Knitted Clogs and a Christmas Stole

Meet my new house slippers with pixie toe!  Who else, but Elizabeth Zimmermann, would design this adorable and quick knit to keep your feet warm.  The wool used is Sheepsdown and US sz 9 needles at 2.75 stitches to the inch.

This is the Belle Affaire stole (knit through Clue 12) by Birgit of Knitting Delight.  Yarn used is Navy Merino/Silk from the Little Wool Co in New Zealand and produced by Anna Gratton.

A pair of socks and some quilt blocks

A BSJ for Leo Frank Daniels

From this....



....to This!

 

A BSJ is a Baby Surprise Jacket.  It's a surprise because it looks like the "From this...." picture before you do your magic and make it look like the "....to This" picture.  Pretty cool, Meg Swansen and Elizabeth Zimmermann!

I made this with Dalegarn Baby ULL [100% Merino Wool] in 4 bright colors and a neutral.  The pattern can be found at SchoolHousePress as a paper pattern or on DVD.

I also knit a pair of socks from 'Vogue Knitting Socks Two, on the go'.

If you've knit a BSJ, please put your link in the comment section!

Knitted House Slippers

The greenish & brown pair are for my son. The purple & black pair are for Laundon.

Both are in college and both needed house slippers to keep warm. :)

Armed with Megan Mills' pattern called Garter Stitch Slippers, I used Cascade 220 Superwash and US sz 7 needles and knit them up super quick!

The only thing I added was the crocheted chain so they could tighten up around the ankle to keep the footies on.

I usually make a pair for my son every year.....and some of his friends, too. ;)

From yarn to socks...

Armed with US sz 1 dpn's, Lana Grossa Fantasy yarn [Farbe 4760; Partie 24588] and my son's traced foot - I came up with these!

My gauge was 7 sts/inch and I'm super fussy when it comes to the pattern continuing down the front of the foot. What do I do to make sure that happens, you ask? ;o)

When I knit the heel flap I use the other end of the skein leaving the yarn hanging there waiting to be used again. Once the gusset stitches are picked up and ready to be knit round and round, I abandon [break off] that end of the skein and pick up the lonely yarn that has been waiting patiently to be put to use again.

The pattern is simple, K2, P2 rib with 64 sts; half of them for the heel flap; K2, P2 down the front of the foot and finish off with a stocking st toe until there are 20 stitches to do the Kitch with.

They took me around 3 days to knit. I sent them off to his college, he got them......and.....and........they fit! Woo, hoo! [NOTE TO SELF: Make the leg 7 inches next time] :)

Felted house socks for Mom

This pair of socks knit up really quick! I cast on 40 stitches with US sz 11 needles and knit a basic sock. You decrease for the toe 'after' you achieve the length of your foot [or my mom's, in this case].

I used the Reynold's Lopi I had left over from my son's Icelandic Sweater.

Mom said they are the right height and loves them!

Tube socks

These tube socks are pretty small. They are for Newborn's and will be leaving my house and going to Bev's. Bev takes them to hospitals in kits for the new babies.

They took me a very short time to knit using wooden US sz 4 dpn needles and Cascade 220 Superwash. The pattern is written for knit OR crochet.

Read about her charity, make just one pair and send 'em to her. You'll be glad you did!

Undyed Opal turned into this!

My friend, Kimberly, dyed this sock yarn. I love, love the colors and the yarn bloomed just the right amount.

This pair was knit on my CSM with a 1x1 rib for 1 1/2", 1x3 rib all the way down the leg and the top of the foot.......and it knit up like a dream.

To find out what else can knit up on the sock machine, visit Jenny's website.

Jenny Deters and CSM's are good friends....

....CSM's have been around for a very long time. I barely learned about them in 2004 and own two now.

I've gone to a few retreats to learn more about what else can be 'cranked' on the machine.....and that's when I met Julie. Julie is a friend of Jenny's and was demonstrating how to do fair isle on the CSM! OMG!

Jenny has compiled her lace sock patterns into the first book. In her second book, you get socks and much more than socks! You've just GOT to check it out!

If you want to read more about this fantastic designer, it's here! While you are there, check out the FREE pattern.

If you want to check out her two books, you go here. I have these two books and [with no affiliation] am very impressed with her work. The patterns are super easy to understand.

Knitting socks with worsted weight yarn

I'm knitting socks for Ed with this yarn because he loves the color. It's Cascade 220 [Color 5011; Lot 5258] and, since I want to get 6 sts/1", I have to use US sz 2 wooden dpn's.

