William Smart Socks

Greetings! It's rained 20 says in a row here in Portland and I'm entertaining the idea of building an ark. Lacking ark-constructing skills, I may just knit instead.

William Smart Socks!



The story:

Even though father’s day has only been an official holiday in America since Richard Nixon made it so in 1972, there is no shortage of silly junk marketed as appropriate gifts for pop. Making your dad hand-knit socks lets him know he’s worth the time, effort and yarn invested. It says you care enough about him to not get him a tie with a golf tee motif.

My own papa is famous for reading, questioning authority, and attracting a hand totaling 12 in blackjack. I wouldn't dare buy him such a tie. But I digress... let me tell you about my latest sock design!



Details:

Sizes (4): 1. Women’s Small, 2. Women’s Medium/Men’s Small, 3. Women’s Large/Men’s Medium, 4. Men’s Large

Foot circumference:
7 (8, 9, 10) inches 17.5 (20, 23, 25.5 cm) unstretched. Will stretch to fit 8 (9, 10, 11) inches 20 (23, 25.5, 28 cm).

Gauge: 32 sts/48 rows = 4" in st st

Needles: 1 set US #1/2.25mm 32” circular needles (magic loop), 2 sets of 24” circulars or double pointed needles, or size to get gauge.

Yarn: Fingering-weight yarn that gives you proper gauge. I’m using: Zwerger Garn Opal Uni Solid 4-ply [75% Wool, 25% Nylon; 465yd per 100 gram ball]; color: 1416: 1 ball.

Notions: Tapestry needle, cable needle.

Please note that because of the cables, this pattern uses more yarn than a plain sock.



Backstory:

While mother’s day has been a holiday for around 100 years, father’s day has only been official in America since Richard Nixon made it so in 1972. The first father’s day is believed to have been observed on June 19th, 1910 in Spokane, Washington. A young woman named Sonora Smart Dodd attended a mother’s day sermon at the Central Methodist Episcopal Church on a Sunday in May, 1909. She was inspired by the message and immediately thought of her own father’s sacrifices. Sonora’s dad, William Jackson Smart, was a Civil War veteran. When his wife died, he took over the parenting of all six children.

Sonora spent a year arranging a tribute to her father in the spirit of the first mother’s day, organized by Anna Jarvis. Anna handed out carnations for mothers, and Sonora handed out roses for fathers. A red rose honored a living father and a white rose was worn in memory of a deceased father. Sonora even traveled around town in a carriage, delivering roses to folks who were house-bound.

Dodd supported the newly growing commercialization efforts of the holiday. In this way, father’s day evolved differently from mother’s day. Anna Jarvis used to protest the commercialization of her mother’s day, where Sonora Dodd personally endorsed organized efforts to increase commercial potential.

The concept of father’s day as an official holiday was slow to catch on. Despite support from YMCA and YWCA, the public thought of it as a joke. Congress refused to make the holiday official, even though President Wilson supported it in 1916. Coolidge tried in 1924 to make father’s day a holiday but it never gained momentum. President Johnson proclaimed the third Sunday to be father’s day but it wasn’t until 1972 that it became a national holiday thanks to Richard Nixon.

Oh yeah, this pattern includes a bonus puzzle of cryptograms: Father’s day crypto-quotes!



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Anna Jarvis

Welcome to the first of May in the Free World. Have a cookie, yes?



I have a new sock pattern out today!

Instead of buying your mom flowers this year, why not knit her some instead? The Anna Jarvis Socks resemble a basket of flowers but last a lot longer.

Details:

Sizes: Women’s Small, Large

Foot circumference:
7 (9) inches 17.5 (23 cm) unstretched. Will stretch to fit 9 (11) inches 23 (28 cm).

Needles: 1 set US #1/2.25mm 32” circular needles (magic loop), 2 sets of 24” circulars or double pointed needles, or size to get gauge.

Gauge: 32 sts/48 rows = 4" in Stockinette St.

Yarn: Any fingering-weight yarn that gives you proper gauge. Sample shown: Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Silk [52% Bamboo, 43% Superwash merino wool, 5% combed silk; 204yd per 50gr ball]; color: 3020: 2 balls.

Notions: Cable needle, tapestry needle.

