Category Archives: Patterns

Through the Grapevine Socks

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These are socks worth gossiping about!  Their simple structure is offset by two panels of ladylike texture on either side of the leg.  Two grapey cables run between trellises of delicate openwork, making a sock that looks intricate, but is very simple to work up.  A delight to knit, and a pleasure to wear, the grapevine will be talking about these socks for years to come!

The Through the Grapevine Socks are knit on size 2 double-point needles using Knit Picks Stroll yarn (or your favorite brand of sock-weight yarn), in women’s size Small-Medium or Medium-Large.  They are worked from the 1×1 ribbed cuff down to the toe.  The heel is made using standard heel-flap construction, and the toe is created with sets of decreases on either side of the foot and closed up with the Kitchener stitch.  If you have difficulty with sock construction, please see my pattern “Socks by the Numbers” for more information.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAKnit up a pair of Through the Grapevine Socks for yourself.  The pattern is available through my Ravelry store for three dollars:

Pattern-The Little Knit Doll

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Now that everyone’s back from their Christmas (or New Year’s, or Winter Solstice, or Snowpocalypse 2014) breaks, I wanted to post my newest pattern again, so that everyone can have a chance to see it (and ooh and aah).

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis sweet little doll is looking for a home. Do you know a little girl or boy who will give her one? The little knit doll and accompanying doll-sized printable storybook are perfect for little kids. Complete with style-able hair and a removable dress, the Little Knit Doll is just as ready to play house as she is to go adventuring with her friends.

The Little Knit Doll’s construction is very simple. She is knit in the round with minimal sewing. All shaping is done with simple increases and decreases, except for the feet, which are worked like tiny socks. Luxurious long hair is applied with a crochet hook, which makes her hair fully style-able. Her embroidered face makes her safe for children of all ages. Her adorable green dress is also knit in the round with virtually no finishing.

The pattern for the Little Knit Doll is available through Ravelry:

The Little Knit Doll

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Merry Christmas!

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI hope you’re having a fantastic Christmas, and I hope that Santa brought you everything that was on your Christmas list.

I’ve got one more extra-special present just for you, dear readers! A little bitty knit doll of your very own.  And, she comes with a little bitty storybook of her very own.   She has long flowing hair and a removable dress, and she is just as ready to play house as she is to go adventuring with her friends.

The Little Knit Doll’s construction is very simple.  She is knit in the round with minimal sewing.  All shaping is done with simple increases and decreases, except for the feet, which are worked like tiny socks.  Her luxurious long hair is applied with a crochet hook, just like adding fringe to a scarf.  She is totally safe for children of all ages, with her embroidered face.  And, her adorable green dress is knit in the round with virtually no finishing.

The Little Knit Doll is now available through Ravelry for $5.00.

Get the pattern here

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI’m posting The Little Knit Doll here exclusively for about a week.  But starting next week, the pattern will be available through Ravelry for $5, so download it now, if you want it for free.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAHo Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!

WIP Ornaments

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Imagine this:  You are going to a party, and you know that there will be a gift-exchange.  You don’t have time to go to the store.  Also, you’re broke.  You know the other guests at the party will all bring crazy-fancy gifts and you don’t want to be shown up.  And, did I mention, you leave in fifteen minutes?

I think it’s a time to make WIP Ornaments!

These are super fast, super easy and super cheap (in fact, you probably have everything you need in your craft bin right now).

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAGet the pattern here:

WIP Ornaments

Pattern: The Sculptor’s Scarf

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I designed this scarf as a Christmas gift for my boss, who is a ceramics artist.  It’s inspired by some of his most recent works which are big chunky sculptures inspired by themes of of antiquity and archeology.  He creates great big thick slabs of clay, textured to look like weathered stone, and stands them up with brightly-colored legs.  (I’m describing it poorly, they’re actually really cool.)

This scarf is my interpretation of his sculptures, but in wool.  It’s a big, chunky scarf that’s manly enough for guys to actually wear, but is technically challenging enough to keep a knitter’s attention.  The scarf is knit shortways, on great big needles with bulky yarn, so you only have 16 stitches per row, which will get you screaming along in no time!  The background is textured in seed stitch, which will keep the scarf lying flat.  Intarsia is used to work the bright red 2×2 cable running up the middle of the scarf.   Finishing is minimal, and the final project is sure to please.

Sculptors Scarf

Pattern: the n00b Hat

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThanks for playing along with me and my hat-making shenanigans!  I’ve compiled the last month’s-worth of n00b hat-ness into one easy-to-find .pdf pattern.  Feel free to download it, use it, or share it, whatever you like.  Maybe your friend/mom/dad/kid sister/weird guy down the street wants to learn how to knit.  I’d be delighted if folks started using this pattern more and more.  And I’d love to see everyone’s first n00b hats!  That would totally make my day!

The nOOb Hat

 

Lazy Susan Beanie

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I love knitting stripes.  Changing colors back and forth keeps my interest, even when making a super simple project like this beanie.  But, as you know, I am utterly lazy.  I absolutely detest stopping my flow of knitting to attach and reattach new balls of yarn.  And weaving in all those thousands of tiny ends at the end of a project is pretty much the worst.    The Lazy Susan Beanie avoids both of these issues by working both colors at the same time, knitting them in a spiral pattern that ends up looking like perfect one-row stripes (get it?  Lazy Susan?  Because it spins and is for lazy people… like me).

