stitch or frog

I've been spending so much time unraveling thrift store finds lately that I was thinking/fearing I had lost my knitting mojo. That and the fact that all I can do lately it seems is sleep.....

But DH was at the NATS meeting yesterday (an all day event) so I had the 3 cherubs to tend to myself. And DS2 had gymnastics class in the AM... Off the 4 of us went the older to with their Nintendo DS in hand and me with something to frog and a project (with yarn and needles) in mind. A friend had a baby boy in May and I finally gifted her with a hat that I had knitted up during the ravelympics. There was yarn left and I was thinking a
nice pair of thumbless baby mittens would be a nice accompaniment. Never got to it.. until yesterday morning. Here they are with the pattern to follow. I think they may be a bit big, but the longer they'll last that way.



babymitts


Pattern: my own - see below
Yarn: Paton's Rumor - alpaca blend
84% acrylic, 15% alpaca, 1% polyester
Weight: Bulky
Color: Halcyon Heather
Yarn Gauge: 12S x 17R = 4x4 inches on US 10.5 needles
My Pattern Gauge: 13S x 18R = 4x4 inches on US9 needles
Needle: US9 dpns (set of 5)
Recipient: art baby

NOTE: If choosing a worsted weight yarn, you'll have to do the math to get gauge.
PATTERN
CO 20 stitches with the longtail cast on.
Divide over 4 dpns 6, 4, 6, 4 (stitches per needle)
Mark beginning of round
Join in the round with K1P1 ribbing for 5 rows
Divide stitches evenly over the four needles (5 stitches per needle)
Knit even for 10 rows

Decrease
Round 1:

• Needle 1: SS k2 together then K remaining 3 stitches
  
• Needle 2: K 3, K2tog
  
• Needle 3: SS k2 together then K remaining 3 stitches
  
• Needle 4: K 3, K2tog

Round 2: K even
Round 3:

• Needle 1: SS k2 together then K remaining 2 stitches
  
• Needle 2: K 2, K2tog
  
• Needle 3: SS k2 together then K remaining 2 stitches
  
• Needle 4: K 2, K2tog

Round 4:

• Needle 1: SS k2 together then K remaining stitch
  
• Needle 2: K 1, K2tog
  
• Needle 3: SS k2 together then K remaining stitch
  
• Needle 4: K 1, K2tog

Place the stitches from Needles 1 and 2 together on one needle
Place the stitches from Needles 3 and 4 together on one needle


Kitchener the 8 stitches (4 and 4) to close


Crochet a single chain to attach to the mittens or knit a single stitch i-cord (if there is such a thing)

I used less than 1/2 of the skein for these mitts, including the attached cord.

©Carole Burkhardt 2008. I retain all rights to this simple pattern.
Feel free to use this pattern, but please link to my page rather than repost it as your own. I hate that I would even have to add that
If you use this pattern, I'd love to see pictures! Enjoy

I found the yarn on sale at Michael's (perhaps a close-out) for $2 for the skein. There was only 1 skein in the bin. Maybe your local big box has some that they're still closing out!



OK... back to dyeing more sweaters green. So much to do, so little time!

hmmmm... will this really work?

water bottle sock by ME!
yarn: some cheap yarn (100% wool and very scratchy) bought from ebay
colors: apple green and turquoise
needles: US10 dpns (set of 5)


I've had a few requests for the pattern so here you go! I wanted to post a .pdf file, but don't know how to do that on blogger. Any body give me some advice?

Be prepared to do some math.

Use your yarn scraps to knit up a nice sleeve for your bottle to protect your furniture and keep a firm grip with hands dry

My bottle measures 9.25” in circumference
The height from the bottom to where I wanted the cozy to end is 3.5”
The radius of the base is 1.5 inches

Use a needle 2 to 3 sizes larger than one that you would usually use for your desired yarn weight. This gives the knitted fabric room to shrink.


• Knit a swatch. I CO 30 stitches on US10 needles and knit until my swatch was 4”
tall, which was 18 rows
• Felt said swatch
(mine could have been felted more, which means I need to felt my cozy more as
well I think)
•Measure the swatch to get your felted gauge.
In my case the swatch after felting measured 7” wide by 3” high

Now it’s math time. Proportions to be precise


CIRCUMFERENCE
7/30 = 9.25/x Here x = 39 with a remainder
width of felted swatch/# of stitches CO = circum./# of stitches needed
I rounded up to 40 stitches for CO to make the decreases in the bottom more even.


HEIGHT
3/18 = 3.5/x here x =21
height of felted swatch/# of rows = height desired /# of rows needed
I rounded up to 22 to make a Fibonacci series possible


BASE
3/18 = 1.5/x x = 9
This is for the amount of rows needed to decrease to produce bottom.
The larger your bottles radius the more rows you may need



Tools needed:
•DPNs or circular needle(s) in the size you have determined to suit your yarn for felting
•100% wool yarn (or something that will full when washed)
I used 2 colors, you may choose to use more than that or a single color.
•Darning needle for weaving in ends




So for me,

Circumference at sides (like the leg of a sock)
•CO 40 in CC on a US10 needle
•Join in the round, (You can place a marker here if you wish, I just leave the tail and use that as a marker, use whatever method suits you, dpns, magic loop, 2 circs, because the circumference will most likely be small that you’re knitting) and knit 2 rounds
•Change to MC (I carried the CC up the side rather than break it and need to weave in ends) and K 1 round
•Change to CC and knit 2 rounds
•Change to MC, knit 3 rounds
•Change to CC, knit 5 rounds (you can break CC off at end of 5th round and weave in as you knit the next row)
•Change to MC knit 8 rounds

Preparing for Base this helps it stand evenly
•Purl 1 round

Decreases in Base
•[K6, K2together] five times
•K one round
•[K5, K2together] five times
•K one round
•[K4, K2together] five times
•[K3, K2together] five times
•[K2, K2together] five times
•[K1, K2together] five times
•[K2together] five times
•bring yarn end through all five stitches draw tight.
•Weave in ends




Place in zippered pillowcase and fill washer to low setting with HOT water, add small amt of detergent, and place a pair of jeans in washer for agitation. Wash on most vigorous setting. Rinse with COLD water.

I always spin mine out before checking (I know, bad idea, bad habit) This particular yarn took 2 and will need a third wash for my desired amount of felting to occur. Paton’s or Cascade will felt much more readily, so be careful.

To dry, I placed my water bottle in the cozy so that it would conform to the desired shape.

Drink up!

© Carole Burkhardt
All rights reserved.
Please do not post this pattern on any website or sell this pattern without the owners consent. You may link back to this page for pattern distribution
Products made from this pattern may be sold as long as credit is given.