Sunday, November 16, 2014

Two socks at a time Little cabled knee socks

Two socks at a time Little cabled knee socks.
Sizes Women's S,M and L (extra small)



Foot Circumference: 7 1/4 (8 1/4, 9 1/4) inches (unstretched)
Calf Circumference (at widest): 9 1/4 (10 1/4, 11 1/4) inches (unstretched)
Foot Length: Adjustable
Height from Heel to Top of Cuff (unfolded): 21 inches (unblocked)
(The photos in this pattern show a size Extra Small.)

Using this method
http://heidibearscreative.blogspot.com/2011/10/two-socks-at-time-on-one-circular.html we will be working two at a time toe up knee socks.



Here is a good video for Judy's magic cast on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkyd3nq3Yn8 Toe:

Co using Judy's magic co method 16 sts for each sock (8 each needle each sock)


Round 1:

Sock 1: kfb, k5, kfb, k1
Sock 2: repeat
turn
Sock 2 (other side): repeat
Sock 1 (other side): repeat
(10 sts each side each sock, 20 sts per sock total)

Repeat 4 (8, 12) times until you have 14 ( 22, 30) sts each side each sock and 28 (44, 60) sts total each sock.



Next row knit all stitches both socks.



You will now alternate increase rounds as written above and knit rounds 7 (5, 3) more times you should have 60 (68, 76) total for each sock and 30 (34, 38) sts each sock each side. Or until you have an even number of stitches on your needle and your socks fit your feet around. (Example I have very small feet so I stop at 22 sts each side each sock, or 44 sts total each sock. This is perfect for one size down to fit my size 5 feet. I have provided some limited notes on making extra smalls.)



Foot:

Knit every round until socks measure 6 (6 3/4, 7 ½) inches long or 2 1/2 (2 3/4, 3) inches shorter desired length from toe to back of heel.



Here's a guideline for final sock lengths:
US size 6 shoe (European 37) = 9 inches
US size 7 shoe (38) = 9 1/4 inches
US size 8 shoe (39) = 9 5/8 inches
US size 9 shoe (40) = 10 inches

Arrange stitches thusly 30 (34, 38) sts for top of feet and {15-15 (17-17, 19-19)} for bottom, place a marker at the middle of the foot bottom.


Heel Gusset:

For this section the first pass will be foot top and return pass will be foot bottom.

Round 1:
Top of foot: Knit
Bottom of feet: K1, kfb, knit to the mid foot marker; Knit to last stitch, kfb, k1.  (2 stitches increased)

Round 2:
Top of foot: Knit
Bottom of the foot: Knit

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 eight more times (6 more times if you have tiny feet like me). 78 (86, 94) total stitches for foot tops and 30-24-24 (34-26-26, 38-28-28) stitches for foot bottoms

Knit across foot tops.

Turning Heel:
First sock:
Row 1 (right side):
Bottom of the foot to first marker; Knit;
Bottom of the foot from marker on; K7 (9, 11), kfb, wrap and turn. (5 if you have really tiny feet)

Row 2 (wrong side): P16 (20, 24), pfb, wrap and turn. (12 if you have little feet)

Row 3: K14 (18, 22), kfb, wrap and turn. (10 if you have little feet)

Row 4: P12 (16, 20), pfb, wrap and turn. (8 if you have little feet)

LARGE SIZE ONLY
Next Row: K18, kfb, wrap and turn.

Next Row: P16, pfb, wrap and turn.

MEDIUM AND LARGE SIZES ONLY
Next Row: K14, kfb, wrap and turn.

Next Row: P12, kfb, wrap and turn.

ALL SIZES
Next Row: K10, kfb, wrap and turn. (6 if you have little feet)

Next Row: P8, pfb, wrap and turn. (4 if you have little feet, last row)

Next Row: K6, kfb, wrap and turn.

Next Row: P4, pfb, wrap and turn.

(skip ahead for little feet)

Knit to the end of bottom of foot, working the wraps together with the wrapped stitches.

Repeat for second sock.

