First Socks

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this before, but I had one goal in mind when I learned to knit: socks. I don't like crocheted socks so that left knitting. Thus I set out to learn to knit and, of course, got sidetracked by other projects along the way. I also discovered that I really like knitting.

Pattern: Easy Toddler Socks by Karen Caron at Needles and Wool
Dates: September 2007
Yarn: Moda Dea Sassy Stripes (100% Acrylic)
Color: 6997 Lucky
Needles: Set of 5 size 1 vintage aluminum DPNs
Finished size: fits Abby’s size 11 foot
Modifications: none
Lessons learned: These were my first socks so I learned everything here: turning the heel, picking up gusset stitches, and kitchener stitching the toe closed. I used the Toe Grafting: Kitchener 101 section of The Sock Knitter's Companion: Step-by-Step Help by Clara H. Parkes at Knitter's Review to help with the Kitchener stitch.
Comments: I know acrylic isn't normally the greatest choice for socks but there was no way I was going to shell out the money for nicer yarn. The acrylic is just fine for a first pair of socks being given to a 5-year old.

The only reason I was able to complete these socks was thanks to the generosity of a fellow knitter on Ravelry. I didn’t have enough yarn to finish the toe of the second sock so I posted a message asking if anyone had any scraps. Someone did and sent me the yarn as a gift. Knitters are wonderful!

First Mittens

An extremely wonderful friend of mine gave me this yarn and this pattern for Christmas last year. I put off doing the project for a while, largely because I was afraid of how nice the yarn was. But I finally got the courage and am pretty happy with the result. They seem a little different in size in the picture but don't seem that way in real life. I'm blaming my non-existent photography skills.

Pattern: Easy Hats & Mittens (AC-20) by Bev Galeskas at Fiber Trends

Dates: August 2007

Yarn: NORO Kochoran (50% Wool, 30% Angora, 20% Silk)

Color: 1

Needles: size 7 & 9 bamboo DPNs

Finished size: pattern says women’s medium and they fit me

Modifications: none (I'm not one to modify a pattern the first time out)

Lessons learned: This was my first set of mittens. Although the Ribbons Baby Blanket used DPNs for the center, this was the most I had used DPNs to date. There is a thumb gusset in these and I had to leave the thumb stitches on waste yarn until ready to knit them, something I had never done before.
Comments: I hope no one is surprised about the fact that this is a Fiber Trends pattern. I really love these! The colors and the color variations in these are amazing as well!

Oak Leaf & Acorn Scarf

This was my second lace project (I haven't posted the first one yet). I chose the pattern for my mom because Manley's last name is Oaks. The color choice is a little Christmas-y but that was done because my mom is a Christmas FREAK.

Pattern: Oak Leaf & Acorn Scarf by Evelyn A. Clark for Fiber Trends (AC-41)

Dates: October 2006 - about May 2007

Yarn: Plymouth: Suri Merino

Color: 2055 & 1440

Needles: Clover bamboo size 7

Finished size: 8.5" x 68"

Modifications: I used a heavier yarn than what was suggested. This was due to my desire to make the scarf at least partially alpaca.

Lessons learned: This is the first provisional cast on for me which consisted of a crocheted cast on. I worked the green side first, then pulled out the crochet stitches and worked the red side.

Comments: I've said it before and I'll say it again, I really seem to like the patterns from Fiber Trends. They are clearly written and the presentation is fantastic. The pattern is printed on cardstock and an actual photograph is attached to the page. The whole thing comes in a sheet protector. I'm becoming a big fan of buy individual patterns rather than a whole book where 2/3 are something I'll never make.

Knitted Cabled Owls

Last fall, shortly after moving up to Ohio, I took the kids to visit Mark's aunt and uncle who live just up the street. While I was there I noticed this really cool potholder hanging on the wall and used my phone to take a picture of it. Not long after, I mentioned it to my mother-in-law and she said she had one just like it. Apparently one of them had purchased both at a craft show and given one to the other. My mother-in-law couldn't remember who had purchased them though.
My mother-in-law had used hers, resulting in quite a bit more wear and tear. But she gave me hers and I used it as a model to figure out how to make a cabled owl. You would think I had written down what I did, but actually I'm going to have to make another and pay more attention to writing it down.I made mine out of a small bit of dishcloth cotton that was leftover from something else. I never bothered to put eyes on it either since it was just a test piece. So this little piece of knitting marks my first ever attempt at cabling as well as my first attempt to look at finished knitting and try to recreate the stitches.