Also, this pattern is a great way to experiment with color and dying your own yarn.  I knit the sample with a turquoise variegated yarn and a dark purple/black semi-solid which I dyed using food coloring.  (You can read my posts for more information about dying yarn with food coloring.)  Try using different color combos for different results!

You can get the Lazy Susan Beanie pattern here:

Lazy Susan Beanie

Coffee Sweater

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coffee sleeve

Keep your coffee comfy and cozy with this cup-sized sweater! If you’re as caffeine-addicted as I am, you know how important it is to keep your coffee nice and hot, while avoiding burning your fingers.  This coffee cup sleeve is super-fast to knit up, and the addition of a few simple cables will keep the attention of even the most caffeine-addled knitters. Since it’s a small project worked with worsted-weight yarn, you can make several from a single skein of yarn, making the Coffee Sweater a great pattern for gift knitting.

Get the pattern here:

Coffee Sweater

Pattern: Shiny Jammer

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When I’m not being an obsessive TV-watching, tea-drinking knitter I like to let out my aggression by playing roller derby. It’s super fun. I play with a local banked track league (Tilted Thunder), and it’s probably one of the most satisfying things that I’ve ever done. (And definitely the most fun I’ve ever had playing a sport, although that’s not saying much.)

Actually, since I’m usually pretty polite and quiet soft-spoken in real life, and I don’t have any tattoos, sometimes people don’t believe me when I tell them I play derby. So, here’s proof:

1044944_10151760344398223_1844534174_nI’m the one in green with the black helmet.  I love this picture because I look kind of terrifying.  Usually in derby photos I just look scared and awkward.

In this picture, I’m giving my jammer (the girl in front of me who wears stars on her helmet) a push to make her go faster.  The jammer is the one that scores points by lapping skaters on the other team.  (I’m a blocker, whose job it is to help our jammer go faster, and stop the other jammer.)  If you are interested in the rules, this is a good overview.

Anyway, a friend of mine, who also plays derby, asked me to make her a jammer hat  for her birthday, and who am I to say no?  I looked through some of the available patterns, and I didn’t care for them, so I made my own pattern.

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Now you, too can channel your inner badass with this roller derby-inspired hat.  It’s knit in the round with a simple ribbed cuff and decreases on the crown.  The stars are added using the duplicate stitch after the hat is knit up.  Knit this super simple hat in the colors of your favorite roller derby team to show your spirit.  And don’t forget: skate fast, turn left, and hit hard!

Get the pattern here:

Shiny Jammer

Pattern: Super Hat

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Looking for a super-quick hat to knit up?  Who isn’t at the end of April?

This hat is made with super-chunky yarn to knit up super-fast.  The finished product is super-warm for the coldest parts of winter.  It’s knitted flat, which makes it great for super-beginner knitters who are afraid of knitting in the round.  The ribbing is worked super-long  to give a nice flipped-up brim.  Super!

(I think I need a thesaurus.)

If you’re looking for a child-sized hat, use worsted-weight yarn and medium-sized needles.  If you want a doll-sized hat, use sock yarn and matching needles.

Materials:

Person-sized hat:

1 Skein Lion Brand Bulky Yarn or other super bulky yarn

Size 13 needles, or size needed to get gauge

Doll-sized hat:

A small amount of Mini Mochi, or other sock yarn

Size 2 needles, or size needed to get gauge

Scissors, tapestry needle

Gauge:

Person-sized hat: 2.5 sts/in

Doll-sized hat: 8.5 sts/in

Instructions:

Cast on 10 stitches, work back and forth as follows:

  • Row 1 (and all other odd-numbered rows): Purl
  • Row 2: K1, (K1, inc 1) 8 times, K 1 (18 sts)
  • Row 4: K1 (K2, inc 1) 8 times, K 1 (26 sts)
  • Row 6: K1 (K3, inc 1) 8 times, K 1 (34 sts)
  • Row 8: K across
  • Row 10: K1 (K4, inc 1) 8 times, K 1 Row (42 sts)
  • 12: K across
  • Row 14: K1 (K5, inc 1) 8 times, K 1 (50 sts)

Work in stockinet stitch for 15 more rows (ending with a wrong side row).

Begin ribbed brim as follow for 20 rows as follows:

  • Row 1 (and all odd-numbered rows): P2 (K2, P2) across
  • Row 2 (and all even-numbered rows): K2 (P2, K2) across
  • Bind off and cut yarn with a nice long tail.

Using the tail from the cast-on edge, sew up the crown of the hat, making sure the seam is on the inside (the purl side). Don’t forget to close up the hole at the top of the hat, too! Hide the end of your yarn in the inside of the hat, and cut off any extra yarn.

Using the tail from the bound-off (brim) end of the hat, sew up the brim, making sure the seam is on the outside of the hat. This seems weird and backward, but since this hat is designed with a fold-up brim, the outside of the hat is actually hidden when the hat is worn.  Sew in the tail and cut the yarn, making sure the remaining tail is on the inside of the hat.