I started knitting more and more Socks with patterns (cables and more) in the past, and i became aware that Sock blockers would be amazing for them. I googled if i could make my own (of course) and found an amazing template by Janet Ballweber.
I´m still debating, if i should wrap it with scotch tape to make it kinda waterproof, but i mostly steam the socks with my iron for the first time (after that the will be washed in the washing machine and worn without blocking), so i think i don´t need to. But it is an option for the future.
I started with printing out the template and choosing the size which was nearest to my foot size. I used some thicker cardboard from a normal box. The first time i tried this, i used the cardboard from the back of a drawing pad, which seems to be a bit sturdier and much easier to cut!
I added 3 cm in the middle.
So i ended up with two sock blockers.
Cutting out was really difficult, so next time i will use a different kind of cardboard. Here it is- one finished sock on its sock blocker. The other sock is still on the needles, this month was a bit rough for me.
Short post, but i thank you nonetheless for reading! See you next time.
After finally finishing my Cable-Cardigan (that Blog-Post will be coming soon), i still had a ball and a bit of wool left. So i made a MissMarple Scarf (which i also will write about in a later post) and a Headband.
After knitting cables for so long, i wanted something simple, but still with a bit of texture. I decided to knit a relief pattern that looks like diamonds or rhombuses.
The pattern has 39 columns and 21 rows (with border/edge stitches). I used Soft & Easy Color from Schachenmayr, it is a Nr. 4 yarn (Medium) and 100% Acrylic (but is really soft and nice to wear). The gauge on the package band of the yarn is 19 stitches x 26 Rows = 10 x 10 cm, if you use a 4 mm needle (US 6). I used a 3,5 mm needle and i´m a rather tight knitter, so my headband ended up being about 9 cm wide (without the crocheted boarder). You can change the width of your headband with a different yarn or different needles + it always depends on how tight or loose you knit.
I can not exactly say how much gram or how many meters of yarn this headbands needs, because i used leftover yarn, but i guess it will take about 20-30 grams?
After finishing the headband, you have to block it a bit, so the pattern shows up better. I did this before crocheting the border, because i found it easier.
After repeating the pattern four times i ended up with a 52 cm long band. If your head is a bit bigger than mine, you have different options. 1.) you make a swatch before you start and calculate how many repeats you need for your head, maybe starting and ending wih the half of the pattern, or adding some simple knit rows between the diamonds. 2.) You can block it more, so it gets longer. But this, of course, has its limits. And the headband gets narrower. 3.) Make your crochet border on the two narrower edges a bit wider.
What you need: Leftover yarn about 20-30g; 3,5 mm -4mm needle; 3mm-4mm crochet hook; 3 buttons
Pattern: The Back rows or WS-Rows will be knitted as seen. Row number 1 will be knitted once, after that repeat row 2 to row 39 till you have your desired length.
Hint: With this pattern, you can choose which side you like most.
After you finished knitting the headband (and after blocking it), crochet around all edges once with single crochet. Finish one of the two narrow edges with another row of single crochet. Make buttonholes at the other side, for this single crochet 3, make 3 chain stitches, repeating till you have 3 stitches left, single crochet those. ( Remember to try out, if your buttons fit throught the first buttonhole, before you finish off the row! If they are bigger, add a chain stitch and omit 1 single crochet.) End with another row single crochet on top of the buttonholes.
Mark and sew the buttons on and weave in all loose threads. And the Headband is finished!
I know we are already near the middle of December, but i still have some knitting and sewing projects planned for this month (where i only started a few of them already), or at least till the 24th. I wanted to talk about them or better said “document” them, to encourage myself to complete them.
There are still two blog posts outstanding of projects i have finished, they are in my queue, waiting to be released. One post is about two headbands – there will be also a free pattern for one. And the second is another hat/ fascinator i finished in May, but wasn´t able to write a blog post about it.
Another thing i wanted to say, normally i (try to) post every week, but, as you noticed, the last months i just couldn´t. This month i see as kind of a compensation, to post as much as i can. But for 2022 i hopefully will be back to a more regular schedule.
Let´s start with the christmas gifts, i still haven´t started. This year i´m celebrating with my mother, my father and maybe my sister (it depends on the covid measures in Austria). My brother is in Vienna, so i don´t think that he will visit us.
Gift for my Mother:
I will knit theSkyline Hat pattern by Nan Schoonoverfor her. ( I do not put a picture below, because they don´t belong to me.) It is a free pattern on Ravelry and it looks great.
I never knitted complicated colourwork, so that will be interesting. Well, it is complicated for me, at least it looks that way. I have to look up some youtube videos about it. I already have some balls of yarn i want to use – they are all from my stash which is great. The colours will be black, anthracite and white. I need to knit a swatch to see if they work out, but i think it will be ok.
Gift for my Father:
Another hat. Yes i know, very creativ, but my family is really hard to give presents to. And i swore to myself several years ago, that i don´t give away bought presents anymore.
This will be the Rib-A-Roni pattern by Jane Tanner. I hope it is as easy as it looks, but i haven´t read the instructions yet. It is also a free pattern. I don´t know, which yarn i will use, maybe i have enough left over from the hat for my mother.
Gift for my Sister:
For my sister i am planning a pair of socks. I thought i wouldn´t be knitting another pair this year, but well, here we go again. The pattern will be the Snicket Socks by Sabine Riefler. I will use a self-striping yarn from Klaus Koch Kollektion.
