Sqwishy Infinity Scarf / Cowl

Since infinity scarfs are all the rage right now, I figured it was time that I made one. I made the Stockholm scarf for my sister for Christmas, but I found that there was a lot of stitches and it took a lot of knitting to complete. So this pattern was my compromise: a sqwishy scarf that will keep you plenty warm, but with not a lot of stitches.
It is knit in one long piece and then sewn together. I used Loops and Threads' Charisma yarn. It is amazingly soft and great to work with.
The blue scarf was knit in the electric blue yarn, it is 60 in. long and 9.5 in. wide. I used 4 balls of yarn to complete this one.
The white scarf was knit with white yarn, it is 50 in. long and 8 in. wide. Only 3 balls of yarn were needed.

Using 2 strands of yarn held together and size 15 needles (10.0mm) CO 17 stitches (for the smaller one) or 19 sts (for the larger one). Leave a long tail so that you can use it at the end when you are sewing the ends together. You can cast on any uneven number of sts, I started one with 21 sts, but I thought it was too big so I went down to 19 sts.

Row 1:*K1,P1* repeat until the end of the row.

Repeat row 1 until you just have enough yarn left to bind off. Sew the ends together (I left a twist in the scarf so that it would not be as bulky when you put it on) and weave in all the ends.

And there you go! A beautiful infinity scarf that will keep you warm and fashionable this winter!

A New Simple Pattern

A friend from work asked me to knit a simple scarf for her grandson. I couldn't find any appropriate knit patterns for what I had in my mind so I made it up as I went along.
I knew I didn't just want it in garter stitch, but I didn't want it just ribbed either. So I settled on a combination of the two that makes it slightly different then just a rib pattern. I used a pattern that (I find) makes the scarf hold its shape better.



Pattern:
Row 1 (ws): *k1,p1* repeat all the way to the end
Row 2 (rs): knit all sts

Using those 2 simple rows I was able to make this scarf and I am very pleased with the results.

I used Vanna's Choice yarn and I needed one ball of each color (you will probably need a second ball of the MC if you make the scarf bigger then what I did):
MC= 110 Navy
SC= 180 Cranberry
CO 24 sts with MC (you can make it bigger, just make sure it is a multiple of 2)and size 8 needles (5mm):

Repeat rows 1&2 12 times (scarf should measures about 4 inches from beginning),
Switch to SC and repeat rows 1&2 once,
Switch back to MC and repeat rows 1&2 twice,
Switch to SC and repeat rows 1&2 twice,
Switch back to MC and repeat rows 1&2 twice,
Switch to SC and repeat rows 1&2 three times,
Switch back to MC and repeat rows 1&2 twice,
Switch to SC and repeat rows 1&2 five times,

Switch back to MC and repeat rows 1&2 until scarf measures approximately 47 inches from the beginning.

Switch to SC and repeat rows 1&2 five times,
Switch back to MC and repeat rows 1&2 twice,
Switch to SC and repeat rows 1&2 three times,
Switch back to MC and repeat rows 1&2 twice,
Switch to SC and repeat rows 1&2 twice,
Switch back to MC and repeat rows 1&2 twice,
Switch to SC and repeat rows 1&2 once,
Switching back to MC repeat rows 1&2 12 more times.

Weave in ends and block (I used my steamer to make it nice and flat).

The finished scarf (after blocking) measures 56 inches long and has a width of 4.75 inches. I think it's perfect for a little boy to wear in this cold weather!

That is what the scarf looks like from the WS:

Christmas!

This Christmas I decided that I wanted to knit something special for the members of my family. I asked the people I was unsure of what they wanted, instead of knitting something that they may not want.



My mom got a pair of socks. "Bonsai" is from "Knitted Socks East and West". I highly recommend this book to any sock knitters. It has some lovely patterns in it, they are easy to follow and produce beautiful results. I have made a few pairs from this book and I am in love with them all. These were a bit tight when my mom put them on, so maybe going up a needle size would have been a better fit, but once she got them on, they looked amazing.



My sister asked for a cowl. Not just any cowl; it had to be "chunky and big enough to go around my head twice and I want it in light beige". At least she was specific... I found a great pattern online. Stockholm Scarf fit my sister's description perfectly. It was a great and easy knit, I was able to make it in just over 2 days and she was unbelievably happy with the results and I saw her wearing it every time she went out. Success!



My other sister asked for a pair of socks, a teddy bear and a marshmallow hat. I didn't know if I would be able to finish everything for her, but I managed it. I do not have a picture of the marshmallow hat (I'll try to get her to take a picture of it so I can post it... it's hot pink and looks great on her!). The socks were another pattern from "Knitted Socks East and West", this time I chose "Chouwa". They look amazing, the picture does not do them justice.



