Happy Chinese New Year!

The year if the dragon is upon us, people. I don't know about you but I am ready to put the rabbit year of 2011 aside and welcome some new power and change into my life. A little luck might be nice too, if that's on the menu.

In any case, I am ready to be a dragon - bright, fierce, and magical! Are you with me?

Good. Now I'd like to share with you a sock pattern that honors this time of year - Lantern Socks:



Lantern Festival is celebrated on the last day of Chinese New Year. Traditionally, thousands of colorful lanterns are hung or paraded around during the full moon at the beginning of a new year. At this time, people try to solve puzzles written on lanterns, eat yuanxiao (元宵) (glutinous rice ball) and enjoy a family reunion.



Knit your own beaded lantern socks today, and solve the riddles at the end of the pattern for fun.



Size: This pattern is written for 3 sizes: 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).

Yarn: Fingering-weight sock yarn that gives you proper gauge, 350 - 425 yards; Sample shown: Hazel Knits Artisan Sock [90% SUPERWASH Wool, 10% Nylon; 400yd per 120 gram skein]; color: Wheatberry: 1 skein.



Needles: 1 set of US 1 (2.25 mm) 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 Stitch.

Notions: Stitch markers, tapestry needle, tiny crochet hook (I used a steel 10 – 1.25 mm), 28 size 6 seed beads.



The pattern is $4.99
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The Socks For All Seasons e-book is $24.99 and provides you with a year's worth of sock patterns:
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Party on, fellow dragons!

Wednesday Morning, 3 AM

Willamette Scarf

Happy New Year, Friends! I hope this year has started off in the very best of ways. If this isn't the case for you, allow me to point out that there is plenty of time to course-correct.

Today is exciting for me because I get to release the first pattern in the Stumptown Knits pattern club! The Willamette Scarf is inspired by the flow of water that runs right through the center of Portland.

A cold day along the banks of the Willamette river in Portland

The Willamette river is a vital, multi-functioning tributary of the Columbia, rich with life, commerce, and recreation. It runs like an artery up the middle of Portland, crossed often by distinctive bridges and the occasional beaver. The linen stitch and herringbone stitch in the Willamette scarf mimic the ripples, waves and stones of the water.

Color: Star

The yarn is dyed by the talented Melanie at Black Trillium. There are two colors pictured here: Star and Columbia. I've been eager to work with the Star color which was named after me. (How cool is that!?) I like how the variegation plays with the textured stitches.

Color: Columbia

The Columbia color was a natural choice here. Since Black Trillium is based in the Pacific Northwest it makes perfect sense she would have locally inspired colors. I like how the watery blue is integrated with salmon. Quite accurate!

Under the Burnside Bridge, with orange gloves

Scarf Size: Adjustable. Sample is 80” long. 6” deep at widest part. 

Notions: Tapestry needle.

Gauge: Gauge is not critical.

Needles: US 8 (5 mm) straight or circular needles.

Skill level: This advanced-beginner pattern is knit flat using some unusual stitches. You’ll need to know how to cast on, knit, purl, slip stitches, increase, decrease, bind off and follow written instructions.

A detail of the Herringbone and Linen stitches (waves and pebbles)

This pattern was tested by Bev Love and Minttu. Columbia Scarf sample knitted by Bev Love. Photography by Vivian Aubrey. Many thanks!

Willamette Scarf Pattern is $4.99
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Hey, wait! Did you know that this pattern is part of a larger collection?

Stumptown Knits: An accessories collection designed to honor the place you live and the place you love. For me, it’s inspired by Portland, OR. What will it be for you?

This pattern-only club runs for 6 months and features 6 patterns. 

Club costs $15.99 to join.

Patterns: 
Sock yarn scarf (shown)
DK-weight hat 
Sock yarn shawl 
Socks 
Armwarmers 
Cowl

Benefits for joining the club:

• When finished, the club will be compiled into an e-book. The e-book will be included in the cost of the club for those who join.
• Half the cost of buying the individual patterns.
• Individual patterns as well as finished e-book (at the end of the club) can be stored in your Ravelry library.
• Knit-a-longs! This time we will have official knit-a-longs each month with prizes!
• 20% off discount codes to use at Twisted. All of the yarns used in this club are available for purchase there and if you want to match the yarns I’m using, you can!
  
