Fairy Tale Socks

Here's a pattern I'm quite happy with. Mainly the chart and the colorwork. I wanted something fairy taleish and this is what I came up with. I used mainly stock yarns, left over bits, 10 different color in total.

Size wise these may not be the most practical ever, the pair I made would ideally fit someone with a size 39 foot and a very slim leg. For me the socks are snug around the calf and ankle and required some blocking. But here's the charts and rough instructions anyway, feel free to modify as you see fit :)

Instructions:

The socks are knit top down. Chart is read from top to bottom and divided in 2 columns for an easier read and possible printing.



Size: EU 37-39 (7-8.5 US, 5-6.5 UK) (may vary by your gauge) I'm a size 39 with a wide calf and these had to be stretched out to fit my calves, prepare for a very snug fit.

Yarn: Novita 7 veljestä (150 g = 300 m, 75% wool / 25% polyamide)
Gauge: 23 st = 10cm
Needle: 4 mm

Cast on 56 st. Divide them on 4 double pointed needles, 16st on each needle. *Knit 1, purl 1* for about 6 rows. Begin working as per chart repeating the 28 stitch pattern. The chart is read from bottom to top. When you reach the blue line at the top of the right hand column, make reinforced heel as per instruction or any heel of your choice, then continue the chart from the bottom of the left column.



Reinforced heel:
Once you reach the mark for heel knit (dark green) on needles I, II and III and then leave needles II and III waiting to be worked on later. Begin reinforced heel on needles IV and I. *Slip 1 knitwise and knit 1* and repeat this for all stitches on needles IV and I. Then turn to the the wrong side of the sock, slip 1 purlwise, purl 31. Repeat these two rows 14 times = 28 rows.

Then on the right side (still knitting slip 1, knit 1 on right side and purl on wrong side) knit until you have 10st left on the needle, slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over and turn to wrong side. Slip 1 purlwise, purl 8, purl 2 together and turn to right side. Knit in this manner until you have 10 stitches left total on the heel. Divide the remaining stitches on two needles. Continue in dark green and pick up 13 st on the side of the heel flap on needle I, knit needles II and III, pick up 13 st on the heel flap again on needle IV.


The gusset:
You now have 64 stitches in total. Continue working the chart from where we left off (heel mark). Knit 2 together at the end of needle I every second row and slip 1 knit 1, pass slipped stitch over at the beginning of needle IV every second row until you have 14st on each needle again. Note that the pattern on the decrease rows will disrupt at the decrease points but work the rest of the stitches according to chart. Continue according to chart.



Shape toe:
Once you've reached row 92 begin shaping toe.
At the end of needles I and III; knit the third and second to last stitch together and knit 1. At the beginning of needles II and IV knit 1, slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over. On the remaining stitches knit a checkered pattern as per chart. When you are left with 3 st per needle cut the yarn and run the thread tail through remaining stitches twice; pull firmly and darn in the ends.

Love socks

It's been soooo long since my last blog post. During the past few years I've concentrated on my Etsy shop and making felt bags and then watched my interest slowly drift away and move on to other things. I'm a simple creature and my attention tends to wander, and it was no surprise my Etsy shop took and died without much notice after withering away slowly :D But I'm still crafting every now and then and now that I've created something worth sharing again I'm back on blogger!

I'd say all the best socks are love socks, that is, made with love. But these ones sprung from pure happiness and were made with such affection, they had to be named love socks.  

Instructions:

The socks are knit top down. Chart is read from top to bottom and divided in 2 columns for an easier read and possible printing. Pattern is also available on Ravelry

Size: EU 42-43 (11.5-12 US, 9.5-10 UK) (may vary by your gauge)

Yarn: Novita 7 veljestä (150 g = 300 m, 75% wool / 25% polyamide)
Gauge: 23 st = 10cm
Needle: 4 mm

Cast on 64 st. Divide them on 4 double pointed needles, 16st on each needle. *Knit 1, purl 1* for about 6 rows. Begin working as per chart repeating the 16 stitch pattern. The chart is read from bottom to top. When you reach the pink line at the top of the right hand column, continue the chart from the bottom of the left column.