Knit across top of feet;

Knit across bottom of foot to marker, working the wraps together with the wrapped stitches as you go. 86 (96, 106) total stitches and 30-28-28 (34-31-31, 38-34-34) stitches on each needle

(work next section for foot one and then come back to work bottom of the foot and heel flap on for foot two)

Heel Flap:

NOTE: The Heel Flap is worked over just the stitches on the bottom of the feet. You'll be working back and forth in rows.

Set-Up Row (right side): Stitches after marker: K14 (16, 18), ssk, turn. 85 (95, 105) stitches

Row 1 (wrong side): Working just the stitches on bottom of foot, slip 1, p28 (32, 36), p2tog, turn. 84 (94, 104) stitches

Row 2: *Slip 1, k1, repeat from * to 2 stitches before the gap, slip 1, ssk (the 2 stitches on either side of the gap), turn. (1 stitch decreased)

Row 3: Slip 1, purl to 1 stitch before the gap, p2tog (the 2 stitches on either side of the gap), turn. (1 stitch decreased)

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 eleven (12, 13) more times. 60 (68, 76) total stitches and 30-15-15 (34-17-17, 38-19-19) stitches.

Next Row:
Bottom of the foot: *Slip 1, k1, repeat from * to last stitch before marker, slip 1. *K1, slip 1, repeat from * to last stitch on needle, k1.

Repeat last row of turning the heel along with all of heel flap for second sock.

We will now go back to working in the round.

(For little feet;
Row 1: K across working wrapped sts by picking them up and knitting with the sts; on last wrapped st, sssk the wrapped, the st, and the following st, turn.

Row 2: P across working wrapped sts by picking them up and purling with sts; on the last wrapped st, p3tog the wrap, st and following st, turn.

Next row (RS): Sl1 pwise wyib, k till one st before gap, ssk, turn.

Next row (WS): Sl1 pwise wyif, p till one st before gap, ptog, turn.

Repeat these two rows until you finish decreasing all increased gusset stitches and have 22 stitches again for bottom of foot.

Repeat for second foot, then work leg.)

The Leg:

Set-Up Round 1:
Top of foot: Knit;
Bottom of foot to marker: Knit to last 3 stitches, p1, k2;
Bottom of foot, marker to end: K2, p1, slip these 3 stitches to before marker, knit to end. 30-18-12 (34-20-14, 38-22-16) stitches.

Set-Up Round 2:
Top of foot: Knit;
Bottom of foot to marker: Knit to last 6 stitches, p1, k4, p1;
Bottom of foot marker to end: Knit.

Cable Round 1:
Top of foot: Knit;
Bottom of foot to marker: Knit to last 6 stitches, p1, make cable (see How to Make the Cable bellow), p1;
Bottom of foot marker to end: Knit.

How to Make the Cable

Make Cable: Slip 2 stitches purlwise to cable stitch holder and hold in the front of the work; knit next 2 stitches from double pointed needle; knit the 2 stitches from the holder.

Rounds 2-4:
Top of foot: Knit;
Bottom of foot to marker: Knit to last 6 stitches, p1, k4, p1;
Bottom of the foot marker to end: Knit.

Repeat Rounds 1-4 eight more times.

+Increase Cable Round:

Top of foot: Knit;
Bottom of the foot to marker: Knit to last 7 stitches, m1r, k1, p1, make cable, p1;
Bottom of foot marker to end: K1, m1l, knit to end. (2 stitches increased)
Repeat Rounds 2-4.

*Work a Cable Round.
Repeat Rounds 2-4.

Repeat from * 1 more time.

Repeat from +, 7 more times. 76 (84, 92) total stitches and 30-26-20 (34-28-22, 38-30-24) stitches on each needle.

**Work a Cable Round.
Repeat Rounds 2-4.

Repeat from ** 4 more times, ending last repeat with Round 3.

The Cuff:

Round 1: *K2, p2, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Round 1 until cuff measures 5 inches.

Slip one sock onto scrap yarn or spare needles and Bind off loosely in rib pattern, repeat for second sock using same needles.