  I hope you will join me in my exploration of this beautiful place through knitting. Have questions? Just ask! On Ravelry? Join the group and join the discussions here.
  
  Yes, join now!

$15.99

buy now

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Willamette Scarf Tease #2

January 1st is a time for a great many things! I am sure to ramble a bit here quite soon about the upcoming transition to 2012. Also, a new pattern will be released...

A cold day along the banks of the Willamette river in Portland

A detail of the herringbone and linen stitch (waves and pebbles)

Under the Burnside Bridge, with orange gloves

Stay tuned for more details. For now, I should tell you that the lovely yarn is Black Trillium Lilt in colorways "Star" and "Columbia"

Thanks to Vivian Aubrey for the lovely photos (We had way too much fun that afternoon)! See more pictures in the Stumptown Knits collection just hatched on Flickr, if you wanna.

Song I went to bed singing

As I am too busy to write blog posts, and you surely are too busy to read them I'll keep this brief:

Today only get $1 off Stumptown Knits pattern club here. Use coupon code LastMinute

It's not too late to treat yourself or another knitter...

Support indie designers!

Today ONLY!

!

Stumptown Knits

Okay party people! It's ON!!!

Willamette Scarf

Stumptown Knits: An accessories collection designed to honor the place you live and the place you love. For me, it’s inspired by Portland, OR. What will it be for you?

This pattern-only club will run for 6 months and will feature 6 patterns. The first pattern will be released on January 1st, 2012.

Anyone who was a Socks For All Seasons club member will get a $1 off discount code to join Stumptown Knits if they want to.

Anyone who buys/bought the Socks For All Seasons ebook (Before Dec 1st) will also get a $1 off coupon code.


I have emailed out the coupon codes already - if you didn't get yours and you are eligible, let me know!

Club costs $15.99 to join.

Patterns: 
Sock yarn scarf (shown)
DK-weight hat (shown, sort-of)
Sock yarn shawl 
Socks 
Armwarmers 
Cowl

Benefits for joining the club:

• When finished, the club will be compiled into an e-book. The e-book will be included in the cost of the club for those who join.
• Half the cost of buying the individual patterns.
• Individual patterns as well as finished e-book (at the end of the club) can be stored in your Ravelry library.
• Knit-a-longs! This time we will have official knit-a-longs each month with prizes!
• 20% off discount codes to use at Twisted. All of the yarns used in this club are available for purchase there and if you want to match the yarns I’m using, you can!

Mt. Hood Snow Cap

That’s it for now. Sign-ups start NOW! I hope you will join me in my exploration of this beautiful place in a non-sock way. Have questions? Just ask! On Ravelry? Join my group and join the discussions here.

Join now!
$15.99

buy now

Stumptown Knits - coming soon

I am excited to announce the details of my new club now! I've got two pictures to share as a tease as well. 

Willamette Scarf

Stumptown Knits: An accessories collection designed to honor the place you live and the place you love. For me, it’s inspired by Portland, OR. What will it be for you?

This pattern-only club will run for 6 months and will feature 6 patterns. The first pattern will be released on January 1st, 2012.

Anyone who was a Socks For All Seasons club member will get a $1 off discount code to join Stumptown Knits if they want to.

Anyone who buys/bought the Socks For All Seasons ebook (Before Dec 1st) will also get a $1 off coupon code.

Club costs $15.99 to join.

Patterns: 
Sock yarn scarf (shown)
DK-weight hat (shown, sort-of)
Sock yarn shawl 
Socks 
Armwarmers 
Cowl

Benefits for joining the club:

• When finished, the club will be compiled into an e-book. The e-book will be included in the cost of the club for those who join.
• Half the cost of buying the individual patterns.
• Individual patterns as well as finished e-book (at the end of the club) can be stored in your Ravelry library.
• Knit-a-longs! This time we will have official knit-a-longs each month with prizes!
• 20% off discount codes to use at Twisted. All of the yarns used in this club are available for purchase there and if you want to match the yarns I’m using, you can!

