Colleen's Stash Cosy!

Okay… It’s almost embarrassing how generous & kind the ladies I knit with are.

I have spoken (I try not to complain!) about my “Yarn Diet”. I am spoiled with the largess of their STASH!

There is a super sweet lady named Colleen who frequents the Knit Nook here in Louisville who has been doing just that: spoiling me rotten.
So, I thought I’d pay a little back by knitting her something out of the snazzy stuff she’d shared with me.

It’s kind of a “non-pattern” but but is super simple.

Measure a teapot at its widest circumference. Figure out your gauge (Super Bulky is usually 2-2.5 sts per inch, but this can be done in other yarn weights... just be sure to add a row or two between decreases if you are using a lighter yarn...)) & cast on a few more stitches than that count (in this case, 48 sts) on the appropriate size DPNS or two circulars(I used size 13 DPNS).

Work in the round in stockinette for 2.5-3 “.
Divide your stitches in half in the middle & work each side flat for the same # of stitches for at least 4”, making sure to slip the 1st stitch of each row for a smooth, finished looking edge).
Rejoin your stitches & knit in the round for an inch or so…
Then, begin a basic hat-style set of decreases that match your counts basic common unit (I used 8 as my divisor, so I began with (K6, K2 tog), Knit a relief row of plain knit, then, (K5, K2tog) etc. until I only had 4 sts, which I made into I-cord as a handle
Bind Off, weave in ends & Voila`!

Thank You, Colleen.
(However, I fear it may get used more as a winter hat for your dog, Vanilla. The holes for the teaspout & handle just might be holes for EARS!!)

…Come to think of it… This might just be a pigtail hat in disguise…

The Clement Lace Scarf

Along with an intense 2 weeks of an Arts & Humanities Teacher's Professional Development Seminar this month, I have been knitting up a storm for the Ravelry Summer "Swap on a Budget"...
I have been doing a bit of designing & pattern writing during my "staycation" from teaching!

So, I have three patterns written to post!

Right now, My "spoilee" package is in transit, so I cannot reveal two of these patterns... Lest I blow the surprise...
Which is killin' me, 'cause these projects have really inspired me to make a serious effort to write down & share what I design.

Before now, with the exception of a bootie pattern available as a pdf on ravelry (Thanks, Holly!) or the Knit Nook, I'd just sort of winged projects on an as-inspired basis & not written much of anything down...
Why would anyone want to follow MY crazy lemming path of knitting? Apparently, there are a few! Who Knew? Perhaps, someday, I'll be a "Real-Live" Knitwear Designer.
For now, it's all FREE... But, you get what you pay for...

Here's the 1st of the Free Summer Baker X Patterns:

The Clement Lace Scarf

I am sooo in Love! Hempathy is brilliant! I broke my “Yarn Diet” to indulge a little in the 10-75% off sale at the LYS. This treasure of a yarn was 50% off… 2 skeins in my favorite color was too much to resist (“Just a wafer-thin mint….”) I just had to figure out what to do with it!

Well. I do love a challenge. I put my little bit of lace knowledge to work & worked up a pattern inspired by the Clementine Shawlette by Michele Rose Orne & have been astounded how far just a skein of yarn can go when you work a narrow band of it! (About 3 feet!)

Just as in the Shawlette, I am working the scarf in halves & grafting it together. Why halves? The lace decreases create a lovely scalloped edge on each end of the scarf.
Super Simple & Yummy!

Yarn: Hempathy by Elsebeth Lavold DK/8 ply 40% Cotton, 40% Hemp, 20% Modal
50 grams, 153 yds (140 m), 2 skeins (ANY DK or sport weight will do, though...)

Needles: Size 4 circular or straight
(You’ll also need some spare Size 4 dpns or a stitch holder & a yarn needle.)

Size: A 6 foot “skinny” scarf (5" wide)

Gauge: Not important, but 24 sts & 32 rows in lace pattern= 4” after blocking

Instructions:
~Longtail CO 29 sts. Work in Garter Stitch for 4 rows
Begin Lace Pattern: (Repeat, repeat, repeat...)
Rows 1 & 3: K3, YO, K2, P2SSO, K2, YO, K1, YO, K2, P2SSO, K2, YO, K1, YO, K2, P2SSO, K2, YO, K3
Row 2: K3, P7, K1, P7, K1, P7, K3
Row 4: K3, P1, K5, P1, K1, P1, K5, P1, K1, P1, K5, P1, K3

P2SSO= Pass 2 stitches (slipped knitwise!) over next knit stitch

~Continue until skein s almost gone. Be sure to end on row 4! Do 2 more garter rows.
(Be sure to end on a row with Purls showing on RS.)
~Set aside this half (Place on a size 4 dpn if you have one, use a stitch holder if you don’t...)

~Make a second identical half & use last bits of remaining yarn to graft the 2 halves WS together using Kitchner Stitch*.

Block & Enjoy!



Kitchner Stitch Grafting:

Place Wrong Sides Together (um, which really means Both Right Sides Showing) on two needles.

Using tail yarn from one side, graft together thus:

Step 1: Bring threaded needle through 1st front stitch as if to purl & leave stitch on needle.

Step 2: Bring threaded needle through 1st back stitch as if to knit & leave on needle.

Step 3: Bring threaded needle through 1st front stitch as if to knit & slip this stitch off needle. Bring threaded needle through next front stitch as if to purl & leave stitch on needle.

Step 4: Bring threaded needle through 1st back stitch as if to purl& slip this stitch off needle. Bring needle through next back stitch as if to knit & leave stitch on needle.

Repeat Steps 3 & 4 until no stitches remain. Tie off yarn & weave in ends.

Look here if you need to know more on this style of grafting:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer04/FEATtheresasum04.html