She also wanted a teddy bear, but I didn't feel like making another one, so I opted instead to make her a Hippo! The pattern is from "Itty-Bitty Toys", and it came out fantastic.



Next was my dad. He was the hardest person to make for by far! I knew I had to find something unique for him, but at the same time still be cute. Stone the Gargoyle provided me with the perfect solution. He looks absolutely fantastic while still having some charm!



I also knitted a pair of socks for a friend. The Horcrux socks can be found in the Six Sox Knitalong group on Ravelry. Another great easy knit pattern (and super stretchy too, so it will fit all sized feet!).



Another pair of socks for a friend. Again from "Knitted Socks East and West". These ones are called "Ninja". Another super stretchy socks for those of you who don't know the exact foot size of the person you are knitting for.



A pair of socks for my aunt (sorry about the poor picture quality). aFlame is available as a free Ravelry download. A great quick knit that isn't complicated enough to throw you off, but it keeps your interest.

I didn't get a picture of the socks that I knitted for my grandmother. Another free ravelry download; the Norfolk Ramblers pattern is excellent. The cross-stitch is a pattern that my grandmother gave me for Christmas last year and I completed it for her and gave it to her this Christmas. She seemed really pleased with it!



Writing everything down in a post like this makes it look like a lot less work then it actually was. I basically started knitting in June and have been making things on and off since then. I think I'm going to start even earlier next year!!

Finally some new finished projects to share!

School has been keeping me busy these past few months and I haven't had as much time as I would like to be crafting. I did manage to get some things done, including the Vespa shawl that I have had my eye on for some time. I loved the design of this and it was so easy and fast to knit up, I memorized the pattern after just a few repeats. I used Bernat Alpaca Natural Blends in "stone" and I needed just over 2 skeins to finish it. I did 17 repeats of the pattern and added two buttons to keep it secure around the neck. It's a great pattern and I love the look of the finished project! I was going to keep it, but because I already have so many scarves/shawls for myself I'm putting it up in my Etsy shop.

I also had a bit of time to do a great cross-stitch design: "Live Fast, Die Pretty". It was my first time following a charted pattern for a cross-stitch and I love the results!! It looks amazing.

Because you can never have enough hats....

A while back my boyfriend had asked me to knit him a new winter hat. He picked out the colors and I got the yarn but I never had a chance to knit it up.

While looking through some hat patterns on Ravelry, I came upon the Traveller's Hat. I liked the simple stitch pattern that gave the hat interest, but was still appropriate for a guy to wear. The pattern was so perfect, I ended up knitting two hats.

The two balls of yarn were enough to knit both of them (I inverted the colors for the second hat). I used Vanna's Choice yarn with size 9 (5.5mm) needles and CO 82 sts. I got a good amount of slouch with only 5 stripes.

My boyfriend has already been wearing the hat, so it must be a great success!

My Bella Mitts!

The first time I saw Twilight, I could not stop thinking of the mittens that Bella was wearing during the scene when she slips on the ice outside her house. I desperately wanted a pair for myself but could not even begin to make my own pattern for them.
So naturally, I was so excited when I saw the pattern for the Bella Mittens. I never seemed to find enough time to get them done, but the change in weather motivate me to finish them(and not a moment too soon). I really love the pattern; it was easy to follow and they are so comfy! I used DPNs instead of the magic loop method because I was more comfortable doing it that way.
Even if you are not a Twilight fan, I recommend this pattern just because they look so darn cute!

Because I wasn't busy enough....

I got a sewing machine for my birthday! YAY! Something new to challenge myself with and another creative outlet for all my pent up energy.

I wanted to start this new endeavor with something simple and easy and these frayed edge bibs were perfect! They were so perfect that I made 4 of them! The tutorial is perfect for beginners and it was a great first project.



I wanted to take on a bit more of a challenge next so I moved on to making a stuffed toy. The RevoluzZzionary Monster tutorial was fantastic. I loved the results so much that I made 2 of them.



Next came the Twenty Minute Tote. Great fabric and a fantastic tutorial.



While doing all this sewing I came to appreciate the need for a pincushion. I found the perfect one with the Cute as a Button Flower Tutorial. Looks great and does a fantastic job of keeping my needles right where I need them.



My last project that I'll share with you today is the stuffed owls from the Holiday Crafts magazine. They look so cute and they were really easy and quick to make.

With my experience of learning how to knit is to find some good tutorials and follow them. There are some great ones out there and they are the best way to teach yourself.