Mt. Hood Snow Cap

That’s it for now. Sign-ups will start on November 15th. I hope you will join me in my exploration of this beautiful place in a non-sock way. Have questions? Just ask! On Ravelry? Join my group and join the discussions here.

Día de los Muertos

Hi November! Are you seriously here already? As I sit in a puffy vest waiting for the kettle to boil I must admit the truth. There is no denying it. The fall has returned. I have to re-negotiate an arrangement with the thermostat. I have to do something about the damp windows. I also get to reflect on the things I've lost...

Plus, socks!



Can I tell you about a pair of socks that are associated with this season of change?

These socks here are in honor of the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos). It's a holiday to be spent gathered with family and friends to remember loved ones who have died. The celebration occurs on November 2 in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2).

We can gather online if we can't gather in person. This year I am remembering. I am also letting go.




Traditions connected with the Day of the Dead include building altars honoring the deceased using decorated sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed. The Day of the Dead is not necessarily a time for mourning, so knit and decorate these socks using bright, festive colors and wear them to party!

This here pattern is written for multiple gauges and you can knit the sock as they are, or add embroidery when done! What a great use for bright scraps of sock yarn leftover from other projects.



At the end of the pattern you will find a sugar skull paper craft pattern. Decorate that too! These socks give the knitter options. A simple sock can be decorated by embroidering marigolds along the eyelets. A skeleton can be embroidered along the side if desired.

Sizes: This pattern is written for four sizes: (See foot circumference chart to determine appropriate size) 1. Women’s Small (2. Women’s Medium/Men’s Small, 3. Women’s Large/Men’s Medium, 4. Women’s X-L/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).

Yarn: This pattern is written for four gauges: (See yardage requirement chart to determine yarn selection) Sample shown: sport-weight: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Mediumweight [100% SUPERWASH Wool; 380yd per 155 gram skein]; color: Pallas Athena: 1 skein.



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

Notions: Stitch markers, scrap yarn or embroidery floss, tapestry needle.

Because of the large file size, this time the "extra" is in a separate pdf file. Both the pattern and paper craft are available to you through the link.



The pattern is $3.99
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The Socks For All Seasons e-book is $15.99 (limited time only) and provides you with a year's worth of sock patterns:
add to cart
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Ramble with a bit of Dylan Thomas

Fall has fallen. I am finishing the last few rows on a sweater for a ghost. I am burying nuts. I am returning library books and looking for bigger dreams.


photo by Nicholas_T via Flickr

Later this month I will talk about knitting, specifically in regards to some Day of the Dead socks, but for now let's just look at these lovely pictures and ponder the October-ness of today.

 
photo by Fesoj via Flickr

Especially when the October wind

With frosty fingers punishes my hair,

Caught by the crabbing sun I walk on fire

And cast a shadow crab upon the land,

By the sea's side, hearing the noise of birds,

Hearing the raven cough in winter sticks,

My busy heart who shudders as she talks

Sheds the syllabic blood and drains her words.

- Dylan Thomas, Especially When the October Wind

Stripey Leg Warmers - Tutorial

Look at me, world!

photo by Vivian Aubrey

I wear skirts year-round. I also get cold easily. I needed something special to wear with or without boots... you know, like knee socks. Hard truth, I was a wee bit burned out on knitting knee socks, as I made about four pairs in the last year. (!)

I was actually craving some cozy, cheerful leg warmers. I wasn't really up to knitting them, so I got creative. One of the things I Know To Be True, is if you aren't afraid to put scissors to knitted fabric, the world is really yours for the taking. If you're curious, I'll tell you how I made these happy leg warmers. It's really too easy.

You'll need some supplies. Here is what I used:

1. Striped GAP sweater from Goodwill ($5)
2. Scissors
3. Knitting needles appropriate for your gauge. I used US size 00 (1.75 mm) 32" circular needle (or double pointed needles or 2 circulars, whatever method you like for small circumference knitting in the round)
4. Yarn of similar thickness to sweater yarn, just under 100 yards. I used Brown Sheep Nature Spun Fingering in five colors (there were eight colors in the sweater but I compromised in the interest of sanity) bought here.
5. Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Step 1: Cut the sweater

Deep breath!

