Free Pattern - Freshly Sprouted

My husband and I are expecting our first Little One in a few weeks and I've been very slooooow in getting any knitting done for him. The one thing that I really wanted to do was to at least make him a cute little hat to come home in. I'm not a huge fan of the hospital hats and couldn't imagine not making anything at all for him. I've started on some pint-sized socks, but not sure that those will even fit. Sooo, using the same sock yarn that I used for the teeny socks, I cast on and blindly tried out a newborn-sized hat. After a few tries, I found a pattern that works well with sock yarn.

Materials:

• US 1 1/2 needles - dpns or circs will work (using magic loop for 32" circs)


• US 2 needles - dpns or circs again


• 1/2 skein of sock yarn or less (my 1/2 skein was only 175 yds and I've got enough to make at least one more hat); I used Sophie's Toes Superwash Merino Sock in "Fresh Lettuce" colorway


• darning needle

Gauge: Using US 2 needles, over stockinette portion, 8 sts/inch x 11 rows/inch. However, please note that the gauge is not hugely important since this will be stretching over a newborn head and not all newborns have the same sized heads! ;) Please feel free to change needle sizes to go with your fingering-weight yarn. You can also add or remove a multiple of 8 sts to the pattern to accomodate your needs.

Pattern:

Using US 2 needles, co 88 sts. Switch to US 1 1/2 needles and join for knitting in the round (as always, be careful not to twist your stitches when joining). K 2x2 rib for 5 rows, then switch back to the US 2 needles.

K for 3.5-3.75 inches, then start decreases as follows:

K6, k2tog; repeat around.

K 1 round.

K5, k2tog; repeat around.

K 1 round.

Continue decreasing in this manner until you have gotten to k2tog around. At this point, you will continue k2tog each round (no rounds of k1 in between), until you have 3 stitches left. Close to the last row, you will have an odd number of sts, just add that one into the next round of k2togs.

Once there are 3 sts remaining, cut the yarn leaving a tail of at least 6" and thread the tail through the remaining sts. Weave in all ends, add to the top of your favorite beautiful newborn baby and voila!

Free Pattern - Man Paws

I've listed the pattern that I used to create the "Wooden Paws" (Ravelry link) for my husband. Feel free to share some pics of your projects, too.

Materials Needed:

• Approx. 150 yds. of dk to worsted weight yarn (works wonderfully with handspun, too!)
• US 3 dpns or circular needles (32" in length or longer)
• US 4 circular needle (dpns are doable, too, but note that instructions are written for circs and make adjustments for yourself as needed)
• Waste yarn or stitch holder
• Yarn needle to weave in ends

Glossary:

• co - cast on
• st(s) - stitch(es)
• k - knit
• bo - bind off
• 2x2 rib - knit 2 stitches, purl 2 stitches, repeat around
• M1L/M1R - please refer to this site for a great tutorial video on each (scroll down to the first third and they are on either side of the page)
• decrease bind-off - please refer to a great article here on some stretchy bind offs (it's halfway down the page)

Instructions:

Using US 3 needles, co 44 sts. Do a 2x2 rib for 2", then switch to the US 4 needles.

K for 2".

Start increases for the thumb gusset here. On the next round, k up to the last st, M1L, k1, switch to next needle, k1, M1R, k to the end of the round. K 1 round. Continue in this manner until you have 16 increases (8 on each side of the mitt), or a total of 60 stitches. K one round. K to last 8 sts on first side of mitt, place 8 sts on holder or waste yarn, switch needles, place 8 more sts on the same holder, k to end of the round. Continue knitting the 44 sts in stockinette for 1/2".
Switch to the US3 and do a 2x2 rib for 1 1/2". Bo using a decrease bind-off or another stretchy bind-off that you really like.

Pick up the 16 sts on your st holder using the US4 needles. K for 1/2", then switch to the US3 needles. Do a 2x2 rib for 1/2". Bo using the decrease bind-off.

Use yarn needle to weave in all the ends and to help close up any remaining holes in the thumb-area. You're probably better at those than I am and don't have any, but just in case... ;)

Repeat for the second mitt, only changing the thumb increases. When beginning the increase round, k1, M1R, k to end of needle, switch needles, k to last st, M1L, k1. K one round. Repeat these two rounds until you have 16 increases. Lather, rinse and repeat all other directions.

I know that for most of us who do the simple version, the pattern will look the same on either hand, but I wanted to include the different thumb increases so that you can add patterns or texture on the backs of the hands or make any other changes you want without having to think about how to switch things around. I encourage you to add more cuff or top length as wanted, and have so much fun with it!

It really is a quick and fun knit. And what more could you ask for than a happy guy with warm hands? Enjoy!
If you have any questions, please leave a comment here or send me a mesage on Ravelry - I'm cbdom. Pattern and images © ChelseaD/cbdom, 2010.

Wooden Paws

I'm very very slowly making progress on some mitts for the special person in my life. It's not because I'm a slow knitter. It's because I need to actually knit in order to make some progress. I think that I might be purposely sabotaging any efforts that I make to finish things. If I keep starting more, I can never be finished, right? Sigh.





These mitts (well, the beginning of one mitt) are being knit out of Julie Spins BFL in her "Wood" colorway. I've spun this into a 2-ply heavy dk to light worsted weight yarn. I'm making them up as I go along, so I'll be sure to post the pattern and any tips once I finish them. I'm really liking the fabric that this yarn is making so far. Maybe that's why I'm not working on them so much - I don't want to give them up. Nah, just laziness and over-commitment. :D

Here's how the mitts started:







Gorgeous colorway, amazingly yummy yarn to spin with. What more could a knitter want? Oh, more time. Sigh.

