What to do with leftover Sock Yarn?

Baby Socks? Sock Yarn Afghan? Shawl of mixed yarns?

What about a bookmark. 😉

This is to compliment the Mermaidia socks I blogged about in this post.

I still have heaps of this sock yarn left, so might have to do a small pair of socks afterall.

Tell Me a Tail

Gauge is not important on this, but the smaller the better.  I used leftover 4ply/fingering weight yarn, which is about the thickest yarn I would use for a bookmark.

Materials:

2.5mm needles

8g 4 ply/fingering weight yarn (approx. 35 yards)

Wool needle for adding  the tail.

Abbreviations:

K = knit one stitch

P = Purl one stitch

yf = yarn forward (bring the yarn to the front as if to purl).  Also known as a yarn over.

sl1 = Slip one stitch purlwise from the left to the right needle.

k2tog = knit two stitches together

psso = Pass slipped stitched over

P2tog = Purl two stitches together

Instructions:

Using Long Tail Cast On, cast on 23 stitches.

Border:

Knit three rows border rows as such:  *K1, P1*, repeating ** to last stitch, K1

Start the pattern:

Row 1: k1, p1, k2, *yf, k2, sl1-k2tog-psso, k2, yf, k1* repeating ** once, k1, p1, k1

Row 2: k1, p1, k1, p17, k1, p1, k1

Row 3: k1, p1, k3, *yf, k1, sl1-k2tog-psso, k1, yf, k3* repeating ** once, p1, k1

Row 4:  Repeat row 2

Row 5: k1, p1, k4, yf, sl1-k2tog-psso, yf, k5, yf, sl1-k2tog-psso, yf, k4, p1, k1

Row 6:  Repeat row 2

Repeat rows 1 – 6, fourteen more times.

Knit two border rows as such:  *K1, P1*, repeating ** to last stitch, K1

Knit third border: [K1, P1] x 5, K1, yo, P2tog, [K1, P1] x 5

Cast off loosely on a needle two sizes larger OR

*Cast off 5, cast on one using backward loop and immediately cast off 1* repeating to end.

For the twisted cord tail, take a piece of yarn approx. 40inch long.  Thread it onto a needle and pull through the yo opening on the last border row so that the bookmark is centered on the doubled yarn.   Twist the yarn tightly, and then allow the two yarn sides to twist into each other.  Tie a knot at the end and trim the ends.

Block and enjoy. 😀

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For Hope

Some sad news has hit one of the forums of which I am a member.  A member’s  two year old daughter has been diagnosed with neuroblastoma. Cancer is a horrible thing for anyone to deal with, but particularly hard when the one affected is a child.

In a show of support, several of the TNNers are making a blanket for Hope, with each person knitting up a 20cm x 20cm square to be sewn together into a large knitted quilt.

So I’ve made up a pattern in the image of the Chinese character for “Hope.” My square contribution is knit to this pattern, in Merino et Soie 8ply DK on 4.5 mm.

I would like to ask that anyone in New Zealand who uses this pattern (dishcloth or otherwise), to please make a donation of any domination to Hope’s fund through Kiwibank.  At the very least, give your child(ren) a hug and kiss and tell them you love them.

The fund account number is:

Hope Osborne

38-9009-0002097-00

For those wanting to follow Hope’s journey back to health, her father has set up a Facebook Group.

All my thoughts and get well wishes are with Hope and her family.

Hope

Pattern Info:

Gauge: 6 sts x 8 rows per inch

Yarn: 8ply DK Yarn of your choice, preferably cotton or bamboo if for a dishcloth.

Needles: 4.5mm

Gauges is not important if you are knitting this as a dishcloth.

Pattern:

CO42 using Long Tail Cast On

Rows 1 – 5, and all odd rows: Knit

Rows 6, 8, 10, 12:  K4  P18  K1  P15  K4

Row: 14:  K4  P18  K1  P5  K1  P9  K4

Row 16:  K4  P2  K3  P9  K1  P3  K1  P4  K2  P9  K4

Row 18:  K4  P4  K2  P8  K1  P3  K1  P3  K1  P1  K2  P8  K4

Row 20:  K4  P6  K2  P6  K1  P3  K1  P5  K2  P8  K4

Row 22:  K4  P7  K2  P5  K1  P3  K1  P5  K2  P8  K4

Row 24:  K4  P9  K2  P3  K1  P3  K1  P5  K2  P8  K4

Row 26:  K4  P10  K2  P1  K13  P8  K4

Row 28:  K4  P11  K2  P4  K2  P3  K3  P9  K4

Row 30:  K4  P12  K2  P3  K3  P14  K4

Row 32:  K4  P3  K9  P1  K2  P19  K4

Row 34:  K4  P10  K11  P13  K4

Row 36: K4  P14  K2  P4  K12  P2  K4

Row 38:  K4  P11  K2  P14  K3  P4  K4

Row 40:  K4  P13  K3  P5  K2  P11  K4

Row 42:  K4  P15  K3  P1  K4  P11  K4

Row 44:  K4  P13  K7  P14  K4

Row 46:  K4  P11  K3  P4  K3  P13  K4

Row 48:  K4  P19  K3  P12  K4

Row 50:  K4  P19  K2  P13  K4

Rows 51 – 55:  Knit

Cast off Knitwise.

If you want a stretchier cast off, cast off as follows:

*Cast off 5, cast on one using backward loop and immediately cast off one* repeating ** to end.

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More Test Knitting

Well, I’ve been working up a couple patterns myself that people have been requesting, but in between times, I’ve done a couple of test knits for friends.

You might remember the Kaia Babydoll pattern I tested for my friend Rachel?  Well, she’s got another pattern she’s just released called Spring Butterfly (free Ravelry Download), which is a top-down raglan cardy in size one.  She’s used a picot cast off on the sleeves to add a different touch, plus a slip-stitch butterfly motif on the back that tops a cute little reverse stocking stitch pleat.

This is the one I knit up.  I used some of my yarn from the last yarn swap I’ve received (yet to be blogged, BAD BLOGGER!), which is hand dyed Merino et Soie.

I changed the bottom hem from the pattern, which calls for a knitted frill.  I wanted the bottom to have the picot as well.  Here are the mods I did:

• 13 increase repeats from the bottom of the  butterfly.
• Six rows of the following:  knit to second marker, purl to next marker, knit to end.
• Cast off in picot with Cast On 2, cast off 6.

A couple more pics, one of the back and one more close up of the butterfly.

The other test knit was a 12ply version of the Vanilla Soaker (a low cost Ravelry download), by Kelly of Incidental Happiness.  She’s just released her 8ply pattern for sale, and is furiously working on the 10ply and 12 ply versions to be included as well.

This is a GREAT soaker pattern, knit in the round, which uses a provisional cast on to knit the crotch flat first, so that there is no grafting of the soaker.  The ribbing is a nice features, allowing for stretch in the crotch to ease in the sizing.

I used some Yarn Bee Wool #070 in the Rainbow Twist colour and knit the newborn size.

The only mod I did on this was the cast on.  I used a Tunisian Cast on, and left one side of the stitches on a spare circular needle.

So, now I need to finish doing some more blogging, because one again I am way behind.

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