Doubled Productivity April 24, 2009

This reading and knitting thing is going much better than I expected.  When I started this experiment, I had about half an inch after the toe of this sock completed.  After a few short hours of reading and knitting, I finished my book and knit 4 inches of stockinette without any of the mind-numbing, insanity-producing brain spasms that I usually get!

 

It’s almost impossible to tell from the angle of the picture (I couldn’t find a ruler shorter than my yardstick, which will not fit into my lightbox) but that’s 6 whole inches of nearly painless stockinette stitch there.  And isn’t the Shibui Knits yarn beautiful?

 

Now I’m sad that I’m about to start the interesting part of the sock.  This is a completely unexpected feeling.  I guess the next book will have to wait until the second sock!

Book Pillow April 22, 2009

This:

 

is a sickness.

Yes, that is me, reading and knitting at the same time.  Am I crazy?  ADD?  There’s no cat around, so I can’t be turning into a crazy cat lady.  Elizabeth Zimmerman recommends reading and knitting at the same time to help get through those long stockinette or garter sections of a sweater.  After all, once you’ve been knitting for a little while, the modest act of making a knit stitch doesn’t really require much brain power.  We all knit while watching TV, right?

 

Recently, there’s been a glut (yes, I said glut) of books that I want to read.  Some of them are knitting books, like Cookie A’s book Sock Innovation or Wendy Knits’ Socks from the Toe Up.  Some of the other books are fiction and a lot of them are non-fiction about nutrition, cooking, and exercise.  I also have a glut of ideas for knitting projects.  Basically, I’ve got far too many things that I want to do than I have time for.  So I’ve started reading while knitting, especially great for when there’s nothing good on TV.  After doing a number of complicated socks for submissions, I’m designing some simpler patterns (albeit with interesting construction) which have a lot of stockinette in them.  Not to mention the languishing cardigan.

 

But books are hard to hold open without hands.  (Why isn’t everything spiral-bound?)  Last night, I kind of tucked the book under my extra belly and propped it up on my thigh.  The problem was, of course, that the book ended up more or less hard to see, especially with the knitting in the way.  Even when I’m not looking at it, I like to hold the project where I do when I look, which is about mid-chest.  So, I came up with a solution: the Book Pillow.

Basically the Book Pillow is a pillow (who’d have guessed?) that has some elastic on the corners to hold the book open.  I used Lastin, which is transparent so that I can read through it in case the elastic covers some words.  It works great.  And it only took about half and hour to make.  Here’s how to make one!

 

Book Pillow

Supplies

• Two pieces of fabric, each big enough to cover a lap or pillow form (I cut mine 17×11″, with a 1/2″ seam allowance)
• Four 8″ pieces of elastic such as Lastin
• Poly-fil stuffing or a pillow form
• Sewing machine, pins, thread, needle

 

Place one piece of fabric right-side up on the table.  Take one of the elastic pieces and lay it diagonally on the fabric so that it forms a right triangle with the corner of the fabric.

 

 

Place the other three pieces in the same manner on the other corners.

 

If you want, put a book on the fabric to check the placement of the elastic.  I moved them around so that the elastic crossed just inside the seam allowance.  I didn’t spend a lot of time making sure that the angles all matched up; I just eyeballed it.  Two pieces of my elastic are shorter than the others.

 

When you’ve got the placement of the elastic where you want, carefully place the other piece of fabric right-side down on top of the one with the elastic.  Pin in place, making sure to catch the elastic in the pin so it doesn’t move around.  You don’t have to stretch the elastic, since holding the book will do that, but you can stretch is slightly if you’d like while pinning.

 

Sew around all four sides, leaving a hole for turning and stuffing.  If you’re using a pillow form instead of poly-fil, leave a hole big enough to stuff the pillow inside.  When the sewing is finished, turn the pillow right side out, clip the corners, and press if desired.

 

Stuff the pillow with the chosen filling until it reaches the firmness you like.  I stuffed mine firm but still kind of squishy.  It needs to be stiff enough to keep the book from closing.  I tested a book on it during the stuffing stages to see which I liked best.  Once you’re done stuffing, sew up the turning hole (I like to use slip stitch).

 

Enjoy your new ability to read and knit at the same time!

The book in the pictures is Real Food by Nina Planck.