Finishing:

Weave in ends, block and enjoy.

All original credit to Purl Soho at The Purl Bee
Link to the original pattern can be found here...

All changes and additions credit to Lae Morae at Full Knitted Jacket


(c)Lae Morae / Adina Higdon of Full Knitted Jacket, September 2014

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Jul blog

I often get asked about our families celebrations, and what exactly we do. Each year things area  bit different and tend to be some what fluid depending who will be at home, which kids, how many kids and their current ages and what fits our current lives the best. But some consistencies exist, a general outline lets call it. A continuity of over a months celebrations and a lot of giving and kindness.  So here fallows is a general outline of our holiday season or Jultide.

Our festivities begin Nov 30 , or roughly the last weekend in Nov and as close to Dec 1 as possible. This is when we being any count downs. This first weekend will be the first of the 4 candles we light, as well as if we are doing daily gifts they will either start now or Dec 12th, depending. Traditionally we use wreaths of evergreens with 4 candles one is lit each week till Yule. We also will start the baking and cleaning in preparation. We will also begin decorating for Yule.

Dec 5th and 6th. Sinterklaas eve and Sinterklaas day. Or Krampus day and Sinterklaas day.

Dec 5th. This is when we leave our shoes out  and Sinterklaas, Krampus and Zwarte Pieten come. We leave out a bit of hay, a carrot and some cookies or and possibly sweet biscuits.

Zwarte Piet keeps track of who is good and bad all year letting Krampus and Sinterklaas respectively know who to visit. Sinterklaas leaves gifts for good children in their shoes left by the fire, and Krampus takes bad children back to his cave in Spain where they are from, so they can spend the next year learning to be kind. We play down the scary bits and Krampus also comes to our house to run off any bad spirits, so he does as much good and helping as being scary. And face it he is scary enough to run off the most persistent hang abouts.

In the evening usually either before neighbors get home from work, or just before bed, when we are least likely to be seen we put on our red caps, dress warm and take around gifts to all the neighbors. These are often paper or felt woven hearts that can be used as ornaments, with either a hand made ornament in it or maybe candied nuts, or some other simple and thoughtful gift. We anonymously leave on on every neighbors door.

Dec 6th. On Sinterklaas day we may do treasure hunting games with poems, riddles and clues to treats and gifts. We may eat special biscuits and any treats left the night before by Sinterklaas. Often including apples, oranges, Ginger breads, chocolates and such.

Dec 12th. this is when the Julasveinn or Yul lads arrive and a different one is known to visit homes until Yule eve. They might leave treats in the windowsills of good children or potatoes or notes reminding kids to be good for those who haven;t behaved. Common gifts are a candle, new clothes, packs of cards and books. Some years the kids might get a different book each night they have been good.

Dec 13th. Lucia Day. In the afternoon or evening we dress in white with red waist sashes and the girls wear ever green wreaths with led candles and if up to it carol, and we take around little baked goods often in hand made paper baskets to hang on every neighbors door. These often include little ginger bread cookies.

In the morning we might eat saffron buns with raisins. and before bed the kids will make Lucia a sandwich and leave out a carrot for her donkey and she may leave them some little gift. We may also get our Yule tree on this day and begin decorating it for Yule.

Dec 20th. Yule eve and some traditions Modraniht or Mothers Night. This is a time when depending who is at home we will honor the disir and all female beings. This includes leaving out offerings as well as writing letters and making gifts for the women in the family, namely the moms and grandmas and matriarchs of the home.

This is also when we will hang treats in the trees for the birds and put out food for the wild animals and take around some sort of hand made gifts to all the neighbors, again wearing our red caps and trying not to be seen, we may wear bells to be heard though. We also often contribute to some form of secret Santa program, often for the elderly and we may donate hand knitted goods and warm clothes items to the homeless.

Before bed the kids will leave out sweet rice pudding (milk, vanilla, almonds and whipped cream) for the good nisse and maybe some ginger breads for Father Winter.And carrots for the deer and goat.