NOTES: This advanced sock is knit from the cuff-down using charts. One way to alter the size of this sock will be to change gauge: For an 8” circumference sock, work the Small at 7 sts per inch or the Large at 9 sts per inch.



Now, I'd like to tell you a story about Anna Jarvis, who is credited with creating Mother's Day in America and after whom these socks are named.

Mothers’ Day hasn’t always been about flowers, greeting cards or brunch with the family. In fact, this sweet holiday is a direct result of one of the most violent eras this country has ever known.

A Civil War battlefield was a brutal place, but the simple canvas tents that served for operating rooms weren’t any better. The Surgeon General of the Union Army suggested that the war was fought "at the end of the medical Middle Ages." Little was known about disease. Surgical techniques ranged from barbaric to barely competent.

Doctors and nurses worked in deplorable conditions, often surrounded by mosquito-infested swamps or piles of decomposing bodies. Without fresh water or method of sterilization, germs were passed from one patient to another. Civilians and enlisted soldiers on both sides were horrified by what they saw but helpless to do anything about it. The staggering death toll suffered during this era might have been even greater if not for the selfless work of a young nurse.

Ann Jarvis was a young Appalachian woman who was overwhelmed by the human suffering and answered a profound call to take action. Eventually Ann reached her limit and decided to take action. She created a program called “Mother’s Work Days.” Ann organized women to clean anything and everything. Her goal was to disinfect the entire nation… (And you thought your mom was tough?)

Ann and the women she inspired improved sanitary conditions on both sides. In many ways, Mrs. Jarvis’ efforts assisted in the development of modern medicine in the United States. The medical establishment and public at large gained a greater understanding of the relationship between cleanliness, diet, and disease. Ann Jarvis was a Very Important Woman who inspired thousands of people, but perhaps none more than her own daughter, Anna.

Anna Jarvis decided to establish the “work day” as an annual celebration in tribute to her mother. In 1907, she passed out white carnations to every mother in her congregation, marking the very first American Mother’s Day. The holiday gained in popularity each year and soon products were manufactured and marketed for the occasion. Clearly holiday consumerism is not a new concept.



Two decades later Anna became soured by the commercialization of Mother’s Day. Remarkably, in 1920 she was arrested for protesting the holiday she helped create. "I wanted it to be a day of sentiment,” she said. “Not profit."

Anna spent the rest of her life campaigning against the crass commercialization of Mother’s Day. Her New York Times obituary explained how she had become embittered by the popularity of the manufactured – not homemade – greeting card. "A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world. And candy! You take a box to Mother—and then eat most of it yourself. A pretty sentiment!"

This project is dedicated to the Anna Jarvis’ of the world. These are socks you can’t buy at a big box store. They must be hand-made by an intrepid knitter. By making things by hand, we are able to live a richer, more thoughtful life.



Oh yeah, pattern includes a bonus chocolate chip cookie recipe!

$3.99 for the pattern
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Red Velvet Cupcakes

Holly Golightly: It's useful being top banana in the shock department.



Red Velvet Cupcakes are sleeves inspired by something Holly Golightly might wear in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. They were created to bring some feminine elegance to any occasion.

Details:

Sizes: Women’s Small (Large)

Wrist circumference:
5.5 (7) inches 14 (17.5 cm) unstretched. Will stretch to fit 7 (8.5) inches 17.5 (21.5 cm).

Gauge: 32 sts/48 rows = 4" in St st

Needles: 1 set of US #1/2.25mm 32” circular needles (magic loop) OR 2 sets of 24” circulars (two circulars) OR double pointed needles.

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker.

Yarn: Black Trillium Pebble Sock. [100% SUPERWASH Merino; 400yd/366m per 100g/3.53oz skein]; color: Mean Reds; 1 skein. Or any Fingering weight yarn that gives you proper gauge.



Backstory:
Melanie from Black Trillium came up with the richest red sock yarn and challenged me to make something inspired by the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. It's been a while since I've seen it, to be honest. I recall a shocking character played by Mickey Rooney (you know what I'm talking about, I expect) and shuddered. I knew there was also a ton of chic style in this movie, but what was I to do?

