Fingerless Gloves for Alex's Outdoor Shows

Now that warm-ish weather is here, there are outdoor shows to go to. (Leaving the house? What?) Alex's band The Deathbots is starting up again, so he asked me to knit some fingerless gloves that he could wear while playing bass outside.

Pattern: Guantes Jota by Paola Aguirre

Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Mechita in Art Nouveau

After I finished the gloves, I divided the leftover yarn into two equal-weight balls to try and make socks. They might have a shorter leg than usual, but I'm pretty sure there's enough to get a pair of socks out of it.

Spice Cardigan for Alex

Winter is gone, but that rarely stops me from knitting sweaters. I'm always begging Alex to wear cardigans, and I haven't had a lot of luck with knit sweaters fitting him properly lately. I was determined I wouldn't mess this one up.

Alex and I browsed Ravelry for color inspiration, and when he saw the Spice cardi Yvonne Pak (@MissingMuffin) had started for her husband, he said, "I want that!" So I have to give a shoutout to Yvonne since I totally stole her palette.

Pattern: Spice by Andrea Mowry
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Tweed in Black and Spincycle Dream State in Lapis
Buttons: Wooden Heart Buttons

I bought the Spincycle yarn during Black Mountain Yarn Shop's end-of-the-year sale. Using the Plymouth Tweed helped offset the cost a little bit. Plus, Alex prefers a yarn that's more durable, and he doesn't usually go for the 100% wool unless it's superwash. I love how it turned out, and I think it looks so good on him.

On Frogging Sweaters in Interweave Knits

One of my favorite things about being a craft writer is connecting with other crafters. One of the topics that seems to spark the most conversation among knitters is making mistakes, so I wasn't surprised when my article On Frogging Finished Sweaters brought dozens of knitters to my inbox.

You might recognize the featured sweater as my Aureus that I wrote about a few months ago. It turns out that plenty of you have been in the same situation, and now we can all feel a little less alone. (Even more important during a pandemic, don't you think?)

The article is in the spring issue of Interweave Knits, so check it out on the back page or read it online using the link above.

To those of you in the same boat, happy frogging!

Lory Knit Pullover

This was one of my few pandemic knitting projects other than socks. I spent Christmas Eve finishing this up, motivated by the fact that I had just promised Alex another sweater this winter.

Pattern: Lory Pullover by Courtney Spainhower
Yarn: LolaBean Yarn Co. Canary Bean in Give Peas a Chance

This yarn sells out really quickly, so if you see it, you better grab it! While the online store doesn't currently have any, check your LYS or any LYS that has an online presence. They might have it.

I fell in love with this color at Black Mountain Yarn Shop, but they didn't have enough DK weight in stock to make a sweater. I was in love with the color, so Donna recommended I use the same color in sport weight and just go up a size in the pattern. I did a couple of gauge swatches to make sure I was getting the right size, and I had to adjust the pattern a little as I went to make sure the art deco design extended down the body in the right places.

Dad's Christmas Socks 2020

I've stopped making a lot of handmade holiday gifts, but the one constant is socks for my dad.

In the last few years, he has only asked me to repair one pair, but later I found out that he had thrown away a pair of socks that I made because they had holes. I was very mad, and I almost stopped making socks for him. I talked to him and told him I could fix the socks any time.

This year, I decided that instead of buying a new skein of yarn, I'd use scraps. I worried they'd look scrappy (ha, I know), but I think they're pretty cool.

I haven't been able to give these to him yet because of Covid life, but I look forward to the day when I can!

Pattern: My own, eye of partridge heel and cuff-down rice stitch

Yarn: Birch Dyeworks 80/20 Sock in Prismatic Indigo

Hedgehog Fibres Sock in Hurricane

Manos del Uruguay Alegría in Malvin

Christmas and ChristmaHanukkah Stockings

For several years now, I've been saying I want to knit stockings for Alex and me. This year, I had zero excuses for not knitting them, and I even started on them back in the summer.

The stocking was always one of my favorite parts of Christmas as a kid. My brother and I had red and white stockings, and Mom added our names with felt letters at the top. They were filled with our favorite candy (Reese's was our #1), and lots of fun little gifts like card games, a CD, and a movie. It was so fun to dump all the contents on the floor and dig through it.

These are going to look so pretty hanging by our fireplace!

Pattern: KAB Christmas Stocking by ChemKnits

Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Encore D.K. in Red, Christmas Green, Blue, and White

Alex loves dinosaurs and bass, so this one was perfect for him. He asked for a blue and white color scheme for Hanukkah colors. This pattern is awesome because it mixes so many different things: stars, Space Invaders, dinosaurs, music.

Pattern: Arlo's Christmas Stocking by Antje Karl (Free pattern!)

Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in Christmas Green and White

I wanted something more Scandinavian inspired for my stocking. I'm not a big fan of Christmas red, so I went with a green and white color combo. I really love the back of this pattern. It looks like pretty little icicles.