Reinforced heel:
Once you reach the mark for heel knit (dark green) on needles I, II and III and then leave  needles II and III waiting to be worked on later. Begin reinforced heel on needles IV and I. *Slip 1 knitwise and knit 1* and repeat this for all stitches on needles IV and I. Then turn to the the wrong side of the sock, slip 1 purlwise, purl 31. Repeat these two rows 15 times = 30 rows.

Then on the right side (still knitting slip 1, knit 1 on right side and purl on wrong side) knit until you have 10st left on the needle, slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over and turn to wrong side. Slip 1 purlwise, purl 8, purl 2 together and turn to right side. Knit in this manner until you have 10 stitches left total on the heel. Divide the remaining stitches on two needles. Continue in dark green and pick up 14 st on the side of the heel flap on needle I, knit needles II and III, pick up 14 st on the heel flap again on needle IV.


The gusset:

You now have 70 stitches in total. Continue working the chart from where we left off (heel mark). Knit 2 together at the end of needle I every second row and slip 1 knit 1, pass slipped stitch over at the beginning of needle IV every second row until you have 16st on each needle again. Note that the pattern on the decrease rows will disrupt at the decrease points but work the rest of the stitches according to chart. Continue according to chart.

Shape toe:

Once you've reached row 94 begin shaping toe. Knit darker grey on the 2 last stitches on needles I and III and 2 first stitches on needles II and IV and between those knit a checkered pattern of 1 dark grey and 1 light grey alternating. 

At the end of needles I and III; knit the third and second to last stitch together and knit 1. At the beginning of needles II and IV knit 1, slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over. On the remaining stitches knit a checkered pattern as per chart. Repeat the decreases every second row until you have 10 st remaining on each needle. After that repeat the decreases on every row. When you are left with 3 st per needle cut the yarn and run the thread tail through remaining stitches twice; pull firmly and darn in the ends.

Anti-Depressant Socks And Other Spring Crafts

Spring time in Finland means 3 months of watching the snow melt followed by a brief two week run when everything explodes into blossom. Most of what we call spring isn't that glamorous. Instead of cherry blossoms and daffodils we have heaps of half melted snow, brown patches of last year's grass shyly peeking from under the blanket of snow and dog poo that has been lurking between layers of fresh snow all winter. The color palet of a Finnish Spring on the first of April is dirty grey, dirty brown and dirty snow. There's still time before the Big Green Bang.

Hence a little color therapy is in place!
Easter is next week so I made little egg decorations for my wreath. It really is the handiest of wreaths, it's made out of thick rugged roots and gives a lovely contrast to any seasonal decorations I've had on it so far. I cut little egg shapes out of thick craft felt and decorated them with little strips of thinner craft felt and a few embroidery stitches here and there. Simple but effective!

I also made a pair of anti-depressant socks for myself. I started knitting with the orange thread and was going to make knitted easter eggs (very easy to follow pattern here) but after a few rows I found myself knitting something a lot larger. It became a sock. A super stripy sock knitted from toe up. I've never made toe up socks before and neither have I knitted both socks at the same time, I've always made socks one at a time and I gotta say working with both socks at the same time makes it so much more easier. I often find it tedious to start again after just finishing the first sock. Now I didn't have that problem. Plus it was easier than I thought to knit from toe up. Will deffo do it again and maybe next time write down the pattern instead of just winging it :)

I love the way these turned out! Knitting with 15 different colors meant a lot of yarn ends to be darned in (120 in total!!!) but it was all worth it. These super trippy socks are like wearable anti-depressants. I wore them out yesterday and through out the day where ever I was I found myself staring at the bright and almost annoying colors and smiling. It works!

What do you think? Super trippy or super annoying?

Sakura Slippers

Konichiwa!

The cherry blossom (sakura) is Japan's unofficial national flower. It is also my official favorite flower. 