I am a loose knitter, therefore I knit with smaller needles. {sigh}

There is no pattern. I figured (10" circumference x 6 sts/1")-10%, for fit, +2 sts. Why 2 sts? So I can knit a 2x2 rib.

Do you knit socks without a pattern?

CSM Socks

I took a class from Amelia, to learn to dye sock yarn, at one of the CSM (Circular Sock Machine) Lacey Retreats in WA.
She had all kinds of dye colors, tools, microwave.....everything you would need.
I finally cranked out a pair of socks from my Verdun 47 - 72 cylinder.
I did a 1x1 rib for 1 1/4", switched to a 1x3 rib for 4" where I continued that rib down the front/top of the sock.
I love the way these look and feel. :)

Over the knee baby stockings...

...for Nana's Sweet Boy.

Nana is my dear friend, Agnes. Sweet Boy? Her grandson. :)

I used, machine washable, wool sock yarn and US sz 2 needles. The pattern can be found in "Homespun Handknit: Caps, Socks, Mittens & Gloves
by Linda Ligon, ed."

I've made this pattern several times and they are the cutest, warmest (if using wool) and they stay up!

They go in the mail on Monday.

A BSJ for Emma..

Emma is my sister-in-laws great grandchild and I wanted to knit her something to keep her warm.

There is nothing nicer than a BSJ in Superwash Cascade 220 to do the job.

I made up the baby socks to go with the sweater and hat.

Isn't Elizabeth Zimmermann a genius?

Moccasin Socks

I wanted to share my first moccasin sock from Knitter's Almanac! I have hesitated on knitting this for a few years. I could not fathom how I would know when knitting the "top" was long enough for my foot.

I decided to plunge right in changing only one thing......I knit it in the round.

I used Briggs N Little worsted using US sz 3 dpn's. I am a loose continental style knitter and usually have to resort to smaller needles to get gauge ~ 5 sts/inch.

I doubted EZ regarding the length of the "top" knitting so I made it shorter. As I was knitting merrily along, I got all kinds of ideas swimming in my head with ways of using this technique, as well as, several "Aha!" moments. Thank you EZ and Meg!

Since the top was made shorter, they will be gifted to my lovely mom whose feet are slightly smaller than mine. I can see my mom now (the woman pictured in my header and who taught me to knit) .....turning it that way and this way and saying out loud, hmmmm.

It makes me smile just thinking about it.

Socks for my ex...a second pair

My ex said he liked the socks so much that I couldn't resist asking him to pick another color so I could knit another pair.

He picked black for daytime wear in Iraq.

I am happy to report they are finished and have been sent off on Tuesday.

Socks..and How does your garden grow....

Well, the post office thought it would take two weeks for the socks to get to Iraq. My ex got them in 5 days! What did he think of them? He said they were Perfect! and Comfy!

Then my mom sent me some potatoes. These aren't just any potatoes......she grew them in her garden. She had over 90 hills of them! Now, most of my friends know that my mom grows her own vegetables and fruit...and then prepares them for the freezer to last her until next garden season. She's an amazing woman. What she learned, in school, helped her survive on next to nothing.

So, I prepared the two biggest potatoes weighing in at 1 pound EACH. The two under the pink ruler weigh over 11 ounces. It's going to be really hard going back to store potatoes. Maybe, mom shouldn't send me stuff like that..........

Autumn Lace socks finished!!!

I have another pair of socks and they fit great!

If you would like to knit a pair like this for yourself, please come check out Six Sox KAL. A FREE new pattern is introduced each even-numbered month of the year.

So, that's what was next.......now what?!

Two designs in one?

I even like the Autumn Lace socks inside out!

Just LOOK at that texture!

Socks for ex.......ready to go!

Whew! Done!

These are leaving for Iraq on Monday. They have been washed in hot water and dried in the dryer - inside out [to keep them new looking].

Hmmm, what's next?

Autumn Lace

I've had this gifted yarn since Christmas. When I saw the Autumn Lace title in Six Sox KAL, this yarn (with the many colors of fall) came to mind.

This Unknown Yarn screamed - "Pick me to be made into those socks!" I just know you know what I'm talking about.

This pair is knit with a shorter leg than the patterns suggested knitting of 8 inches. I also knit the picot hem with a size smaller needle than the gauge needle. It flares out less that way.

The selfish side of me is knitting them for me. :)