Life is getting away on me!

Do you ever get a second to look around your house and then wish you hadn't? My goodness this month has gotten away on me. I had two busy ass weekends in a row and my house is suffering for it. Hopefully this week/weekend I can get caught up and will be able to get a few project finished up as well.

I did finish up the cardigan and poppy hat for a friends new little girl:

Excuse the wonkiness, it was my first time working with cotton, and cotton does not block well! I cant get those darn edges to lay flat!

I also finished the little man's pants! He's already worn them quite a few times, you can probably tell that by all the fuzz and food on them!

And I finally frogged the Goodale and started a New York Cardigan, progress is much quicker and I think the style will suit me much better.

The Super Simple Reglan Pull Over

Boy Version - Size 6-12 months

Girl Version - Size 3T

Also, I'm working on a Springtime in Hollis. It's a gift for a friend's new baby! It's my first time knitting with cotton, this colorway is just adorable!

Bad/Good news, I've made no further progress on The Goodale, I've recently been working out in an effort to make some much needed changes to my lifestyle, and it's working...but I was knitting a size up from what i needed, and now the next size down is a size up from what I need. So all that work needs to be undone and restarted. I'm not complaining about losing girth, I am however, complaining about knitting this flippin thing again!

Designing!

I have a new obsession! Writing my own patterns.

It is so much more fun than following a pattern.

It's funny because when I first taught myslef to knit I had trouble wrapping my head around it. I didn't know where I was or what was next, I couldn't tell what I had jsut done, I couldn't see the difference between a knit and a purl and I had a hard time counting rows or stitches in my knitting. It was kind of sad actually. One time I was knitting away, and then I realized that I had somehow manage to turn my work around and was knitting on the wrong side in the round...and another time I was supposed to turn and purl but instead I turned and started knitting backwards the wrong way, it was interesting.

But slowly as I've knit more and more, it has beome something I can do with my eyes closed, literally, I knit for 45 minutes straight in the dark while we drove home the other night!

So far I've created a Welly Sock pattern (which has recently become a pain in my you know what) and a super simple reglan style sweater for Dex. I will take some pictures and post them soon!

Wonderfully Warm Wellies

My very first pattern! Yay! It is still in the testing phase, so please no big expectations. :) Feel free to send me any suggestions or comments.

I hope you don't have trouble following it, please leave a comment if you do, or if you love it, or just for the sake of leaving a comment. Happy Knitting! 

Wonderfully Warm Welly Walking Socks

***These socks are made to be roomy enough to fit over socks and jeans, inside of rubber boots***

Materials:
 3 skeins Wool of the Andes Bulky or a similar bulky weight yarn
size 8 12" circs, dpns, or your favorite length for magic loop knitting.
stitch markers

Sizes Available: Woman's Size 8 (adjustable based on measurements)

Abbreviations:

CO: Cast on
p: Purl
k: knit
C6F: Cable 6 front
1. Slip the next 3 stitches onto the cable needle
2. Hold the cable needle in front of the work
3. Knit the next 3 stitches from the left hand needle onto the right hand needle.
4. Then knit the stitches from the cable needle onto the right hand needle.
C6B: cable 6 back
1. Slip the next 3 stitches onto the cable needle
2. Hold the cable needle in the back of the work
3. Knit the next 3 stitches from the left hand needle onto the right hand needle.
4. Then knit the stitches from the cable needle onto the right hand needle.
k2tog: knit two together
ssk: slip slip knit - slip one stitch knit wise, slip another stitch knit wise, transfer both stitches back to the left hanf needle and knit them together through the back loop
slp: slip one stitch purlwise

The Pattern:

Co 70

Join for working in the round.

P1 k9 for 1.5 inch

Braided Cable Pattern

1 P1 c6f k3*
2-4  p1 k9*
5    P1 k3 c6b*
6-8 p1 k9*

Repeat these 8 rows 3 more times for a total of 4 cable repeats

Now turn your work inside out, so the cables are on the inside and you are looking at the wrong side, we are going to start knitting on the wrong side now. This will ensure that when you fold your welly sock over your boot, all the hard work you just did on the cables will be showing

Remove your round marker and Slip the first stitch purl wise, this will leave a visible gap that we will close when we come back around.

Knit until one stitch before gap, knit this stitch and the next stitch across the gap together, place marker, this will now be your center marker. (69 stitches)

Next round:  k2tog *k12, k2tog* repeat around until there are 11 st left, k11 (64 stitches)

Knit 10 rows

Next row k16, place marker (pm), k32, pm, k16 (leave center marker in place for now)

Decrease row:
Next row k to 2 stitches before first calf marker, ssk, knit to next marker, sm, k2tog, knit to center marker

Continue knitting in the round.  Repeat decrease row every third row until you have 4 stitches on either side of the center marker for a total stitch count of 40

Remeove decrease markers and continue knitting in the round until 2.5 inches less than desired length (to the top of your heel)
 
Heel flap

K around until 10 stitches before center marker, transfer these 10 stitches onto dpn, remove marker and transfer the next 10 stitches onto same dpn. You should have 20 stitches on your dpn and 20 stitches left on your original needles.

you will now work flat accross the 20 stitches on your dpn

round 1: *slp, k1* across, turn
round 2: slp, purl across

repeat the last 2 rounds until heel flap measures 2.5"

Begin heel shaping:

S1p, purl 19 stitches
S1p, k9, ssk, k1, turn
S1p, p3, p2tog, p1, turn
S1p, k4, ssk, k1, turn
S1p, p5, p2tog, p1, turn
S1p, k6, ssk, k1, turn
S1p, p7, p2tog, p1, turn
S1p, k8, ssk, k1, turn
S1p, p9, p2tog, p1, turn
S1p, k10, ssk, turn
S1p, p9, p2tog, turn

You will have 10 stitches left on your heel flap, break yarn.

Knit across the 10 stitches left on your dpn, pick up 10 stitches along the side of the heel flap k1, pm, k18, pm, k1, pick up 10 stitches along other side of heel flap.

Foot shaping:

R1: k until 3 stitches before first marker, k2tog, k1, sm. Knit until second marker, sm, k1 ssk, k to end of row
R2: k

Repeat these rows until you  have 40 stitches left on your needles

Knit until foot reaches base of your big toe. Mine measured 7 1/2 inches from back of heel

Toe shaping:

R1: knit until 2 stitches before first marker, k2tog, sm, ssk. Continue knitting to 2 stitches before second marker k2tog, sm, ssk. Finish round

R2: knit

Repeat these 2 rounds until you have 20 stitches left on needles, end with a knit round.

Grafting the toe.

Knit until one stitch past first marker, transfer the next 10 stitches onto a dpn, transfer the next 10 stitches onto another dpn removing markers as you do so.

Graft the stitches together using a Kitchener stitch or turn the sock inside out and perform a 3 needle bind off.

Weave in ends and start again on the second sock :)