Cables in Turqoise

Item: Turqoise socks
Yarn: Alpaca yarn, mixed with Merino and Nylon for a more durable yarn (STERK from Du Store Alpakka)
Grams: 90 g

Alpaca is a natural fibre with several nice qualities. It is approximately three times warmer than wool, and its breathing abilities keep you warm when you're cold and cool when you're warm. In addition, the fibre is naturally rich in sulfur, a chemical substance that cleans the fibre when the garment is aired. Because of this, it's often adequate to hang the garment out to air rather than washing it. If a wash is required, always handwash with a suitable wool-friendly detergent. The Alpaca fibre does not contain any lanolin, making it hypoallergenic.

The sock start with a k2 p2 rib, but every 3rd row the k2 is replaced with a special twist, creating something similar to a proper cable. This is achieved by knitting through the back of the second stitch, leaving it on the needle while knitting through the front of the first stitch. Now both stitches can be slipped of the needle.

This twisting technique is repeated every 3rd row all the way down the leg. Turn the heel, using reinforcement stitches. The twisting technique is continued on the instep, whilst the sole is in stockinette stitch. When starting the decrease for the toes, knit stockinette stitch on both the instep and the sole.
The decrease is stopped when a suitable number of stitches remains (usually something like 16 stitches), using a grafting stitch to graft the remaining stitches together.

Fasten ends and block the socks with lots and lots of steam . Blocking always makes a big difference to the end results, it usually makes all the difference.

Leftovers make great baby booties

Item: Baby booties
Yarn: Leftover yarn from the baby blanket project
Grams: 15 g

The baby blanket project did of course bring with it some leftover yarn, more than enough for a pair of tiny baby booties. These are actually a pair of tiny socks rather than booties. The same striped effect used in the blanket is repeated in the legs of the socks. These socks are so tiny, they'll probably only fit a baby the first few weeks after being born. But warm, snug feet are just as important the first few weeks of life as any other week in life!

A giant granny square, but not for my granny

Item: A giant granny square becoming a baby blanket

Yarn: Wool yarn in matching colors, mostly 3-ply merino wool yarn from Nøstebarn.

Grams: 522 g

This is a giant granny square, which is a simple granny square continued forever and forever, until you have a blanket of a desirable size. In my experience, crocheting usually requires (a lot!) more yarn than knitting, especially crocheting something like this blanket. The granny square is crocheted, with a crochet needle of a suitable size, depending on the yarn you choose. My yarn required a crochet needle of size 4.5 mm.

 I've used colors that match, but still have a bit of a punch in them. With large and time-consuming baby projects, I prefer to use gender-friendly colors, so that the finished project can be handed down from sibling to sibling without objections. When spending many, many, m-a-n-y hours on a project, why risk it only being used for a single child? :)

The corners of a granny square are the most attractive parts of the blanket to me, they create nice angles in the blanket. The corner is created by crocheting two groups of double crochets in the same loop, with two chains in between, rather than just the one chain between two groups of double crochet along the long side. 

A traditional granny square alternates the yarn colour every round. This makes each colour form tiny squares, like a chess board, rather than a striped effect. In order to create the striped effect, you'll need at least two rounds of each colour. 

As a final flourish, when the blanket is finished, a 

crochet flower is added to the centre, and scallops creates a nice trim along the edge of the blanket. The flower is crocheted separately, and is sewn onto the blanket afterwards. Now it needs to be gift-wrapped and find a baby to wrap itself around.

Pinky toe, pinky sock

Item: Pink-striped wool socks
Yarn: Wool, two colours
Grams: 66 g

A classical pair of wool socks, knitted on double-pointed knitting needles, size 3mm. I've created the pattern on the go, following a traditional sock anatomy.

Cast on a suitable number of stitches, enough to fit the lower half of your calf. Usually this will be around 12-16 * 4 stitches, 12-16 stitches on each double-pointed needle. Start with a ribbing (k2, p2) for as long as you desire. This can continue all the way down to the heel, but in this particular sock it is only repeated for about 2 cm.

When the length of the leg is as long as you would like it to be, you need to create a heel flap. This is done by knitting forth and back on half of the stitches (12-16 * 2 stitches). When the heel flap is about 5 cm long, it's time to turn the heel. Then you need to pick up stitches along the side of the heel flap. You pick up a stitch for each second row in the heel flap, which should give you a total of more stitches than you initially cast on.

Now, the number of stitches need to be reduced. This is done by creating a gusset. The gusset is a "triangle" that is created by reducing the number of stitches incrementally, every other round. The gusset is marked by a blue triangle in the picture to the left. The gusset is a necessity in a sock in order to avoid crumpling across the ankle when in use. When the number of stitches once again is down to the same number of stitches you initially cast on, you can continue to knit the rest of the foot. Sometimes, of course depending on the foot, you'll require a few more stitches for the foot than you initially cast on.

Continue to knit the foot of the sock until it is of the desired length. When you try on the sock, it should reach approximately to the bottom of your pinky toe. By then you're ready to start decreasing for the toes.

This is accomplished by decreasing 1 stitch on each side of the sole and 1 stitch on each side of the instep (the top of the sock), thus decreasing 4 stitches on a single round. Then you need to knit a regular round before doing another decrease. For the last few rounds (approx. 5 last rounds) you need to do the decrease every round. When only 8 stitches remain (4 in the instep, 4 in the sole), you cut the yarn and pull it through the remaining stitches and tighten. Fasten all yarn ends.

Then you need to knit the other sock. Yuck.