Mis Pies Están En Miami

Handspun, finally done! :D It took me about a million months to get these done, but I've finally finished a pair of socks again! Woohoo! This is a handspun yarn, made from Squoosh Fiberarts' SW Merino in the "Crazy Tops 01" colorway, shown below.



I spun this into 364 yds. of two-ply fingering weight yummy yarn.



The socks were knit on size US 1 1/2 Addi Turbo Lace 40" circulars (one at a time). I do a provisional crochet cast-on with a short-row toe, basic stockinette foot, short-row heel, then knit for about 1/2" before starting a 3x1 rib for the cuff. The cuffs are about 6" long, finished with a decrease bind off. Finish, wear, and have fun! ;)

Fall Flowers

I finally got my back deck cleared off. I've had many different transplanting sessions on it over the last couple of years that have piled up. Since there is no easy way to dispose of old containers, soil and spent plants from the back yard, stuff starts to pile after several seasons. Finally, I was able to take some time recently and clean off the entire back deck (all six inches of it ;). That gave me the perfect space to transplant this year's mums and get my first ever tulip bulbs in the ground. I'm excited about the bulbs, but of course I have a while before those will be ready. The chryanthemums, however, get to show off their pretty colors right now. And it's really nice to see them out of our living room every day, I must say. They really enjoy this combination of warm and cool weather. Yeay for fall flowers!

Spinning For Socks

I've been baaaaad. I spun more sock yarn. I couldn't help myself! I know, I know - I already have enough of that without having to make more. I hear ya! But... I just couldn't help myself.

JulieSpins had this roving and I saw it and had to have it and then I spun it and gave it as a gift and then I got more of the same roving and same colorway but a little different and then I spun that up and.... well, I fell in love. Plain and simple. Now I want to make socks out of it. Is that really so wrong?!

Fiber: SW Merino by JulieSpins in "Jungle" colorway (here's my other "Jungle" spin from her)

Detaisl: Approx. 334 yds. of two-ply in fingering weight yumminess.

Plans: Make socks with it and then wear them to the grave. Seriously.

Dawn on My Toes

My first pair of handspun socks! :)

Pattern: Plain ol' sock pattern. Crochet cast-on, short-row toes, short-row heels, decreas bind off in 1x1 rib.

Yarn: My handspun, 388 yds. of two-ply fingering weight in merino, Moonlight Baker's Hungry for Handspun in "Morning Sky" colorway.

Needles: US 1 1/2 Addi Turbo Lace 40" circular needle

These were a lot of fun to do. I love how squooshy they feel on the inside. I swear they feel even more magical than ones that I make from store-bought yarn. ;)

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? I hope that y'all had a nice time and didn't have too much traffic to sit in on your way there or back. This is such a nice time of year, I hope that everyone is able to enjoy it and take it all in slowly. Cheers!

A Warm November Spring Day

Sophie's Toes by Emily Parson

My husband and I wanted to get out yesterday morning for some fresh air and sunshine. It has been pretty warm here the past few days so we knew that it would be a great day to go to a neighborhood park that we love. When we got there, at 10:30 a.m., it was about 70 degrees. Yes. You read that right. It ended up getting up to 80 yesterday, but the big deal to me was that it was 70 degrees at 10:30 a.m. on a fall morning. Seriously?!

We didn't do much once we got there. Aron brought his camera to take some random shots and I brought some knitting. We both brought some good reading, too. Sitting on the grass, feeling the warmth of the sun on my feet and the cool grass beneath, I just felt like I was in heaven. I kept on forgetting that it was mid-November. Seriously!

Though I didn't do a whole lot of knitting, I do have some progress pics of a project that I've been doing with the Stitch-It Podcast Listeners Group over at Ravelry. They've started the "Embrace your inner Linus: Shawl KAL" and I've picked one of my favorite yarns in my favorite colorway to make La La's Simple Shawl. I love the way that it's turning out. I can't wait to get it done, though it will take me quite a while. ;)

I'm off to go do some more selfish knitting since it's going to be gift-knitting time in a few days for me. Happy Sunday!

Spinning Mania!

Well, I just went a little bit crazy in a shop update that I've found some fabulous fiber at. At first glance, I wasn't super in love with my first braid that I got from her. Though it was pretty, I knew that she had previously done some amazing stuff. Spinning it up, I still wasn't too sure. After plying it, however, I realized that this stuff is really fabulous. She does some amazing colorways that are unique and make you think outside the box. Colors that you wouldn't think to put together suddenly glow and radiate. This simple skein of fingering-weight is so subtle in comparison to what she usually posts in her shop.

The fiber is by Juliespins and she just did a shop update. Though you couldn't tell by looking at her stock since it sells out in mere seconds. ;)

4.4 oz. of Superwash Merino Handpainted Roving in "Jungle" colorway (she does a new version of that colorway in almost every shop update - I'll show you my next one ;). This was spun into approximately 400+ yds. of two-ply fingering weight. Super fun socks, that's my guess! :D

Witches Brew

Though I missed posting a pair for last month in the Sock A Month KAL, I do have a pair today. Lucky you! :)

Yarn: Knitterly Things' Vesper Sock Yarn in "Crew" colorway, one skein

Pattern: Generic toe-up with short-row heels and toes, using a provisional crochet cast-on

Needles: US 1 1/2 Addi Turbo Lace 40" circulars