During the night Weinachtsmann (Winter/ Christmas Man) or Julemanden (Yule Man) will come with his reindeer and his helper nisse (Jultomten or Julnisser) ridding the Julepokki (Yule goat). The Nisse will leave sheaves of wheat and suet for birds and treats for the wild animals and might hang treats on our Yule Tree or place under the tree if too heavy.

Dec 21, Yule day. In the morning we may have rice pudding, or sweet buns for breakfast. This is a laid back day to spend time with family. Traditionally when the pudding is made one whole almond is placed in the pudding and who ever gets it gets a treat, normally a small hand made gift anyone would like.

We spend the day relaxing and snacking, having a Julbord (Jul buffet) consisting of snacks, often having crackers, biscuits, cheeses, meats, fish, open faced sandwiches, fruits, nuts and so forth.

In the evening we may have a ham dinner, potatoes, baked fruits, sweet buns, vegetables, and so forth. For desert we may have a different rice pudding, maybe with pumpkin added in, or a pumpkin custard.

After dinner the kids will sit around sipping warmed cider, or hot cocoa and the grown ups may sip hot toddies, hot buttered rum, mulled wine (glogg) or some other warmed drink. We will also light the 4 candles of Jul at this time as well as placing the Jul log on the fire. Then we will exchange our gifts, maybe playing a game where we sit in a  circle and sing songs passing gifts till the song ends. When it ends who holds it gets to keep it Perfect for home made gifts or gifts where every one gets something similar. Or passing presents about till everyone gets the ones marked with their names.

Julbukking (like caroling but dressed up in disguises) may happen between Yule and New years.

New Years eve. We may again exchange small gifts or treats. The kids will stay up as late as they can and we will again dine on small treats and special snack like foods. Grazing through the night. Who ever stays up till midnight will exchange 3 kisses for a lucky new year, and the mothers will kiss the sleeping children placing 3 on each. The Mother Diser may bring small gifts for the kids as they sleep.

This is when elves moves homes and it is advantageous to leave out puddings and offerings to the weights and nisser at this time. And Bon fires and fire works are often lit to celebrate and to dissuade ill tempered spirits from settling. We may also take around bottles of cider to all the neighbors or other tasty celebratory beverages that may be consumed by all.

On New Years day the kids give their moms, god mothers and the women of their families the special carefully written letters in their best penmanship and other gifts they made them. It is also customary to light a candle and visit the graves of loved ones.

Jan 6th. 12th night and the last day of Yule. Bonfires are often lit to help drive back the dark and elf dances may be held to celebrate the elves and gnomes finding their good homes. More offerings are left out for the good folk hoping for good favor through the coming year. More Julbukking may occur. General celebration on this day.

This may sound like a lot of gifts, but in truth it is a lot of very simple things and hand made items. Nothing brought by any of the spirits of Yule are store bought except food items may be or books. We try to keep anything store bought from family members and put the focus as much on hand made and simple as possible. Everything is also spread out. So instead of sitting down to a tree over flowing with mass marketed gifts, there are a lot of small meaningful things, and because it is spread out through the month we find that it gives us a lot of opportunity to think of others and focus on being giving when others need it most. This can be a very stressful and difficult time for many and this gives us a time that is not stressful or complicated where we can remove the focus from ourselves and place it on those who need us.

I also find that children receiving things through out the month calms things. Instead of a giant mass getting moment, the giving is the emphasis, and the joy of making others happy, even if you get no credit (we do a lot of anonymis stuff) things that are received are mostly only received after giving. A moment of giving without expecting credit, and then the receipt is a random feeling act of kindness back. A lot of focus and attention is paid on the emotions and feelings of those receiving things, even if they don;t know who gave it. Even the offerings to the spirits of the season are all with a focus of leaving food for the animals and nature spirits. Lots of animal themed foods, and even the porridge and puddings are prepared in a manor with nature nutrition in mind. So rather than just cookies and milk, we are leaving out essential winter nutrition for wild life. I see my children getting far more excited about what they are doing for others, than opening the gifts for them. And when they open them they are more appreciative and spend time enjoying the one single item at a time, rather than rip the paper off glance, toss move on to next that can happen with all at once gift getting.