Then I got the yarn. It's amazing. It's not Tiffany blue. It's red. Melanie had just watched the film and was taken by the mean reds. So...I googled the term "mean reds" and found this:

Holly Golightly: You know those days when you get the mean reds?

Paul Varjak: The mean reds, you mean like the blues?

Holly Golightly: No. The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?

Paul Varjak: Sure.

Holly Golightly: Well, when I get it the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany's. Calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there. If I could find a real-life place that'd make me feel like Tiffany's, then - then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name!

I think I know that feeling. Melanie also reminded me that all of the ladies wear elbow length gloves throughout this movie. Okay, done. I knew what I had to do.



This little number is available now as a kit from Yarn4Socks. The pattern will be available individually starting May 1st, 2010. Hey! That's pretty soon!

In conclusion, (yes, I was having fun with these quotes) I have to leave you with this gem:

Holly Golightly: You could always tell what kind of a person a man thinks you are by the earrings he gives you. I must say, the mind reels.

Spaghetti Season

AKA April Fool's! Check out my new (real, no joke) pattern inspired by trickery:



April Fool’s Day is observed everywhere. No one really knows where or when it started. My favorite pranks involve trying to get people to believe ridiculous things. One such gag was orchestrated by the BBC in 1957 regarding a bumper crop of spaghetti trees. Check out the full story here:



That's the backstory. Now, let me tell you about the socks.

These socks are both really simple and really unusual. The prank here is that a simple pair of socks emerge in the strangest fashion. Because the pair is knit all at once, there will be no second sock syndrome... And if you can’t bear cutting the socks open, you can always wear your creation as a cowl!



This is a pattern for multiple gauges/sizes!

Foot circumference:
7 (8, 9, 10) inches 17.5 (20, 23, 25.5 cm) unstretched. Will stretch to fit 8 (9, 10, 11) inches 20 (23, 25.5, 28 cm).

Sizes: This pattern is written for four sizes: (See foot circumference to determine best size) Women’s Small (Women’s Medium/Men’s Small, Women’s Large/Men’s Medium, Men’s Large)

Yarn: Any Fingering, Sport or DK weight yarn that gives you proper gauge.

Yardage Requirement Chart: (approx.)

Fingering:
Women’s Small: 350
Women’s Medium/Men’s Small: 375
Women’s Large/Men’s Medium: 400
Men’s Large: 425

Sport:
Women’s Small: 275
Women’s Medium/Men’s Small: 300
Women’s Large/Men’s Medium: 325
Men’s Large: 350

DK:
Women’s Small: 250
Women’s Medium/Men’s Small: 275
Women’s Large/Men’s Medium: 300
Men’s Large: 325

You’ll also need waste yarn in the same thickness in a contrasting color, 4 yards.

Notions: Scissors, Tapestry needle, and (optional) a stitch marker to indicate the beginning of the round.



Gauge: This pattern is written for four different gauges:

Fingering:
9 sts = 1” - US 0 (2 mm)
OR
8 sts = 1” - US 1 (2.25 mm)

Sport:
7 sts = 1” - US 2 (2.75 mm)

DK:
6 sts = 1” - US 3 (3.25 mm)

Needles: 1 set of 32” circular needles (magic loop) OR 2 sets of 24” circulars (two circulars) OR double pointed needles.



NOTES: This intermediate sock pattern is worked from the toe up. The technique is unusual, but it is not too hard. The toe is worked, then the short-row heel, the leg, the cuff, a few rounds of waste yarn are worked, then another cuff, leg, heel and toe. This produces a two-ended sock which will be cut open at the section with the waste yarn. Live stitches are picked up and bound off. This technique produces a pair of socks knit as one piece.

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March Madness

I don't know where I've been exactly but... hi, hello and how do you do? I'm busy on secret things but I'm pretty tired of keeping everything to myself.

I'm swimming in a mish-mosh of taxes, passport renewals, designing, and daydreaming.

Here is a wee update of the march madness of sorts happening in the free world:

1. Socks For All Seasons is going strong!

Thursday is the last day to buy the Ides of March pattern by itself. If you join the club you'll get the pattern anytime, though.



Buy this pattern now here: $3.99


OR

Read all about the club and maybe even sign up for the whole year of sock patterns for only $14.99 here.