After I was really, really sure this was what I wanted to do, I put the sweater on the table and took the best scissors I had to it. Luckily, this was a striped sweater so I had a cutting guide. I started at the place where the sleeve connected to the body and cut along one stripe all the way around. I did this on both sides.

Nothing bad happened.

Step 2: Pick up those live stitches

A Fine Tangle

After congratulating myself a few times I started to get the sense that the real work was still ahead of me. I picked up the knitting needle and started finding all of those live stitches along the top of the sleeve. I counted what I had (97) and found the number was almost divisible by four, so I knit two stitches together at the end to get there. (96 stitches total)

I worked a 2x2 (knit 2 stitches, purl 2 stitches) rib all the way around in a comparable striping sequence to the rest of the sleeve for about 2.5 inches. I carried the different colors up the inside except when the distance was too great (red and pink) and in those cases I cut the yarn and re-attached later.

It was messy and somewhat unpleasant, if I am being honest. The balls of yarn tangled around constantly and I enjoyed cutting the yarn when it was time. Tangles be gone!

Step 3: Finishing

Are you kidding me?

I bound off using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off which created a perfect edge that was both stretchy and elastic. Success!

Then it hit me that I had 14 ends to weave in, on each leg. That made 28 ends in total! I tried not to ponder the ridiculousness of that many dangling threads in such a small cuff and made it through while watching Murder She Wrote streaming on Netflix and eating Trader Joe's dark chocolate bar with caramel and black sea salt.

The result:

photo by Vivian Aubrey

I put them on immediately and haven't really taken them off yet. They are a nice break from my usual grey wardrobe. They are warm. They make me smile.


Step 4: Show them off

photo by Vivian Aubrey

I'm pleased with the result, and they were (amazingly) completed at the right time of year. Already the transition into the drizzly dark cloudiness has hit Portland. I'm prepared. I have sunshine on my legs.

The only question left is what to do with the sweater body? 

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Special thanks to Vivian, who knows how to turn a sludge-infected alley into a cozy secret passageway through her magical photography. She literally knelt in garbage-water to take these pictures. Love her! (She took the first picture and the last two, in case it isn't obvious)

Socktoberfest

I don't recall having much of a summer but suddenly Socktober is here once again. It's the month that hits you, if you actually think you are going to knit any gifts for the holidays you better get cracking now.

Socks are an ambitious gift, but worsted-weight socks are a little more reasonable, and FAST. Which brings me to...



Long Night's Journey Into Day -- a cardigan-like buttoned sock.



Inspiration: It was a dark and stormy night. The teapot whistled and a fire was lit. She reached into the top drawer and slipped on the coziest pair among the bunch…

As the seasons change and the nights grow longer we need small comforts to protect us from the evening chill. This pair starts with the cuff, then stitches are picked up for the foot. You can even knit the foot in a contrasting yarn if you’d like, or perhaps make them taller socks. When completed, real buttons function like a cardigan sweater for added warmth. This pattern also includes some hot drink recipes for you to explore while knitting your own pair of extra thick socks.



Sizes: Women’s Small (Women’s Medium, Women’s 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: 20 sts/34 rows = 4" in st st

Needles: 1 set US #3/3.25mm straight or circular needles (CUFF) AND 1 set US #4/3.5mm (SOCK) 32” circular needles (magic loop), 2 sets of 24” circulars or double pointed needles, or size to get gauge.

Yarn: Worsted-weight yarn that gives you proper gauge. Sample shown: Dream in Color Classy [100% Superwash Wool; 250 yd per 4 oz skein]; color: Crying Dove: 1 (2, 2) skeins. Sample is a medium which used 300 yards.

Notions: Tapestry needle, cable needle, 10 - 3/4” buttons.



Thank you for re-visiting an October-inspired pattern with me today. I really wanted to share more poetry and music but you know, I like knitting too.

The pattern is $3.99
add to cart
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This pattern is also part of the Socks For All Seasons e-book -- 13 patterns for $15.99 (limited time only)
explore the collection
buy now
Available on Kindle