It's a delicate flower that blooms only for a very short time. For the Japanese sakura symbolises the transience of life, in other words: life is short, shit happens, not much you can do about that so stop whining.

Life may be short, but as long as you can find beauty in life it's a life worth living. If you're lucky, your daddy ordered a custom pair of pretty slippers for you, so you'll never need to look any further, beauty can literalily be found right under your nose (I mean not right under your nose, unless you're a midget your feet probably are a bit further down..). 

These slippers were made of Novita Huopanen unspun yarn and following the same good old slipper pattern I always use (found in Finnish here and in English as translated by yours truly here).

Domo arigato, Mr Roboto. (Dunno why but I simply had to end the blog post with that. Had to!)

Cute Fins & Mad Grins

I can't believe these babies are still alive!!

I couldn't believe my eyes when while rummaging through my parents' sock drawers in search of something warm all of a sudden these two mad fellas popped right out of the drawer! Seeing these poor innocent things after being apart for a decade I was moved to say the least.

I had made them for my dad at the turn of last century and now they were there, nestled in the sock drawer at my parents' little summer hideaway, looking very worn but still happy to serve. I pour my heart into most things I knit, and was touched that these awkward, clumsy little creatures had paddled their way into my dad's heart (and feet) into such extent that even after 10 years he still wears them. Aaaawwww, my daddy must love me, or else he wouldn't have kept them. Or maybe he just has a thing for cute fins and mad grins..

Dragonflies it is

After struggling with these babies forever, they are finally finished. I was aiming for a size 41 and ended up with 39-40. And the dragonflies aren't as refined as I would've wanted, kinda just gave up on them. Summa summarum, I'm not over the moon. But here they are..

Dragonflies??

Oh bugger.. The thing is, after the Magnolia bag I've felt ever so proud of myself and had all the faith in my abilities as a knitter. Now I've come down from that high and boy, how the mighty have fallen.. I was expecting perfection from myself when starting another slipper project. The slippers are quite satisfactory in every other aspect but I'm having major difficulties in decorating them. I've tried embroidered vines, bead flowers, everything. I've started to decorate them a million times only to realize my designs never work and have had to unravel them all. Tonight I thought I'd try make a dragonfly out of seed beads. I'm so frustrated I don't want to undo the decorations AGAIN, but I'm not satisfied with how it turned out this time either.

Now I don't know am I just expecting too much from myself or is there actually something wrong with the design, I just don't know what exactly it is that's preventing me from getting satisfaction from the FO (learned a new craft term recently, apparently it means finished object). So any feed back on the dragonfly is greatly appreciated, be as critical as you please, just tell me what the heck am I doing wrong???

Embroidered felt slippers

Finland
Population: 5,374,781
Number of people super excited at the moment: 5,374,781
Number of people super excited about winning Ice Hockey World Championships: 5,374,780
Number of people super excited about my new felted slippers: 1

I'm in a slight minority here. While the rest of the Finns celebrate victory over our hockey-enemesis, the Swedes, I'm rejoycing after finishing another pair of felted slippers. These ones are without question the prettiest I've ever made! When I even think of my slippers I find myself smiling like a split wiener, they've brought me joy far greater than is reasonable to expect from foot wear.

The pattern is the same old from Novita's Anne-Maija Immonen (see my translation in English or the original in Finnish) but what makes these ones so special is the embroidery. I normally start loosing interest in knitting around spring, knit-wise I hibernate practically the whole summer. But mixing things up by adding a bit of embroidery to the plain old knitting makes it all exciting again.

The embroidery is made with DMC Pearl Cotton (doubled) using 3 shades of purple on the flower and mixing 2 different shades of green on the vine and leaves. The motif is completely improvised. I'm not much of a stitcher and my needle work isn't very refined or exact. But the great thing with working with thick felt is that you don't have much of a chance to redo the stitches (at least without fear of making a mess), forcing one to just let go and have fun with it, come what may. The key to success here is being fearless in one's spontaneity, the work is easily ruined by over thinking or -planning, as it may lead into overly cautious (=boring) results.