I hope maybe you can take something from this and make a tradition of your own. Many of the traditions listed above are from, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Holland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and that region. There are still areas left where their traditions are very reminiscent of their pre Christian influence.

God Jul



Sunday, December 15, 2013

Last minute gifts

Cast on tonight for a last minute gift set for hubbies grandmother. She is elderly and in a home and he fears this may be her last year with us, thus he wanted to do something special. He picked out a lovely hat and gloves set for her to wear and stay cozy warm.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/escargot

and

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/camp-out-fingerless-mitts

It was hard to decide but we chose these two patterns over these other two lovelies that are just as wonderful and charming.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lee-3

and

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fingerless-mitts-18

If you as of yet still have some last minute gift orders to fill maybe consider these charming free patterns. Whimsical and lovely.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Julenisse of Kindness

Finished up my Julenisse doll and the pattern is now available.

This project was inspired by a blog I read on Kindness elves. I liked the idea so I decided to make our own version.

In upholding our families traditions of celebrating the Nisse and Tomte I wanted to capture that spirit in a little visitor, someone who can hang out every year with Julebukk.

You can find the pattern for this doll with outfit in my stores, link here... http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/julenisse-of-knidness

To read the original blog that inspired this doll click here... http://theimaginationtree.com/2013/11/alternative-elf-on-shelf-tradition-kindness-elf.html

Friday, December 13, 2013

Wool donations for warming centers

Our local area has warming centers for the homeless that are invaluable during cold snaps like the one we just suffered. I am taking up a project for just this cause.

If anyone has any wool, alpaca, or other animal fiber yarn that they would be willing to donate I will use that yarn to knit donation items for the warming centers. It must be wool, wool blend, or animal fiber of some sort.

Cotton lowers the bodies natural temperature especially when wet and can cause hypothermia, whereas wool is a natural insulator helping the body maintain its natural temperature even when wet. Another good quality of wool is that it can be water proof. I have lanolin on hand and can waterproof every item before donating. This makes wool very superior for donation purposes as it can keep folk warm and dry even in the worst conditions.

Any weight, color or amount would help! Washable wool and super wash is fine. Sock yarns would be great even if just ball end scraps as I can work those into the  feet of 100% wool socks making them more durable. Any amount of wool yarn will help greatly! Mill ends, partial skeins, whatever you have on hand!

I will also happily accept raw locks of fiber, again must be animal fiber such as wool, alpaca, llama or other. I can use these raw locks to make thrummed items for donation such as thrummed mittens and partially thrummed hats. This will add extra warmth for folks.

My goal is to start collecting donations now and work on knitting items for the Egan Warming Centers and other charities year round. It would be great if no one had to be cold!

For more information on the Egan Warming Centers please visit their fb page at... https://www.facebook.com/EganWarmingCenters


Thursday, December 12, 2013

Local tragedy fund raiser

This is the little boy of one of our local mamas. This is some one from our own little community that many of us know. Today he took a hard fall and ended up needing surgery to repair a massive brain bleed. Please help if you can. Any little bit will help. This is not a stranger, this is one of our own!

I will be donating a portion of all December pattern sales to this family. If you are able to contribute directly that is wonderful, and if you would like to give by buying a pattern that will contribute that is great too.
http://www.gofundme.com/5qjjm4 To donate directly.

And visit any of my pattern shops to give via purchase.
http://www.ravelry.com/stores/full-knitted-jacket

http://www.craftsy.com/user/346836/pattern-store

https://www.etsy.com/shop/FullKnittedJacket?ref=seller_info




Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Mittens for charity

I am knitting up some wool toddler mittens for charity. With sub freezing temperatures, ice and snow along with power outages and burning bans there are lots of little cold hands out there.

These Charity mittens will be knit using cuffs with the Brioche technique and the pattern will be available when done. Like all of my patterns a portion of the funds goes to buy yarn to knit items for charity.