April 1st is right around the corner which means a fresh new sock pattern will drop. Let me just say it's a doozy.

2. Did someone say passport renewals? Yep! I'm going to Scotland this August to teach at the UK Knit Camp! I've never been to Scotland and I'm pretty excited about the opportunity. I'm trying to sort out a side trip too, while I'm so far from home.

Might you join us in Scotland? Learn more here.

3. Something bright?



My pal Vivian is always patient with me when I ask her to pose in something I made. It's a bulky cowl you're looking at and the pattern will be available soon-ish.

4. Speaking of patterns, the Not-So-Socks Club from Yarn 4 Socks will feature something fun in April too! My pal Melanie at Black Trillium Yarns has dyed up something special inspired by the film Breakfast at Tiffany's and I got to make up a project with it! Not a sock pattern but made with sock yarn. Cool! It was really quite fun and I'll show pictures on the first of April, no joke.

Q. What does the Y4S Sock Club consist of exactly?
A. The Y4S Sock Club runs every other month. The 2010 installation will start in April of 20109 and will run until February of 2011. This year, the theme is Movie Classics.

Q. How do I sign up for the remaining months?
A. You can sign up for the entire year of Sock Club until February 15, 2010. Starting February 1st you will be able to purchase April's club by itself. The price for each individual month is $35.

Q. What do I get for $35?
A. For $35 you will get a sock pattern, a skein of sock yarn enough to knit the attached sock pattern, shipping to the US and sometimes a little surprise.
For US and Canadian participants, please select "Will Call" at check out to not be charged an extra shipping fee. For all other countries, please pay the shipping that comes up automatically when you select the country to ship to.

If you have any other questions you'd like to have answered, feel free to contact them at yarn4socks at yahoo dot com

Learn more or sign up here.

5. I'm late for work. I've got more to share and another update will happen here on Thursday.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Blue Moon

Feeling like somebody. But I don't know who.

Have you seen Tina's latest blog post?

I'm in it!

Ides of March

The first pattern for the Socks For All Seasons club has dropped! I'm excited to tell you about it right now.



The Ides of March was once a festive day dedicated to the Roman god Mars. In modern times, the term Ides of March is best known as the date that Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C. This sock design was inspired by ancient Roman tile. Just go ahead and jump in - there is nothing to beware of here!

Sizes available: Women’s Small, Medium, Large

Foot circumference: 7 (8, 9) inches 17.5 (20, 23 cm) unstretched. Will stretch to fit 8 (9, 10) inches 20 (23, 25.5 cm).

Gauge: 32 sts/48 rows = 4" in st st

Needles: 1 set US #1/2.25mm 32” circular needles (magic loop) OR 2 sets of 24” circulars (two circulars) OR double pointed needles, or size to get gauge.



Yarn: Two contrasting colors of fingering-weight yarn that gives you proper gauge. You’ll need approx 50 (70, 90) grams of the Main Color and 30 (35, 40) grams of a Contrasting Color. Sample shown is knit with Shalimar Yarns Zoe Sock (100% SUPERWASH Merino wool; 450 yd per 4 oz skein), color: cayenne; 1 skein and Dream in Color Smooshy (100% SUPERWASH Merino wool; 450yd per 4oz skein), color: purple rain; 1 skein.

Notions: Cable needle, Tapestry needle, and (optional) a stitch marker to indicate the beginning of the round.



NOTES: This advanced sock pattern is worked from the cuff down with two colors. It includes a sideways cabled cuff, mosaic knitting, a heel flap, and a grafted toe. The slipped stitches create a fabric that is slightly less stretchy than standard stockinette stitch. Keep this in mind when choosing yarn and sock size.



Oh yeah, the pattern comes with a word seek puzzle at the end, just for fun!

Buy this pattern now here: $3.99 (Only available for individual purchase now through the end of March)


OR

Read all about the club and maybe even sign up for the whole year of sock patterns here.

The Ides of February

It's been quite a week here in the free world...

1. Today is my mom's birthday - happy birthday mama!

2. Working on top-secret projects for Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting... So cool!

3. I'm pretty excited about the Socks For All Seasons club!

I just finished knitting up the first pattern for March, it's being checked out by the test knitter right now. All I can say is that it's um, you know what? I can't say anything about it yet. No spoilers here!