Project Progress April 14, 2009

I just looked over at my “Project Progress” widget.  Yikes!  How did I end up with so many projects?!  Let’s see, I’ve got The Cardigan, which has stalled out a bit.  I haven’t really touched it in a while.  I’ve been telling myself that it’s because I have more important things to work on, but I fear that I might be getting bored.  Maybe I’m just not in the mood to knit so much stockinette right now.  The cardigan measures a whole seven inches.  That’s a lot more inches that I need to knit.  But I shall conquer it!… just not yet.

 

Next on the list is a pair of socks knit from Cherry Tree Hill’s Sockittome in the Loden colorway.  These socks are destined for a submission to a publication, so I can’t show you more than the yarn.  The yarn is a little stiff but I think it’ll soften up wonderfully after being washed.  It’s got good stitch definition and cables nicely.  I like it a lot and I think I’ll be adding Sockittome as a solid sock yarn to my yarn quiver.   As far as project progress, I just finished the gusset on the second sock, so not far to go on these!

 

The sock blank socks are the pure stockinette socks that I’ve been knitting since my trip to Virginia.  Top-down, short-row heel, standard toe.  They’re a great project for keeping the hands busy without paying attention.  I’m not exactly happy with the way the colors turned out.  I’m almost finished with the first sock- just have the toe left to do.  These socks are low on the priority list, really more of a back-up project.

 

Norman’s scarf is a project that my father-in-law requested while we were at Village Wools.  Sadly, this is the best picture of the scarf but not the best picture of the two of us.  But this is proof that even layman can’t go into a yarn store without being inspired!  He picked out three colors of Mirasol Sulka, which is a luxurious blend of silk, alpaca and merino.  Really lovely to work with, especially in garter stitch.  You might recognize the scarf as a non-variegated version of the Multidirectional Scarf.  First I had to learn a little about modular knitting and then I planned out the color changes for the intarsia.  I’ll be putting up a tutorial for working the Mulitdirectional Scarf with intarsia in the next few days.  Now it’s just a matter of knitting the rest of the scarf.  What I’ve got here is about twelve inches on the long side (but only seven on the short side, shhh).  I’ve been trying to keep the scarf cat-hair free, which means that it stays in the cat-free guest room.  It works up pretty fast, so I’m hoping that I’ll have it finished soon!

 

The Shibui Knits socks will be the next pattern that I publish on the blog.  Hopefully.  If nothing goes wrong.  I finished sketching (er, imagining, I can’t really sketch) the socks last night but I have to wait until my new needles get here before starting them.  I tried swatching the yarn with size 1s (2.25mm) and 2s (2.75mm) and neither was quite right.  So I ordered some 1.5s (2.5mm) needles which should be here soon.  But for now, the socks are just in my imagination and my widget.

 

Oh yeah, I’ve also got a pair of socks planned using the Sanguine Gryphon’s Kypria.   But I think they’re also going to be a submission, so you only get to see the yarn again!  I have high hopes for this yarn, it seems really yummy so far!

 

So yeah, I’d better get back to knitting!

Lacy Spring Socks April 8, 2009

I finally got a sunny day to take pictures of the lace socks that I had been working on.  Actually, the day was a little too sunny; many of the pictures came out over-exposed.  The light color of the yarn and the slight shine to it really confused the camera!  But, I think these turned out pretty well, all things considered.  Really, I’m just glad to have the pattern completely finished- the written part had been sitting there completed for a week just waiting for the pictures.

These socks were actually inspired by a commercial for rheumatoid arthritis medication, if you can believe it. There was a pair of socks in that commercial that were too pretty not to translate into hand knitting. They feature a lace front with a stockinette back, which makes the knitting go quickly. The lace pattern is simpler than it appears and is fairly easy to memorize. The instructions for the lace are both written and in chart form.  

 

Made from wicking, lightweight bamboo with just enough wool for some elasticity, the Lacy Spring Socks are a great warm-weather sock. These socks are very stretchy and will stretch to fit a 9” foot circumference. If the gauge swatch or cuff is too large, try using a yarn with more wool content for a snugger fit.

    

The construction of these socks is a very traditional top-down construction, making them an easy sock for beginners or anyone who wants a simple project to work on at picnics or in the car. For a quicker project, these socks would make cute anklets!

 

Lacy Spring Socks

Download the PDF: Lacy Spring Socks

• Finished Size: Midfoot circumference 8 inches, will stretch to fit 9 inches
• Yarn: Argosy Luxury Fibers Five Oaks Ranch Bamboo [20% superwash wool/80% Bamboo] Sage (2 skeins)
• Yardage: 300-400 yards
• Needles: Size 0 (2.00mm) DPNs
• Gauge: 38 sts x 50 rows = 4 inches
• Extras: Stitch marker, stitch holder or scrap yarn, tapestry needle

 

Cuff

CO 76 sts and divide evenly among 4 needles. Join in the round, being careful not to twist. Place marker to mark the beginning of the round.