Brown&Braided

Item: Brown and braided soft socks
Yarn: Alpaca yarn,mixed with Merino and Nylon for a more durable yarn
Grams: 106 g

A pair of so-called "nightie socks", a soft pretty pair of socks, very suitable for wearing in bed on a cold Norwegian winter night.

They are knitted in a very soft and warm Alpaca yarn, with a 40% Alpaca, 40% Merino, 20% Nylon blend. The yarn is named "Sterk" ("Strong"), from Du Store Alpakka, a Norwegian yarn company specialising in Alpaca yarns.

The sock begins with a picot edging, an alternative to the more traditional ribbing. The picot edging is not as flexible as ribbing, but is very pretty. The sock continues with what can best be described as a kind of "fake" cabling in the front and the back of the sock, with simple k1 p1 ribbing between them. The "fake" cabling creates the appearance of an aran-like cable without requiring a cable needle, a knitting notion frequently used in aran knitting. However, I did find that the "fake" cabling created an annoying bump for each twist. This is okey for the leg of the sock, but if you intend to wear the sock in a shoe, it can probably be a bit annoying when placed on the actual foot of the sock, creating unnecessary friction.

I found the pattern in the book 2-at-a-time socks, but I must admit that I didn't knit them 2 at a time. I have not yet had the time to study this technique, but it is definitely on my list of knitting to do. This idea of knitting both socks simultaneously seems simply fantastic, as it is one of the most boring things in the world to finish knitting a sock only to realise that you need to knit the other sock until the project can be considered completed. A very common issue, I am certain.

Knitting requires some notions (but not many)

Knitting tools are usually referred to as knitting notions. You don't have to aquire many notions to begin knitting, you only need some needles of some sort and some yarn. However, after a while you'll find that there is a large variety of knitting notions out there.

I've assembled some pictures, explaining what sort of notions are out there. There are probably more notions than I've managed to assemble, but you will reach far equipped with the ones pictured here.

First, you need knitting needles. The picture above displays double-pointed needles in wood (2) and plastic (5). These usually come in fives, and are often used for knitting small circular knits, such as socks and sleeves. They come in a large variety of sizes, ranging from the smallest size 2mm/U.S. 0 (actually, I've seen 1.5 mm as well) to the largest sizes, like 12mm/U.S.17. I've seen as large as 20 mm as well.

Number (4) displays needle protectors, which are put on the tip of the double-pointed knitting needle, preventing stitches slipping of the needle. Number (3) displays crochet hooks, used when crocheting. Number (1) displays cable knitting needles, typically used in aran knits.

The picture above displays various circular knitting needles and some useful bits and bobbins. Number (2) is a regular circular needle (fixed), made of wood. Number (3) and (4) are parts of an interchangeable circular knitting needle, allowing you to replace parts and building the circular needle as you see fit (longer or shorter cable, thinner or thicker needles). Number (6) is an assembled interchangeable circular knitting needle. I've often found interchangeable circular knitting needles a bit cumbersome, they tend to loosen while I knit. In other words, I prefer fixed circular needles.

Number (1) is a knitting doll, used to knit cords. Number (5) is a view measurer, used to measure the size of knitting needles. This particular measurer also has a ruler with a view window, making it easy to check the gauge of your knitting. Number (7) are markers, used to mark specific locations in your knitting. Number (8) are row counters. You put them on your needle, next to your stitches, and each time you pass the row counter, you twist it once, and it will keep track on the number of rows you've knitted.

Number (1) in the picture above are yarn needles, with a big eye. This makes it easer to use them with thick yarns. Number (2) is a regular scissor, used to cut yarn (although you won't need this too often, I hope). Number (3) are pom-pom makers, which are used to make pom-poms (but you can also make pom-poms without an industrial pom-pom maker).

Number (4) are straight knitting needles, which are no favourites of mine, as they hurt my shoulders because they are too long. If you need room for a lot of stitches, I recommend circular needles rather than straight needles.

Number (1) is a tape measure, very useful when knitting garments such as sweaters etc. Number (2) is a regular safety needle, which can be used to hold a couple of stitches. Number (3) is a larger, blunt safety needle, designed specifically for holding stitches. Number (4) is a stitch holder that allows you to access the stitches from both sides, which can be useful at times. Number (3) won't allow this.

Enjoy your knitting!

How to manage a wild-grown yarn stash.

As a long-term knitter, I have accumulated a lot of yarn over the years. It seems to accumulate faster than I'm able to use it, which probably has something to do with my love of different textures, colours and blends. So how do I keep this yarn stash from growing beyond all boundaries, occupying my closet and popping out from under my bed?


Appearently, this is not a problem unheard of, several blog entries and even books have been written on the subject. So, in order to motivate myself to continue knitting and continue blogging, I've created my own knit-o-meter! This knit-o-meter shows the number of grams of yarn remainig in my yarn stash, as well as how many grams of yarn I've already used.

In addition, I've created some more detailed knit-o-meters, showing what types of yarn I use most frequently. All knit-o-meters are displayed on the knit-o-meter page.

Here's how I created my knit-o-meters
I created a new spreadsheet in Google docs, and made a table summarising the types of yarn and how many grams the yarn stash contains of each. Then I inserted a column chart in the spread sheet, based on this table. When the chart is finished, one of the available options is "Publish chart". Choosing this option provides you with a small html script, which you can copy and paste into a html gadget in your blog. This will display your chart as a picture in your blog. Whenever you update your table in the spreadsheet and save it, the chart will be automatically updated, as well as the picture of the chart in your blog!