Randy's Warm Winter Socks

 These socks are so warm for winter!  The pattern is Classic Socks by Melinda Goodfellow.  The yarn is Opal 8 ply sock yarn.

 I enlarged the sock pattern a bit.  I cast on 52 stitches with the German Twisted Cast on, and I knit a k2, p2 ribbing for 2" with size 3.5 mm needles.  

Then I knit a pattern of k3, p1 for the leg using size 3.75 mm needles until 4.5" long, including cuff.  This allows a lot of stretch for the foot and leg.

I love this sock pattern.  It comes in lots of different sizes.  Randy really likes his new socks!

Notes:  Heel turn:  Sl1, p14, p2tog, p1, turn (8 left)   sl1, k5, ssk, k1, turn (8 left)

Repeat, dec over gap.  Finish with 16 stitches left on heel.

Pick up 13 stitches and 1 in gap on each side.  Dec. next round and following round because of extra stitches.  Knit plain round, Dec round, etc. until 13 stitches on each needle:  52 stitches.  Keep top of foot in k3, p1 until toe.

Knit foot in pattern until 9 1/4" long.  Foot 10.5-10 3/4" long.  Toe almost 2"  Making it longer in case of swelling.  

Toe:  Dec. round and knit round until 28 stitches.  Knit 1 round then dec. to 24 sts., then dec. to 20 sts.  Kitchener 10 and 10.  

Wash in lukewarm water with Ivory clear or other mild detergent and a little hair conditioner.  Let soak for awhile.  Place in lukewarm rinse water and let soak.  Rinse again if needed.  Press out excess water and lay flat to dry.  The conditioner softens the socks.

 

J's Christmas Stocking

I saw a pattern for a very pretty Christmas stocking called Yuletide Monogram Stocking by Clare Lakewood and decided to make it for my daughter.  She will have a fireplace soon, and it will look so pretty on the fireplace this Christmas.

 

I used Rauma Strikkegarn, 2 balls each of red (144) and white (454).  Strikkegarn is Norwegian 100% wool.  I used needle sizes US 1 1/2 (2.5 mm) for the cuff and US 2 1/2 (3 mm) for the stocking.  

Strikkegarn is a heavier yarn than called for in the pattern, but I had some in my stash.  So, the Christmas stocking ended up larger.   Strikkegarn is a DK weight yarn. 

I knit a k2, p2 ribbing for the top edge instead of a hemmed cuff.  I also put her initial on both sides of the stocking instead of just the front.  I knit the alternate chart. 

I-cord loop:  I used 4 stitches for the I-cord.  To end the I-cord, take the tail of the yarn through the stitches from right to left twice.  Sew the I-cord on very securely about 1/2" down from the edge.  I sewed it also along the I-cord sides to make it more secure.

It will look so pretty on her fireplace!

 

 

My Phoenix Afghan is Finished! Love it!

 I finished my Phoenix Afghan, which is a challenging project.  Each round is different, and there's lots of counting stitches.  There are lots of specialty stitches, too--puff stitches, clusters, back post and front post stitches, and more.

I worked into Part 9 and then stopped because my afghan was big enough.  So, I ended after Round 84.  The pattern is by Hooked on Sunshine.
 

I used a size H crochet hook.  I used Red Heart With Love and Red Heart Super Saver yarns.  I love the yarn colors.

I have two previous blog posts about this afghan with more pictures.

 

I decided to finish after the beautiful shell pattern from Rounds 83 and 83.  I added a round of SCs around the edge to finish.

I love the finished afghan and really enjoyed crocheting it.

 

A Flamingo for K!

 I had so much fun crocheting this flamingo for K!  She loves flamingos.  The pattern is from Theresa's Crochet Shop, and it is called Flossie the Flamingo.  The designer includes some short videos for some of the steps.

It's a very good pattern.  I used a size 3.75 mm hook (size F) and Michael's Loops & Threads Impeccable yarn.  I really like working with this yarn, and the colors are so pretty.

The eyes are size 12 mm safety eyes.  I added some extra eyelashes. 

I'm really happy with how the flamingo turned out.  And she loves it!  It's so funny.  It always makes me smile when I see it or a picture of it.  :)

 

Red Panda for Sweet N

I loved crocheting this red panda for N!  I hope she loves it.  The pattern was designed by Kezma Kilian, and I made a few changes.  I used Premier Chunky Parfait yarn and a size I 5.5mm crochet hook.