I wanted to knit a pair of socks from them for me, because the colours remind me of Slytherin. But my sister also likes green. I hope she likes the socks as well.
Table Runners:
I´m also planning on making at least two table runners. One with christmas ornaments and one more geometrical. I have no idea from where i got those pictures, so sorry to the person one of those belongs to.
Bags:
I´m not sure if i manage to make these, but i´m in dire need of some yarn bags in various sizes. If i make my pattern myself (which will probably be the case) i will upload it as a free pattern. I just need to figure out, which shapes are the most practical.
Finishing WIP:
I want to finish my cardigan, which i started in the middle of september. The first sleeve is nearly done, so i´m on the finishing line for that.
I also have a second cardigan, which is completely knitted, but i still haven´t sewed it together. I can´t remember when i “finished” it, it must be years ago…
And i a few days ago, i started another headband, but with the same pattern from here.
I know, this is really a lot, probably i´m too overambitious, but i will try anyways.
What are you making, in those last days of this year? Thank you for reading, and till next time!
I´m a member in an online forum/ community for sewing and crafting related topics for a few years now and in the knitting section, there is some kind of “knit-along” every three months, where everybody joins in on a certain topic or theme. Last quarter it was “Holes”.
I never knitted lace or something like that, so i needed something very beginner friendly. Since it was already late summer/fall and we have a lot of apple and pear trees, i was in need of a grocery bag/net bag, which can hold a lot of volume, for picking fruit.
My bag isn´t really pretty, but very practical and i have used it and used it and used it…
I scoured my stash for the right yarn and found two skeins of 94% cotton yarn. I don´t know if i´m correct, but i heard for grocery bags it is better to use cotton than wool (i don´t know about acrylic) because wool tends to expand a lot more in length, which isn´t ideal for a bag.
I used “Willi” from Woll Butt. 100g have about 60m. I used up about 1 and a half skeins. Note: the picture below is the same yarn, but in a different colour. The other was black and pink.
What i did notice after a few rounds of knitting was, that i managed to twist my knitting with the circular needle. I didn´t want to frog it, so i was very pragmatic, stitched two lines down were the beginning of the rows were (with my sewing machine) after i finsihed knitting the bag, cut it open and stitched it back up (this time by hand).
Mistakes were made and gotten ignored.
Instruction for a net bag/ grocery bag: You need a 4mm circular needle and two 4mm double pointed needles. I´m not sure which length my circular needle had, but i think about 60 cm?
Cast on 140 stitches. First row: Knit 140 stitches Second Row: Knit 2, *slip 1 stitch (that means put the stitch from one needle onto the other), Knit 1, lift slip stitch over the knitted stitch, yarn over needle*, repeat from* till the last two stitches, Knit 2. Third Row: Knit 140 stitches.
Repeat pattern till you have about 25 cm.
Then bind off 25 stitches with the circular needle, slip 20 stitches onto one of the two double pointed needles and knit in stockinette for about 15 cm, bind off those 20 stitches. Start again with binding off with the circular needle, this time 50 stitches, slip 20 stitche onto the DPN and knit like before. Start again with binding off the last 25 stitches. Note: leave enough thread to easily sew it up later.
Turn the bag inside out and sew the two handles together (on the short side) and the bottom of the bag. Sew up the loose threads.
I know, it is not a good picture, but i hope you can get at least an idea of it.
I´m amazed how much it can hold, and it gets bigger but not really any longer.
This is the last blog post about a pair of socks, at least for this year.
I knitted these socks for my mother, whose birthday was on the 21. October. First i wanted to knit this years Socktober pattern, but either i didn´t understand the pattern or i hadn´t the right yarn. Well, time flew by and i was in a bit of a hurry (i started knitting a week before the birthday). So, i had the idea, to try out something new. I just wrote my own pattern, which is a very simple one, but i have never done that before so i wasn´t sure, if it was working .
I wanted a pattern with cables, because in the mid of september i started a cabled cardigan (which is still under construction), and i have totally fallen in love with cables. The yarn was the third skein of the surprise package and it was “Flotte Socke Aurelia” from Rellana Garne.
It is a really nice self-striping yarn, very good to knit with, very soft and great colours.
Pattern for Size 42:
60 Stitches (15 stitches on one needle) 3 Rows Knit in Stockinette 10 Rows Ribbing (Knit 2, Purl 2) Knit 1 Row in Stockinette
Cable Pattern: Knit 1, Purl 1, put 2 stitches onto a cable needle and put it in the back of your work (you also can put it in front – this changes the direction of the cable), Knit 2, Knit those 2 stitches on the cable needle, Purl 2, again put 2 stitches onto a cable and put it in the back of your work, Knit 2, Knit those 2 stitches on the cable, Purl 1, Knit 2
Heel Shadow Wrap Heel, but you can make any other.
Knit 2 rows in stockinette. Third row: knit 2 together on every needle, preferable on the “sides” of the sock (end of 1st needle, beginning of 2nd needle, end of 3rd needle, beginning of 4th needle.)
Knit in stockinette till you reached the desired length. Make toe as you like.
You can knit the pattern all the way down to the toe, if you want.
My mother was really happy about this pair and i have to say i´m really relieved that they fit her perfectly.
Sewing for your life! 