Tag: <span>knit picks</span>

Not Just Boring Dude Socks

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A friend was back at the sock designing board and needed another test knit, this time for socks for men.  The husband has repeatedly refused my offers to knit socks for him, but let’s be fair, he wears t-shirts all year round and is ALWAYS too warm.  Knit socks are not really what he needs, but he did request an awesome pair of mittens that I’ll get to in another post, soon.

Anyway, on to the Dude Socks!  I had to figure out who to knit for, so I opened up a post on Google+.  A bunch of guys responded, willing to be test subjects (and enthusiastic about hand-knit socks which was SO neat to see), so I random-number-generatored a winner who just happened to be friend and almost-neighbor, Steve.  Steve gave me his foot measurements and I set off knitting the large size.  After quick test-fit when the first sock was almost done, I managed to finish the pair  in 8 days!  Super quick knit, really squishy and stretchy, and the sizes fit anyone from a small woman’s foot to a large man’s foot with plenty of ease.  Steve has already worn them a bunch of times which of course made me happy because every knitter wants to hear that their hard work is much appreciated and loved.  The pattern went live on Ravelry recently, and the details are below.

Pattern: Not Just Boring Dude Socks
Designer: Corrine Walcher
Needles: US 2  (2.75  mm)
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential in “Sarge”
Ravelry Project Link

Naughty Deer

A friend of mine wanted a knit hat.  Jokingly, I suggested using this specific chart to make him a hilarious hat and then offered a few other options for hats that were more tame.  He decided on the original joke idea and I went ahead and knit it for him.  Here’s the finished result!

Pattern: Basic hat, no real pattern, used Fornicating Deer Chart
Designer: Anne Rutten
Needles: US #7 (4.5mm)
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted, Jade and Gold
Ravelry Project Link

This was super easy to knit and it was a ton of fun to watch the chart shape up and turn into a pair of naughty deer. I did modify the chart to make the deer on the bottom antler-less.  Cast on 96 sts for three repeats.  The recipient loves it and said that he got a bunch of compliments on it while he was out over the weekend.  I find it completely hilarious and have already gotten a request to make another one for another friend!

EDIT 02March2009:
Recipient of the hat made a video about the joy his hat has brought him.. I nearly fell off my chair laughing.
Myspace Video

EDIT 19April2009:
I had gotten a bunch of hits from a UK knitting forum.. linking back to the post for posterity   🙂     *waves  to visitors from the Knitting Forum*

EDIT 02November2009:
This post was linked again and I noticed a HUGE jump in visitors to the site today from an Icelandic website.  While I don’t speak or read Icelandic, Hello there to you all!

Project updates

January end-of-month update:
The knitting resolutions  haven’t all been met (already, I know!).
1.  Clear the WIP queue from last year by the end of the month.
Didn’t happen!  I did clear out a bunch of things, but there are still two open WIPs from last year.  Not bad though..

3. Knit one pair of socks per month
Got that one!  One pair of socks per month is definitely manageable and I still have time to knit other things.
Pattern:  Little Child’s Sock
Designer:  Nancy Bush
Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)
Yarn:  Knit Picks Imagination
 in colorway “Wicked Witch”
Ravelry Project Link–  
 

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Nancy Bush can write a pattern like nobody’s business.  It was so well written out, line by line, you just can’t but help be in awe of the time that must’ve been spent writing it out.  The book, Knitting Vintage Socks,  is becoming a fast favorite.  The yarn is super soft and fun to knit with although the variegation obscures the pattern mostly.  And see all that color pooling?  I know it’s something knitters strive to fight against, but I just love it.  It almost looks like tye dye on the stockinette part of the leg.

4.  Spin four ounces of roving per month.
Didn’t quite make this one either.  I got about an ounce of this superwash merion from Crown Mountain Farms (colorway “Sunshine of your Love”) done for the spin and knit along at Ply by Night on Ravelry.  I’ve really gotta spend more time with the wheel in the evenings and maybe alternate nights between knitting and spinning.  Plus, there’s a fun project coming up for next month with roving from dkKnits that I’m pretty antsy to get started on!

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