Crystal Palace Merino Frappe. I used this yarn to make my Snowcap Cowl. I had a little more than one skein left and used all of it to make the sweater.
I deviated from this bottom up cardigan pattern a bit because I was worried about running out of yarn. I cast on 74 stitches and knit the bottom first. When I reached the armpits of the sweater I decided to continue with the yoke and leave the sleeves for last. To do this I cast on stitches for the sleeves using a provisional cast on as follows: k18, sl4 to holder (reserve for later), provisional cast on 27, k28, sl 4 to holder (reserve for later), provisional cast on 27, k18. I then continued to the neckline, skipping the buttonholes. For each sleeve, I picked up the stitches from a holder and the provisional cast on. I then knit the sleeve in the round to the cuff, ending with a garter stitch band. Repeat for second sleeve. No seaming is required, just weaving in the ends.

This is an adorable little sweater and I recommend this pattern. It was very easy to use with any yarn, as long as you're not too concerned about sizing.