The yarn is very soft and plush, but it frays very easily.  It is suitable for amigurumi that isn't very detailed.  When sewing details onto the animal, you have to sew around the stitches because the yarn is just made of fluffy bits on a string.  The tail of yarn that you sew with can also fray very easily.  But, this pattern worked very well.  

I added the black heart since red pandas have black fur on their underside.  I stitched the eyebrows just over the eyes and made the white cheeks smaller than the pattern instructions.  This pattern was really fun to crochet.
 

I used size 16 or 18 mm eyes and 18 mm nose.  I spaced the eyes a bit closer with 10 sc between the eyes.  I skipped the bobbles on the legs and made them 3 rows longer than the pattern. I sewed the arms and legs a bit angled on the body.  I spaced the arms farther out than the pattern instructed.  

I can't wait to give it to N!  

My notes:  The Heart is the Large Heart from Love Hearts by June Gilbank of Planet June.  Acrylic worsted weight yarn and size H hook.

Arms and legs:  slip stitch to 1st sc to end and leave a long tail.  Sew the top edge closed.  Sew the arms and legs by sewing one thread of sc on top edge of arm/leg, and then around underside, also sew one thread of arm/leg to body to make it secure.  I also sew the ears closed and sew each front/back edge to the head. 

A Bunny for K!

 I loved crocheting this cute bunny for K.  She loves it!  The pattern is by lestescrochet, and the yarn is Parfait Chunky Yarn.  I used a size 5.5mm I crochet hook.

 I crocheted a heart for the bunny and added flowers to her ears.

My notes:

I added a tail in white Parfait Chunky.  Magic ring:  6 sc.  2:  Increase around to 12 stitches.  R3 and R4)  12 sc.  Join with a slip stitch and leave a tail for sewing.

15 mm blue safety eyes

Flowers for Bunny ears:  2 layer flowers.  Cotton yarn.  3.5mm hook  Pink, purple, deep pink, turquoise blue.

1) Light Pink.  Ch. 5.  Join with a slip stitch into the first chain to form a circle.

Ch1 (doesn't count as a stitch) (SC, Ch3) into the ring until you have 7 loops.  Join with a slip stitch to 1st. sc.

2) Petals:  (Sc, ch1, 2dc, ch1, sc) into each loop.  Slip stitch into the first sc.  7 petals.

2nd Layer:  Dark Pink.  (You can use the same color if you chain 1 and turn to the wrong side.)

With the back facing:  Insert the hook behind a spoke and work a slip stitch.  Chain 5.  (Slip stitch into the next spoke, ch 5) around.  7 loops.

Ch1 and turn flower over to front.  Each petal:   (Sc, ch1, 3dc, ch1, sc) around.  Join with slip stitch into first petal. 

Cut and leave longish tails for dark pink yarn.  Bury the tails a bit to fasten them securely and then use them to tie onto the bunny's ears.  One flower had turquoise blue and deep rose color yarns.

Ears:  I flatten and sew the ears closed with a few stitches.  I sew on arms on the top of the arm and on the lower layer of the arms for more security. 

Join pieces with a slip stitch into the first stitch to end off.  Cut the yarn, pull the tail out, leaving a long tail for sewing.  

 
 

A Crocheted Cow for A!

 I really enjoyed crocheting this cow for my granddaughter.  She loved it!  

The yarn is Sweet & Snuggles, and it's a very bulky yarn.  It frays easily, and it's a bit hard to see stitches, so it was a little bit of a challenge to work with, but it's very snuggly and soft.  I used hook size 8 mm (L).

The pattern is by kaysplushies.   I crocheted a heart in place of one of the spots.   I used Parfait Chunky yarn for the spots with size 5.5mm I hook.  The eyes are 24 mm safety eyes.

My notes:  

Heart Patch:  Ch2.  In the first chain:

2 DC, 2 HDC, DC, 2HDC, 2DC, ch2, slip stitch into chain stitch.

Another heart:  Magic Ring:  Ch2, 3TC, 3DC, ch1, 1TC, ch1, 3DC, 3TC, ch2, slip stitch into ring.  Pull tight. 

Snout in pattern was difficult to figure out.  I did this:

1) Chain 7 stitches.  SC in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th stitches.  6th stitch:  3 sc.

Underside:  Sc in next 4 chains and 3 sc in last chain.  15 stitches.

2:  Sc in next 6 sc, 3 sc.  Underside:  SC in next 5 stitches, 3 sc, sc.  19 stitches.  

3)  SC in 19 stitches  Finish with a slip stitch in the first stitch.  Cut and pull loop out leaving a long tail for sewing.    