Apparently, cabled animals were quite the thing for a while. I've heard of a set of children's vest patterns that featured a yoke of cabled animals and that even have the backs of the animals on the backs of the vests. Then I think there was a set of baby blankets and such that were also published. If anyone has any of these patterns, I'd love to borrow them for a bit. I think the animals would make a really cute baby blanket (animals in squares alternated with plain squares). Or one of those knitted cubes with different animals on each side.

ARGOSY!!!!

I can't believe I left the world of archaeology only to turn around and do a project named after the biggest project ever. Even more unbelievable is the fact that this dishcloth was done as a test piece for a scarf I've currently got on the needles.

Pattern: Argosy Dishcloth by Vyvyan Neel
Dates: June 2007
Yarn: Lily: Sugar’n Cream
Color: Pink Lilac (00159) (no longer available)
Needles: Aluminum size 8 or 9
Finished size: 17.5" X 12"
Modifications: Pattern followed exactly as written
Lessons learned: I learned how to do the knitted on cast-on method. This is also my first knitted project that was not a square or rectangle as a result of constant casting on and off.
Comments: In the Knitter’s Almanac, Elizabeth Zimmerman suggested making swatches large enough to stitch up the sides and make a baby hat. My own version of this advice is to practice the pattern stitches on a washcloth to get a feel for the knitting if not the actual gauge. I’m currently working on the scarf version and will post it when its finished.

Mother-In-Law Scarf

Shortly after Christmas my mother-in-law asked me if I would knit her a scarf. I think she was jealous of the scarf I'd been working on for quite some time for my mom (future post). I said "sure" and the next thing I knew she had purchased three skeins of the yarn you see. Not what I would have picked, but it's what she wanted. I wasn't sure what to make and settled on the basketweave pattern because I figured it would work up to a very thick scarf. It did. But I'm not sure the multi-colored yarn shows off the pattern to its best advantage.

Pattern: Traditional basketweave design.

Dates: February 2007.

Yarn: Red Heart Classic (100% Acrylic), about 2 skeins.

Color: gemstone (959)

Needles: vintage size 10 aluminum, I think.

Finished size: 8.25" x 48"

Modifications:

Lessons learned: Never let a non-fiber person pick their own yarn. You'll end up knitting with plastic when you'd rather be knitting with something a little nicer. I was originally planning to use Wool-Ease by Lion Brand.

Comments: This scarf doesn't lay as flat as I'd like but the recipient will never know the difference.

Alex's baby blanket

Pattern: No pattern, but lots of inspiration from the Log Cabin section of Mason Dixon Knitting: The Curious Knitters Guide.

Dates: March - April 2007

Yarn: Baby Bee: Little Britches from Hobby Lobby (85% Acrylic, 15% Polyamide) - about 3 skeins.

Color: child's play (#4101).
Needles: Clover size 10 bamboo flex.
Finished size: Yeah, probably about 30" x 30". Another one to ask about.

Modifications: Instead of changing colors to work the strips, I chose to use one color. Mostly I was trying to avoid ends to weave in but I ended up really liking the finished effect.

Lessons learned: I'm still not sure if I picked up the stitches correctly because I got a definite ridge on the reverse side of the blanket. When I googled looking for pictures of what other people have made, I discovered that people don't usually photograph the back of their projects! I found one example at january one and became even more convinced that mine is "wrong" (although it looks kinda cool).

Comments: This was another good mindless knitting project.

Heather's baby blanket

This blanket was the largest knitted object I had attempted when I started this. I bought the pattern and needles in Lexington at the Stitch Niche.

Pattern: Ribbons Baby Blanket by Fiber Trends (CH-44x). I was attracted to this one because the description called it a Quaker Rib.

Dates: Begun in early December 2006 and finished in early February 2007.

Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby 100% Acrylic - about 2 skeins.

Color: White (02000)

Needles: size 8 bamboo double points for the center, size 8 Bryspun circulars for the rest.

Finished size: Its about 30" x 30". I'll have to check with Heather because I forgot to measure it.

Modifications: I went with the optional raised petal center and really liked it. Other than that I followed the pattern as written.

Lessons learned: The end result would not lay flat, which, of course, I didn't realize until it was off the needles. I thought the center was too loose or something but TF thinks the problem was in the border. The border is just garter stitch but I may have gotten a little tighter and the cast-off was almost certainly too tight.

Comments: This was a great pattern for mindless knitting with the kids around or while watching TV. Each strip is made of either 8 rounds of knitting or 8 rounds of purling. Every other round has an increase on the corners. I have several Fiber Trends patterns and really like them so far.