Happy Socks!

I finished my Happy Socks, and as their name suggests, I'm really happy with them.  I used 1 ball of Zitron Trekking XXL (colour 550), and 1 skein of Regia 4ply (colour 44, charcoal grey) for the toes, rear of heel and ribbing at the top. 

I am in pursuit for the perfect fitting hand-knit socks for me. I used a generic short-row toe-up technique, worked in a k3p1 rib for the top of the foot and stockingette for the bottom, threw in a toe-up gusseted heel, and made increases up the back of the leg for the calf. I wrote down all the details in my notes on Ravelry, but they were written for my own guidance, not as a pattern, and details I don't generally need to note are omitted (basically, if you are new to sock knitting, I suggest you follow a basic beginner sock pattern and don't follow my notes). 

The socks will be on display in the store until the fall, at which time I'm reclaiming them!

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Lanesplitter

We made a Lansesplitter Skirt! It is a free pattern online from knitty.com. We used 2 skeins of Noro Taiyo in shade 21. I think it looks great, and it feels great too! Liane made one for herself and has been wearing it ever since. Very, very pleased. :-)

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Galinhos Spring Cowl

Last month Liane completed a really nice spring cowl, Galinhos, with Berroco Origami. It turned out beautifully, and the yarn crocheted as well as it knits (we knitted Kiama with it a couple years ago). The pattern is super easy peasy, great mindless crocheting and beginner-friendly. The yarn is unfortunately discontinued, so pick it up while supplies last. 

Galinhos in Origami
Modifications: none
Pattern: Berroco Booklet 305 Origami
Yarn: Berroco Origami, 3 skeins, colour 4356
Hook: 5mm

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Liesl in Berroco Karma

Finally, a finished project for you!  It's a quick little spring/summer cardie worked up on big needles. The yarn, Berroco Karma, has a lot of drape and worked extremely effectively with the lace stitch. 

The pattern was easy, and easy to follow. I went of the pattern and made mine a bit smaller than the pattern because i wasn't certain how it would work with this yarn and larger needles,. I think the smllest size in the pattern with this yarn on 8mm needles would fit a size medium (size 8 to 10). 

Liesl in Karma

Modifications: see my Ravelry Notes

Pattern: Liesl by Ysolda Teague (about $8)

Yarn: Berroco Karma colour 3415 Sap Green

Needles: 8mm-29" circular (for body) & 8mm-16" circular (for arms)

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Post-Holiday Projects - Doll Clothes

   Sasha's Pants (rear: pockets)

So the holidays have come and gone, and I'm still working on my holiday knits - kinda. I received a request for some doll clothes for my niece's vintage Cabbage Patch Kids, but I didn't really make the deadline for either holiday. Fitting the dolls has turned out to be harder than anticipated. I figure dressing the girls is a worthwhile pursuit, Lucy will probably play with them for years. I also feel a little responsible for the kids, as they used to be mine - every time I see them semi-dressed I cringe and feel guilty, like I'm neglecting them.

   Cornelia's Pants (rear: pockets)

So the plan is to make each kid a full get-up, or at least fill in the gaps. Sasha, the big sister, gets pants, a pullover and socks. I made Cornelia, the preemie, a dress last summer, so she gets pants, socks, and if I have time or inclination a pullover. Both will be clad entirely in stripes, when I'm done I want them to look like an art installation. Also, it's really boring knitting normal doll clothes. 

Although, I came across a cool pattern in a vintage Vogue Knitting magazine from the hight of the cabbage craze, an Aran sweater & tam! Isn't it too cute?!  I might have to make one. 

And of course this project has launched me into an exploration of vintage knitting patterns for vintage Cabbage Patch Kids.

Sorry I haven't been able to take pics on the dolls: fittings have to take place after dark because Lucy is pushing 2 and well into the 'mine' phase. The funny silhouette has a function - I wanted the pants to fit snugly on the hips & waist, but have room in the legs to make it easy to pull on. I've been using Cascade 220 Superwash Sport - its soft, washable, isn't too thick, comes in small skeins, and won't break the bank. 

Anyway, wish me luck!  

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Slipper Season

Helloooo!  I think the desire to blog is a good sign that I'm starting to recover from my Holiday exhaustion.  I even have a project worth chatting about - I made Chris felted slippers for x-mas this year!  

I used the Fiber Trends Felt Clogs pattern, it is tried-and-true, and the author, Bev Galekas, is a felting master.  The pattern calls for 2 strands of worsted weight yarn held together, but I wasn't inclined to take the rest of the Lamb's Pride Worsted grey yarn off the shelf right before Christmas, so I used Cascade Eco+. The Eco is a bit thicker, but other people on Ravelry had used it, so I figured it would be fine.  Yeah ... not quite. They felted a size too big. If you use Eco, I suggest going up to a 10mm needle and making a size smaller in the pattern. I had to felt the shit out of the slippers to get the size down. I went over to my parents house (their washer has lots of controls) and kept the agitator going for about an hour.  One good thing about the super felting is that the slippers are really nice and dense, I love the texture. 

So, the lesson is that thicker yarns do not felt in the same way as thinner yarns. If you want to do research online, there is an older version of the pattern that has many more projects. Some people have used a single strand of Lamb's Pride Bulky, but I don't know if it felts larger or smaller. janwise seems to knit them larger and then super-felt them, so does cadrake. 

To finish them off I cleaned off all the fuzzy woofies with a sweater stone (first time I've been happy with the sweater stone) and sewed on some suede slipper bottoms from Fiber Trends (12") with matching yarn (I use the sock reinforcing yarn from Regia, it comes in small packs so I didn't have to open a whole skein). 

I got lucky with the final fit, but they look great, and now I kind of want a pair too. Which colour do you think?  I could use Lamb's Pride Bulky (in Violet Fields maybe?), or Lanaloft Bulky (less mohair means less fuzz, and Twist of Lime looks fun), or I could just make them the way the pattern suggests and hold 2 strands of Nature Spun Worsted together. Maybe a turquoise or a violet? Top of the Lamb Worsted in Peacock would also be nice.

Addenda Jan 2, 2012

I think I am going to make my slippers using 3 skeins of Brown Sheep Co. Shepherd's Shades in SS572 Celery. 

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Lucy's Stash Enrichment

Witness Lucy's first stash acquisition at the tender age of 23 months. It is a skein of Cascade 220 Superwash Paints, colour 9867 Princess Pink. She yanked it off the shelf, handed it to me, and said "make something." Okey-dokey.  Perhaps a neck-warmer & mitts that actually stay on?

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GAP-Tastic Success!

Tah-Dah!  Our GAP-Tastic Cowl (pattern FREE via Ravelry) was a fantastic success!  We made it with 3 skeins of Malabrigo Chunky (colour Intenso) and 8mm-36" circular needles. 

Because we took the needle size down a bit to accommodate the yarn, we cast on an extra 10 stitches (total cast on 141 sts).  I think it would be absolutely sumptuous made with Misti Alpaca Chunky (3 skeins, 8mm needles)

If you don't want to shell out for the fancy yarn, you could also make this cowl using any of the following:

• 3 skeins of Berroco Peruvia Quick ($32.91) & 9mm-29" circular needles
• 3 skeins of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky ($29.91) & 8mm-29" circular needles
• 4 skeins of Berroco Vintage Chunky ($31.88) & 6.5mm to 7mm-29" circular needles (cast on 151 sts)

For a narrower, shorter cowl, you can get away with using 2 skeins and casting on 111 sts. 

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