It's not too late to sign up. Details here.

In fact, I finally started a Ravelry group! It's called Keep on Knitting in the Free World and it will be a pace to post pictures of your club projects, chat, get help, whatever! The Ravelry group is here. I hope you'll join me!



4. Hey! Interweave is selling the Freshman Cable Sock Pattern I designed for Knitscene Fall 2009! It's available here, exclusively.

5. Tomorrow is my pal Lee's birthday. Go on and wish her a happy one, and while you're there, check out her connect the dots stitching kits!

Dorothy's Basket, now available

This pattern was on lock-out for about 8 months - I'm happy to say it is now available to the public!



While daydreaming of a world over the rainbow, a farming girl from Kansas would have to also be practical. She would need a light shawl to wear while walking her dog to the mercantile. This project was inspired by something a young Dorothy Gale might sport to coordinate with her gingham dress and hand basket.



Because this project is worked side to side, it is a great way to jump into lace knitting without the casting on or binding off of hundreds of stitches.

How about a pic of the shawl in action? Thanks to my work buddy, all around foxy moxington and hairspirational BFF Vivian for always having a good attitude about posing with my hand knits!



Size: One size

Measurements:
Elongated triangle. 70” long, 24” deep at center, blocked.

Gauge: 24 sts/32 rows = 4" [10cm] in Stockinette stitch

Yarn: About 525 yards of any lace-weight (or fingering, really) yarn of your choice. I used Fresh From the Cauldron MCN Lace (80% Merino, 10% Cashmere 10% Nylon; 565 yards [517 m] / 4.06oz [115 g]), 1 skein.

Needles: 1 set US #4/3.5mm circular needles or straight needles, or size to get proper gauge.

Skill level: Intermediate. You will need to know how to cast on, increase, decrease, work simple lace, and follow written or charted instructions.

Pattern PDF = $4.99

Juliet

Another finished sweater?







Yarn: De-Vine by Blue Moon Fiber Arts in color Jasper

Pattern: Juliet by Sarah Johnson (Zephyr Style)

Buttons: Spalted oak hand-made by etsy seller wooden treasures.

I love it!

Opal Creek Cowl and Mitts

Living in Portland, Oregon, I am surrounded by countless expanses and pockets of overwhelming beauty. Opal Creek is a wilderness area located in the Willamette National Forest on the border of the Mount Hood National Forest. It has the largest uncut watershed in Oregon. Early prospectors waded in Opal Pool and remarked on the natural glory of the crystal water. The stitch pattern in this cowl suggests gentle currents and leaves, inspired by Opal Creek.




It's the February Installment of Twisted’s Single Skein Club 2010!
(Available to the public May 1st, 2010.)

This new pattern set also includes a crossword puzzle. Check out Twisted here.

Thanks to Vivian for the lovely photos!

Arctic Blast Mitts

It's been a long wait, but this pattern is finally available!

Despite illusions of spring arriving, we are very much in the heart of winter. It was this time last year I put together a pair of armwarmers for Twisted's Single Skein Club.

Backstory: December 2008, Portland. A snow storm hit our town hard. Some called it Snowpocalypse. It was offically named Arctic Blast. So too are these fingerless gloves I was knitting at the time.



(Thanks to Vivian for being such a fun hand model!)

Yarn: Malabrigo Silky Merino (50% Silk, 50% Merino; 50 grams,150 yards/137 m) 1 skein



Some people live in towns that expect two feet of snow. These towns have snow plows and salt and intrepid spirits that function despite the challenges.

I live in a town that panicked. We had some plowing of the major streets, with sand instead of salt. But if you didn't have chains, you weren't driving anywhere.

I did what I had to do... I stayed at home with some hot tea, bad movies, and knit some armwarmers. And now I get to brag that I officially survived the Arctic Blast of Ought Eight.



This intermediate level pattern includes instructions to make a pair of lacy wrist warmers. You’ll need to know how to read a pattern, cast on, work simple lace, and work in the round. The lace pattern is charted as well as written; take your pick.

$4.99