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?

Fleur de lis beanie

Sunny, glorious day outside! Life would feel so magnificent right now if it wasn't for this darn cold! Christ on a bike, I'm sick and tired of bein sick and tired all the time. 

Well, at least I have time to post up the instructions for the Fleur de lis beanie I finished few weeks back. It's a bit on the small side (57cm around), so I'm not overly happy about it, but maybe I'll find a head to match it. On how to create charts out of pictures, see tutorial.

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

Gauge: 18 st = 10cm

Needle: 4mm (+smaller needles for rib)

Skeins: <1 for base colour and <1 for contrast colour


Instructions:
Knitted in the round, bottom-up. 
Cast on 104 st. Knit rib (knit 2, purl 2) for 8 rows on circular needle with contrast colour on smaller needle. Change to 4mm circular needle and begin stockinette with base colour. Add 1st on the first row. Knit 2 rows and begin patterning according to chart repeating the patternig 5 times. After the chart knit 9 more rows stockinett. 

Decrease rows (use double pointed needles):
1st decrease row: K 1, SKP (=slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over) , K 16, K2TOG (= knit 2 together). Repeat 4 more times =95st.
2nd d. row: K 95st.
3rd d. row: K1, SKP, K 13, K2TOG. Repeat 4 more times = 85st.
4th d. row: K 85st.
5th d. row:  K1, SKP, K 11, K2TOG. Repeat 4 more times =75st.
Continue the decreases in this manner decreasing 10st on every row.
When you have 25st left: K1, SK2P (=Slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slip stitch over the knit 2 together), K1. Repeat 4 more times = 15st.
K1, K2TOG, K1. Repeat 4 times. =10st.
Cut the yarn and run the thread tail through remaining 10 stitches twice; pull firmly and darn in the end.

Add a tassel if it tickles your fancy.

Vest for Baby E

Here's a little something I made out of scrap yarn (the vest, that is, not the baby), inspired by pure boredom and the will to knit something quick and simple. I used the same principle for making the patterning as described on the previous blog post. The texture looks pretty awful, lumpy and uneven, but I blame that on the fever and I'm sure my readers will appreciate the pattern despite my own inability to make my designs look perfect in real life. 

Mr E is the son of a football fanatic and I think the fresh sporty colours suit him perfectly. The finished measurements are 52cm around the chest and 29cm from hem to shoulder. Mr E is now only 2 months old and the vest is a bit loose at the moment but he'll fill it nicely in no time.

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

Gauge: 20 st = 10cm

Needle: 4mm (+smaller needles for rib)

Skeins: <1 for base colour and <1 for contrast colour


Instructions:
Knitted in the round, bottom-up. 
Cast on 104 st. Knit rib (knit 2, purl 2) for 6 rows on circular needle with contrast colour on smaller needle. Change to 4mm circular needle and begin stockinette with base colour. Add 1st on the first row. Knit 5 rows and begin patterning according to chart. After the chart knit 8 more rows stockinette before shaping the armholes. Leave the 53st on the back on hold and work the front (52st) first.

Front:
1st row: Cast off 4st, K 48.
2nd row: turn back and cast off 4, purl 44.
3rd row of the front: K 1, SKP (=slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over) , K 38, K2TOG (= knit 2 together) .
4th row: P42.
5th row: K 1, SKP, K 36, K2TOG.
Knit stockinette with the remaining 40st for 3 rows and begin shaping neck. 


Right front: 
1st row: K 17, K2TOG, K1.
2nd row:  Turn over and P19. 
3rd row: K16, K2TOG, K1. 
Continue decreasing stitches in this manner until you have 10 st left. Cast off loosely. 

Left front:
1st row: K 1, SKP, K 17.
2nd row: P 19. 
3rd row: K1, SKP, K16.
Continue decreasing stitches in this manner until you have 10 st left. Cast off loosely. 

Back: 
1st row: Cast off 4st, K 49.
2nd row: Cast off 4, purl 45.
3rd row of the back: K 1, SKP, K 39, K2TOG.
4th row: purl. 5th row: K 1, SKP, K 37, K2TOG.
Continue stockinette with the remaining 41st for 15 rows. Leave 17st in the middle of the back on hold for shaping the neck line.


 

Left shoulder: 
1st row: K1 SKP, K9. 
2nd row: P 11. 
3rd row: K1, SKP, K8. 
4th row: P 10. 
Cast off loosely.


Right shoulder: 
1st row: K9, K2TOG, K1.

2nd row: P 11. 

3rd row: K8, K2TOG, K1.

4th row: P 10. 

Cast off loosely.

Finishing:  
Sow the shoulders together. Pick up 56st from the side of each armhole and knit rib (K2, P2) for 5 rows. Cast off loosely. Pick the 17st from the back of the neck plus 47 st from the side of the neck line. Knit rib placing 2K right in the centre of the front (essential for the decreasing on the neck). On every row decrease 2 st at this point =K2TOG, SKP. Continue rib for 5 rows, cast off loosely. 

Click to enlarge

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.

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.

Sanna's Cabled Mittens

A dear old friend of mine asked me to knit her a pair of grey mittens and I surely did, with pleasure. Inspired by the really pretty socks I made last week, I thought I'd try out coming up with a cable pattern of my own. Maybe not the most original ever, but I'm very very pleased with them. Go me!

It's been fun knitting on the train, really helps passing time.

Instructions:

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

Gauge: 18 st = 10cm

Needle: 3½ mm

Skeins: 1

Right Mitten:

Cast on 44 on double pointed needles, dividing 11 on each needle.

K1 P1 for about 13 rows.

Knit stockinette on needles III and IV and on needles I and II work according to the chart below. Repeat rows 1.-8.

Once you've reached the base of your thumb, knit 2 at the beginning of needle III, leave 7 stiches on a piece of waste yarn for thumb to be worked later. Cast on 7, creating a hole for the thumb. Knit the rest of the stitches on needle III. 
 

Continue knitting the mitten until you reach the tip of your index finger. SKP1 at the beginning of needles I and III and  K2TOG at the end of needles II and IV. Continue decreases on every row in this manner until 8 stitches remain. Cut the yarn and run the thread tail through remaining 8 stitches twice; pull firmly and darn in the end.

Left Mitten: 

Work as mirror image to right mitten.

Thumbs: 
 Knit the 7 stitches from the waste yarn onto dpn and pick up 10 additional stitches along the inner portion of the thumb (17s all together) on 3 double pointed needles. Knit thumb until desired length (=until the thumb covers half your thumb nail). K2TOG on each needle every row until 8st remain and cut yarn leaving approximately a 15cm tail. Using a needle thread the tail through remaining the 8 stitches twice, pull firmly and darn in the end.

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.

Easiest Scarf Ever

This scarf is so simple a blind handless monkey could make one.

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

Gauge: 18 st = 10cm

Needle: 3½ mm

Just cast on about 350 on circular needles, knit for about 15-20cm and cast off loosely. 

Piece of piss!

Mitten mania!

These are a pair of mittens I made for my bf.

The pattern for these really simple mittens is by Novita and available in Finnish.

Novita Mittens.

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

Gauge: 18 st = 10cm

Skeins: 0,5 skeins per colour

Needle: 3½ mm