To top the whole thing off I sowed seed beads at the center of the flower in 3 shades of purple and green 2mm bugle beads on the vine and leaves. Perfection, if I may say so myself.

Socking around the Christmas tree

It used to be my granny's duty to keep the family well socked. This duty has now fallen on my narrow shoulders and I'm doing my best to fill her massive shoes (not literally of course, have you ever seen a lil granny with gigantic feet). 

I myself will be out of town for the holidays, spending Christmas without my family for the first time ever. Kinda sad in a way. But I'm comforted by the mental image of my brother and father socking around the Christmas tree in these creations, my mam watching by wearing the ever so popular "Cold outside" socks I know she will love so much, she wont dare walk around in them in fear of getting the white socks dirty, poor old giddy.

Yarn: Novita 7 veljestä  (150 g = 300 m, 75% wool / 25% polyamide)

Gauge: 18 st = 10cm

Needle: 4mm

Skeins: ~1

The pattern is just a normal sock pattern with reinforced heel flaps. The patterning is half mine, half adapted from various patternings I've come across, so I wont be posting up instructions for these. But should you wish to use the patterning, here's the charts below (click to enlarge).

The patterning on the blue and grey socks is for 28st and the brown and grey is for 56st.

Felted slippers - once again

Circling the shops few weeks back I found my bf eyeing up some felted slippers at the market. "Halt!", shrieked I. If my man wants a pair of felted slippers he sure as heck ain't gonna have to pay for them! As it happens, I've practically mastered in the science of makin these things. Having knit approximately 40 slippers I consider myself well justified to stop my man from buying a pair.

These are SO easy to make, they practically make themselves! (And I'm using the word "practically" in practically every sentence!) In fact they are so quick to knit, I made 18 pairs for Christmas few years ago, all in just two weeks. The pattern is, I'm afraid, again one by Novita and is, I'm afraid, once again in Finnish only.

But as a Christmas present for you dear readers, I will now attempt to translate this simple instruction:

Yarn: Novita Huopanen ( 100 g = 157 m, 100% wool)

Gauge: 11 st = 10cm

Skeins: 2

Needle: 8-10mm

Sizes: 37-39 (40-43)

Instruction:
Knit double yarn. Cast on 12(14). Knit stockinette and add 2 stitches at the both ends of the needle every second row for 10(12) times =32(38) st. Then divide stitches to 4 double pointed needles. Knit 13(16)cm circular and start decreasing stitches:  Knit 2 together at the end of needles I and III and SKP (=slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over) at the beginning of needles II and IV. Repeat the decreases every second row until you have 4(5)st remaining on each needle. After that repeat the decreases on every row. Weave in ends.

Finishing: 
Sow a plastic bag (see through, not coloured) on the inside of the slipper with few loose stitches of cotton yarn (so you wont end up without a hole on the slipper to stick your foot into). Toss the slippers in the washer along with an old towel etc you don't mind getting hairs all over. Set washer for 40 degrees. Once the program is over shape the slippers on your feet or by hand. You can alter the size of the slippers at this point simply by shaping.

For a girlier touch, add a rose or two as per instruction

Check out same slippers with cute embroidery here

 

Baby, it's cold outside!

Seems like winter is here, gorgeous white blanket of snow has fell on our lil country and once again surprised us northern folk with it's many qualities. Did you know snow is cold and slippery? One might think that'd be fairly obvious. Looking at the people stuck in traffic too affraid to actually drive properly (but too proud and stubborn to take the bus), all the head lines about accidents on the road and so forth, you'd think this is the first time we've ever had snow. Why is it like this every frigging year? 

Luckily none of the above concearns me 'cause a) I'm happy to support and enjoy the experience of public transport and b) I haven't been commuting much over the last few days. It may be minus what-ever outside but it surely isn't cold under my skin. As the devine Peggy Lee puts it; "Fever in the morning, fever all through the night".