Ribbing: *k1tbl, p1* to the end of the round.

Work Ribbing for approximately 1 inch.

Leg

(Instructions in brackets are also represented in chart form.  The chart repeats twice, with 4 knit stitches in between the repeats not shown on the chart. Click chart to enlarge.)

Round 1: [YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO, k5, YO, ssk, k4, YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO,] k4, [YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO, k5, YO, ssk, k4, YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO,] knit to the end of the round.

Round 2, 4, 6, 8: Knit.

Round 3: [YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO, k3, k2tog, YO, k1, YO, ssk, k3, YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO,] k4, [YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO, k3, k2tog, YO, k1, YO, ssk, k3, YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO,] knit to the end of the round.

Round 5: [YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO, k2, k2tog, YO, k3, YO, ssk, k2, YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO,] k4, [YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO, k2, k2tog, YO, k3, YO, ssk, k2, YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO,] knit to the end of the round.

Round 7: [YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO, k1, k2tog, YO, k5, YO, ssk, k1, YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO,] k4, [YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO, k1, k2tog, YO, k5, YO, ssk, k1, YO, sl 1, k2tog, psso, YO,] knit to the end of the round.

Repeat Rounds 1-8 until leg is desired length, shown 4 1/4 inches.

Heel

At the end of any odd round, turn. The heel will be worked back and forth over the 38 stockinette stitches on the back of the sock. Move the other 38 stitches to a stitch holder or scrap yarn if desired.

Row 1 (WS): Sl 1, purl 37, turn.

Row 2 (RS): *Sl 1, k1* to the end, turn.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until heel flap measures 2 inches, ending on a WS row.

Heel Turn

Row 1 (RS): Sl 1, k20, ssk, k1, turn. 1 stitch decreased.

Row 2 (WS): Sl 1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn.  1 stitch decreased.

Row 3: Sl 1, k6, ssk, k1, turn.  1 stitch decreased.

Row 4: Sl 1, p7, p2tog, p1, turn.  1 stitch decreased.

Continue working one more stitch each row until all stitches have been worked, ending on a WS row. 21 stitches remain.

Set up for gusset: Sl 1, knit across heel stitches. Using the same needle (Needle 1), pick up 1 stitch in each slipped stitch along the edge of the heel flap. Return held stitches to two needles (Needles 2 and 3) and work across instep stitches in lace pattern as established. Using an empty needle (Needle 4), pick up 1 stitch in each slipped stitch along the other edge of the heel flap, knit 10 heel stitches from Needle 1 onto Needle 4. Mark this as the beginning of the round.

Gusset Shaping

Round 1: K2tog, knit to 3 stitches before the end of Needle 1, k2tog, k1, work across Needles 2 and 3 in lace pattern as established, k1, ssk, knit to the end of the round. 3 stitches decreased.

Round 2: Knit to the end of Needle 1, Needles 2 and 3 in lace pattern as established, knit to the end of the round.

Round 3: Knit to 3 stitches before the end of Needle 1, k2tog, k1, work across Needles 2 and 3 in lace pattern as established, k1, ssk, knit to the end of the round. 2 stitches decreased.

Repeat Rounds 2 and 3 until 76 remain.

Foot

Knit to the end of Needle 1, work Needles 2 and 3 in lace pattern as established, knit to the end of the round until the sock measures 2” shorter than desired length, ending on Row 7 if possible.

Toe

Round 1: Knit to 3 stitches before the end of Needle 1, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, knit to 3 stitches before then end of Needle 3, k1, k2tog; k1, ssk, knit to the end of the round. 4 stitches decreased.

Round 2: Knit.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until 20 stitches remain.

Knit to the end of Needle 1. Move stitches from Needle 2 to Needle 3. Move stitches from Needle 4 to Needle 1. Cut yarn, leaving an 8” tail. Graft stitches on Needle 1 to Needle 2.

Block if desired.

 

 

Please Note: I post my patterns as soon as I’ve completed them because I’m excited to share them with you. They have not been fully tested. But they are free. I’ve made every effort to make sure that the instructions are clear and error-free. There may be typos or pattern mistakes and if you find them or have any questions, please let me know by posting a comment or emailing me, dailyskein at gmail.com.

 

This work by Cailyn Meyer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.