Oh My Goodness, It’s a Sock!

I vowed that one of my summer projects would be to knit my first pair of socks.  After hearing so many knitters raving about the wonders of socks, I was enticed to give it a try.  And what I found at three o’clock in the morning when I finally had to put them down, is that they’re amazing!  I am using two circular Addi Turbo needles, Judy Becker’s Magic Cast-On, and some Berroco Comfort Sock Yarn in the dusk color that I happened to have in my stash.  I’m considering these a test run, but as I move through each stage, I’m in awe at how the yarn miraculously becomes a sock!  Although there are many videos demonstrating the Magic Cast-On, Cat Bordhi’s video tutorial was the most helpful to me in getting started.

The pattern I’m using is Charisa Martin Cairn’s Lifestyle Toe-Up Socks No Swatch Needed, available for free on Ravelry.  I purchased, for only $1.00, Sox Therapist’s Fish Lips Kiss Heel pattern, which is being raved about in the knitting community, and which I’ll be using when I’m ready to add the heel.  Both patterns include all kinds of useful information.

This is the beginning of my vanilla sock, and the process is easier than I imagined, but I also haven’t attempted the heel yet 🙂  And now, I’m gonna go knit a sock, because I might just be transforming into a sock knitter!

 

 

It’s Baby Bird Season Again

Looking for a stash buster? During June and July, Wildcare needs knitted or crocheted nests for their baby bird nursery. For the little ones who run into some challenges in the outdoors, Wildcare gives them a second chance. Information and patterns are available at Wildcare, and there’s also a Baby Bird Nest Craft Along through Ravelry. Check out the video of the baby birds in the nests on the Ravelry page…adorable!

One nest almost done, lots more to go!

Blankets for Tail Wags

If you’re crafty, you probably already create special projects to donate.  If you have some space on your list, your local shelter can use blankets, toys, and even extra linens you might have.  Is there anything better than a tail wag of thanks?

Baby Bird Nests

It’s baby bird season!  Some of the little ones lose their way, however, and need a little extra help to get started. WildCare in San Rafael, California, has started a campaign to help care for orphaned baby birds with knitted and crocheted nests. The organization is collecting nests for use in their hospital, as well as sharing them with other rehabilitation centers. They are still in need of several hundred to meet their goal.  The nests are easy to knit or crochet, and information and patterns can be found here, just click:  www.wildcarebayarea.org

I’m rather challenged when it comes to following patterns, so created my own, based on the required measurements of the finished nests, and being sure to keep my stitches tight so little feet won’t get caught. My finished product:

I began with a circular base, using a crocheted 4-chain magic circle, and increasing as needed to get the round base I wanted:

Once the base measurement was complete, I stopped increasing and continued to crochet around and around.   I made the height quite tall, so the side could be folded down and adjusted as needed:

Folding down twice, like the brim of a hat, made for sturdy sides around the center:

So if you have a little time to spare, create a beautiful nest for a baby bird in need! I’m sure they’ll send out many chirps of thanks to you!

Sweater for a Crocodile

Ah, the beauty of stitches and the patterns they create.  This is actually a close-up of the sweater below that I recently finished.  For me, it was one of those instances where the skein of variegated yarn had a certain look, and the knitted sweater turned out completely different than anticipated.  When it was finished, it looked kind of reptile-like.  So even though I have a new sweater, it might be better suited for a crocodile!  Which would be just fine with me, if ever a crocodile needed a sweater!

Coffee Cup Sleeve

I wanted to make a gift for the coffee drinkers in my life, and thought a knitted cup sleeve was a good idea.  I made one for myself, too, because when I buy coffee at a cafe, it feels like a waste to get a new cardboard sleeve every time.  There are lots of patterns available for these “cozies”, from simple to extravagant. I always opt for a simple approach, so here’s how I made mine:

Yarn weight:  worsted
Needles:  12″ circulars, Size 4

Cast on 40 stitches

Row 1:  Purl (join at end of round)
Rows 2-6:  Knit
Row 7:  Knit (Increase by 2 stitches on this row, spaced evenly around circle)
Rows 8-13:  Knit
Row 14:  Knit (Increase by 2 stitches on this row, spaced evenly around circle)
Rows 15-20:  Knit
Row 21:  Knit (Increase by 3 stitches on this row, spaced evenly around circle)
Rows 22-24:  Knit
Row 25:  Purl
Bind off in purl and weave in ends.

I get 5 stitches to an inch with worsted yarn on my size 4’s.  You might need to adjust your cast-on amount, depending on how you knit, yarn choice, and what size needles you enjoy using.  Just measure the circumference of the smaller part of your cup (where you want the bottom of the sleeve to be), then multiply the circumference by number of stitches you knit per inch with chosen yarn and needles.  If you’re not sure, you can make a quick swatch to check.

The One That Fits

After knitting my first sweater, it was quite a while before I attempted another.  But with a little education and guidance, I was able to create  something, out of long strands of yarn, that magically became a garment that I could actually wear!  There’s something indescribably wonderful about that process.

The sweater generator for the top-down raglan at knittingfool.com was a huge help with this project, and there are lots of other great tools at the site, as well.  The Incredible Custom-Fit Raglan Sweater was also invaluable.

So with my one success, however imperfect it might have been, I was inspired to continue.  And so it began…

That First Sweater

A lesson on the importance of making a swatch, this sweater was enormously too big for me.  But still, I was proud! This was basically my first real project, at least the first one that I ever finished.  I knit it many years ago, and have kept it all this time, wearable or not.  My friend, who is an expert knitter, helped me through it.  She is someone who believes anyone can knit anything.  Now a bit more advanced in my skills, I still appreciate that philosophy!

And my cat, Namaste, who decided she couldn’t miss a photo shoot opportunity! Perhaps she believes my sweater is indeed wearable…or maybe even blanket-worthy.