Zigzagular Knit Socks

 As an Election Day distraction, let's look at purty socks. (I already voted, so all I can do right now is check in with other people and wait.)

Pattern: Zigzagular Socks by Susie White (free pattern!)

Yarn: Hedgehog Fibres Sock in Bubble

This is a great pattern if you want to mostly knit without interruption. The cabling is every other round for the most part, and I didn't have to consult the chart once I got going. These were supposed to be back-to-school socks for Alex, but I got a little bogged down with my knitting and didn't finish them until last week.

Winterberry Knit Shawl (or Blanket)

Since there's nowhere to go, I've been hanging outside more with a craft project or a book. I treat most of the shawls I knit delicately, but that means I almost never wear them. I'm scared of catching them on something and damaging them, or I worry that I will lose the shawl.

At the same time, I was also trying to use up my stash. I didn't have enough yarn to make one, so I took two different shades of gray and alternated them. I was worried it would look too stripey, but I really like how it turned out.

Pattern: Winterberry by Tincanknits

Yarn: The Plucky Knitter Worsted Primo in Medieval and High Cotton

Farewell, Aureus. I'm Froggin' Ya

It pains me to show you this sweater because I'm about to frog it.

This pattern is lovely. The cables and the lace pattern are beautiful, the yarn is soft and an amazing color, and I love the overall look of the sweater.

But when I put the sweater on, I felt frumpy. I tried a belt to cinch it, like the model, but it still looked weird on me. I looked like the Abominable Snowman dressing up for a day of apple picking.

Pattern: Aureus by Michele Wang

Yarn: Neighborhood Fiber Company Studio DK in Oliver

I'm in search of another cable cardigan I can knit using this same yarn. While I think Aureus is gorgeous, it's just not for me.

I bought this yarn at Rhinebeck last year. It was my first time using any shade of yellow, and I felt very brave. I'm still willing to go for the yellow, and it doesn't factor into my decision to frog at all.

My friend and fellow knitter Sami said that the best part of knitting is the knitting itself. She, too, isn't scared of a little frogging. Many other knitters gasp when I tell them I'm going to unravel this. But why keep a sweater in the closet that you're never going to wear? Especially when it's knit with such a beautiful yarn that you can use for another project.

V-Back Speckled Knit Tee

I have soooo many sock yarn scraps, so I've been trying to knit socks with the full skeins and use the other scraps for stripey projects--like this one!

Pattern: The V-Back Tee by Jamie Hoffman

Yarn: (from top to bottom) 

Junkyarn Smooth Sock in Fleur and Candace

Nice & Knit Fingering in Shoal and Driftwood

Rock and String Creations Super Sock in A True Rarity

Rhinebeck-Inspired Noelle Knit Sweater

 I saw a sweater sample hanging in the booth of Birch Dyeworks last year at Rhinebeck Yarn Bazaar. Overwhelmed by all the choices there, I passed up the opportunity to buy the yarn for the sweater.

It was so crowded that I couldn't even get near the sweater, but my knitting BFF, Sami, got close enough to see the pattern name and colorway on the sample. (She's the best.)

I kept thinking about this sweater, as one does, and I had some major regret about not buying it. So when the pandemic started, I ordered the colorway from the sample, and then I paired it with yarn from one of my local LYSs, Echoview Fiber Mill.

Pattern: 

Noelle Pullover by Handmade Closet

Yarn: Echoview Fiber Mill Lapidary in Selenite and Birch Dyeworks 80/20 Sock in Mango

Prism Knit Socks

I'm getting so much sock knitting accomplished during stay-at-home orders. Alex and I have been watching The Wire (neither of us had seen it), so socks are perfect for knitting while also paying enough attention to remember the names of the bazillion characters.

I wanted to support small businesses during this time, and this yarn was one I purchased for that reason.

Pattern: Cuff-down, my own pattern; the stitch is garter

Yarn: Birch Dyeworks 80/20 Sock in Prismatic Indigo

Alex's Birthday Cake Socks

This month is Alex's birthday. I don't have to tell you why that sucks. We usually have a party at our house for his birthday, but this year his band Modern Strangers was going to play a show for his birthday. We were all looking forward to it.

With the show cancelled, we're still figuring out a fun way to celebrate. I started working on these socks with yarn from my stash that Alex had picked out a long time ago. I finished them way earlier than I thought I would. With staying home during the pandemic, I've been able to work through a lot of my old yarn. That feels nice.

Pattern: My own cuff down using hurdle stitch
Yarn: Araucania Huasco Sock in Guacamayo

GIVEAWAY: Ombre Purple Knit Socks from PaintBox

Before Christmas, Love Crafts.com sent me a ball of ombre sock yarn to try out. After I finally finished all the handmade holiday gifts (some in January *cough*), I started working on these.

Now that COVID 19 is taking over our lives, I'm finding time to photograph projects I finished earlier in the year. It's also a great time to host a giveaway for a lucky stitcher!