Stuck at home once again there's very little to do but sleep, watch Little Women and knit. I've been trying to come up with a pattern for cabled socks. I've found it surprisingly tricky, but this is what I finally came up with. Another pair for Santa's bag.

Instructions:

Yarn: Novita 7 veljestä  (150 g = 300 m, 75% wool / 25% polyamide)

Gauge: 18 st = 10cm

Needle: 4 mm

Skeins: 1

Cast on 54 st. Divide them on 4 double pointed needles. *K1, P1* for about 6 rows. Begin working as per chart repeating the 18 stitches and 12 rows on it. Repeat the pattern for 4 times. Make sure you devide the stitches before you start working on the heel. Dpn I: 12, Dpn II: 14, Dpn III: 14, Dpn IV: 14.

(Click to enlarge)

Reinforced heel: 

Leave needles II and III waiting to be worked on later. After knitting last row of cable pattern knit needle I as you would if you were still making the cable, but knit it on needle IV =26 st on needle IV. Then turn to the  the wrong side of the sock, slip 1, purl 25 and start the reinforced stitches.Repeat *SL1K, K1* on the right side, SL1P, P25 on the wrong side. Repeat these two rows 13 times = 26 rows.  Then on the right side (still knitting SL1K, K1 on right side and purl wrong side) knit  until you have 9st left on the needle, SKP and turn to wrong side. SL1P, P 8, P2TOG and turn again. Knit in this manner until you have 8st left, SKP and turn to wrong side. Continue the decreases in this manner until you have 10 st left. Divide the remaining stitches on two needles. Pick up 13 st on each side of the heel flap and knit the picked up stitches on needles I and IV.  

The gusset:

You now have 64 stitches in total. Continue working the cable pattern in the front with the 30 stitches on needles II and III. K2TOG at the end of needle I and SKP at the beginning of needle IV every second row until you have 14st on each needle. 

Shape toe:

Continue until you have reached desired length for the sock and beging to shape toe. K2TOG at the end of needles I and III and SKP at the beginning of needles II and IV. Repeat the decreases every second row until you have 8 st remaining on each needle. After that repeat the decreases on every row. When you are left with 8 st . Cut the yarn and run the thread tail through remaining 8 stitches twice; pull firmly and darn in the end.

EDIT 22.12.2010: 
K = Knit
P = Purl
SL1K = Slip 1 knitwise
SL1P = Slip 1 purlwise
SKP = slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over
P2TOG = Purl 2 together
K2TOG = Knit 2 together

Cross 1 R = Cross 1 to the right (pick 1st on cable needle, leave it waiting on the back side, knit 1st and then knit the 1st from the cable needle)
 
Cross 4 R = Cross 4 to the right (pick 4st on cable needle, leave them waiting on the back side, knit 4st and then knit the 4st from the cable needle)

Cross 4 L = Cross 4 to the left (pick 4st on cable needle, leave them waiting on the front side, knit 4st and then knit the 4st from the cable needle)


EDIT 14.6.2011:
Corrected few typos and misleading instructions on the heel.

Cabled socks

These mid calf socks are the prettiest ones I've ever knitted. Go me! What a way to spend my last week off, knitting these gorgeous things! Starting next week, I'll be the Knitting Commuter again, huzzaah to my new job and 3 hours knitting on the train daily!


This is the time of the year when I spend all my time off knitting stuff for Christmas and these socks are my first gift finished this year. Now all I need to do is wish really hard the people I'm knitting stuff for wont be reading my blog for the next two months.. I mean.. Nobody reads this stuff anyway so I can safely post pics of my pressies without spoiling the surprise.. right??



The pattern for these cuties can be found on the Novita web page and is unfortunately again in Finnish only.

I'm planning to make a few pairs of these, off-white or darker grey maybe, they turned out so darn cute and am super-excited about this pattern!

Maybe if you are really nice for the rest of the year the next pair will be for you.. remember, Santa and I will be watching you.. right outside your window.. 24/7.