Invisible Decrease:  Insert hook into the front loop of the next 2 stitches.  YO and draw through 2 loops.  Yarn over and draw through next 2 loops.  

2 balls of Sweet & Snuggles white, 1 of gray.  One brown ball of Parfait Chunky yarn for spots.  

K's Traditional Norwegian Selbugenser

 I loved knitting this Selbugener for K, and I loved taking Patricia's (Knitography Farms) online class.  The pattern is 227-R Selbugenser by Rauma Designs.  The pattern was in Norwegian, and Patricia translated it for us and taught us the traditional Norwegian techniques.  K looks so pretty in her Selbugenser!

The neckline was knit using a very small steek and shaping the neckline by using increases on each side.  I reinforced the steek before cutting it.  The neckline ribbing is knit 1, purl 1 until it is long enough, then a purl round for turning, then a facing of k1, p1.  The facing is sewn by hand to the wrong side of the neckline, covering the steek stitches.  

The body is knit in the round from the top down.  The Norwegian motifs are very traditional.  The sleeves are knit until about long enough, and then put on a holder.  I used wool thread to reinforce where the sleeves will go into the body, and then cut the body to insert the sleeves.  The sleeves are knit with a facing at the top, which is sewn down over the steek stitches on the wrong side. The length of the sleeve is finished after the sleeves are sewn in to be sure it is the correct length.
 

                                                                     Sleeve Facing

I really enjoyed knitting this sweater for K, and K loves her sweater!  I love the finishing techniques used in this sweater.  I can see why Norwegian sweaters last a lifetime.

Notes:  Size small.  Rauma Finullgarm, 3 skeins white and 7 skeins red.  Needles:  Size  2.5 mm for ribbing and 3mm for sweater.  I made the sleeve cuffs smaller--60 stitches, and the sleeves longer.

K's Fair Isle Style Hermione's Scarf

 Hermione wore a beautiful Fair Isle style scarf in the movie, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," and I knew my granddaughter would love a scarf like it.  

Freshisle Fibers on Ravelry came up with a knitting chart and posted about her scarf on her blog.  The colors of the motifs on the scarf are difficult to see in the movie, but it's fun to knit a scarf similar to Hermione's scarf.

I was going to use KnitPicks Palette yarn, but they were out of the purple, so I am using a Norwegian wool yarn called Strikkegarn.  There are lots of colors available, but the yarn is heavier, so her scarf will be thicker and warmer.  I'm using 3.5mm needles.

There are online pictures of Hermione wearing the scarf, and knitters are coming up with various shades of colors for their scarves

The scarf is knit in the round and then the ends are sewn closed.  This is a very fun knit!

Randy's Socks

 These socks are great for fall, early spring, and warmer winter days.  They are hand knitted using Paton's Kroy sock yarn.  Kroy yarn is a bit thicker than some fingering weight yarns, and it wears very well.  I love knitting with it.  It makes a really nice pair of socks.

I used the pattern, "How I Make my Socks," by Susan B. Anderson.  On her blog, she has instructions for making the men's socks larger, which I used.  

So, I cast on 72 stitches with size US1 (2.25mm) needles using the Norwegian cast on.  My gauge was 9 stitches and 11 rows per inch.  I knit ribbing of k2, p2 for 2", then switched to size US 1.5 (2.5mm) needles and knit the leg in k3, p1.  I knit the leg for 4.5" total.  I used 2 balls of Paton's Kroy sock yarn.  When knitting a longer leg, I would need 3 balls of yarn.

 

                              Two pairs of Paton's Kroy socks and Opal 8 ply socks.

Randy loves his warm socks!

Notes: 
Leg:  4.5 inches total.  Stop after needle 3.  Heel flap:  36 stitches, needles 4 and 1.  18 slipped stitches.  Heel flap:  2 3/4".  Gusset decreases to 72 stitches.

Heel turn:  sl 1, p19 (20 stitches), p2 tog, p1, turn.  Slip 1, k5, ssk k1, turn.  You will end up with 20 stitches on the needle after heel turn.

Pick up 18 sl stitches plus one in the corner.  Decrease twice in a row because of the extra stitch.  Then decrease every other row.

Toe decreases every other row to 40 stitches, then knit 1 round.  Then every row to 32 stitches.

Men's pattern says work foot to 2" shorter than foot.  Toe to 32 stitches (16 plus 16).  Kitchener 16 and 16 together.

I worked the foot to 9 1/4" then did the toe.  He needed a bit longer length from the last sock.

The socks turned out very nice.  It used almost the whole 2 balls of Paton's Kroy sock yarn.

Really nice socks!