Love Crafts.com is kindly giving away one ball of their Paintbox Yarn Socks in the color of your choice. I'm hosting the giveaway on Instagram, so hop over there to enter.

Pattern: My own. Basically a cuff-down sock using Hurdle Stitch

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Socks in Wisteria

This yarn was really fun to knit with. I couldn't see the color changes as they were happening, but then I'd knit several rows and look back to see that gradual shift.

Hurdle Stitch 

When I'm knitting socks, I go for stitches that have a lot of texture but are easy to memorize. (That's probably also why socks are one of my go-to projects for stitch group.)

Rnd 1: Knit.
Rnd 2: Purl.
Rnds 3-4: k1, p1; repeat from across.

If I made another pair of these, I would probably do an afterthought heel. The Hurdle Stitch works really well with this yarn, and it makes it extra squishy and cozy.

Knit Soothing Shawl

I've been diligently working through my stash lately, and I finally used yarn I bought two years ago in New Mexico. It's squishy and great for a textured stitch like the seed stitch used in this shawl.

It finally snowed in Asheville, and I thought the color was perfect against the snow. (It melted around noon, so it didn't last nearly long enough.)

Pattern: Soothing Shawl by Rachel Brockman (free pattern)
Yarn: Abiquiu Dye Studio Squishy Spring "Halleluiah" purchased at Espanola Valley Fiber Arts Center

The border is applied lace, so you have to work it sideways and knit the edge stitches together with the border. I couldn't wrap my head around it at first, but then I watched a couple of videos and it clicked. I've tried this kind of border before, but it's been a while.

Even More Waffle Rib Socks

This is my go-to sock pattern. When I make a pair of socks for someone for the first time, this is always the pattern I choose. They have squishy texture, and they're pretty fun to make.

I made these socks for two friends who had a heck of a year last year. I love making socks for people because I'm thinking of them the entire time I'm knitting. I just hope they bring a little extra coziness into their lives.

I'm so proud of myself because I haven't bought yarn in a while. My most recent projects, including these, have all been straight from my stash. Woohoo!

Yarn: Hedgehog Fibres Sock in Hurricane

Pattern: Waffle Rib Socks by Carolyn (Jill) Ferneau (Free on Ravelry!)

This yarn was left over from my Sunset Highway sweater. I was surprised (and relieved) that I had enough to make a pair of socks. Hooray for destashing!

Yarn: Cape May Fiber Co. Yak Sock in Marina

Pattern: Waffle Rib Socks by Carolyn (Jill) Ferneau (Free on Ravelry!)

This was my first time knitting with yak. It's amaaaaaazing. And the color? Mmhm.

Cozy Ranunculus Knit Sweater

I started this sweater before Christmas, but quickly abandoned it to work on gifts. This was the first project I picked up after all the gifts were finished.

Pattern: Ranunculus by Midori Hirose
Yarn: Fig & Posy Alpaca Cloud and Fig & Posy Tweed Sock, both in color Sarcelle (held together)

Boston Terrier Socks and Hat for Lynn and Henry

It's no surprise that I'm behind on baby gifts and may never catch up. But I did manage to send this one right after Christmas, so can we count that as a Christmas present?

Lynn and I worked together at Martha Stewart, and though we've both since moved away from NYC, we still keep in touch. Lynn has an adorable Boston terrier, so I thought it would be fun to send her a pair of Boston terrier socks along with a matching hat for her lil Henry.

Hat
Pattern: I used the Mohawk Hat from Wacky Baby Knits as my foundation, and I added in the chart from the Boston Terrier Socks. I also added a 14-stitch ear, folded over and sewed in half, on each side.
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Sock White and acrylic black from my stash

Socks
Pattern: Boston Terrier Socks
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Sock in Black and White

Dad's 2019 Knit Christmas Socks

My dad's Christmas gift has become just as predictable as me overdoing it with pigs in a blanket on Christmas Eve. But I kind of like that, and I like thinking that his drawer is slowly being stuffed with more and more hand knit socks. He appreciates them and loves them, and so I just keep making them. (Meanwhile many other family members have been cut off from hand knits. You know who you are!)

Pattern: My own cuff-down with 64-stitch cast-on

Yarn: Schachenmayr Regia Pairfect Design Line By Arne & Carlos in Jolster

This is a fun, quick way to incorporate colorwork without doing the actual work. Around this time of year, I'm all for that! Plus when I do floats on socks, I don't feel like they stretch out quite as nice.

Yin-Yang Kitty Knit Socks for Danara

Christmas came early for my friend Danara who visits every Thanksgiving. Last year I made her a pair of knit socks for the first time, and she said she never wears them because she doesn't want to wear them out. We decided she needed a second pair so that having the one pair wasn't such a big deal. (I know a lot of people feel this way about knit socks.)

If you know Danara, you'll know that kitties are the perfect sock for her.



Pattern: YinYang Kitty Ankle Socks
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll in Black and White